The 6 Best Outdoor TVs for a Backyard Bash

10 min readEditor’s Note—September 11, 2026: In our latest update, Reviews Editor Amber Joglar replaced our Best Full Shade TV, the SunBrite Veranda 3 Series, with a newer model, the SunBrite Veranda 4 Series. We reviewed this model earlier in the year and appreciated its pivot from LED backlighting to RGB-W, but held off on switching our recommendation because of its reduced peak brightness. With the Veranda 3 out of stock at most retailers, the new model is now the better choice by default. We’ve also added a short section on models we’ve tested in the past.Installing an outdoor TV is guaranteed to gussy up any outdoor space, be it a balcony, pool, patio, or deck, turning your hospitable backyard into a neighborhood attraction. If you want to hang a TV outside, then you need one of these special screens: Unlike conventional TVs, outdoor TVs are designed to withstand the elements and extreme temperatures. They can hang out all year-round—hot and cold, rain or shine. They also feature anti-reflective screens and get much brighter, both of which are meant to combat the glare you get from direct sunlight.These special features make most outdoor TVs a bit pricier than the average "indoor TV," but the investment is worthwhile if you're building out your outdoor space. But this does make shopping for an outdoor TV a bit different than the usual TV shopping process: There are different specs and features to keep an eye out for.Fall is here, but it seems like we've still got a few more weeks of nice outdoor weather: That means a few more weekends to have people over and watch football in the backyard while you barbecue or host movie nights. If you're looking to add an outdoor TV to your open-air or fully shaded outdoor space, we are constantly looking at the latest models so we can help you find the right option for your home.Best Overall: Sylvox Pool Pro 2.0 Full Sun Outdoor TV​Best Full Shade: SunBrite Veranda 4 Series Full Shade Outdoor TV​Best Partial Sun: Sylvox 2025 Gaming Series Partial Sun Outdoor TV​Best Full Sun: Sylvox Frameless Pro Series Full Sun Outdoor TV​Best Image Quality: Samsung The Terrace Full Sun Outdoor TV​​How We SelectedTrevor RaabWe’ve been keeping a close eye on the outdoor TV market for the past decade. For our latest round of recommendations, Reviews Editor Amber Joglar hand-picked new outdoor TVs from brands with a stellar track record in delivering top-quality products, including Samsung, SunBrite, and Sylvox. Senior Technology Editor Stefan Vazharov has also tested outdoor TVs and contributed his expertise to these recommendations.Speaking of Sylvox, you may notice the brand's dominant position among our picks. While the brand has been a mainstay in this guide for years, Sylvox has become the primary name in the outdoor TV market, thanks in part to the design of its displays, but also because of a contraction in the market. With fewer options from brands like Furrion and Element, Sylvox and SunBrite are now the only two major brands in play. Aside from Samsung’s aging (but still impressive) The Terrace TV, the choices from established brands are limited, regardless of whether you want a full sun, partial sun, or full shade model.Some of these TVs have been tested at our office in Easton, Pennsylvania. Those that we have not tested were vetted to ensure they meet the specifications and performance we look for based on past rounds of testing. All of them feature a sturdy build and a strong IP rating that ensures they can live outdoors all year. They also have a feature-rich platform with access to streaming services and a rich selection of connectivity features. The latter includes WiFi for a seamless link to your home network.Full ReviewsProsCrisp picture qualityExcellent peak brightnessConsRefresh rate tops out at 60 HertzKey SpecsInputs & Connections3x HDMI, 2x USB-A, WiFi, BluetoothPeak Brightness2000 nitsWeatherproofingIP55Temperature Range-22°-122°FOperating SystemGoogle TVThe Sylvox Pool Pro 2.0 offers an amalgam of a no-nonsense design, a tough build, and excellent picture quality with top-notch, 2,000-nit peak brightness. Its HDR-enabled 4K display generates a vibrant image with rich colors, stellar contrast, and wide viewing angles, even under direct sunlight. If the picture has one flaw, it's that it lacks a 120-hertz refresh rate, which would improve the image quality of fast-moving sports and gaming, and is becoming more and more common in conventional