I’ve been reviewing TVs for a long time, and it’s exciting to see more extra-large 85-inch options than ever. The best 85-inch TVs offer a viewing experience that smaller screens simply can’t match. But TVs this size tend to be pricey, so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the most value for your money.
To help you find the perfect display for your needs, I’ve rounded up my top picks for the best 85-inch TVs you can buy. All of my recommendations are based on extensive testing. Generally, I conduct reviews using the 65-inch version of each display, but overall performance for each model remains the same on larger screens. The only major difference is the size of the panel.
The TCL QM7 QLED is my top pick since it balances price and performance better than most TVs this size. It offers a colorful image and solid contrast. But if budget isn’t a concern and you want the absolute best picture quality, I recommend stepping up to the LG G5, which uses an OLED panel to deliver even higher contrast with deeper black levels and wider viewing angles.Â
Note: LCD-based TVs (LED, QLED) are often manufactured with an 85- or 86-inch screen size, but OLED displays are sold in a slightly smaller 83-inch size. For that reason, I’ve included 83-inch OLED TVs in this guide. Â
Our top picks for the best 85-inch TVs
Best overall: TCL QM7 4K QLED TV – See at Amazon
Best midrange OLED: Samsung S90D 4K OLED TV – See at Amazon
Best premium model: LG G5 4K OLED TV – See at Amazon
Best on a budget: Hisense U6N QLED 4K TV – See at Amazon
Best for brightness: Hisense U9N 4K QLED TV – See at Amazon
Best overall
TCL 85-inch QM7 QLED 4K TV
The 85-inch TCL QM7 is one of the best extra-large TV values on the market. It delivers great contrast, high brightness, and 144Hz gaming capabilities for less than most competitors.
When it comes to overall value for your dollar, TCL’s QM7 QLED is the best 85-inch TV for most people. The 85-inch model is often available for under $1,500, an excellent price for such a big display with these specifications.
The QM7 gets bright while maintaining solid contrast and black levels. To accomplish this, the display uses a Mini LED backlight with local dimming. I measured a peak of around 1,700 nits, enough to enjoy the full impact of most high-dynamic-range (HDR) content.
Intense highlights (like explosions) pop from the screen. Black levels are also deep with minimal blooming (halos around bright objects). However, I did notice some light bleed and backlight patchiness here and there, which pricier OLED TVs don’t suffer from.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
When reviewing the QM7, I also encountered some slight issues with stuttering motion in some streaming apps and a few isolated glitches with settings, but nothing that I consider a dealbreaker. General navigation with the TV’s Google TV interface is snappy and reliable.
However, buyers should note that the QM7’s viewing angles are narrow. This means that colors and contrast distort if you sit toward the side of the screen. Likewise, TCL’s processing isn’t as advanced as other brands’, so lower-quality sources like cable TV and HD streaming don’t look as clean and sharp as I’ve seen on pricier TVs.
If you want a better-looking 85-inch QLED with superior off-axis viewing and processing, I recommend pricier options like the Hisense U9N. Otherwise, you’ll need to pay even more for an OLED like the Samsung S90D.
Buyers should note that TCL also sells a 2025 version of this TV, the QM7K, with upgraded specifications. However, it costs more. For now, I still consider the 2024 QM7 a better value.
Read our TCL QM7 4K TV review.
Check out our guides to all the best smart TVs and the best TVs for sports.
Best midrange OLED
Samsung 83-inch S90D OLED 4K TV
The 83-inch S90D is a great midrange OLED that offers pixel-level contrast and wide viewing angles. However, unlike smaller versions of this model, the 83-inch size does not use quantum dots, so it’s not quite as bright or colorful.
Samsung’s 83-inch S90D OLED isn’t cheap, but its picture quality is a clear step above less expensive QLED TVs.
The S90D’s OLED panel enables pixel-level contrast control with better black levels and wider viewing angles than any QLED. This leads to a notable jump in overall image performance, especially if you like to watch TV in a dim home theater.
I still recommend my top pick, the TCL QM7 QLED, as a better overall value at this size, but if you’re willing to spend more, this midrange OLED has key benefits. In a dark room, the S90D’s infinite contrast ratio beats the QM7, offering one of the best movie-watching experiences you can get from an 83-inch TV.
