Most of the best TV technology goes into big screens, so choosing a good small TV takes care. These are the 42- and 43-inch TVs that RTINGS' lab tests show are worth your money, for bedrooms, kitchens, dorms, and desks.
The best small TV is the LG C6 OLED 42" (~$1,000): perfect blacks, Dolby Vision, four HDMI 2.1 ports, and up to 165Hz for gaming. It also makes a superb PC monitor.
The best true 43-inch TV is the Sony BRAVIA 3 II (~$598), a bright-room LED TV with an anti-glare screen, Google TV, and surprisingly good gaming features, for a lot less money.
TV makers put their best technology into 55-inch and larger screens, so the choice at 42 and 43 inches is thin. You get two kinds of small TV: premium 42-inch OLEDs that use the same panels as their bigger siblings, and basic 43-inch LED TVs that skip local dimming and look washed out in a dark room. There's very little in between.
That makes the decision simpler than it looks. If picture quality matters, a 42-inch OLED is the one to get, and it doubles as an excellent gaming monitor. If you want a cheap TV for a kitchen, guest room, or dorm, a basic 43-inch set is fine, but don't expect it to impress with movies. Our picks follow RTINGS' lab measurements, which test every TV the same way.
| TV | Size | Panel | Screen | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG C6 OLED | 42 in | OLED | Glossy | Best picture, gaming, movies | ~$1,000 |
| Sony BRAVIA 3 II | 43 in | LED (IPS) | Matte | Daytime viewing, Google TV | ~$598 |
RTINGS' best 42-inch TV, and the best small TV you can buy. OLED pixels light themselves, so blacks are perfectly inky and colors are vibrant, with no blooming around bright objects. The small size isn't as bright as the larger C6 models, but it's still bright enough to make HDR highlights stand out. Dolby Vision and LG's excellent processing make it a great movie TV, and it cleans up lower-quality streams well.
It's also a superb gaming screen. All four HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1, it runs up to 4K at 165Hz, supports every type of VRR, and motion is crystal clear. Many people use the 42-inch C6 as a desktop PC monitor.
Worth knowing: it's a little too dim to fight glare in a sunny room, so it's best in a dark or moderately lit space. In a bright room, the Sony BRAVIA 3 II below handles glare better, though it looks far less impressive at night.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.The best true 43-inch TV in RTINGS' testing, and a much cheaper way to get a well-equipped small screen. Its anti-reflective matte screen makes it a fantastic choice for daytime viewing, and Google TV gives you a huge selection of streaming apps. It's surprisingly good for gaming too, with four ports that carry full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, a 120Hz refresh rate, and VRR to reduce screen tearing.
Worth knowing: there's no local dimming and contrast is low, so dark scenes look grayish in a dark room. It looks far worse than the OLEDs for night-time movies. Think of it as a bright-room TV for everyday watching, not a home theater screen.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.We looked hard for a budget 43-inch TV to recommend, and couldn't find one we're happy with on Amazon. RTINGS' top cheap pick, the Vizio Mini LED Quantum 4K (VQM43C), is a Walmart exclusive. The Hisense QD6QF and TCL S5, the usual cheap Amazon options, scored poorly: no local dimming, weak brightness, and blurry motion. They work for news and casual shows in a kitchen or guest room, but they aren't worth buying for movies or gaming.
If your budget is tight, a better plan is a slightly bigger, better TV. Our best 55-inch TVs include the budget TCL QM6K, which has local dimming and is a big step up from any cheap 43-inch set, and our best TVs under $1,000 cover more sizes. You can also add a streaming device to any basic TV to get a faster, cleaner interface.