When you haven’t got lots of space to play with, the best 43-inch TVs are ideal for delivering many of the features you’ll find on bigger sets but with the convenience of a smaller size that’s perfect for apartments and bedrooms.
We also like 43-inch TVs because they are some of the best budget TVs as well. They offer great value for the price, and most budget models often be found for under $300. That said, you’ll get more choice and much better picture from an OLED or QLED TV that usually run closer to $1,000, like the Samsung QN90C and LG C3 OLED, but don't feel like you have to overspend to find a great TV; the TCL 4-Series and Amazon Omni are both excellent values that cost under $300.
The best 43-inch TVs in 2023
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When it comes to 43-inch TVs, the LG C3 OLED is the best pick for folks who want the best performance at the best price. You can find TVs with better sound, but there aren’t many out there that offer you this much for the same price.
The LG OLED evo C3 is loaded with features that make it ideal for watching — or playing — anything your heart desires. The 42-inch model sport full arrays of HDMI 2.1 ports and uses LG’s evo OLED panel, which was first introduced on the LG G1 OLED TV. With it, the LG C3 hits around 820 nits at peak brightness and covers 98.98% of the UHDA-P3 Color Gamut.
It has its shortcomings (see: sound quality) but it's a great value option.
Read our full LG C3 OLED review.
The Samsung QN90C Neo QLED TV has almost everything you’d expect from a premium 4K Mini-LED TV — outstanding HDR brightness, a good selection of sizes, consistent upscaling, ample support for a variety of content, and more.
For those who aren’t familiar, Mini-LED backlighting delivers high levels of brightness while maintaining realistic color and gradations of luminance. And though the QN90C Neo QLED isn’t the most premium of all the 4K Samsung 2023 TVs, it’s the one that you’ll probably be most tempted to buy.
It might not be as inherently exciting as the company’s QD-OLED innovations in larger screen sizes — the Samsung S95C still holds the top spot as the best TV we’ve tested this year — the compact Samsung QN90C Neo QLED TV reminds us why Samsung is still the king of Quantum Dot technology.
Read our full Samsung QN90C QLED TV review.
The Sony Bravia XR A90K, only available in either a 42-inch or 48-inch screen size, is a little TV that thinks big. You can’t get it in enormous sizes, but you don’t have to — it’s equipped with an OLED screen and incorporates all of Sony’s industry-leading picture technologies to result in a set that does just as well in technical benchmark tests as it does in everyday movie and television viewing.
The A90K’s remote is also the upgraded version we previously saw with the A95K, upping the set’s swank factor still further. Instead of matte-black plastic, it has a shimmering gunmetal sheen; the buttons are all backlighted; and finding the remote when it’s lost is as easy as activating the TV’s far-field microphone, saying “Hey Google! Find my remote!”, and then following the beeping sound the lost unit produces.
Want terrific picture quality, but you don’t have room for a full-size TV? The A90K will (literally and figuratively) brighten up any room, and is a major offering that should not be dismissed merely because of its minor size.
Read our full Sony Bravia XR A90K review.
The TCL 4 Series Roku TV delivers phenomenal value for the price. This 4K TV often sells for less than you’ll find bargain 1080p TVs. It has good color accuracy and supports HDR10 — but not Dolby Vision — for improved contrast. It uses Roku’s system software, which we think provides one of the best smart TV experiences available and has plenty of apps to choose from. We found it had a low lag time of 14 milliseconds during testing too, so this set also will handle fast-paced gaming well.
In exchange for the great price, the TCL 4 Series is missing a few features that more expensive TVs deliver. It lacks local dimming, so the HDR performance isn’t as good as it could be. It also has weak speakers, with little bass and limited power. If this is going to be your main TV, consider adding a soundbar to overcome the sound issues.
If you don't mind dropping to a lower level of performance to save some money, the TCL 4-Series is a great bargain buy.
Read our full TCL 4-Series Roku TV (S435) review.
