How to Save Big on a New TV During Labor Day Sales (Plus, 8 Great Deals Going on Now) (2024)

While the prospect of summer winding down is a bummer, the good news is that Labor Day TV deals are coming into view. Every year, the three-day weekend is a great chance to save on an upgrade, especially if you’ve been waiting for the right time to invest in a TV with a larger screen or new technology. Luckily, the sales came early this year, and in the weeks leading up to the official holiday, TVs from top brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG are already on sale. Case in point: Our pick for the best overall 4K TV, LG’s C2 Series, is 20 percent off on Amazon right now.

Shopping for a new TV can be a daunting process, with a host of acronyms and tech specs to brush up on and compare between models. Hunter Fenollol, our test editor and resident TV expert, says there are a few standard specs to know going into your shopping expedition. “If you have no clue what the differences between QLED and OLED panels are, or what the best TVs currently are, you can check out our linked guides to help you decide on a model that fits your needs,” he says. “Even budget TVs have come a long way in picture performance, with brands like TCL and Hisense providing crisp 4K and bright backlighting on massive panels for under $800.” His best advice? “Heading into Labor Day weekend with two to three TVs you’re interested in sitting in your cart can help you keep an eye on price drops and nab the model you want before it sells out.”

When it comes to QLED vs. OLED, go with OLED for rooms that don’t get a lot of natural light (think a furnished basem*nt or small windowed bedroom). For a living room or bedroom that gets a lot of light throughout the day, you’ll want to scoop up a QLED screen (like the Samsung Frame), which will preserve good color contrast even if the sun is shining on the screen.

We’ve rounded up the eight best TV deals we’ve found so far. And as we get closer to the federal holiday, we’ll be updating this list with all the best Labor Day TV sales of 2023. You can click “save this article” at the top of the page to easily check back and see if the right screen for you shows up on the sale list.

The Best Early Labor Day TV Sales 2023

Our best overall 4K TV might have mixed reviews when it comes to its smart interface, but the OLED screen, reasonable price tag, and stark color contrast won us over. And this is an especially good pick for gamers, as the Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) helps provide more fluid motion on the screen. The 55-inch model is seeing the steepest price cut at the moment, but the 65-inch is also on sale.

When it comes down to the best 4K TVs our editors have reviewed, the Sony A95K OLED Smart won the title of best premium OLED TV. Our only con was the price, so seeing it drop $700 is noteworthy (though it’s still upwards of $2,500). Even though it’s an OLED screen, it’s still great to watch in bright rooms where other OLEDs tends to fall short to QLED. The 120-hertz (Hz) refresh rate and six ports are almost all you can ask for from a premium TV, so if you’re working with a higher budget, this is a great fit.

The Samsung Frame is an interior designer’s dream, and TV aficionados will be glad to hear that it doesn’t sacrifice any quality for style. Frame TVs blend in seamlessly with your home aesthetic, thanks to the customizable bezels and built-in Art Mode function that will display your favorite paintings or personal images when you aren’t watching. Samsung’s offering is no exception, and features a crisp QLED display for taking in your favorite movies, TV shows, and games.

On the smaller side of screens, this 42-inch pick from Insignia is the best small and cheap TV we recommend. It’s a lightweight screen with a Fire TV interface that’s intuitive to navigate. The picture quality isn’t as strong as you’ll find in other models, but the sub-$200 price is a virtually unbeatable value for the size. It’s a solid screen if you’re looking for a budget-friendly TV for a dorm or kid’s room.

If you want a QLED TV that’s not going to take too large of a chunk out of your bank account, opt for this one from Amazon. When it comes to Fire TVs, you’ll get a solid screen at a price that’s typically under $1K, even for larger screen sizes like 75 inches. This particular TV features adaptive brightness, which adjusts the screen’s display based on the amount of light in the room while you’re watching. It also features voice control with Alexa so you can change the channel or volume without reaching for the remote. It’s one of the best deals we’re seeing on a Fire TV at the moment—and the lowest price this TV has ever been.

The Full Array LED display of this screen shows off deep blacks and vivid brightness, allowing details to come through while you’re watching your favorite thriller or enjoying a classic sitcom. The TV also features Acoustic Multi-Audio and Dolby Atmos for clear sound. Plus, it’s always noteworthy when Sony screens drop below $1,000. The top-of-the-line brand often runs on the pricy side, so this is a good buy into the Sony ecosystem if you’ve been waiting for the right time to upgrade.

While shopping for a larger screen typically entails having a bigger budget, this 75-incher from TCL comes in under $1,000. The TV has a QLED screen that works well in rooms that get a lot of natural light. And while its 60-Hz refresh rate isn’t as fast as some of the other on-sale models, it won’t be too noticeable unless you frequently watch shows or play games that involve a lot of rapid action. The Google TV interface affords access to your favorite streaming services and apps.

Now at at its lowest ever, you’ll get some of the latest TV innovations at a budget-friendly price with this Hisense TV. This screen packs the brand’s proprietary ULED technology, which stands for Ultra Light Emitting Diode, as well as Hisense’s Full Array Local Dimming LED backlighting technology. It ensures the precise contrast necessary between light and dark visuals, creating a bright and more colorful picture. It also reduces motion blur for crisp imagery.

When Is Labor Day 2023?

Labor Day is the first Monday of September every year, and thus, Labor Day 2023 lands on Monday, September 4. The federal holiday brings a three-day weekend and some of the best sales of the year along with it.

Is Labor Day a Good Time to Buy a TV?

According to Fenollol, it’s a smart time to shop. “If you see it on sale for Labor Day, then you should definitely pull the trigger,” he says. “Our research and cost comparison tools show that this holiday’s aggressive discounts consistently bring prices to historical lows or extremely close. That makes this three-day weekend one of the best times of the year to snag a deal on a new TV. Fall is when manufacturers release their newest models so retailers have to sell off past season inventory to make space.”

What Labor Day TV Deals Can We Expect?

While we don’t have all the official deals for Labor Day just yet, some brands have started their sales early, and there discounts up to 40 percent off at major retailers like Amazon and Walmart. “While sub-$500 LED TVs are often the best sellers during Labor Day (primarily for students heading back to school), even the highest-end 4K OLED TVs see hefty discounts during this time,” says Fenollol. Amazon Prime Day TV deals, which was the most recent major TV sale this year, were up to $1,250 off. While we might not see discounts quite that steep for Labor Day, the early sales are off to a great start—up to $700 off.