The Best OLED TVs We’ve Ever Seen: LG, Samsung, and More
Looking to step up to the TV big leagues? These are the best OLED TVs you can buy.
Featured in this article
OLED is the best screen technology right now, which means the best OLED TVs provide the pinnacle of picture quality. Imagine a fully black screen in which each tiny pixel is controlled independently for an image that seems to appear from the void like magic. It’s almost hard to believe it’s real, and it keeps getting better. Display manufacturers like LG and Samsung continue to push OLED beyond expectations for brighter highlights, richer and more natural colors, and faster refresh rates to elevate everything you watch or play.
OLED TVs aren’t cheap, but they’re not the extravagance they were a few short years ago, offering increasingly approachable luxury. If you appreciate a quality home theater experience, there’s no better payoff for your investment. We spend countless hours of meticulous testing to curate the best of the best, so get ready to be dazzled. For more buying tips, check out our guides for the Best TVs, the Best Soundbars, the Best Streaming Devices, and How to Choose the Right TV.
Updated February 2026: We’ve added the Samsung S90F and updated pricing and copy with the latest information and testing.
What’s the Difference Between OLED and LED?
Unlike LED TVs, which use a combination of an LED backlighting and an LCD panel to create images, OLED (which stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode) uses special organic material that lights up when fed electricity. OLED is an “emissive” display technology, meaning each of an OLED’s millions of pixels can turn on or off independently. Because of this comprehensive lighting control, emissive display technologies like OLED—and the more experimental (and expensive) microLED—can provide perfect black levels and superior contrast over traditional LED displays for better overall picture quality.
QLED TVs use tiny nanoparticles called quantum dots for enhanced brightness and colors, and are now commonplace for most TV brands. Add in mini LEDs for better local dimming, and you get higher brightness than regular LED TVs and most OLEDs; even budget-forward QLED models from brands like Hisense and TCL can outshine the priciest OLEDs. That extra brightness can lead to higher color saturation, but there’s a limit to the payoff since most video is mastered below the peak brightness of many QLED TVs (around 1,000 nits), which can lead to over-brightening.
OLED TVs have their own brightness innovations, including some that incorporate quantum dots (known as QD-OLEDs) made by Samsung as well as like LG’s latest multi-stack panels. Modern OLEDs’ mix of advanced brightness, perfect black levels, near-infinite contrast, and excellent viewing angles adds up to a more balanced picture than similarly priced QLEDs.
Especially in its early years, OLED’s standout concern has been its increased risk of burn-in, or image retention, over traditional backlit displays. Due in part to the use of organic compounds, OLED panels can more easily degrade at different rates over time, which could potentially lead to variations in brightness and colors, especially around long-standing images.
Thankfully, OLED burn-in is increasingly less common in modern TVs for several reasons, including features like screen savers, static image detection, and other hardware methods to reduce and rectify image retention. While burn-in remains a mild concern, it’s worth considering only for extremely high-volume users like gamers who keep a static image onscreen for multiple hours (or days) at a time. Even then it usually isn’t permanent. For most, OLED burn-in isn’t something to worry about.
For more info about TV technology, from quantum dots to 4K UHD, check out our guides on How to Choose the Right TV (also linked above), How to Set Up Your New TV, and HDR, or visit the “Helpful Definitions” section in our Best TVs guide for more info.
-
The Best OLED for Most People
LG’s C-series OLED strikes a brilliant balance between performance and value, making it the best way to splurge on that OLED glow with a guilt-free conscience. The C4 offers brightness that’s fiery enough to pep up your favorite Dolby Vision content, while its perfectly uniform black backdrop and vivid yet natural colors will keep you mesmerized by everything from nature docs to sitcoms. The C5 promises a small brightness boost, but the C4 is still enticing at this point in its cycle, regularly on sale at a discount of $1,000 or more over its launch price (check pricing on both for the best deal).
Along with its skillful performance, the C4’s webOS smart system has evolved steadily to provide speedy streaming and intuitive navigation via LG’s Wii-style Magic Remote. You’ll get plenty of other features, including comprehensive HDMI 2.1 support for high-paced gaming at up to 144 Hz with select PCs, alongside conveniences like Chromecast and AirPlay streaming and voice search. The TV finishes the package with a chic pedestal stand and ultra-slim bezels for a statement piece that never needs to raise its voice.
