These Budget Picks Are the 3 Best 4K TVs You Can Get for Under ...

It feels like I just got done raving about this TV. Oh, that's because I did. I gave this TCL Google TV a big ole Esquire Endorsement, that's how much it impressed. The 55-inch QLED is a pretty standard offering from TCL (it comes in Roku TV varieties as well), but don't confuse simplicity for lack of quality or features. Check and check.

It's a great TV no matter your purpose. It's got game modes to boost frame rates for your video games and smooth out motion for watching football. The Dolby Atmos speaker built-in ain't no slouch either.

At $449 retail for a 55-inch, which is the best size for most setups, this TV is an absolute steal. About 99 percent of the people who need a new TV would love this TV. I wager, if you didn't tell them it was a TCL base model, quite a few of my fellow tech writers would be pleased to use this TV day-in, day-out.

Hisense is right up there with TCL for us, in terms of reliable affordable TV brands. At the higher, larger end—talking 100 inches, y'all—Hisense TVs can cost a pretty penny, but as a company they have mastered the art of the perfect 55-inch on a budget. This 4K Mini-LED has a bright display with stellar contrast and smart modes for all.

If Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (a lot of football out there) nights are for one thing and one thing only, this is the 4K TV for you, sports fan. Not a football fan? No problem. Motion Rate 240 mode allows you to get the smoothest, most realistic motion on any sports game, be it basketball, hockey, or (dare we say) real football... soccer. It even has a mode for video gaming too, if College Football is more your speed.

This is the most versatile and gamer-friendly 4K TV in it's price range. The Quantum Dot screen is vivid. It comes with the basics, like a game mode and HDMI ports for both your Xbox and PlayStation. You can even directly hook up a pair of Bluetooth headphones without fussing with third-party apps. But none of these will truly excite gamers the way this Vizio's best feature has.

4K has been the standard for high definition for a number of years, but many gamers will still prefer a smooth, high framerate at a lower resolution over 4K with HDR10. With this Vizio, you can enable 120 frames per second at 1080p while playing on PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X/S. That's right, the buried lede is that you can hook your PC up to this thing and get frame rates as high as your gaming monitor.

Of course, your budget is going to be your first thought and primary decision making factor. But how will you know if you are really getting your money's worth, even on a budget? That's what we're here for. Trying and testing dozens TVs has equipped us with the knowledge of what features most folks should actually care about.

Size: Size matters. Screen size is important, but just as crucial are the measurements of the TV itself. Make sure it will fit comfortably in your space. If you plan on wall mounting it, take that space into consideration as well.

Screen type: LED, mini-LED, LCD, OLED, QLED, the list goes on. But how are you to know which of these screens is best for you? Cutting to the chase, LED and LCDs are basically outdated. OLEDs are probably the best but don't come cheap. For a TV in this budget range, you are going to want a QLED or Mini-LED (Hisense calls this UHD). These types of screens do contrast amazingly, but lack the viewing angles and glare-reduction of an OLED.

HDR: This stands for High Dynamic Range. If you're watching streaming content or playing console games, HDR is a must. Colors simply pop in a way they don't without it on.

Bonus features: TVs these days come equipped with modes and features that cater to certain audiences. Game Modes will reduce lag and optimize settings automatically when switching to your console. High motion rates (motion smoothing) bring sports to life with unmatched clarity.

Here at Esquire, we won't stop until you're satisfied. This means testing products day and night, week in and week out. We know which computer speakers you should buy and which over-ear headphones aren't a complete ripoff. The gadgets we choose to take our time to write about are the ones we genuinely like using the most.