The Best Outdoor TVs of 2024

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Some dorks would deride the outdoor TV as “emblematic of American excess,” or something overly academic like that. Me? I say it’s fucking sick. We’ve reached a point where technology allows you to be outside grilling, swimming, sipping on some Esquire awarded spirits, smoking something, and you can throw the game on. Isn’t that beautiful? Pair an outdoor TV with some state of the art outdoor speakers, a nice lounge chair, or comfortable sofa, and you’re in as much luxury as anyone else who has called this Earth home.

The only issue is trying to understand outdoor TVs. What do the weatherproof ratings mean? Will this be bright enough for my outdoor space? Do I really need to spend ten-thousand dollars on a TV? Fear not, I got the answers on how the hell to shop this new trend.

The Esquire team and I have done plenty of home testing and home design awarding. We’ve done tech testing and gadget awarding. And, I’m here to tell you everything that we know about outdoor TVs. I'll tell you what to look for. I'll tell you what to avoid. These are the three best outdoor TVs on the market so far this year, and out of the goodness of my heart, one more affordable workaround.

The Terrace Full Sun, 65-Inch

The best outdoor TV you'll find comes from our friends over at Samsung. They're on the cutting edge of the whole weather-resistant and glare-resistant outdoor TV wave.

While there are plenty of weather-resistant TVs on the market these days, a lot of them just don't hold up in terms of picture quality. Especially if you have something that might get full sun, it needs to be Bright, not just a little bit brighter than an indoor TV. Samsung's Terrace is the one TV I've found that's really capable of that. It's brighter than anything else out there, but it still manages to keep high-level contrast.

55-inch Outdoor TV

Another great option is SunBrite's Pro 2. Like Samsung's Terrace, this thing can handle full sun. And though we weren't able test it to the actual extreme, the brand claims to have a better temperature operating range than Samsung's Terrace.

The only thing that really separates these two TVs is brightness. Samsung's TV just has a higher nit output, so the screen can be seen in brighter conditions. The SunBrite makes up for some of this with good contrast, but it's just not enough. The Samsung Terrace stands above it.

Veranda 3

If you're looking for an outdoor TV that's going to be set up on a patio or other place where it won't be getting full sun, I'd stick with a SunBrite recommendation. It runs just a few hundred bucks cheaper than Samsung's partial sun option, but in the shade, the differences are minimal.

Outdoor TV Enclosure

Here's the thing about outdoor TVs though, unless you're a sports bar that has to have outdoor TVs functioning all the time, you can probably get away with a regular TV.

All you have to understand is these things. First, put it on the patio and orient it so that it isn't in direct sunlight, since that'll make it harder to see and heat the TV up. Second, don't try to use it on the hottest days of the year. In high summer when temps stay over 100 degrees, just go inside to watch the game. Third, and most important, store it in one of these outdoor TV Enclosures. That way, you don't have to worry about moisture, dust, or debris finding their way into your television.

Within those parameters, you can still get over 100 days of outdoor TV watching throughout the year, and even if you spring for a super bright Hisense, LG, or Samsung QLED TV plus this protective case, you'll still save thousands of dollars.

Do I Need an Outdoor TV

Probably not. The list of people who really need an outdoor rated TV is quite small. If you want to have a TV next to your pool or grill, spend $10,000 on an outdoor TV. If you want to put a TV on your garage or patio and never cover it, spend $10,000 on an outdoor TV. If you're a business owner with an outdoor bar that gets sunshine, maybe spend $10,000 on an outdoor TV.

Everyone else who is working on an outdoor setup, the smart thing to do is get a TV cover, and know the few times you shouldn't use your TV.

A TV cover, like I showed in the last slide will keep your TV safe on those nasty rainy and snowy days when you're not going to use an outdoor TV anyway. Then, so long as the TV is not in 100+ degree weather or direct sunlight for over an hour, you'll be fine.

All that said, if you want 100 percent assurance your TV will withstand outdoor use, go ahead and spend big on the real deal.

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