Once the glow of graduation wears off and the reality of moving away for school sets in, you’ll find yourself in the market for all sorts of living essentials like bedding and books, but most importantly, a new TV. With limited space to stretch out in and the uncertainty of new roommates on the horizon, having a high-quality screen to make leisure time bearable can help you settle in and summon some of the creature comforts you may have gotten used to back home.
TL;DR – These Are the Best TVs for Dorm Rooms
- LG 65-Inch Class OLED evo C4 Series smart TV – Best for gaming
- Hisense - 55" Class U6 Series Mini – Best budget option
- LG - 55" Class B4 Series OLED 4K UHD smart webOS TV – Best for small bedrooms
- Roku - 32" Class Select Series HD smart RokuTV – Best for desks
Fitting your entire life into a box-shaped room doesn’t leave you with much space. That’s why the best TVs for dorm rooms deliver slim designs, ample ports, and high-quality resolutions. With these features, you can ensure your movie nights and FIFA sessions go off without a hitch. To save you the trouble of scrubbing the web, we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch so you can focus on the important parts of college life, like seminars, study sessions… and parties, of course.
LG 65” Class OLED evo C4 Series smart TV
Best Gaming TV for Dorm Rooms
You’ll find the LG C4 Evo at the top of a lot of best TV lists for a reason. With a 65” OLED panel, the C4 can summon the luxury of cinema from the comfort of your dorm room. No matter where you sit in the space, you’ll be treated to a vibrant, crisp picture that, thanks to the anti-reflective coating, can hold its own against any unfortunate glare that seeks to spoil your watch party.
What makes the LG C4 the overall best gaming TV for students is its four HDMI 2.1 ports, which allow for buttery smooth 120Hz gaming with compatible titles. When paired with C4’s HDR 10, HLG, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Vision Gaming compatibility, select PS5 and Xbox titles have improved detail and clarity too. The only rub is the sizing of this TV – it comes in a 42 inch configuration, but if space is a serious issue, you may have to look elsewhere. If you want to save a bit more cash, previous models in this series, like the LG C3 and C2, boast many of the same features and can be found at a portion of the price.
Hisense 65" Class U6 Series Mini
Best Budget TV for Dorm Rooms
Working with a budget is all about getting the most bang for your buck, and the Hicense U6 certainly delivers on that as one of the better cheap TVs. Flush with performance technology, the U6 uses Mini-LED and QLED in the display, delivering accurate and vibrant colors regardless of whether you’re watching sports or playing the latest indie game. Full array-dimming adds to the look, ensuring decent contrast from deep blacks to crisp whites. While you won’t have access to 120Hz gaming without the HDMI 2.1 ports, movie buffs can rejoice in U6’s vast HDR compatibility.
The Hisense U6 comes with Google TV, which collects and bundles your apps and content into one user-friendly interface. The controller features quick access buttons, Google Assistant, and voice search capabilities, which will help you navigate the vast network of streaming services in good time. And when you inevitably lose your remote ahead of a hotly anticipated sports event and initiate a dorm-wide incident, you’ll be pleased to know that you can connect your phone to the TV as a desperate backup.
LG 55" Class B4 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV
Best Smart TV for a Bedroom
Some say having a TV in your bedroom is bad for you, but those people probably don’t have an LG B4. The B4’s 55-inch OLED panel allows your favorite shows to shine with lifelike detail and color while self-lit pixels ensure excellent contrast and minimal blooming. While LG’s previous native TV software wasn't the most user-friendly, the B4 uses LG’s improved WebOS 24, whose visual facelift makes browsing your apps much more convenient. If binge-watching until sunrise is also part of your plans, the B4 can handle its fair share of reflections, meaning the morning streams of light as you ponder why you committed to another Lord of the Rings Extended Edition rewatch won’t completely ruin your view of Helm’s Deep.
If you’re not the type who likes to tinker with awkward settings menus, nightmare, the B4’s AI Processor saves time by managing your TV's performance, letting you kick back knowing you’re getting the ideal image without the effort. If you’re serious about gaming, you can also relish in the B4’s VRR, ALLM, and low input lag features, as well as four HDMI 2.1 ports for buttery-smooth 120Hz play sessions.
