Best 32-inch and 43-inch TVs in the UK (2026)

Not every room needs a 65-inch screen. A bedroom, a kitchen, a student flat or a spare room often has space for something between 32 and 43 inches, and that's where it gets confusing. At this size you will find sets under £100 alongside a £849 OLED, some of them only HD Ready and others 4K with Dolby Vision, running four or five different smart systems.

We compared the specs, prices and what reviewers have found across the 32-inch and 43-inch TVs on sale in the UK right now, and picked seven worth your money. Every price below was checked at a UK retailer on the day we published, and every TV was in stock.

TL;DR: the short answer

• Cheapest decent small TV: Toshiba 32WK3C63DB, £99. HD Ready only, but it has Freeview Play and the main apps.
• Best-value 32-inch: Hisense 32A5QTUK, £199. A Full HD QLED screen for not much more.
• Best 32-inch overall: Samsung QE32Q5F, £329. The most polished smart system at this size.
• Best 43-inch overall: Hisense 43A6QTUK, £229. 4K, Dolby Vision and three HDMI 2.1 ports at a budget price.
• Best for Fire TV fans: TCL 43V6D-UK, £219. Amazon's interface built in, plus Dolby Vision.
• Best for atmosphere: Philips Ambilight 43PUS8000, £199. Lights on the TV spill the picture's colours onto the wall.
• Best picture: LG OLED42C5, £849. The one to buy if a small TV is also your gaming screen.

How do they compare side by side?

TV	Size	Resolution and panel	Smart system	HDR formats	HDMI	Price	Best for
Toshiba 32WK3C63DB	32"	HD Ready (1366×768), LED	Toshiba, Alexa built in	HDR10, HLG	3	£99	Lowest price
Hisense 32A5QTUK	32"	Full HD, QLED	VIDAA	HDR10, HLG	2 (one eARC)	£199	Value 32-inch
Samsung QE32Q5F	32"	Full HD, QLED	Tizen	HDR10+	2 (one eARC)	£329	Best 32-inch
Hisense 43A6QTUK	43"	4K, direct-lit LED	Hisense	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG	3 × HDMI 2.1	£229	Best 43-inch
TCL 43V6D-UK	43"	4K, LED	Fire TV	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG	3	£219	Fire TV users
Philips Ambilight 43PUS8000	43"	4K, LED with Ambilight	Titan OS	HDR10+	3 × HDMI 2.0a	£199	Ambilight
LG OLED42C5	42"	4K, OLED, 120Hz	webOS	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG	4 × HDMI 2.1	£849	Picture and gaming

Prices checked on 29 September 2026.

What to look for in a small TV

• Resolution for the size. At 32 inches, Full HD (1920×1080) is the sweet spot. HD Ready (1366×768) is fine from across a bedroom but looks soft up close. At 43 inches, 4K is standard now and costs very little extra.
• The smart system. This is what you will actually use every day. Samsung's Tizen, LG's webOS and Amazon's Fire TV are the most established. Hisense's VIDAA, Philips' Titan OS and Toshiba's own system cover the main apps but have smaller app stores.
• How you get live TV. Freeview Play needs an aerial. Freely streams live BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 over your broadband, which suits rooms without an aerial socket. Freesat needs a satellite dish.
• HDR support. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ matter on the 43-inch sets, where Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video use them. On a budget 32-inch the benefit is small.
• HDMI ports. If a console is going in, look for HDMI 2.1 with VRR and ALLM. Count ports too if you have a soundbar, a console and a streaming stick.
• Sound. Small TVs have small speakers. Reviewers regularly mark budget sets down for thin audio, so budget for a cheap soundbar if speech clarity matters.

The best 32-inch and 43-inch TVs

1. Toshiba 32WK3C63DB: cheapest decent small TV (£99)

For under £100 you get a 32-inch smart TV from a known brand with Freeview Play built in, three HDMI ports and Alexa voice control. The catch is resolution: this is an HD Ready panel at 1366×768, not Full HD. From a bed or the far side of a kitchen that matters less than you would think, but sit close and text looks noticeably softer than on the Hisense below.

Reviewers at T3 and Tech Advisor both liked it as a cheap set that does more than you expect, with Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and BritBox all available. Both also flagged the same weakness: the speakers distort once you push past about half volume.

• Pros: very low price; Freeview Play; three HDMI ports; Alexa built in
• Cons: HD Ready only; sound distorts at higher volume; stock is running low
• Best for: a spare room or a kitchen where price matters more than sharpness

Where to buy: Richer Sounds (£99)

2. Hisense 32A5QTUK: best-value 32-inch (£199)

Twice the Toshiba's price buys a proper step up: a Full HD QLED panel, which means a sharper picture and richer colour. It runs Hisense's VIDAA system and comes with Freely, so you can watch live channels over broadband even where there is no aerial socket, which is common in bedrooms and kitchens.