Though not as bright as some of my other picks, the S90D still gets bright enough for a typical room. However, unlike smaller versions of the S90D, the 83-inch model does not use quantum dots. This means bright colors won’t look quite as vivid as they do on the 77-, 65-, and 55-inch sizes.
On the plus side, the 83-inch S90D does support a 144Hz refresh rate for smooth gaming. The S90D also has the bonus of supporting the Xbox Game Pass app directly through its smart TV interface. With this app, Game Pass members can stream Xbox games without a console.
Regarding HDR format support, the S90D is compatible with HDR10 and HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ offer similar performance, but Dolby Vision is more widespread on streaming services. Check out my HDR TV guide for more details on each format. Ultimately, in this performance class, I think Dolby Vision is a cool perk but not a must-have feature.
Visit our guides to all the best TVs and the best Samsung TVs.
Best high-end model
LG 83-inch G5 OLED 4K TV
The G5 is the most impressive 83-inch TV available. This high-end display delivers the brightest image we’ve seen on an OLED, enabling gorgeous HDR images with stunning contrast.
LG’s 83-inch G5 OLED is the ultimate high-end TV in this size. It’s the most advanced OLED available at 83 inches, besting the overall picture quality of all my other picks. Of course, it also has the highest price tag of any TV you’ll find in this guide.
The 2025 G5 replaces my previous pick in this category, last year’s G4 OLED. This new model offers a big jump in brightness performance. In fact, the G5 is the brightest OLED TV on the market. While testing the 65-inch model using the TV’s HDR Filmmaker Mode (its most accurate setting), I measured a peak of 2,410 nits. The 83-inch model should deliver the same performance. The 2024 G4 maxed out at 1,550 nits, so this model offers a substantial upgrade.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
This exceptional brightness, combined with the OLED panel’s infinite contrast ratio and perfect black levels, produces stunning HDR images without any of the blooming or backlight imperfections you’d get on a QLED TV. The G5 also has wide viewing angles, giving you a great image no matter where you sit.
But as impressive as the G5 is, it’s not quite perfect. I did see some posterization (blocky instead of smooth gradations of color and shadows) in some HDR videos. But these flaws were restricted to isolated instances with very specific types of content. The vast majority of what I watched across weeks of testing looked fantastic. LG is also reportedly working on a firmware update to improve the posterization. With all that in mind, I don’t consider this a major problem.
LG’s webOS smart TV interface rounds out the package with solid navigation speed, access to every major streaming app, and nice perks like hands-free voice control. However, the interface emphasizes shopping recommendations too prominently, and I find other systems, like Google TV, to be more stable and consistent.
Buyers should also note that the G5 is designed with wall mounting in mind, so much so that it doesn’t include a traditional TV stand. Instead, you get a bracket that lets you mount it flush to your wall with virtually no gap. It looks beautiful hung up this way, but you need to buy a stand separately if wall mounting isn’t an option for your room.
This set is expensive, but if budget isn’t a concern and you want the most impressive image quality at this size, the LG G5 is the best 83-inch TV available.
Best on a budget
Hisense 85-inch U6N QLED 4K TV
The 85-inch U6N delivers impressive performance for the money. Unlike most competing models in this price range, the U6N uses a Mini LED backlight with local dimming, which allows it to produce better contrast and deeper black levels.
The best 85-inch TVs don’t come cheap. Even basic models rarely dip below $800, and those sets make key sacrifices to get that cheap. However, the Hisense U6N QLED is a notable outlier. This 85-inch display has a Mini LED backlight with local dimming, a combination that’s nearly unheard of for a set so big and affordable.
I previously recommended the TCL Q65 as the best 85-inch TV on a budget, but that model has lower contrast and a dimmer screen. Though the Hisense U6N used to cost a lot more than the Q65, recent deals have made them comparable in price. With that in mind, the U6N is the clear winner for the money.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
Other 85-inch TVs that cost less use regular LED panels without local dimming or wide color capabilities. But the U6N is capable of an expanded color gamut and offers solid black levels. It also has decent peak brightness. On the 65-inch model, I measured a max of around 625 nits, which should carry over to the 85-inch size. That’s still notably lower than my pricier picks, but quite impressive for this price range.
Unfortunately, the U6N falls short when it comes to advanced gaming capabilities. The panel is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate instead of 120Hz, so it’s incompatible with high-frame-rate modes on a PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC.