TVs.Its speakers are fairly impressive, too, with multidimensional Dolby Atmos support right out of the box. That said, we generally recommend investing in a soundbar, especially for large outdoor spaces.The metal housing of the Pool Pro 2.0 is sleek and solid. Its controls are conveniently placed on its right side on a dedicated panel, which makes operating the TV without a remote easy. The bundled remote control has an intuitive layout with shortcuts for popular streaming apps, as well as a waterproof build.By outdoor TV standards, the Pool Pro 2.0 is one of the most versatile options around, with sizes ranging from a compact 43 inches to a massive 75 inches, and is fairly affordable for a full sun model. If you're looking to pull out all the stops, Sylvox makes a pricier QLED Pool Pro 2.0, which features a brighter QLED screen and Dolby Vision support. At about $1,000 extra, depending on the size, it's a tough sell, but also a substantial upgrade.Key SpecsInputs and Connections3x HDMI, 1x USB, RF, Ethernet, A/V, Audio outputsPeak Brightness600 NitsWeatherproofingIP55Temperature Range-24°F to 140°FOperating SystemGoogle TVWhen you’re setting up a TV in a shaded outdoor space, like a deck, covered patio, or screened-in porch, a full shade TV like the Veranda 4 Series by SunBrite offers a lighter, and often more budget-friendly option.Amber tested SunBrite’s latest under an oversized cantilever umbrella, and found that it delivered a colorful, consistently clear picture in shady and overcast conditions. Watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a decent showcase for the TV’s saturated colors and contrast, while darker scenes in Frankenstein (2025) were easy to follow without looking totally washed out.The Veranda 4 switches from LED backlighting to an RGB-W display, the first that we’ve tested in the outdoor space. Like conventional RGB TVs for your living room, it features discrete red, green, blue light diodes to generate more accurate colors, and adds a white LED for extra brightness. (This undercuts the clarity compared to other RGB sets, but brightness is much more important on outdoor sets, so we understand why SunBrite would make this trade-off.)The new panel produced vibrant colors and decent clarity, but we didn’t find that it produced a dramatic improvement in overall image quality compared to the now-defunct Veranda 3. In fact, the Veranda 4 makes a few compromises. Its 600-nit brightness is significantly lower than the Veranda 3’s 1,000 nits, and its refresh rate drops to 60 Hz from 120 Hz. Even with these caveats, it is still a decent, basic option for those shady spaces that still get exposure to the elements.ProsTop-tier gaming featuresGreat picture quality for the moneyConsCould use a higher peak brightnessKey SpecsInputs & Connections4x HDMI, 2x USB, WiFi, BluetoothPeak Brightness1,000 NitsWeatherproofingIP55Temperature Range-22° to 122° FOperating SystemGoogle TVGaming is a top priority for outdoor TV buyers, but if you're planning to bring your consoles outside, then the Sylvox gaming series feels like a no-brainer. It delivers a top-tier gaming experience with smooth graphics and detail-rich visuals, provided you minimize its exposure to direct sunlight, especially at high noon.The gaming series has many of the special, gaming-forward features that we look for in any gaming TV, including a higher-than-average 120-hertz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 connectivity, support for variable refresh rate, and an automatic low-latency mode. Games and TV both looked excellent. They sounded great, too, thanks to Dolby Atmos-enabled 10-watt speakers, which pumped out a respectable sonic experience in a partially enclosed outdoor space.Above all, we were impressed with the price. At less than $2,000 for a 55-inch TV, you're getting a top-notch outdoor TV at a very reasonable price.ProsBezel-less design look amazing, provide better immersionSheds size without compromising IP rating or durability2000 Nit brightness works well in direct sunlightDolby Atmos audio supportConsSpeaker performance was inconsistentKey SpecsInputs and ConnectionsBluetooth, USB, Wireless, HDMI, WiFi, EthernetPeak Brightness2000 NitsWeatherproofingIP56Temperature Range-22°-122°FOperating SystemGoogle TVNew in 2026, Sylvox has carved out yet another piece of the outdoor TV pie for itself with the Frameless Pro Series, an extremely slim bezel-free full sun TV that delivers great performance in virtually any backyard