We could not find a free, full review of this exact model. Which? has tested it, but its verdict is behind a paywall. TechRadar reviewed the previous version, the 32A5K, and liked its bright, colourful QLED picture but not its dull sound. That is worth bearing in mind here too.

• Pros: Full HD QLED screen; Freely for live TV without an aerial; eARC for a soundbar
• Cons: only two HDMI ports; the previous model's sound was weak; VIDAA has fewer apps than Tizen or Fire TV
• Best for: a bedroom TV that looks good without costing much

Where to buy: Richer Sounds (£199). Also £199 at Currys.

3. Samsung QE32Q5F: best 32-inch overall (£329)

Samsung's 2026 32-inch QLED costs more than the Hisense for the same Full HD resolution, so you're paying mostly for the software and the brand. Tizen is one of the most complete smart systems around. You get every major UK streaming app, Samsung TV Plus for free channels, SmartThings to link other Samsung kit and Samsung's Gaming Hub for cloud gaming without a console.

No major UK outlet had published a review of this 32-inch model when we checked. Our pick rests on the spec sheet and on Samsung's track record with Tizen rather than on a tested verdict.

• Pros: the most polished smart system at this size; QLED colour; HDR10+; Gaming Hub for cloud games
• Cons: a lot more than the Hisense for the same resolution; only two HDMI ports; no published reviews yet
• Best for: anyone who wants the easiest smart TV to live with, or already uses Samsung devices

Where to buy: John Lewis (£329). Also £329 at Marks Electrical.

4. Hisense 43A6QTUK: best 43-inch overall (£229)

This is the TV we'd point most people towards. For £229 you get a 4K panel with every major HDR format, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HDR10+ Adaptive, which adjusts the picture to the light in your room. It also has three HDMI 2.1 ports, according to Currys' listing. That's unusual at this price, and it means a PS5 or Xbox Series X can use features such as variable refresh rate.

It is a 60Hz panel, so games top out at 60 frames per second, and budget direct-lit LED sets don't get as bright as pricier models. Freely is built in for live TV over broadband, and voice control works with Alexa and Google Assistant. We found no review of this exact 2025 model from the major UK outlets.

• Pros: 4K with Dolby Vision and HDR10+; three HDMI 2.1 ports; strong value
• Cons: 60Hz only; limited brightness, as with most budget sets; no major reviews yet
• Best for: the best all-round 43-inch picture for the money, including casual gaming

Where to buy: Argos (£229). Also £229 at Currys.

5. TCL 43V6D-UK: best for Fire TV fans (£219)

If you already use a Fire TV Stick, this 2026 TCL puts the same interface inside the TV, with Alexa built in. It matches the Hisense on HDR support, with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. It supports game-friendly features (VRR and ALLM) through TCL's Game Master mode, and adds Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound through two 10W speakers.

Argos lists the panel as direct-lit LED. Some coverage of TCL's wider V6D range calls it QLED, so we have gone with the retailer's spec for this exact model. At £219, down from £259, it is the cheapest 4K set here from a major retailer. Like the Hisense, it is 60Hz and too new for full reviews.

• Pros: Fire TV with Alexa; Dolby Vision; Dolby Atmos; the lowest 4K price here
• Cons: 60Hz; retailers don't say how many of its HDMI ports are full 2.1; no reviews yet
• Best for: households already using Fire TV or Alexa

Where to buy: Argos (£219). Also £219 at Currys.

6. Philips Ambilight 43PUS8000: best for atmosphere (£199)

Ambilight is the reason to pick a Philips. LEDs on the back of the set throw the colours on screen onto the wall behind it, which makes a small TV feel bigger and is easier on the eyes in a dark bedroom. No other brand offers it.

At £199, down from £259, it's good value. Just know what you give up next to the Hisense and TCL. Currys lists HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision, and its three HDMI ports are version 2.0a, so there are no HDMI 2.1 gaming features. It runs Titan OS with Freely, and supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It was only confirmed in stock at Currys when we checked. This replaces the 43PUS8200, which has sold out across UK retailers.