Like most QLED displays, the U6N’s viewing angles are also narrow. This is definitely something to keep in mind, but it is an expected limitation for a TV in this class. If viewing angles are a priority over contrast and color gamut, I recommend going with an alternative budget model like the 86-inch LG UQ75.
Buyers should know that Hisense also sells a 2025 version of this set, the U65QF. I haven’t tested the new model yet, but its specifications promise a brighter picture and higher refresh rate. However, it costs much more and uses the inferior Fire TV OS instead of Google TV. As it stands, the 2024 U6N is a better budget option.
Best for brightness
Hisense 85-inch U9N QLED 4K TV
The Hisense U9N is one of the top premium QLED TVs available. Thanks to its Mini LED backlight, it’s incredibly bright and has excellent contrast with deep black levels. This is a great fit for buyers who want an 85-inch TV with high-end performance.
The Hisense U9N is the best 85-inch TV for people who want exceptionally high brightness performance. Like the more affordable U6N, the U9N is a QLED set with Mini LEDs. But this pricier model has a better backlight system, which helps it achieve a big bump in luminance and black-level control.
In my tests, the U9N hit an incredible peak brightness of 4,100 nits in a 2% window and 3,200 nits in a 10% window. Those are some of the highest measurements I’ve seen on a consumer TV, and it’s a big step up from any other TV recommended in this guide. Such high luminance produces dazzling specular highlights (like explosions) in HDR content, and it gives you ample room to adjust picture settings to overcome glare in a room with lots of windows. This makes the U9N an ideal high-end TV for daytime viewing.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
Thanks to its Mini LED local dimming, the U9N also has impressive control of its light output. Black levels are deep, and blooming only crops up in isolated scenes. You’ll still get better contrast control on an OLED TV, but the U9N gets close. Upscaling is also great with good picture processing, even with lower-quality YouTube streams. In overall image quality, the U9N nearly matches Sony’s more expensive Bravia 9, the current gold standard for high-end QLED models.
Viewing angles are also solid for a QLED. Colors and contrast still distort from an angled view, but off-axis viewing is much better than on cheaper models like TCL’s QM7. Gaming performance is good, too, with support for up to a 144Hz refresh rate to enable smooth motion with compatible gear. A variable refresh rate (VRR) is also supported to minimize screen tearing. That said, I encountered some noticeable flicker in certain PS5 games with VRR enabled, which I haven’t experienced when gaming on top OLED TVs.
I also encountered a few glitches with the TV’s settings. The U9N is supposed to remember which picture mode you want it to switch to when watching certain types of content, but it sometimes defaults to the wrong preset. In addition, the TV’s HDMI 3 input caused an issue when using a Panasonic 4K Blu-ray player, resulting in the signal getting lost. This didn’t happen on any of the set’s other ports.
However, I don’t consider those hiccups dealbreakers. I lived with the U9N for several weeks and was blown away by its overall performance. Sony’s similar Bravia 9 is also a great option for people who want a high-brightness QLED, but the 85-inch Bravia 9 usually costs about $1,000 more than the U9N. Considering how similar they perform, the U9N is the better value.
How we test 85-inch TVs
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
To choose the best 85-inch TVs, our team of experts relies on a combination of hands-on testing and research informed by more than a decade of experience covering the home entertainment product market.Â
When reviewing TVs, we typically evaluate each model’s 65-inch option since that’s the industry’s flagship size. However, a specific model’s overall performance often remains comparable across sizes 55 inches and up. For example, an 83-inch LG G5 OLED and a 65-inch G5 OLED have the same specs. The only notable difference is the size of each panel.Â
However, there are instances when certain TV models have more dramatic differences across their sizes. For instance, the Samsung S90D OLED uses quantum dots on its 55-, 65-, and 77-inch models but does not use quantum dots on its 83-inch model. This means the 83-inch model can’t match the color performance of its smaller counterparts. We take all of these differences into account when recommending TVs and detail these instances when they pop up.
To evaluate displays, we look at key picture quality elements like color performance, clarity/sharpness, contrast control, HDR brightness, refresh rate, smart TV interface speed, off-angle viewing, and overall value. We use a colorimeter and test patterns on the Spears & Munsil HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc to check brightness and other objective image attributes.Â
We also use each TV we test for day-to-day viewing across multiple weeks, and rely on various movies and TV shows to look at real-world performance in bright and dark rooms. We’ve selected specific scenes to compare quality across TVs with black levels, shadow detail, HDR capabilities, and upscaling in mind. Sources include 4K, 1080p, and standard definition (SD) material from Blu-rays, streaming services, and cable TV.