condition. Like many of my picks, the Frameless Pro is a 4K LED TV that you can see even on bright, sunny days, thanks to peak brightness of 2,000 nits. Unlike most of my other picks, though, the Frameless Pro has an extremely slim 1.5mm edge, which enhances your immersion and generally makes the TV look much more sleek on a wall or freestanding on one of Sylvox’s TV carts.Though its stereo speakers boast Dolby Atmos support for virtual surround sound, we found that the audio was not always stellar. As with all of these TVs, I’d recommend setting up some kind of outdoor speaker system to get the best audio solution.You’re paying a steep premium for what is, at least in part, an aesthetic upgrade. Still, we love that this is now a relatively affordable option for folks. Previously, you would have needed to buy the Samsung outdoor TV to get this kind of display, and it is far pricier than the Frameless Pro.ProsBest-in-class picture qualityFeature-rich platform with intuitive user interfaceSleek remoteConsNo Dolby Vision supportKey SpecsInputs & Connections3x HDMI, 1x USB-A, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2Peak Brightness1,500+ nitsWeatherproofingIP56Temperature Range-22° to 104°FOperating SystemTizen OSIf you have no budgetary restrictions and want the absolute best picture possible, Samsung's The Terrace outdoor TV offers uncompromising visuals with advanced features you can't get from dedicated outdoor TV brands like Sylvox. Its mini-LED Neo QLED TV panel features an anti-reflective coating that guarantees a stunning viewing experience with deep contrast and vivid colors, even under the midday sun. Thanks to sophisticated AI upscaling features, the screen will adapt its settings to ensure that your movie or show always looks its best—from news and movies, to gaming and live sports.Samsung’s intuitive Tizen OS also brings helpful features uncommon to outdoor TVs, including voice commands and an Xbox Cloud Gaming app. It lacks Dolby Vision HDR, which we'd expect in a TV with this robust feature set. The remote is sleek and comes equipped with solar charging, so you'll never have to worry about swapping batteries.The Terrace comes in only large screen sizes—65 or 75 inches—with the latter pushing the price up to nearly five figures. Samsung also makes a lower-priced 55-inch partial sun TV, which it also calls The Terrace. It is a strong performer, but they are not the same TV. The smaller model does not offer the same features or visual fidelity as its larger cousins.ProsExcellent picture quality with best-in-class brightness120Hz refresh rate is great for sports and gamingRich set of connectivity featuresConsOnly available in large screen sizesKey SpecsInputs & Connections3x HDMI, 2x USB, WiFi, BluetoothPeak Brightness3,500 nitsWeatherproofingIP55Temperature Range-22° to 122° FOperating SystemGoogle TVThe Sylvox Cinema Pro Series pushes the brightest screen in its class, giving it the clearest picture in overly sunny situations. This quantum-dot-enhanced mini-LED panel puts out exceptional luminosity—up to 3,500 nits. Even when it doesn't have to combat the sun, that extra brightness improves its picture quality, maximizing the HDR capacity of its Dolby Vision-enhanced full-array local dimming, so you get boosted colors and deeper contrast.The all-around picture quality of the Sylvox Cinema Pro is a strong best-in-class contender and worth its hefty price tag, which is lower than that of The Terrace. We’d still drop the extra cash for the Samsung, because of its more refined design and superior 4K upscaling tech, but this is a great compromise if you want to splurge, but can't spend $7,500 to $10,000 on a TV.Other Outdoor TVs We’ve TestedAs we discussed at the top, the outdoor TV market has contracted in the last decade, to the point where most of our recommendations come from one of two brands, Sylvox and SunBrite, with a handful of other manufacturers still vying for a spot. We have been testing outdoor TVs for some time, but most of the models we’ve seen firsthand are older versions of the TVs you see above from those two brands: For example, we recently replaced the SunBrite Veranda 3 Series with the SunBrite Veranda 4 Series, after the earlier model went out of production.Outdoor TV Mounts and Stands We RecommendA Highly-Adjustable OptionA Mobile Option with ShelvesWhat to ConsiderPicking the Right Outdoor TV TypeThe specs that we normally look for in TVs are far more streamlined in outdoor models. Most are backlit