The aim of great TV should be to deliver a gorgeous picture in your living room or bedroom, and help you to enjoy the finer details of your programming. The best OLED TVs tick those boxes and then some, and are generally considered to be some of the best TVs you can buy right now.

In particular, they are a great choice if you have a darker room, though newer technologies are helping them to take on brighter rooms too – bringing the fight to traditionally brighter LCD screens.

Most of the major manufacturers now offer some kind of OLED panel, and that’s because they win with buyers time and time again. As a home entertainment expert, I’ve tested a whole host of TVs, so whether you’re looking for a smaller TV for your gaming or just one for your family room, you can find something in my top recommendations. Here are my top picks for the best OLED TVs available on the market.

Best OLED TV: our top picks

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line OLED TV, the LG G3 is a Pocket-lint favourite. Not only does it look great, with its Zero Gap mounting for a slim look for your wall, its use of brand new Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech means it is one of the brightest OLED screens we’ve ever seen, which makes anything you’re watching – but particularly HDR video – shine.

Delivering 70 per cent more brightness than traditional OLEDs are capable of, our review found this isn’t just marketing hype either. Our reviewer found it capable of 1400 nits and more on a white HDR window covering 10 per cent of the screen, something he notes is “a rise of at least 400 nits beyond any OLED we’ve seen from LG before.”

If you want a bright, clear picture for your space, opt for this panel – just remember there’s no pedestal stand in the box. You’ll need to pay extra for that if you don’t want to wall mount it.

Samsung’s S95C is a continuation of the success story that is QD-OLED, Samsung’s take on OLED technology that uses a layer of quantum dots to deliver brighter, punchier colours than traditional OLED can manage. It takes the fight to LG’s new MLA technology, and serves up seriously impressive pictures that work great with movies and gaming alike.

Having tested this panel, I fell in love with the vivid, beautiful colouring on Samsung’s S95C. In playing Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon on the S95C, the colour saturation hit just perfectly after some minor calibration.

The Neural Quantum Processor serves up with 4K AI upscaling so you can get the very best picture no matter what you’re watching, and you’ll also get support for Dolby Atmos and Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound+ technology, so you can enjoy great audio without opting for a soundbar. Plus, with its Infinity One Design and Samsung’s slim One Connect box keeping wire mess to a minimum when wall mounting, you’ll be able to enjoy the S95C’s sleek design in any space.

Gamers, the LG C3 is a great one to consider, thanks its full set of fully loaded HDMIs supporting 4K/120Hz playback, as well as the built-in support for Freesync Premium and Nvidia’s G-SYNC, keeping gameplay smooth whether next-gen console or PC gaming.

Of course, it also offers an outstanding picture performance for movies and TV too, with a natural colour balance and just enough punch when it is required. There’s support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 to ensure a gorgeous, detailed picture, and there are a range of sizes too – you can opt for a 42-inch panel all the way up to 83 inches.

When you’re not gaming, you can use Alexa to bring up your favourite shows via voice commands, plus, rounding out the package is support for Dolby Atmos – though you’ll want to add a compatible soundbar here to make the most of that.

Sony’s A95K shows off all the things that Sony is so well known for at this price – incredible fine detail, a wonderfully natural-yet-wide colour palette and rock-solid motion processing, all thanks to Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR.

Sound is another strong point, thanks to Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology. This has become the brand’s calling card in recent years, and sees it placing actuators behind the screen and vibrating it to create a very impressive and direct sound that you don’t usually get from skinny OLEDs. This is rounded off with support for Dolby Atmos soundtracks built in.

Dolby Vision, HDR10 and the broadcast-friendly HLG have the most important HDR formats covered off, Google TV is in charge of the smart system, while for console gamers, Sony partners with PlayStation 5 to enhance your gameplay.

Even with this being a 2022 TV, the performance here can outshine a number of 2023 sets. Its price tag shows that though, and it remains high, in spite of the fact the A95L is on its way later this year.

For getting the most out of your sports, the Sony A80L is a solid contender. It offers many of the same features as the A95K, including Sony’s excellent motion processing and XR Triluminos Pro for punchy colours – only at a much smaller price point.

As a new model for this year, the A80L also offers an Eco Dashboard so you can see how your energy savings go into the TV and adjust them as you prefer, making it a great option for eco-conscious viewers, too. And, because it’s a Sony TV, it still pairs brilliantly with PlayStation, with a 120Hz refresh rate, plus has support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG.

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You’ll still also get that Google TV OS, which makes pulling up your favourite shows and games easier with either one click or voice controls.

The LG A2 checks all the boxes for a great OLED TV on a budget. It serves up a slightly older (but still great) α7 Gen5 AI Processor 4K to give all your pictures the 4K upscaling treatment, and includes Dolby Vision IQ for adapting its HDR performance to the ambient light in the room. There is also the ability to process Dolby Atmos soundtracks – just don’t expect a particularly cinematic performance without adding a soundbar from this set.

From a performance perspective, there are some compromises to make. For a start, it uses a dimmer panel than the LG C2’s Evo panel, so you’ll really need a darker room to make the most of it. There are also only three HDMI ports, instead of the regular four, and they aren’t up to the HDMI 2.1 standard either. That means it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks things like VRR/ALLM support, which you might want if you’re a next-gen console gamer.

If you can make these compromises work for your situation, you can choose from a range of screen sizes, and at a price much lower than you’ll find anywhere else – often under four figures.

How did I choose the best OLED TVs?

As a home entertainment expert, I have had personal experience testing a number of these TVs. For those that I haven’t had a chance to test yet, I’ve considered the reviews from the rest of the Pocket-lint team and spoken to those editors to pull this list together. I’ve also reviewed real-life customer reviews and taken into consideration the specs, perks and quirks of each display.

All the panels on my list have at least a four-star rating from us here at Pocket-lint, and also real-life customers. This way, you know that you’re getting a quality OLED TV for your home.

What to look for in an OLED TV

In general, choosing an OLED TV breaks down into what features you’re looking for. You’ll want to consider display size, 4K resolution versus 8K resolution, and refresh rates.

Display size

You’ll first and foremost want to consider your space. If you’re placing your new OLED TV in a small apartment, odds are that you’re going to want to have a smaller panel to both accommodate and maximize your living area. Many of the TVs I chose for my top recommendations come in a variety of sizes, with most falling under the 55-, 65-, and 75-inch range. However, you can find an OLED as small as 42 inches, as well as 85 inches and above too.

Resolution

You may have heard talk about 8K TV, but most OLED TVs haven’t caught up with their LCD counterparts just yet and and are mostly offered in 4K. The good news? 4K is the best choice for most people, and will still gives you a crisp, clear, bright picture with the content to make the most of it. Currently, there is next-to-no 8K content, which means you’re relying on AI upscaling to see the differences.

Refresh rate

Gamers will absolutely want to consider the refresh rate. Most of the TVs on this list offer a 120Hz refresh rate, meaning you’ll get smoother gameplay when booting up your favourite PlayStation games.

That being said, a 60Hz refresh rate won’t make or break your gaming. It’ll feel more choppy, but in general, you’ll still be able to get a great picture during your gaming sessions.

The best OLED TV in 2023: The bottom line

Having a great OLED TV in your home can make your TV viewing experience so much better, and based on extensive testing, the LG G3 is hands-down the best OLED TV on the market.