TVs had a wonderful yr in 2025, and I’ve been fortunate sufficient to check the best TVs from the largest manufacturers. Whereas each TV I’ve examined this yr has its personal strengths and weaknesses, this yr’s crop total is among the many greatest I’ve ever examined.
OLED has been notably aggressive in 2025, with flagship fashions from LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony all vying for the title of the best OLED TV. The mini-LED TV class has additionally grow to be extra aggressive than ever, with high-value TCL and Hisense fashions beginning to creep previous Samsung as a go-to alternative.
I’ve looked back on all the TVs I’ve tested this year and picked my favorite five models. These TVs cover a range of budgets and use different display tech, which just goes to show how diverse 2025 has been.
LG C5
It should come as no shock that the LG C5 appears on this list. The LG C series has become a reliable all-rounder, delivering stellar picture quality and a full range of smart and gaming features at an affordable price. The LG C series almost always receives significant discounts during sales season as well.
I awarded the LG C5 5 stars in my assessment as a result of it’s that good. Its image high quality is vibrant, with good brightness for a mid-range OLED. Distinction is robust with deep blacks and punchy highlights, and element is spectacular no matter what you’re watching.
The C5 can be one among 2025’s best gaming TVs, with 4 HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K 144Hz, VRR (FreeSync and G-Sync), HGiG, ALLM and Dolby Imaginative and prescient gaming. Its 9.2ms enter lag time means gaming is easy and responsive, as I discovered enjoying video games like Battlefield V, the place ultra-fast gameplay is fixed.
There’s one elephant within the room to handle: the C5 shouldn’t be that totally different from its predecessor, the LG C4. Apart from some new AI options and a slight brightness increase, it’s primarily the identical. However, with inventory of the C4 now operating low and the C5 priced roughly the identical, and even cheaper, these minimal variations not matter. The C5 continues to be among the best TVs I’ve examined in 2025.
Panasonic Z95B
The battle for the best flagship OLED TV was a tightly fought contest in 2025. I tested LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony’s flagship OLEDs side-by-side, and my favourite ended up being the Panasonic Z95B.
The Z95B doesn’t have the brightness of its rivals when set to its most correct image presets, Film and Filmmaker Mode, however elsewhere it truly is elite. It makes use of the brand new Main Tandem RGB OLED panel, which delivers distinctive footage with highly effective distinction. Its shade copy is correct and wealthy, making colourful films corresponding to Depraved and The Wild Robotic actually pop on display screen. Image element is great, and blacks are splendidly deep, as you’d count on from a flagship OLED TV.
The Z95B’s different actual energy lies in its built-in audio. An exterior entrance speaker array delivers sound that’s direct, punchy and clear. Bass is highly effective with loads of rumble, and due to the Z95B’s 5.1.2-channel configuration, it has convincing peak channels and digital encompass, making it immersive for films.
What most stunned me concerning the Z95B this yr was its worth. Panasonic’s flagship OLED mannequin is often pricier than its rivals, however the Z95B has been cheaper than its rivals (within the UK not less than), making it a way more attractive choice.
TCL C7K (QM7K)
The TCL C7K (QM7K within the US) is without doubt one of the most spectacular and budget-friendly TVs I’ve examined this yr, and for good motive.
There are good the reason why the C7K sits on our greatest TVs UK checklist and the QM7K on our greatest TVs US checklist. Not solely is it full of options, together with help for each Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+ excessive dynamic vary codecs, however its image high quality is nice for the value. Colours look daring and wealthy, and the strong brightness (we measured it at 1,790 nits peak) leads to punchy HDR highlights. This TV’s efficient native dimming additionally implies that blacks look deep and distinction is robust, with solely minimal backlight blooming.
Players must also pay attention to the C7K (QM7K), because it gives 4K 144Hz, FreeSync Premium Professional, ALLM and Dolby Imaginative and prescient gaming, all for a funds worth. I additionally discovered gaming to be very easy after I examined it, because it simply dealt with the fast-paced battles of Battlefield V.
You may get the 65-inch C7K/QM7K for as little as £799 / $799, which is an exceptional worth for a TV with this degree of efficiency. Should you’re on the hunt for a superb, budget-friendly TV, it doesn’t get a lot better.
LG B5
I’ve written about the LG B5 often this yr as a result of it is a good instance of why you don’t must lay our a fortune to get a superb OLED TV. (It additionally had the most effective offers on Black Friday.) When I tested the LG B5 against the LG C5 and even side by side with the LG G5, the B5 greater than held its personal.
I used to be impressed by the B5’s robust distinction, which suited darkish films like Alien: Romulus, and its wealthy shade, which made films corresponding to Elemental and The Sound of Music look nice in my testing. Image element can be very good, making textures look true-to-life. The B5 doesn’t have the brightness of step-up OLEDs, however that is the one draw back.
The B5 carries an intensive checklist of gaming options corresponding to 4K 120Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync, HGiG, ALLM, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient gaming. A brilliant-low 9.1ms enter lag time additionally means gaming is fluid and easy when enjoying intense video games corresponding to Battlefield V.
But it surely’s the B5’s inexpensive worth that basically earns its place on my checklist. We noticed the 48-inch LG B5 drop as little as $529 / £674 / AU$1,064 throughout Black Friday, which is a implausible worth for an OLED TV. It was an identical story with bigger B5 display screen sizes as effectively.
Samsung S95F
The Samsung S95F was voted as TV of the Year within the TechRadar Selection Awards 2025. Whereas it isn’t my private favorite OLED of the yr (that award goes to the Panasonic Z95B), it’s nonetheless simply among the best I’ve examined in 2025.
I gave the S95F’s predecessor, the Samsung S95D, 5 stars in my assessment, and a giant issue there was its OLED Glare Free display screen, which was extremely efficient at eliminating display screen reflections.
The S95F introduces a next-gen Glare Free display screen that eliminates reflections whereas displaying black ranges rather more precisely than on the S95D. Its excessive brightness leads to highly effective distinction, which helps to make darkish films like The Batman look implausible. The S95F additionally delivers putting, wealthy colours that profit films like The Masks and Elemental, and it has a Actual Depth Enhancer Professional characteristic that helps to offer footage a 3D-like look.
The S95F additionally has a full suite of gaming options, corresponding to 4K 165Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync (the latter a primary for a Samsung TV), ALLM and HDR10+ gaming help, and its 9.5ms enter lag time means intense video games corresponding to Battlefield V really feel easy.
Whereas it’s a premium-priced TV, the Samsung S95F is definitely worth the funding. It’s an exceptional OLED that delivers throughout the board and holds its personal in opposition to its rivals, which isn’t any simple feat contemplating how stacked the OLED TV discipline was this yr.
The best TVs for all budgets
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