When you’re looking for a TV for your teen’s dorm room, or your guest bedroom, you’re likely not following the ‘bigger is better’ adage.
Although 55- and 65-inch televisions remain some of the most popular sizes, small screens have their special place, too. Ranging from 24 to 43 inches, these sizes are great as secondary televisions for smaller spaces.
Today’s small TVs come with some of the same smart technology and useful features you’re used to, in larger sized devices. From built-in streaming apps to helpful gaming settings, they don’t slack off in features. However, you won’t find too many 4K screens in these dimensions, which should be fine, since you wouldn’t even notice the extra pixels in such a small size. What you would find, however, is HDR (high dynamic range) support, for more lifelike images.
We spoke with Fazal Imam, founder of servicing and repair company, Dubai Repairs, whose servicing team has experience with fixing and maintaining these devices. We also did the research for you, and scoured Amazon for the best small televisions, based on our expert's recommendations, as well as user reviews and ratings. Pick your favourite below, and add to cart with Prime membership, for free, fast delivery.
1. Best Overall: LG LQ6300
Pros
- Good HDR picture quality
- Great gaming performance
- Smart features
- Good audio for a small TV
Cons
- Black uniformity issues
- Doesn’t handle motion scenes very well
An all-rounder, with the most natural and consistent picture quality, LG’s LQ6300 is a well-equipped 32-inch television. Its 2K Full HD screen showcases videos at 1080p resolution, and manages to depict defined textures and vivid colours, especially with HDR images. If you’re using this TV for gaming, you’ll find that it performs well at 60Hz, and you can use its Game Optimiser to improve settings for various game genres. Since this is a smart TV, it has Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built in, and you can set it up to work with Amazon Echo, Google Home or Apple Airplay 2 and HomeKit. The artificial intelligence (AI) processor automatically optimises brightness and sound, based on the content of the video. However, reviewers say the it suffers from black uniformity issues – where black tones are unevenly displayed across the screen – and sometimes struggles with fast motion scenes.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh52.79 for 12 months with select banks. Add a wall mounting service with free wall bracket, for Dh89.10.
Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh57, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh95, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh121.
2. Best 4K: Samsung CU7000 4K Crystal UHD Smart TV
Pros
- Action scenes appear crisp
- Good contrast ratio and black uniformity
- Low input lag in Game Mode
- Good low-resolution upscaling
Cons
- Limited to 60Hz refresh rate
- Doesn’t get very bright
While it’s rare to find a 4K TV in such small dimensions, it’s not impossible, and Samsung’s CU7000 is proof. The device uses the brand’s Crystal Processor 4K, which is designed to provide powerful 4K upscaling. It performs well in terms of picture quality, with adequate contrast ratio and good black uniformity. The TV is also excellent for gaming, since it offers low input lag, and a good response time, with minimal blur in action scenes. It also supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), so it switches to Game Mode when you launch a video game. However, since it doesn’t have a variable refresh rate, it’s limited to 60Hz. Moreover, this TV doesn’t support a wide colour gamut, and has average HDR peak brightness, so you’ll find that colours don’t pop as well as they should.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh99.75 for 12 months with select banks. Add a wall mounting service with free wall bracket, for Dh89.10.
Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh86, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh143, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh182.
3. Best Table-Top: Sony Bravia KD-32W8000 TV
Pros
- Content-heavy smart system
- Good audio
- Game pre-set is useful
- Judder-free motion scenes
Cons
- Limited viewing angles
- Issues with dark scenes
Powered by Sony’s Bravia Engine processor, this 32-inch Android TV makes for a solid table-top option. Although it has a chunkier frame and rear than usual, it has several other aspects going for it, like the fact that it offers rich colours, enhanced realism and reduced picture noise. Its Android TV system offers an enormous amount of content, with access to more than 7,000 apps and streaming services. Gaming is limited to 1080p 60Hz HDR, but the set does have a Game pre-set, in which you’ll find input lag dropping to 33.7ms. Reviewers are happy with the picture quality of this device, since it offers sharp, detailed images and blur-free motion handling. However, it faces some issues with dark scenes: they lack depth and dimensionality. Since the device uses an in-plane switching (IPS) panel, you’re also getting limited viewing angles, so it’s best to angle this TV to face you directly – if you’re off by as little as 15 degrees, you won’t be able to view it properly.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh87.42 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh86, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh143, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh182.
4. Best Features: Hisense 43A6GTUK 4K UHD Smart TV
Pros
- Bright HDR picture quality
- User-friendly smart system
- Excellent Game Mode
- Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support
Cons
- Picture pre-sets are not helpful
- Some colour discrepancy
Offering four times more pixels than FHD screens, here is Hisense’s 4K UHD Smart TV. At its affordable price, it packs a punch, in terms of features. The television handles dark scenes impressively, and also runs noticeably brighter than other TVs in its range. Its 4K upscaling improves the textures and details of video content, and its motion processor offers good control of fast-paced scenes. Dolby Vision HDR delivers the kind of brightness and contrast depth you’d expect in larger, more expensive TVs, although some reviewers note that the TV’s colour palette can skew a bit pale at times, especially when it comes to skin tones and bright HDR areas. Gamers will be happy to note that this Hisense TV delivers a respectable 14.1ms input lag when set to Game Mode; it also supports 120Hz frame rates, variable refresh rates and ALLM. Its VIDAA smart system has an intuitive interface, with built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Audio is bolstered by Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual X. However, reviewers comment that the picture pre-sets don’t make much difference.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh57 for 12 months with select banks. Add a wall mounting service with free wall bracket, for Dh89.10.
Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh57, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh95, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh121.
5. Best Budget: TCL Frameless HD Smart TV
Pros
- Beautiful frameless design
- Android TV interface
- Built-in voice assistant
- Dolby Atmos support
Cons
- Colour density could be better
This 32-inch TV by TCL is a bezel-less, frameless television that looks more expensive than it actually is. Its FHD resolution is adequate for a small TV, offering crisp pictures, with enhanced contrast and details boosted by HDR technology. An Android TV system gives you access to thousands of apps and streaming services, and built-in Google Assistant allows you to control the TV with voice commands. Reviewers say the device is easy to set up and looks good in any room. Dolby Atmos support also gives its audio a boost, but users wish the colours represented here had greater depth and density.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh46.58 for 12 months with select banks. Add a wall mounting service with free wall bracket, for Dh89.10.
Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh57, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh95, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh121.
Why buy a small TV?
If you’re short of space, or need a secondary TV for your kitchen or bedroom, getting a device with a smaller footprint is a good idea.
Imam said: “These sizes are perfect for dorm rooms, small apartments, and secondary viewing areas like kitchens or bedrooms. They’re ideal for students, young professionals, or anyone who needs a compact, space-saving option without sacrificing quality.”
Just because you’re in the market for a small TV, doesn’t mean you have to make do with subpar features or specifications. Imam said: “With advancements in technology, small TVs today come packed with many of the same features as their larger counterparts. While the screen size is smaller, you don't necessarily have to compromise on resolution, smart features, or connectivity. However, some high-end features like advanced HDR might not be as prevalent in smaller models.”
What features should people look for when buying one?
When buying a small TV, it's crucial to look for the following features, according to our expert:
- Resolution: Opt for Full HD (1080p) for clear and crisp picture quality. Some premium models even come with 4K resolution.
- Smart TV capabilities: Built-in streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube can be very convenient.
- Connectivity: Ensure the TV has enough HDMI ports for your devices, along with USB ports and possibly Bluetooth.
- Sound quality: Built-in speakers should be adequate, but check if there's an option to connect external speakers or soundbars for better audio.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
