T3's Expert Recommendations
00. The list in brief ↴
01. Best premium
02. Best affordable
03. Best for most people
04. Best for gamers
05. Best for cinephiles
06. Best sounding
07. Best small screen
08. Why get an OLED?
This list of the best OLED TVs doesn't only include the latest and greatest models, for a really good reason: some of the newest ones on sale are incredibly expensive. And while we've absolutely recognised the top-drawer sets here, everyone should be open to a bargain buy at the best possible price.
OLED TVs are among the best TVs you can buy today, with the ultimate in contrast, perfect colours, and blacks that are super-deep and won't suffer light bleed. That's because the pixels in an OLED TV generate their own light, which is much more controllable than the backlit method used in LED TVs. Note there's also QD-OLED – you can check out what that means here – but in this guide we're not segregating the two types.
Typically the best OLED TVs are fairly big ones: you'll find them in our guides to the best 55-inch TVs and best 65-inch TVs, but the cost and complexity of smaller panels means you won't find many OLEDs duking it out with the best 42-inch LEDs. Whichever size best suits you, however, here's our definitive list of the best OLED TVs and which set will suit which viewers best.
T3 Top Picks
Best premium OLED
If you're a serious about cinema and gaming then Sony's top-of-the-line QD-OLED panel is simply stunning. It delivers a sharp and responsive picture, including all the requisite gaming features (VRR, ALLM, 120Hz, 4K). It's massive, however, so if the end-positioned stand feet won't suit your AV furniture then look to wall-mount it.
Best affordable OLED
Here's where we wind back the clock to benefit your wallet: this Samsung step-down QD-OLED set is also the previous-generation model. It's close in picture quality to the top-tier S95D, however, just without the same anti-reflective matte panel and it can't quite hit the same brightness. But it still delivers images stupendously.
Best for most people
The T3 Awards 2024 winner of Best OLED won the judges over for its anti-reflective screen, significant brightness, and its deft hand in handling picture quality. It's a mite cheaper than the best ultra-premium competitor, too, and more practical for most thanks to an easier-to-use stand-mount system. It's a stunning TV which delivers stunning images.
Best for gamers
While LG has long been known as the best OLED maker, that's regarding traditional panels (not the newer QD-OLED of many competitors). Even so, the OLED G4 is a sensational display of how to handle both cinematic and gaming quality. The company's own processor means up to 144Hz gaming (or PC) is possible, there's Dolby Vision in 4K/120Hz thanks to a great processor, and four HDMI 2.1 ports.
Best for cinephiles
The current flagship OLED in Panasonic's range (soon to be replaced by the Z95A), the MZ2000 continues the tradition set by Panasonic TVs that came before it, combining a brilliant picture with a brilliant sound system. This time, there's a serious boost in terms of the panel's brightness capabilities, and it's bound to appeal to anyone who wants the best viewing experiences without an additional soundbar.
Best sounding
Integrated sound quality can sometimes let down the best OLED TVs, but that's not the case with the Philips OLED 937 – you can see the soundbar-style speakers under the set itself, and they pump out audio at a marvellous level of quality. Oh, and the picture is pretty fantastic as well, making this a great all-round audio-visual TV package. Trickier to find these days, but a worthy investment if you can locate one.
Best premium
If you want the absolute best-of-best then the Sony A95L, initially released in 2023 – but which continues in Sony's realigned TV range for 2024 and beyond – is an astonishingly accomplished TV and T3 Awards 2024 winner for Best TV overall.
It comes with caveats, of course, in that the stand mount – the two legs positioned at the outermost edges of the telly – make it very difficult to accommodate on any 'normal' AV furniture. Wall-mount it, however, and it'll look amazing. Or just go buy a bigger AV cabinet, eh?
Being Sony's top-tier QD-OLED entry (Sony judges its Mini-LED Bravia 9 as now a step above this, oddly), the A95L takes on Samsung S95D and if you want premium build, visuals and sound then it's the overall winner. It's the pricier model, too, no doubt – but what an investment it is.
If you can afford it then it's more than worth it. As said in our Sony A95L review: "Having tested many of the best TVs over recent years, living with the Sony A95L... has often left me awestruck. The Sony A95L appears to be a shoo-in for one of the best OLED TVs."
Best affordable
The Samsung S90C is actually a step down in Samsung's QD-OLED range (below the S95) and it's also a year 'out of date'. But both those things means something great: it's more affordable than the more up to date and higher-ranked model – yet still delivers very accomplished picture quality.
In our Samsung S90C review, we described the set as "a step down in price, not in performance," which ultimately sums up what this TV is about. Sure, it won't cost you peanuts exactly, but it's not as giant a sum as many of the most premium OLED sets will set you back.
If you can overlook its tardy Smart TV interface and the ongoing lack of Dolby Vision HDR – that's a Samsung thing, though, affecting all its models – then the S90C is one of those perfectly balanced buys that'll leave you feeling really smug with yourself. But you might want to add one of the best soundbars to get the utmost from its sound.
Best for most people
Samsung had steered clear of the OLED market for a decade or so, but came back with a bang with its QD-OLED models. The 2024 champion is the Samsung S95D – and, after winning the T3 Award 2024 for Best OLED TV, we think it'll be the best fit for most people looking to buy a new panel.