For more info on our review process, check out our page detailing how we test tech products.
85-inch TV FAQs
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
Is 85 inches a good TV size?
The best 85-inch TVs can provide a level of immersion that smaller displays can’t achieve. They’re especially good for larger rooms since you can sit farther away and still get a cinematic experience. Though there are fewer 85-inch models to choose from compared to smaller screen sizes, several of our picks for the best 4K TVs are sold in 83 to 85 inches.Â
However, many rooms simply can’t accommodate a TV this big, and 85-inch sets are typically pricey. If you need a smaller display, check out our guides focused on other sizes:
And if you want an even larger display, check out our guide to the best 100-inch TVs.
When will 2025 85-inch TVs be available to purchase?
LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL, and Hisense have all released new 85-inch TV models for 2025. However, shoppers should remember that most 2024 TV models are expected to remain in stock for much of the year, and they’re a lot cheaper than their 2025 replacements. As a result, many 2024 TVs remain a better value.
For more information on new displays, check out our 2025 TV roundups:
How much should you spend on an 85-inch TV?
Generally, you should expect to pay at least $900 to snag one of the best 85-inch TVs, though top high-end models cost $5,000 or more.Â
We’ve seen entry-level 85-inch LED TVs on sale for as low as $750, but budget QLED models typically start at around $900, and midrange options with local dimming and higher brightness capabilities sell for around $1,200 to $1,800. High-end 85-inch QLED 4K TVs with the best performance usually cost around $2,000 to $4,000, and 8K models can be between $4,000 and $7,000.
If you want one of the best OLED TVs in this class, 83-inch options start at around $2,500, while high-end OLEDs this big can cost as much as $6,500. Check out our full QLED vs. OLED guide for details on how the panel technologies compare.
Unfortunately, 85-inch TVs below $700 are virtually nonexistent unless there happens to be a particularly great deal during a big sales event.
If you’re shopping for a cheaper set and are willing to step down in size, check out our guides to the best TVs under $500 and best budget TVs to see our top recommendations.Â
Is 4K resolution enough for an 85-inch TV?
In general, 4K resolution is plenty to deliver a sharp and detailed image on an 85-inch TV. That said, the higher pixel density of an 8K display can slightly improve picture clarity if you sit very close to your TV.Â
Improvements in pixel smoothness on an 85-inch 8K set should become most visible if you sit less than five feet from your display. However, for typical viewers, this subtle benefit is not worth the extra money that an 8K TV costs.
But if you’re dead set on buying an 85-inch 8K TV, Samsung’s QN900D QLED is our top pick. The QN900D impressed us with its bright, high-contrast image. But we still think cheaper 85-inch 4K QLEDs, like the Hisense U9N, deliver better picture performance overall.
Do 85-inch TVs offer good sound quality?
Though there are exceptions, even the best 85-inch TVs tend to offer middling audio performance. Built-in TV speakers typically use small drivers placed in areas that muffle sound. They can get the job done for casual viewing, but we recommend shoppers invest in a dedicated speaker system or soundbar to get the best audio performance. We especially like models that support Dolby Atmos since this format can provide an immersive surround sound experience.Â
Check out our various soundbar and speaker guides to see our top recommendations for different needs:Â
Do you need an 85-inch TV with HDMI 2.1?
Many midrange and high-end 85-inch TVs include at least one video port that supports the HDMI 2.1 specification. HDMI 2.1 enables a 4K/120Hz signal (some brands support up to 144Hz), along with support for auto low latency mode (ALLM) and variable refresh rate (VRR). These features are designed for gaming enthusiasts, allowing for smoother motion with less lag when paired with a compatible gaming console or PC.Â
To enable HDMI 2.1 features, all your home entertainment products need to support HDMI 2.1. So, if you have a console hooked up to a soundbar plugged into your display, all three components must be HDMI 2.1 compliant. Likewise, you need to connect them all with an ultra-high-speed HDMI cable rated for 48Gbps. Visit our guide to the best HDMI cables for our top recommendations.Â
With the exception of the Hisense U6N, all of our best 85-inch TV picks include HDMI 2.1 support.Â
Source link