Amazon has dabbled in the smart TV game for a few years now, letting TV manufacturers use the same software found on some of the best streaming devices, like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube to power value priced smart TVs. But the Amazon Fire TV Omni series represents a pretty dramatic change to that formula, as the first Amazon-powered smart TV to carry the Amazon brand instead of another manufacturer, as well as the first of likely many Fire TV models with built-in far field microphones for hands-free voice control.
Amazon's smart TV software has always been at its best when showcasing built-in Alexa functionality, but the Amazon Fire TV Omni series takes this to a new level, enhancing that capability and pairing it with a better looking TV than any Fire TV we've seen before. It's not a perfect product, but our Amazon Fire TV Omni review explores the many ways Amazon tries to make its new Fire TV the best Fire TV.
Read our full Amazon Fire TV Omni review.
How to choose the best 43-inch TV for you
When looking for a 43-inch TV, follow our TV Buying Guide tips. If you put some thought into what you need from a TV, you’ll be able to enjoy your purchase for years to come.
First, check that a 43-inch TV makes sense for your space. According to our What size TV should you buy? guide, a 43-inch TV is ideal for viewers seated 3.5 to 4 feet away from the screen. That size makes them the perfect second TV for a bedroom, an inexpensive kids TV or a dedicated TV for gaming.
If your space will allow for a larger unit, we recommend you go bigger — even if you think you’ll be happy with a smaller screen, a bigger one helps make the experience of watching more engaging.
Finally, consider which ports you need and how many. The number of HDMI ports you need depends on how many devices you plan to plug in — a streaming stick, game console or cable box, for example. Most of these TVs have three HDMI inputs, but some have four. If you plan to use a sound bar, you may need an optical digital audio or a 3.5 mm auxiliary output. You may also want a TV that supports Bluetooth so you can listen on your headphones without disturbing people around you.
If you've narrowed down your TV shopping by brand, price range or screen size, check out our picks for the best TVs in each.
Best TVs | Best 4K TVs | Best smart TVs for streaming | Best TVs for gaming
The best TVs under $1000 | The best TVs under $500
Best TV brands | Best Samsung TVs | Best TCL TVs | Best LG TVs | Best Roku TVs | Best OLED TVs | Best QLED TVs | Best 8K TVs
The smallest smart TVs | Best 50-inch TVs | Best 55-inch TVs | Best 65-inch TVs | Best 70-inch TVs | Best 75-inch TVs | Best 85-inch TVs
And don't forget to watch out for the latest TV reviews.
How we test the best 43-inch TVs
When it comes to evaluating the best 43-inch TVs, we're serious about getting it right. That's why every TV we review is put through a rigorous testing process that measures key standards of picture quality and performance.
Our lab tests involve testing for color accuracy and color gamut using an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, an AccuPel DVG-5000 video test pattern generator and SpectraCal CalMAN Ultimate calibration software. These tools are relied on by professional calibrators throughout the industry, and we've paired them with custom workflows to gather the information needed for our reviews. These measurements are taken first in standard mode to simulate the average watching experience, and then taken again in other display modes to find the top color and brightness performance offered by each set.
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Our testing measures contrast and maximum brightness, as well as lag time. Using a Leo Bodnar Video Signal Input Lag Tester to test video signal delay, we time how long it takes for content to travel from the original video source to the screen, measured to the millisecond. Shorter response times equate with faster gaming performance, letting us objectively know which TVs are better for gaming.
We use all of these objective test results to make comparisons about quality and performance between different TVs, but our evaluation doesn't end there. We also spend hours with each set, watching shows and movies, and using carefully selected video samples to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each set and help us tell you which TVs look and sound the best in a real home viewing environment.
And there's more to today's TVs than just viewing, so we also check out the smart TV functions and evaluate everything from the interface to the remote control design. This lets our reviews speak to the technical capabilities of today's smart TVs and how they fit into your connected home.
- Questions answered: What size TV do I need?
- The best soundbars for your TV