LED panels, though high-end models feature mini-LED technology that allows for local dimming—a technique that can make certain parts of the screen brighter or dimmer to improve contrast and make colors pop. All of our picks look good, though there is a pretty serious jump in image quality if you look at top-of-the-line sets like The Terrace by Samsung or the Sylvox Cinema Pro, though they are both extremely expensive.So what makes one outdoor TV look better than another? Peak brightness is the best place to start: Since sunlight makes any display harder to see, a higher max brightness (measured in nits) makes for a more visible screen. Look for at least 1,000 nits if you plan to put your TV in a covered area. If you're hanging it in direct sunlight, you should aim for 1,500 nits and up.Since watching sports is often a high priority for outdoor TV shoppers, I also recommend looking for TVs with a high 120-hertz (Hz) refresh rate. Refresh rate refers to the number of times your TV updates the image on screen each second. That translates to clearer movement when the action gets intense and players move quickly. If you're planning to play video games outside, it also allows them to run with smoother, more nuanced animations.Thankfully, outdoor TV manufacturers conveniently refer to the peak brightness of their creations by mentioning their designated usage scenarios. Common labels include full shade, partial sun, and full sun, with the last one being used on the brightest outdoor TVs.DurabilityIf you're going to set up a TV outside and leave it there, it needs to be pretty durable. As with most tech products, you can gauge an outdoor TV's ability to withstand dust and water based on its ingress protection rating (or "IP" rating, for short).The above ratings feature two numbers: The first measures dust resistance, the second measures waterproofing. I recommend looking for at least an IP55 rating, which is standard among outdoor TVs. An IP rating that ends with the number 5 guarantees that the TV can survive water jets, which is the equivalent of heavy rainfall.Mounting and InstallationOutdoor TVs weigh considerably more than their indoor counterparts because they require a beefy, weatherproof construction. Some big-screen units can weigh quite a bit more than a comparably sized indoor unit. I strongly recommend hanging your outdoor TV on a heavy-duty, weatherproof mount that's built to support an outdoor TV.And you definitely want to hang these TVs. Test Editor Brad Ford, one of our resident DIY experts, noted that using a TV stand outdoors is always going to be a risky proposition. No matter how well you weigh it down, there's always a chance that strong winds or bad weather could tip your TV over."There are specific TV mounts designed for outdoor use that feature sealed hinges and stainless steel hardware, which are resistant to corrosion," he said. "To install these mounts, follow the same guidelines you would for an indoor mount. Be sure to anchor the hardware into the structural components of your home's framing, such as wall studs or posts that support your porch roof."Ford also noted that you should be careful about where you mount your TV. Some exterior surfaces, such as vinyl siding, will prevent you from properly anchoring a heavy-duty mount.Amber is a Reviews Editor with bylines on Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Best Products sites. Specializing in kitchen gadgets, small appliances, lifestyle, and consumer tech, she brings hands-on testing and a detail-oriented approach to every review. In her free time you can likely find her trading trinkets at an EDM festival, searching for hidden gems at thrift stores, or cuddling with her two cats.Stefan is an award-winning consumer technology editor with over a decade of experience in reviewing gadgets, particularly smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, desktop and laptop computers across multiple form factors and platforms, as well as accessories for them. He also covers televisions and audio equipment, including headphones, earbuds, wireless speakers, and soundbars. Since joining Hearst in 2015, Stefan has contributed to BestProducts, Popular Mechanics, and numerous other publications. Prior to his current role, he served as the US Editor for GSMArena.com.Brad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Today, when he's not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he's busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania.