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The way the TV market is heading, bigger TVs are becoming more popular. But not everyone has room for a TV that’s 65-inches or bigger, and in the UK, 55-inches is still considered the norm for most living rooms.
If a 55-inch TV is as big as you can fit in your room, we have a range of options that will suit, whether you’re looking to stick one on a TV rack or plant them on a wall, these are the best 55-inch TVs we’ve tested in recent months.
Some of these models are only available in Europe, while others can be bought in other regions but may have slightly different model numbers and if so, we’ll make it clear if there’s any difference to avoid confusion.
The range of TVs we’ve assembled in this list will appeal to home cinema enthusiasts, gamers, sports fans or to those just looking for a bigger TV experience than they currently have. All the TVs on this list have been assessed in terms of picture, sound and smarts while keeping in mind they offer the best performance and value for money.
This list focuses primarily on 2021 models but with the new 2022 TV ranges appearing in stock online and in stores, we’ll be looking to add them if they’re good enough to feature. Our TV best buys cater to other options that include our best cheap TVs, best 4K HDR sets; best 8K TVs and the best OLED TVs for those who want cinema-like picture quality in their living rooms.
Every TV we review is put through the same set of tests to gauge its picture performance, usability, and smart features. Tests are carried out over several days and are done by eye but supported with technical measurements. Testing by eye involves an expert watching a wide range of material to understand and determine a TV’s performance in fields such as brightness, contrast, motion processing, colour handling and screen uniformity. We’ll consider the design of the TV in terms of build quality, study the spec sheets and see if the TV’s connections are up to spec, as well as playing video and audio content to ensure that the set handles playback as it claims. We also take note whether a product’s compatible formats and features are in line with industry trends or not to gauge whether it’s relevant for you. Comparison to other related and similarly priced products is also important, to see if it’s missing any vital features and whether it impresses as a whole. After all this, we’ll come to a judgement on how the TV performs as a whole. If you want to learn more, please visit our detailed page about how we test televisions.
If you’re after the ultimate 55-inch TV, one that takes care both of picture and sound without having to purchase any more boxes, then the Panasonic JZ2000 is the only model you need.
At £1899 it’s expensive for a 55-inch telly and it’s only available in the UK and Europe (Panasonic no longer sells TVs in the USA). However, we feel it bests every other telly on this list, its custom-made panel offers a higher measured peak brightness than the Sony A90J, that allows the JZ2000 to depict HDR sources in a dazzling manner, producing more intense bright HDR highlights than we noted with the LG G1.
It also supports all the HDR formats, from HDR10 and HLG to Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive, ensuring it can optimise HDR content from any source – be it 4K Blu-ray or video streaming service – with its class-leading picture quality. Onboard is Panasonic’s HCX Pro AI processor, which delivers extraordinary nuance and detail and produces images as close to what you may see in a Hollywood grading suite considering Panasonic’s OLEDs are in fact used in Hollywood to master the latest blockbusters.
We found the audio performance is up there with the best, with its 360° Soundscape Pro sound system and Dolby Atmos support ensuring that films sounded larger, wider and more exciting than on any other 55-inch TV we’ve tested. On the features front there aren’t as many as others on this list, but it is an improvement over Panasonic’s previous OLED models with the expansion of its video streaming options (Disney+ and Apple TV+), and improved gaming features such as Dolby Vision Gaming and AMD FreeSync VRR. If you’re a gamer, the 55-inch G1 model is a better option for gaming and it’s cheaper
Still, there’s no better all-in-one audio-visual TV than the JZ2000 and with the LZ2000 due to replace it in the late summer, prices could potentially come down even further.
Reviewer: Steve May Full Review: Panasonic JZ2000
While this is a model from 2021, with the 2022 range of TVs now available to purchase, if you’re after a high-quality 55-inch OLED, we’d suggest giving the G1 a closer look.
It is one of LG’s best OLEDs from recent years with its minimalist design, fabulous picture quality and extensive smarts. We found its build quality to be excellent, its flat rear panel means it’s able to sit flush against a wall. This is a TV designed to be wall-mounted, and as such if you choose to position it on a stand, you’ll need to open your wallet to purchase the feet. All four of its HDMI connections support the v2.1 standard, with VRR, ALLM and 4K/120Hz HFR across all inputs ensuring it is a great pick for gamers.
The webOS hub offers an overview of the TV’s smart features with lots of apps to choose from such as NOW, Sky Store and Disney+, and it can also act as a hub to connect and manage all your other smart devices from the Home Dashboard menu. Freeview Play brings all the UK catch-up apps, and we measured input lag at 12.5ms, which is fast for gaming and with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium VRR, latency can be brought down even further.