That's down to a number of reasons: the 'D' model in 2024 adds an even stronger anti-reflective coating to its panel, meaning that whether you view in light or darkroom conditions it'll be adept across the board. So it's not just for cinephiles, it's great for 'normal' watching of TV too.
But when you do want to go deep into a movie, say, the S95D can squeeze the utmost out of quality source material. It's super-bright, able to rival the best (including Sony's A95L), with punchy colours and high contrast levels.
Describing the TV in our Samsung S95D review, we said: this TV is "a quantum leap forward in OLED performance. The increased brightness, wider colours and improved tone mapping deliver some of the best HDR we’ve ever seen." Indeed, the only downside might be that the sound isn't perfect, but then you can add one of best soundbars for Samsung TVs to beef-up the audio.
Best for gamers
The LG OLED G4's predecessor, the LG G3, was once the TV that sat atop this very guide – as the best OLED TV money could buy. So why doesn't its replacement G4 take that top spot? For some people it will: as traditional OLED panels go it's untouchable and many cinema fans will absolutely adore it. Plus it comes in both stand-mount and wall-mount options now.
But there's one thing in addition to superb pictures that the LG OLED G4 also does very, very well indeed. And that's handled gaming features like no other TV of the moment can. So if you're looking to support your Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, or a decent PC rig then nothing is going to match this LG.
Why's that? Well, it's got all the bells and whistles. It's powerful AI processor knows the sort of content you're displaying, there's a great Game Mode to dig deep into settings, plus all the mod-cons that gamers will demand. That means all four HDMI ports are the 2.1 type, so can cater for variable refresh rate (VRR), auto low-latency (ALLM), and thanks to LG's own chipset even hit 144Hz (it's 120Hz for consoles though). Dreamy stuff all round.
As said in our LG G4 review: this TV "will deliver picture quality with such aplomb that your retinas will be giddy. With the best possible source material it'll reward you with the best possible viewing experience. Traditional OLED picture quality doesn't get better or brighter than this – and cinephiles and gamers will see the obvious benefit."
Best for cinephiles
There are a lot of areas that the Panasonic MZ2000 appeals in, chief among them the high levels of brightness – thanks to the integrated Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology – and the superb 7.1 sound system. This isn't a television that you'll need to buy a separate soundbar to enjoy.
In our Panasonic MZ2000 review, we described it as "sensational" in terms of its image processing, and a TV that "shines" in the way it displays HDR (High Dynamic Range) content. You also get plenty of control over the way the picture is presented, so you're able to tailor it to your exact requirements.
It's currently the flagship television in Panasonic's range – soon to be replaced by the simpler-named Z95A – and there's the best HDMI 2.1 standard available here too (albeit only on two of the four HDMI ports). There's no doubt that this is one of the best OLEDs out there right now, and perhaps the best if you value sounds as much as pictures all wrapped into one.
Best sounding
Where the Philips OLED 937 really stands out from the competition is in two key areas: this panel has a built in Bowers & Wilkins soundsystem (some will call it a soundbar), which sounds sublime straight out of the box; it also features Ambilight, which projects real-time lighting beyond the screen and creates an even more immersive viewing experience.
As said in our Philips OLED+937 review: "If you're in the market for a large-screen OLED TV that's a sound and vision extravaganza then this is an absolute stormer. The added bonus of Ambilight to further immersion by projecting onto surrounding walls sweetens the deal."
However, all that extra stuff does mean it's rather expensive, while not everyone will want an integrated sound setup like this if they've already got one of the best soundbars going (but if that's you then, well, look at all the other wonderful options available to you on this very page).
There's certainly no shortage of alternatives, but likely none that will be quite as show-offy and extravagant as this superb Philips model. It's a bit older than some on this list, so harder to locate these days, but by the end of 2024 we anticipate a replacement model could be on the market.
Best small screen
While most OLED TVs are pretty massive, with many starting from 55-inches in size, the generation-old LG C3 caters for the 42-inch and 48-inch section of the market (and you can buy it much larger, too, as pictured, if that's your preference).
A smaller OLED screen won't only cost you less, this LG is a generation behind the current LG C4, meaning it'll save you even more cash. A double win right there!
In our LG C3 OLED review we said that this is "an amazing OLED TV", and when reviewed it was "the best OLED for most people" – so an ideal purchase if you're seeking a small display that's also highly specified.
There's a state-of-the-art image processor for class-leading upsampling, and the presence of multiple HDMI 2.1 ports means this is also one of the best gaming TVs (or monitors) you can buy. So whether you're a gamer, a movie buff, or a box set binger – LG's C3 is still a great buy (although it's very similar to its C2 predecessor, but that's tough to locate and buy these days).
Why get an OLED?
Why get an OLED TV?
Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The Best OLED TVs will blow your mind in terms of their display and brightness. OLED technology means the pixels emit their own light, rather than a backlight from an LED or LCD screen – making the picture much more crisp and far clearer than any other type of TV screen – cool right?
To dive into the inner workings of an OLED TV, you can check out our article 'What is OLED?', and you may also find it useful to read our OLED vs QLED guide to understand the difference between some of the tech.
What we also love about OLED TVs is how thin they are – making them much less chunky and easier to mount on the wall. However, being so thin, this does mean OLED TVs do sometimes compromise on sound. If sound is something you don’t want to compromise on, you should also check out the best soundbars to complete your setup.
Due to their fast pixel response, OLED TVs also make the best best gaming TVs and can support both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X – so if you’re a gamer, you’ll want to check these out too.