Roku 32" Class Select Series HD
Best TV for Desks
If your room is more of a hovel than a home, the budget-friendly Roku Class Select Series HD might be exactly what you’re looking for. Its 32-inch screen size and 27.4-inch stand make it a pint-sized desk-friendly option that leaves plenty of room to add consoles or sound bars to your set-up down the line. If you intend to bring your gaming consoles to school, one caveat is that the Roku Class Select only has HDMI 2.0 ports, which might be a deal breaker if you want to play compatible games like Fortnite and Call of Duty at a fluid 120hz. If you can look past that, though, its 720p HD display delivers a solid picture at a budget price, making it ideal for casual streaming and gaming if you’re budget-conscious. It pairs very well with some of the best gaming desks on the market.
Roku has made a name for itself as a reliable and easy-to-use streaming interface, and that extends to its range of TVs. The controller features plenty of hot buttons for speedy app access, and courtesy of additional voice control functionality, you can find the latest episodes of your reality TV favorites with the press of a button. The Roku Smart Series HD is also compatible with AirPlay, meaning you can hot-drop content directly from your iPhone where necessary. Every Roku TV also comes equipped with the Roku Channel, which is one of the best overall free TV streaming apps out there.
How to Choose a TV for Your Dorm Room
What size TV do you need?
Your ideal TV size will depend on your room size, prospective viewing angles, and the distance from the TV you intend to sit. While most of this comes down to personal preference, you should consider aspects like eye strain, image clarity and lighting when choosing the best size for your space. Thankfully, certain brands have their own metrics you can use as a guide, like this one from Sony, which recommends a distance of 1m or 3.28 feet for a 55-inch TV.
What features do you need?
Choosing a smart TV that can deliver your favorite apps is critical to consolidating your streaming technology into one space-saving package. This cuts the cost of buying external streaming tools like an Amazon Fire Stick or Apple TV, which is handy if you’re on a budget. However, we recommend choosing a smart TV with a trusted UI to prevent painstaking scrolling and frustrating app navigation from getting in the way of your watch time.
Of all the major features to watch for is HDMI 2.1 compatibility, an important asset if you have current-gen gaming consoles like the Xbox Series X or PS5. HDMI 2.1 will enable you to play compatible games at a smoother 120HZ refresh rate, a fluid feast for the eyes. While you’ll still be able to game comfortably with HDMI 2.0 ports, you’ll be stuck with 60hz gaming only. AAA games like God of War: Ragnarok have embraced higher refresh rates on consoles in recent years, and ensuring your TV has HDMI 2.1 is a futureproofing measure that will only become more important as time goes on.
If you’re looking for a deeper look on essential TV features like screen size and design, be sure to check out our guide on how to buy a TV.
How much should you spend?
The amount you spend on a TV is a personal decision, but if our list proves anything, it’s that you don't always need to spend a lot to get a good-quality option. However, if you have your eye on something high-end and want to try and save a few bucks, there are plenty of ways to reduce the cost, such as compromising on the screen size or seeking out earlier models from the same line. For example, the LG C4 is on the pricier end; however, its predecessor, the LG C3, has many comparable features, just at a reduced cost because of its age. Alternatively, you can pick up the 55” version over our recommended 65” and save money at the cost of screen space. If you want to nab a deal before school starts, check out our guide to the best time to buy a TV. Just make sure to check the specifications before you rush into a purchase to ensure it meets your needs.
Dorm TVs FAQ
Should you buy a TV or a monitor for your dorm?
The choice between a TV and a monitor depends on what you intend to use the screen for. If you want to set up both a PC and console with limited space, a monitor would likely work better for your needs. Smaller in profile, boasting high refresh rates and low input lag, a monitor can make the most of a PS5, desktop gaming PC, or Apple TV without taking up precious dorm room real estate. However, if you don’t have multiple devices to connect, and are more bothered about the cinematic features a large screen can provide, the plug-and-play nature of a smart TV is a much more convenient choice. With built-in speakers, HDR capabilities and native streaming apps, it’ll be better suited for recreating that popcorn-watch party atmosphere.
Do all smart TVs come with streaming apps included?
What makes a smart TV smart is its ability to connect to the Internet and stream content through Wi-Fi or Ethernet instead of antennas or external set-top boxes. Once connected to the Internet, your TV can access a specific smart hub, depending on the brand. For example, LG uses WebOS, which allows you to download the streaming apps you’d like, such as Amazon Prime or Hulu, from their digital storefront.
While all the major smart TV interfaces include apps like Netflix and Disney Plus, we recommend checking if there are any niche apps you’re looking to run, such as Xbox Cloud Streaming, which is limited to modern Samsung smart TVs and requires a recent software version to run. In some cases you may need to pick up a streaming device to get all of the apps you're hoping to run.
Sarah Thwaites is a freelance tech writer at IGN, with bylines at GameInformer, TrustedReviews, NME and more.
