The best TV antennas are an essential part of my home theater setup. It’s as important to me as any streaming service because it allows me to watch sports, sitcoms and news without having to pay a monthly fee.
Digital antennas (like the ones we recommend) are the successors to bunny ears, sure, but they’re better in almost every respect, from resolution to reception. If you live in a more rural area, then an indoor/outdoor option like the Antop AT-800SBS would suit you best.
Quick list
Best overall
The Gateway Plus is the most dependable indoor TV antenna that I’ve found after testing more than a dozen models. It’s larger than many, but that big footprint helps it deliver clearer channels.
Made for use inside and out, this 85-mile antenna was at its best out in the elements, where it pulled in 68 watchable stations. It’s the best indoor/outdoor antenna we’ve tested, and well worth the premium price.
The Winegard Elite 7550 is the smart option and the best TV antenna for outdoor installation. It may cost a little more, but the extra investment pays dividends, delivering a whopping 73 channels in our tests.
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Best TV antenna overall
The Mohu Gateway Plus is fantastic value for money, capable of pulling in a respectable 41 channels (34 flawlessly) with 60-mile range, with signal strength easily displayed on the front of the device via four LEDs.
The unit is multi-directional, meaning it can be placed forwards or backwards and should be able to still receive a signal. That said, the front of the antenna has the LED signal indicator lights, so you’ll probably want those facing inside so you can see them.
There was still the occasional stutter in performance — especially in the morning when there was inclement weather — but on a clear day, the Mohu Gateway Plus managed to surpass many other antennas we’ve tested.
Best indoor/outdoor TV antenna
Made for use inside and out, the Antop AT-800SBS HD Smart Panel offers some of the best performance we’ve seen, easily topping many of the indoor/outdoor models we’ve tested.
With its adjustable amplifier, included mounting hardware and optional FM connection for radio, it’s a versatile HD antenna option for anyone who’s serious about cord-cutting.
The Antop AT-800SBS also has a table-top stand for indoor use, but this 85-mile antenna was at its best out in the elements, where it pulled in 68 watchable stations. This makes it a great pick for both people looking for a permanent, outdoor antenna as well as those shopping for a powerful indoor antenna.
This is slightly less than the Winegard Elite 7550 (68 vs. 73), but there’s very little in in, especially when you factor in that it’s a lot more convenient if you want to use it indoors or can’t mount an antenna externally.
A 40-foot cable is included for easy installation, and the adjustable amplifier lets you dial in the right amount of power boost to help you grab the stations you want. It’s the best indoor/outdoor antenna we’ve tested, and well worth the premium price.
Best outdoor TV antenna
Sometimes an indoor antenna just won’t cut it. When you need an outdoor antenna with excellent reception, the Winegard Elite 7550 is the smart option, and the best TV antenna for outdoor installation.
It may cost a little more, but the Winegard Elite 7550 pays dividends, delivering a whopping 73 channels in our tests. Whether you’re in a crowded city or a rural community, this outdoor HDTV should get the job done, pulling in more channels with better signal than any indoor model can offer.
One of the reasons it excels in a crowded city is because of its built-in LTE filter, which Winegard claims is specifically designed to fight interference from cell towers. We should know: we tested it in New York City. Simply put, it’s built for cleaning up signals.
If you’re having difficulty getting local stations you want — or you just want better, more consistent reception — the Winegard Elite 7550 is worth every penny, pulling in dozens of free channels for less than a month’s cable subscription.
Test results
It can be overwhelming to sift through as much data and hands-on information as we publish alongside each of our TV antenna reviews, so we’ve placed the most important information in an easy-to-digest table.
As you can see, our pick for the best TV antenna you can buy, the Mohu Gateway Plus, is one of the more affordable models we’ve tested (especially compared to our pick for the best outdoor antenna, the Winegard Elite 7550).
Despite its mid-range price, the Mohu features a decent range of 60 miles and pulls in 41 channels, making it great value for money. But your choice may largely be dictated by the environment you’re in, and whether you need that additional range or outdoor connection.