Specs Display type OLED Refresh Rate 120 Hz (up to 4K@144 Hz) HDR Support Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, Connections/Gaming HDMI 2.1 (x4); VRR, ALLM Smarts webOS -
The Best Premium OLED
The LG G5 reached new heights in our TV testing across multiple metrics, providing a sizzling picture that has to be seen to be appreciated. You’ll find spacey black levels matched by excellent glare reduction even in bright rooms, deep and rich colors, and fantastic picture clarity and upscaling. Last but not least, the G5 offers among the best peak brightness we’ve seen from an OLED screen, with only top rivals like the searing S95F and Panasonic Z95B matching up. The contrast between the G5’s stark blackness and white-hot brightness creates an impactful picture that’ll stop you in your tracks.
The G5’s secret is its breakthrough four-stack panel, which uses multiple color layers to increase brightness and color saturation. The G5 adds plenty of other bounty, including top-line gaming features across all inputs and a streaming portal with options like Xbox Cloud Gaming. I don’t love the new remote and found a few streaming hiccups over several weeks, but LG has seemingly fixed some initial HDR bugs a few reviewers noted, providing a videophile-worthy viewing experience over weeks of testing. When combined with its solid webOS interface and loads of other features, the G5 remains my personal favorite for best TV of the year.
Specs Display type OLED Refresh Rate 120 Hz (up to 4K@165 Hz) HDR Support Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, Connections/Gaming HDMI 2.1 (x4); VRR, ALLM Smarts webOS
-
The Best Budget OLED
You could say the best cheap OLED is last year’s model (which goes for virtually any TV, for that matter). That said, LG’s B-series is perennially the cheapest way to get a sweet slice of LG OLED, with signature spoils like deep black levels with zero light bleed, accurate and entrancing colors, and a fantastic viewing angle, among other benefits. The LG B5 is another tasty helping, providing a premium viewing experience in a semi-budget body.
Along with its excellent contrast, colors, and high-end picture processing, the B5 offers HDMI 2.1 support across all four inputs for gaming features like VRR and ALLM in any slot. It’s not very bright for 2025 (even for an OLED), but now that the sale price has dropped as low as $1,000 for a 65-inch model, LG’s B5 is the best way to get the joys of OLED without spending a mint.
Specs Display type OLED Refresh Rate 120 Hz HDR Support Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Connections/Gaming HDMI 2.1 (x4); VRR, ALLM Smarts webOS -
The Best Midrange OLED for Accuracy
Mid-tier OLEDs like the Samsung S90F haven’t kept pace with the flashy brightness of flagships like LG’s G5 or Samsung’s own S95F. Even so, the S90F’s unflinching attention to detail won my heart with its naturalistic colors, virtually flawless off-axis viewing, and pristine accuracy that showcases the intent of directors and producers. Its lack of Samsung’s matte screen tech could be seen as a downside, but I prefer the S90F’s more natural black backdrop, which still does a great job keeping reflections at bay.
The TV’s peak brightness is more than peppy enough for HDR streaming content, and gaming in its Standard mode looks positively punchy. Speaking of gaming, it’s loaded for bear, including a full suite of HDMI 2.1 ports, along with Samsung’s excellent gaming hub. Samsung’s Tizen smart system has also improved over time, offering perhaps the best streaming experience I’ve had with the system to date. You won’t get Dolby Vision or Nextgen TV antenna channels, but this set is otherwise loaded, especially given the price.
(Note: Like the S90D, only the 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes use quantum dots for expanded colors like the model I tested.)
Specs Display type QD-OLED Refresh Rate 120 Hz (up to 4K@144 Hz) HDR Support HDR10/10+, HLG Connections/Gaming HDMI 2.1 (x4); VRR, ALLM Smarts Tizen
-
The Best OLED for Bright Rooms
Samsung’s S95F is an astonishingly beautiful QD-OLED that comes with a brand-new anti-reflective panel, making it perfect for all lighting conditions. The backlighting and contrast are gorgeous, as is the color that’s enabled by the quantum dot technology included. You get a 120 Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution (higher with some PCs), and size options ranging up to an absurd 83 inches (our 77-inch review unit was plenty large for most rooms).