The picture performance is consistently outstanding, the added brightness of the Evo panel produces a slightly brighter and spectacular HDR performance than previous models. Black levels are superbly deep, the increase in brightness and precision makes contrast stand out even more. With HDR content the colours are rich and saturated in appearance, and we found this level of performance brought out the best in films such as The Dark Knight and La La Land.
Sound quality lacks weight and depth, which is a common theme with flatscreen TVs so it’s best to pick up a soundbar. You can see a selection of the ones we recommend in our best soundbar guide. If you’re looking for a TV to put on a wall, we’d rate this as an excellent TV to consider for that purpose.
Reviewer: Kob Monney Full Review: LG OLED55G1
Sony’s TVs tend to carry a premium, so at its current price of $1999 / £1999, the A90J the most expensive 55-inch TV on this list. Unlike the Panasonic, its more widely available around the world, so if you’re in the market for a premium 55-inch OLED, this would work as an alternative if you couldn’t get the JZ2000.
It doesn’t go as bright as the JZ2000 in depicting HDR highlights and its support for HDR formats is limited to HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, but you could make the case that aside from Prime Video and a few other streaming services, HDR10+ support isn’t crucial – but its inclusion would be nice.
Nevertheless, the Sony produces profoundly impressive pictures with a striking colour palette and an excellent feel for depicting contrast between blacks and whites. Sony’s motion skills are class-leading, better than the JZ2000 or G1 that feature here by producing a smooth and entirely convincing performance with any type of motion, helpful for sports watchers.
The sound is provided by Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology and it sounded more nuanced and more direct than other flatscreens we’ve tested, though arguably the size and the height of the JZ2000’s speakers produce a more immersive presentation.
The A90J is suited more to the home cinema enthusiast, its gaming support not as comprehensive as the LG G1. ALLM and VRR were added in update earlier in 2022, but there’s no Dolby Vision Gaming and aside from Google Stadia no integrated cloud streaming services. It is optimised to work with the PS5 if you’re one of the lucky ones to get the console.
Our reviewer found the Google TV interface a more welcoming affair than previous Android TV efforts with its curated content, and by the time you read this the Google TV profile update should be available, offering personalised viewing for each person that uses the TV. With the A90K OLED on its way, you may want to consider waiting for that model to come out to see whether the A90J receives another drop in price.
Reviewer: Simon Lucas Full Review: Sony XR-55A90J
Roku sells its branded TVs in the USA and the UK, and each market has specific models. The TCL Roku 55RP620K is only available in the UK for purchase from Currys, and it’s a solid effort, the highlight being its breadth of smart features.
This 55-inch model offers very little fuss in terms of set-up, whether it’s assembling the TV (our reviewer found it took just a few minutes to piece things together) to going through the set-up of the TV itself, the Roku OS making it a breeze to fly through.
The interface mirrors what you’d find on other models with Freeview Play integration, lots of apps such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV and BT Sport, and a wide array of features. Apple’s AirPlay 2 offers the ability to cast video and audio from an iOS device, HomeKit places the TV within a smart home ecosystem for control over compatible devices and Chromecast allows for casting from any device that supports the feature. The feature set is pretty competitive with some of the more expensive models on this list, and in terms of apps this TV easily has more options than the JZ2000.
Picture quality is not where as good as the models we’ve listed here but that’s no surprise considering the price. We noted its upscaling performance was inconsistent and that its HDR performance wasn’t as colourful or as vibrant as we’ve seen on other cheaper TVs, and it can also have issues with maintaining black levels.
However, these are common faults with budget models, and if you aren’t too concerned with having the best HDR picture quality then we’d suggest giving this model a go as it puts in a good picture performance with standard def content thanks to its punchy, colourful presentation. There’s not much to say about its sound which is decent with dialogue but lacks punch and dynamism to make films and TV exciting.
Reviewer: Kob Monney Full Review: TCL 55RP620K
Great interface, so-so picture quality
Another solid TV from Hisense, but with a few compromises
The TV we’d offer as the best is one that doesn’t feature on this list. The LG OLED65C2 supports every gaming feature going with ALLM, VRR, 4K/120Hz HFR, AMD FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync, Google Stadia and more. Although we haven’t tested the 55-inch model, we’d suspect a similar level of performance.
We’d say it’s down to either the Panasonic JZ2000 and the Sony A90J. The A90J’s motion processing is class leading, but the higher brightness, wide HDR support and Filmmaker mode support sways our choice in the way of the JZ2000.
Out of the models we’ve tested, the TCL Roku would be our choice with its Dolby Vision support, colourful SD performance and fast input lag for gaming.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Founded in 2004, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Products tested and reviewed since 2003