Best 40 inch TV: our pick of sets perfect for smaller spaces

When shopping for a new television, it's always very tempting to go bigger, but the best 40 inch TVs are ideal additions to the home, whether as a secondary screen or a smaller one for the bedroom or study.

And choosing a smaller model doesn't mean you need to compromise on quality, with most 40 inch TVs sporting 4K resolution, surround sound, and OLED or QLED panels that match bigger models from the top brands.

Many also have built-in smart assistants such as Alexa or Google Home, allowing you to control your TV using just your voice. In short, the only difference between a 40 inch TV and something bigger is the size. 

Below we rank the best 40 inch TVs around right now, from older 2020 models that still hold up to brand-new sets that offer the absolute best visuals and smart features. Read on to see what we thought, or head over to our ranking of the best TV brands for more.

The best 40 inch TVs in 2024

Best 40 inch OLED TV

(Image credit: LG)

Until surprisingly recently, those wanting to shop for a 40-inch TV were left with older technology like standard LED panels and a maximum of Full HD resolution, but it's now very possible to purchase an OLED set like the 42" LG C2, as long as you're willing to pay a little extra for it.

The TV comes with Dolby Vision and Atmos support for crisp, clear visuals and virtual surround sound, and the 120Hz refresh rate means less lag when gaming or watching fast-paced action like sports. You also get a wall mount included, and the smart remote means you can control the TV with your voice.

Google Assistant and Alexa both come built-in, but Apple HomeKit users won't be left out as it's compatible. The panel isn't the slimmest on our list, but it's pretty close and would look great on the wall or resting on a TV stand. More importantly, features like Dynamic Tone Mapping and AI upscaling mean your content will look better than it ever has.

Cheapest 40 inch TV

(Image credit: Hisense)

If you're looking for a 40-inch TV that gives you a bang for your buck, especially if you don't intend to use it as your main living room television, then the 2022 Hisense 40" A4 set could be perfect. Available for less than $200, the TV offers Android TV for streaming and Full HD resolution.

Some may turn their nose up at the cheaper technology, but there's plenty that the A4 does offer that matches its more expensive counterparts. There's a voice remote and in-built Google Assistant, for instance, and there are dedicated game and sports modes that make fast-paced action look as smooth as possible. For audio, you get DTS Virtual:X, and you mirror content from your phone using Chromecast.

However, it won't work with Apple HomeKit or Alexa, and the panel is a little chunky - measuring in at 3.4" thick - so it may look better on a unit rather than mounted to the wall. 

Best gallery-style 40 inch TV

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung's Frame TV has been a favorite of ours since it was released, and each generation of the set has just gotten better. Designed to look like art or a picture frame on the wall when not in use, The Frame comes with interchangeable bezels (including black, white, or wood grain), and you'll be able to use Art Mode to display whatever you want.

Outside of this selling point - and we dare say that Samsung does the gallery TV better than anyone - the TV also holds its own against the other entries on this list. With a QLED panel and 4K resolution, you won't be missing out on depth, clarity, or color accuracy, and the 120Hz refresh rate means fast-paced action will look smooth.

If you're worried about energy usage for a TV designed to always be on, The Frame has a built-in motion sensor that allows it to only turn on the display when someone's around to appreciate it. The screen also has an anti-reflection matte display to eliminate glare and the slim wall mount means it looks seamless on the wall.

Best NanoCell 40 inch TV

(Image credit: LG)

NanoCell TVs offer rich color accuracy and wide viewing angles, making them great for larger rooms or when you want a lot of seating. The 2022 LG 43" NANO75 is a great, affordable model that goes somewhere towards offering what the much more expensive OLED and QLED sets do. That said, this is a more basic option. 

You get webOS streaming, LG's Magic Remote, and upscaling to 4K for lower-resolution content. It is, however, a thicker panel that won't look great on the wall. It works well as a smart home hub with built-in Google Assistant and Alexa (and helpfully it works with HomeKit), and AirPlay 2, Miracast, and SmartShare all allow for content mirroring.