We love how bright this TV gets when in direct sunlight, but it performs equally excellently in dark rooms, with the Filmmaker Mode combining with the matte display to create one of the closest-to-theater experiences I have ever had with a TV screen. The only downside? I’m not a huge fan of Samsung’s interface. It works and has nearly every app you could want, but if I was buying a TV this nice, I’d probably snag a Roku Ultra or Apple TV 4K. —Parker Hall
Specs Display type QD-OLED Refresh Rate 120 Hz (up to 4K@165 Hz) HDR Support HDR10/10+, HLG Connections/Gaming HDMI 2.1 (x4); VRR, ALLM Smarts Tizen -
The Most Immersive OLED
The Sony Bravia 8 II may have a confusing name, but its picture quality is as stunning as you’d expect from Sony’s top OLED for 2025. Picking up where the A95L left off, the latest Sony OLED utilizes Samsung’s latest QD-OLED panel to breathtaking effect. The TV’s most striking skills are its kaleidoscope of natural colors and picture clarity that make 4K and even 1080p images seem to leap off the screen and into your living room.
A brightness boost helps the TV properly light up HDR content, though its blend of lower peak brightness and lighter backdrop than LG’s fiery G5 means it’s not as impactful, especially during the day. That and Sony’s stubborn reliance on just two full-bandwidth HDMI ports are the main strikes against this TV, which adds better off-angle viewing than the G5 to its toolkit for a picture that’s among the best I’ve laid eyes on. Its cost has also come down significantly since launch. If you’re after a TV so immersive you feel like you’ll fall in, this is it.
Specs Display type QD-OLED Refresh Rate 120 Hz HDR Support Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, Connections/Gaming HDMI 2.1 (x2), HDMI 2.0 (x2); VRR, ALLM Smarts Google TV
-
The Best-Sounding OLED
The Panasonic Z95B rises to the top of our TV testing mountain, standing alongside the latest flagships from Samsung, Sony, and LG as one of the best-performing TVs we’ve ever tested. It makes impressive use of the same four-stack RGB panel in LG’s stunning G5 to provide incredible brightness against a jet-black backdrop, while its colors and light shading look so real, you’ll get lost in the subtle details (and love every minute of it). With four TVs surpassing anything we’ve tested before, you can’t lose whichever you choose, but each of these OLED masters has its specialty.
One way the Z95B really stands out is its multiple onboard speakers that combine for the best sound I’ve heard in a TV. It’s also the only premium TV in its class with support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The Z95B also stands out for its unintuitive Fire TV interface and support for HDMI 2.1 gaming features across just two of its four inputs. That said, if you’re looking for jaw-dropping performance in an all-in-one home theater centerpiece, this is the best TV you can buy.
(Note: At the time of our most recent update, only the 55-inch model is in stock, and at a surprisingly high price.)
Specs Display type OLED Refresh Rate 120 Hz (up to 4K@144 Hz) HDR Support Dolby Vision, HDR10/10+, HLG Connections/Gaming HDMI 2.1 (x2), HDMI 2.0 (x2); VRR, ALLM Smarts Fire TV
Honorable Mentions
Every OLED we’ve tested is a great TV. Older models are often on sale and are well worth considering before you hit the Buy button. Here’s where we list favorites not on our top list.
Sony A95L: Sony’s 2023 flagship A95L isn’t as bright as the latest crop of top-tier OLEDs, but it’s still a dazzler with fantastic colors, excellent contrast, and thrilling picture processing that’s nearly as eye-popping as the latest Bravia 8 II. The best part is you can often get this TV on sale for well below its replacement, making it a great choice for those after the rare Sony bargain buy while there’s still stock (which is going fast).
Samsung S90D: Samsung’s S90D is still an excellent value, especially if you find it on sale for lower than the newer S90F. You’ll get vivid quantum dot colors (though only in the 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes), great features, solid brightness, and the kind of incredible contrast and black levels only OLED TVs can provide.
Testing Next
LG C5: LG’s C-series is a perennial favorite and we expect this TV to be another winner, offering slightly better brightness and a few other upgrades over its predecessor, which is our current favorite OLED for most people.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
Ryan Waniata is a staff writer, editor, video host, and product reviewer for WIRED with over 10 years of experience in A/V. He has previously published at sites including Digital Trends, Reviewed, Business Insider, Review Geek, and others. He’s evaluated everything from TVs and soundbars to smart gadgets and wearables, … Read More