Also tested
How we test the best TV antennas
All of the TV antennas we review are tested in the same location. Each antenna is connected to the same TV, so the TV tuner remains consistent, and each one is placed in the same position to generate comparable results.
We’re located just a few miles outside of a major metropolitan area, a location that provides an excellent testing location for antenna reception of any range, with more sensitive, long-range antennas pulling in a higher number of channels.
It also gives us a chance to determine the quality of that reception, by seeing whether or not those channels are clear and watchable. The best antennas will pull in more channels, with a higher number of watchable results.
Your experience may differ from our test results. Depending upon how many stations broadcast in you area, and unique geographical impediments to over the air signal, like buildings, trees and mountains, your channel selection may vary considerably.
How to choose the best TV antenna
If you’re shopping for a TV antenna, you’re in luck, because there’s no better option for getting live TV for the lowest price possible: free! But before you pick up the first TV antenna you see at the store, you want to make sure that you’re getting one that will work for you.
Location and range: If you’re in or near a city, there’s a good chance you can make do with a small indoor antenna, since you’ll have several stations within a 10 or 20 mile radius that can be pulled in without a big aerial or powered amplifier.
If you’re more than 30 miles from your local broadcast tower, you’ll want to step up to an amplified model. Any antenna that’s rated for 50 miles or more will either be a large outdoor unit, or come with an amplifier to boost the signal it gets, if not both.
Indoor or outdoor: Whether or not to get an outdoor antenna will largely depend upon the building you’re in and the surrounding environment, since obstacles like house walls and even trees can prevent signal from getting through to an indoor antenna. Outdoor antennas are larger, and work better when positioned as high up as you can get it — a rooftop mast being the ideal installation.
Non-amplified or amplified: An amplified antenna uses an additional signal strength booster that can help weak signals come in clearly with a little extra juice. But that also means having another device to plug in, and another power outlet to give up. It also means a slightly higher price.
Non-amplified indoor antennas generally sell for between $20 to $40, but there are plenty of cheaper models that sell for less than $20 with acceptable performance. An amplified antenna offers better performance, and will cost between $30 and $100.
For the best performance, consider an outdoor antenna, which costs $100 or more.
Getting an antenna is the first step toward cutting the cord or pulling in free local channels. You don’t need to spend a lot of money — even a $12 set of bunny ears might do the trick — and you don’t even need a TV.
But simply having an antenna won’t automatically solve all of your over-the-air TV woes. Better antennas and optional amplifiers will go a long way toward bringing in more channels, but that’s only part of the equation.
We recommend researching beforehand to determine what range of antenna you need, and whether you want an indoor model or an antenna made for outdoor installation.
The best place to start is AntennaWeb.org, which lets you enter your address or ZIP code and see what stations are broadcasting in your area, as well as how far away the broadcast towers are.
FAQs
What is ATSC 3.0?
Nearly all TVs offer ATSC tuner support, but not every TV supports the newest version, ATSC 3.0. It grant access to the digital broadcasting standard of 3.0, first introduced back in 2020.
ATSC 3.0, otherwise known as NextGen TV, essentially supports video broadcasts of up to 4K at 120 frames per second in HDR and in a wider color gamut. Fortunately, your antenna will still work with the newer standard, and may even pull in more channels.
But you will need a new tuner or ATSC 3.0-equipped TV before the rollout completes in 2030.
Can you use a TV antenna with smart TVs?
While streaming services like Netflix and HBO Max may be taking a more prominent place in the living room, there’s still room for over-the-air (OTA) broadcast TV.
Whether you want free access to local news or just want to get more sports without shelling out for another subscription service, an HDTV antenna can still provide plenty of great stuff to watch, and having a smart TV or one of the best streaming devices doesn’t prevent using an antenna.
All of the best smart TVs for streaming also have built-in tuners for pulling in broadcast channels, and getting your TV channels programmed is an automatic process, with the TV scanning for stations and putting together a browsable channel guide in just a few minutes.
And several streaming devices are built with OTA content in mind. The Amazon Fire TV Cube, for example, can switch over to your TV’s built-in tuner seamlessly, without having to swap TV inputs or juggle extra remote controls.
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