Best Neo QLED 40 inch TV

(Image credit: Samsung)

The newest TV on our list, we rank the Samsung 43" QN90C as the best Neo QLED option for your money, with the brand's own technology enhancing the image via advanced backlighting. Mini LED by any other name, the QN90C houses thousands of tiny lights for vastly improved brightness and color accuracy compared even to standard QLED.

Everything else is also pretty impressive, with a 120Hz refresh rate for better gaming and sports, Dolby Atmos surround sound support with Object Tracking Sound, a smart voice remote, anti-glare technology, and 4K upscaling for older content. You'll need to purchase a wall mount separately if you want it on the wall, though. 

Best premium 40 inch TV

(Image credit: Sony)

One for those who have cash to spend, the Sony 42" A90K is at the top of the scale for a smaller TV, but has the tech to back it up. Firstly, the OLED screen will get you the best image around right now, and Sony has thrown in intelligent Cognitive processing and XR OLED Contrast Pro (adding more immersive depth and realism) to boost this even more. 

For streaming, you have Google TV and AirPlay support, and it's designed to work brilliantly with Playstation 5's, with 8.5ms⁷ input lag. Audio is also impressive, offering Dolby Atmos support along with Acoustic Surface Audio+, which means that sound will come from every part of the screen.

(Image credit: Samsung)

How to choose the best 40 inch TV for your home

There are several key things to look for when selecting the best 40 inch TV for your home, including:

• Resolution - the better the resolution, the better image your TV will be able to reproduce, so you will want to find a TV with support for 4K in order to enjoy the latest streaming content (and the majority of broadcast). 
• Display - even if you're understandably a bit confused about the difference between terms like OLED, QLED, Mini LED, and others, your choice will impact your experience. In short, the most widely available and popular choices right now are OLED and QLED, but there is a smaller selection of smaller TVs with this technology.
• Streaming - we've reached a time when it's quite difficult to find a TV without in-built streaming, but there are still quite a few 40-inch TVs that don't connect to the internet. Make sure your chosen model has what you need (e.g. Netflix, Disney+) and if it doesn't, you may need to invest in one of the best streaming devices.

Is a 40 inch TV big enough?

TVs in the range of 40-49 inches are on the smaller end of the scale, with only 24-inch and 32-inch sets below them, so you may be asking whether one would be big enough. You should consider several factors, including your room's size, the distance between the viewer and the screen, and your budget, before deciding on the size of the TV.

There are, of course, ways to optimize the viewing experience regardless of the TV's size and viewing distance, such as ensuring that the TV is at eye level and minimizing glare by avoiding light sources behind you.

The pixel count also needs to be high enough to ensure clear, sharp images even at close distances. There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but we would suggest that a 40-inch TV is suitable for most living room settings or bedrooms. For more, take a look at our dedicated page on whether a 40 inch TV is big enough.

You can also use precise calculations to make your decision, with the recommended distance between you and a 40-inch screen being 6.6ft. I your gap looks closer to 8.3ft, you could get on better with a 50-inch set.

How much should I spend on a 40 inch TV?

The cost of the best 40 inch TVs can vary widely but, generally speaking, you won't pay more than $2000 even for the latest models with the most up-to-date specifications. For example, the most expensive entry on our list - the 48-inch Sony A9S - costs $1800 at the time of writing. 

Of course, if you don't need an OLED screen or top resolution, the price can drop significantly. Budget brands such as Vizio and TCL offer models for less than $300, while others range anywhere between these two price points.

How we pick the 40 inch TVs in this guide

The entries on this list were chosen through comparing user reviews, tapping into team Livingetc's breadth of knowledge in the A/V realm, and digging down into the specs and design elements of the most popular models across a range of price points.

While we attempt to have direct experience with and independent reviews for everything we include in our guides, this is unfortunately not always possible, so some of our guides are put together using the writer's research and existing expertise. We will return to this guide regularly to update the models included, whether due to the latest releases and moves in the industry or the opportunity to test the best 40 inch TVs in person and judge them accordingly.

Models we have tested will be clearly signposted within the article, so you can trust us to be transparent with our choices. You can head to our dedicated page to learn more about our review process.