• Pros: Ambilight; 4K with HDR10+; Freely; good price
• Cons: no Dolby Vision listed; no HDMI 2.1; Titan OS is a young platform; one retailer
• Best for: film nights in a bedroom, where Ambilight makes the biggest difference

Where to buy: Currys (£199)

7. LG OLED42C5: best picture (£849)

This costs nearly four times as much as anything else here. It's also a different kind of TV. OLED pixels light themselves, so blacks are truly black and contrast is far beyond any LED set. What Hi-Fi called the 42-inch C5 the best OLED of its size it has tested, praising its sharpness, its motion handling and its gaming features. It has four full HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K at up to 144Hz, VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. RTINGS rates the same panel highly, and it is popular as a large PC monitor too.

What Hi-Fi's reservations were modest colour volume, meaning bright colours are less punchy than on bigger, brighter sets, and average sound from the built-in speakers. It runs webOS and has Freesat HD built in. John Lewis adds a five-year guarantee.

• Pros: OLED contrast; four HDMI 2.1 ports and up to 144Hz for gaming; strong reviews; five-year guarantee at John Lewis
• Cons: expensive for the size; average sound; not as bright as LED sets in a sunny room
• Best for: gamers and film fans with a small room, or a desk-sized screen

Where to buy: John Lewis (£849). Also £899 at Currys.

32-inch or 43-inch: which suits your room?

Start with where you sit, not with the screen. A common rule of thumb is to sit roughly one and a half to two and a half times the screen's diagonal away from a Full HD TV, and closer to a 4K one. Roughly, that means:

• 32-inch: comfortable from about 1.2 to 2 metres. Right for a kitchen worktop, a small bedroom or a box room. At this size Full HD looks sharp and 4K adds little, which is why very few 32-inch TVs are 4K.
• 40 to 43-inch: comfortable from about 1.5 to 2.7 metres. Right for a main bedroom, a student room or a small living room. At this size 4K is worth having, and the price difference over a 32-inch has shrunk to £20 to £30 at the budget end.

Measure the width too. A 43-inch TV is roughly a metre wide on its stand, and many budget sets use feet at each end rather than a central stand. That needs a surface nearly as wide as the TV. Check the retailer's dimensions before you order.

If the room has no aerial socket, look for Freely (the Hisense, TCL and Philips sets here) and a decent broadband connection. The Toshiba uses Freeview Play through an aerial. The LG uses Freesat through a satellite dish, but also has every streaming app.

When is the best time to buy a small TV?

Black Friday, in late November, is when most UK retailers cut TV prices hardest, and searches for small TVs nearly double that month. If you can wait, that's the safest bet. Amazon's autumn Prime event, usually in October, and the January sales are the other two dependable windows.

Two things to watch. New models arrive in spring, so the outgoing year's sets are often cheapest between March and June while stock clears. And budget TVs sell out rather than drop in price. Two of the sets here were already marked "last few available" when we checked. If a good price turns up on the model you want, take it.

Small TV questions

Is a 4K 32-inch TV worth it?

Rarely. At 32 inches, from normal viewing distances, most people can't tell Full HD from 4K, and very few 32-inch 4K models exist. Put the money into a better panel, such as the QLED on the Hisense or Samsung, rather than more pixels.

Do I need an aerial with Freely?

No. Freely is a free service from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 that streams their live channels over broadband, so it works in rooms without an aerial socket. You need a reliable internet connection instead.

Is a 42-inch OLED worth the money for a bedroom?

Only if picture quality or gaming really matters to you. Otherwise, no. The LG C5 is far better than the budget sets here, especially in a dark room, but a £229 4K TV will satisfy most people watching Netflix and live TV. The OLED makes most sense if it doubles as a console or PC screen.

Are small TVs good for gaming?

For a PS5 or Xbox Series X, look for HDMI 2.1 with VRR. The Hisense 43A6QTUK and TCL 43V6D-UK support those features at 60Hz. The LG C5 goes up to 144Hz with four full HDMI 2.1 ports. The 32-inch sets here are fine for casual play, but they aren't built for it.

Our verdict

Most people should buy the Hisense 43A6QTUK at £229. It is 4K, supports Dolby Vision and has HDMI 2.1, all for barely more than a good 32-inch set. If your space only takes a 32-inch, the Hisense 32A5QTUK at £199 gives you a Full HD QLED picture, and the Samsung QE32Q5F at £329 is worth the extra if you want the smoothest smart system.

If you already run Fire TV, the TCL 43V6D-UK is the natural choice. The Philips 43PUS8000 is the pick for Ambilight fans. If money is tight, the Toshiba 32WK3C63DB does the basics for £99. And if the small screen is also where you game or watch films seriously, buy the LG OLED42C5 and don't look back.

Prices change quickly on budget TVs, so check the live price before you buy. You'll find current TV deals from UK retailers below this guide.