If you take a look at the TV industry in recent years, you’d be forgiven for thinking that no one wants a television any smaller than 55 inches. From the way most lines launch from the big manufacturers, big screens are clearly where the focus is at, particularly when you look to the flagship 4K TV ranges, which often stretch up to 85 inches and above.

However, we are seeing some changes. As OLED technology has got cheaper, manufacturers in that space have been able to offer the technology at smaller screen sizes – something that just wasn’t possible until a couple of years ago. Similarly, Samsung has stretched its offering of smaller sets higher up its ranges, so there are still great TVs out there if you need to be mindful of space.

In particular, we’ve found that for many people TV around 43 inches hits the sweet spot – it’s not small, by any means, but also isn’t so big that it becomes something you have to organise your entire room around. It’s also a great choice for a second room, like a kitchen or bedroom.

Different brands will hit slightly different sizes in and around this sweet spot, depending on their manufacturing processes, so we’ve included both 42- and 43-inch TVs here for your consideration.

Our Top Pick: Best 42- and 43-inch TVs

• LG/Pocket-lint

  LG C2 OLED

  1. Best overall

• Samsung QN90B

  2. Great for bright rooms

• Sony A90K

  3. Great for movies

• Samsung

  Samsung Q60B

  4. Best budget buy

• Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series

  5. Great for connectivity

• Sony

  Sony X85K

  6. Great all rounder

The LG C2 is a blockbuster of an OLED screen, and it’s available in a 42-ich variant (LG OLED42C2). While it doesn’t get LG’s brighter evo panel at this screen size, which we praise highly in our review, it still brings with it all the outstanding constrast that OLED TVs are so skilled at, along with superb colour handling and excellent detail retrieval.

4K content is particularly well handled, but up-scaled HD programmes look pretty great too. Even SD channels become quite watchable.

However, where the C2 really steals a march on its competitors is its gaming prowess. With a full complement of high spec HDMI inputs, and outstanding High Frame Rate performance, this is the OLED panel to beat if you want an 4K HDR TV for next-gen gaming.

Samsung has got masses of classy TVs to pick from, including multiple at this size, so you are somewhat spoilt for choice – depending on your budget. The QE43QN90B is the updated model of the QN90A that we reviewed in 2021, and gets a high nod on our list because it doesn’t scrimp on picture quality at this smaller size. That also makes it one of the most expensive, but if you’re looking for a smaller main TV, this is a great choice.

It’s a gorgeous set, with a central stand that makes it easy to place. It packs Samsung’s premium Neo QLED display technology to bring pinpoint clarity to bear, thanks to the more precise Mini LED backlighting. This gives greater accuracy to pictures, reducing blooming and improving black levels, so it can really take the fight to its OLED competition. It doesn’t quite match it, but it’s coming close, and the brightness levels it can manage are outstanding, making this a great choice for rooms with a lot of ambient light.

From a smart TV perspective, it runs Samsung’s own Tizen OS with access to all the major apps and services you’re likely to need and does so snappily and responsively. Gamers should be happy too, with support for 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM all on board.

Unlike the flagship A95K, which uses Samsung QD-OLED tech, the A90K uses the same panel as the LG C2 – with Sony’s processing added on top.

Sony always values subtle picture handling, with a focus on accuracy over bolder, brighter colour palettes. Detail levels are also outstanding, with motion handling second to none, so whatever content you enjoy – movies, sports or gaming – this TV will have you covered, but we love how cinematic this screen is with 4K content.

As for gaming, 4K/120Hz is supported across two HDMI 2.1 ports with VRR and ALLM too.

It’s pricey, but if you’re looking for smaller cinematic TV, the A90K is a great choice.

Not everyone is looking for a flagship small-screen TV, whether that’s down to budget or because it’s a TV for a second room. If that sounds like you, the Samsung Q60B is a great option.

It’s the entry-level TV into Samsung’s premium QLED technology. That means you’re getting the excellent colour handling that QLED technology delivers, along with plenty of brightness, but there are some compromises. Chief among those is it doesn’t have local dimming, and that of course has some impact on contrast.

Go into this purchase with an acceptance for compromise and you’ll find a superb TV for way under the $500 mark.

Amazon’s own range of televisions is headed up by the Omni, which is a lot of TV for the money. It’s a 4K quantum dot panel, with support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, but most notably, it has Amazon’s Fire TV smart system at its core. That means it is stacked with all the streaming services you could want, plus it also has hands-free Alexa functionality built-in.

Don’t expect flagship TV picture quality, nor the brightest panel, but actually the full package here is very appealing indeed, particularly with both flavours of HDR supported. Not even some of the big manufacturers offer that, and it ensures you’re getting the very best picture from whatever you’re watching on your streaming service of choice.

The Sony X85K is a great option in the midrange – not too cheap, but also far from expensive.

You will make some compromises on picture quality, of course, but Sony’s penchant for detail and accuracy is not lost here. The X85K also does a great job with upscaling, so even your SD broadcast TV watching is in good hands.

It’s a bright panel too, so great in any room, but does lack local dimming. That means you might notice contrast isn’t as accurate as you’d see with one that does, but it’s not overly distracting. HDR is covered by Dolby Vision support, but HDR10+ is missing as usual in Sony TVs.

Gamers are covered by 4K/120Hz support, alongside VRR and ALLM. There are only two HDMI 2.1 ports that offer this, but that should be sufficient for the majority of setups.