The right antenna model will get you free over-the-air TV and make it easier to cut the cord with cable
TV antennas may let you receive dozens of popular channels, depending on where you live. Consumer Reports’ testing finds you don't need to spend a lot, with cheaper antennas sometimes outperforming pricier ones.
By James K. Willcox
TV antennas might seem like a relic of a bygone era, when the number of channels you received could be counted on one hand. But as consumers try to trim their ever-escalating cable and satellite TV bills, antennas are making a comeback. In fact, about one-quarter of all broadband households now use an antenna, according to research firm Parks Associates.
Consumer Reports’ tests of indoor TV antennas of all shapes and sizes in urban and suburban homes found that most locations were able to receive dozens of free over-the-air channels. (Outdoor antennas tend to perform even better, but they’re not practical for everyone.)
That’s good news for the growing number of people who are dumping traditional cable packages but keeping streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix. An antenna can supply their live TV, including local news and other broadcasts—here’s our deep dive on the benefits of a TV antenna.
Even if you subscribe to a cable replacement service that brings you channels such as AMC and HGTV, you might still want an antenna. These services—which include DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV—don’t always provide local programming in all markets. An indoor TV antenna can help fill that gap.
If you live near a major TV market, you’ll probably get many local stations—ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, plus PBS and Telemundo—using a TV antenna. But there are now dozens of digital subchannels under the primary channels, too. These offer additional programming, such as old TV shows, B movies, and niche content. Websites such as AntennaWeb and the Federal Communications Commission’s DTV Reception Maps page can give you an idea of which stations you might expect to receive.
As a bonus, the picture quality you get from your indoor TV antenna might be better than what you get from cable. “The signals may be less compressed,” says Claudio Ciacci, lead television tester at Consumer Reports.
In addition to a TV antenna, all you need to watch your local stations is a TV equipped with a digital TV tuner, something included in almost all TVs since 2007.
Tips for TV Antenna Shoppers
The antennas we tested ranged in price from $10 to more than $100—and we found little correlation between price and performance. The antenna that pulled in the most stations for most of our testers cost $35, and several pricier models were in the lower half of our rankings.
We included some amplified TV antennas in our review. These models can boost signal strength to help pull in stations that might otherwise be on the fringe. But our tests showed that amplified antennas weren’t always more effective than nonamplified models—they can also amplify noise and distortion, and overload reception from closer stations.
The number of channels you receive will depend on your location and environment, as well as the placement of the antenna in your home. You may need to try several models before finding the best antenna for your needs. That’s why we strongly recommend purchasing from a retailer with a no-hassle return policy. Also, it’s a good idea to regularly rescan for channels because you might have missed some the last time you scanned. And use our tips on where to place your antenna to get the best reception.
What We Found
We had 10 testers evaluate each of the indoor TV antennas at their homes, which were scattered around the New York tristate area. Most locations were within a 40-mile radius of the Empire State Building in Manhattan, but one was 64 miles away. Our test results should be useful for pointing you in the right direction to models you might consider, but there are a number of variables that can affect antenna performance in your home.
We tested antennas near a window and away from a window, near the TV. In the tests near a window, the three indoor TV antennas that stood out for performance were the Winegard FlatWave FL5500A, the Winegard FlatWave Amped Pro TH-3000, and the ClearStream Eclipse Amplified TV Antenna.
But there were a number of other models that also did well. And a few were significantly cheaper, at $20 or less, including the 1byone (Updated 2020) Ultra-Thin Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna and the Mohu Leaf Metro.
In the rankings below, you’ll see two figures.
The “percentage of stations received” is a weighted average of the total number of stations that a particular antenna received at each location, divided by the number of stations we found to be available at that location through all our testing.
The “percentage of VHF/UHF stations received” breaks out the two broad categories of signals that were found at each location by any given tester, across all antennas. Any time a new UHF or VHF channel was found during a given scan, it was added to the total number available for that tester.
(Back in the early analog TV signal days, most major broadcast channels were in the lower-frequency VHF band—channels 2 through 13. Now they’re scattered across both bands, so it’s important to buy an antenna that does well across the board.)
How CR Tests TV Antennas
Each antenna in our test was evaluated in every home by every tester on clear days in two spots: on or facing a window, and inside a room near the TV. Signal strength generally is stronger near a window, and that’s the result we used when calculating our rankings. We also tested performance when the antenna was placed near the TV, because people don’t always have an easily accessible window.
The antennas we tested pulled in both VHF (channels 2 to 13) and UHF (14 to 51) signals. In addition, we included some amplified TV antennas in our review. For these models, we turned on the amplifier, and if there were variable settings, we used the maximum setting.
We ranked the antennas based on the number of primary RF (radio frequency) broadcast stations received across our 10 test locations. To earn a mark for reception, a station had to have a stable, viewable TV picture. In our four-year history of testing these antennas, we detected a total of 34 UHF and 11 VHF stations across all our test sites, but each location received just a subset of these stations. (In the most recent test update, our testers collectively received 10 UHF and four VHF TV stations.)
Regardless of which antenna was being used, one of our test locations wasn’t able to pull in any stations, another was able to pull in a maximum of three, and yet another was able to pull in 15 stations.
But that RF channel count understates the amount of content an antenna can give you. The tester who picked up 20 stations was able to tune to 73 subchannels.
“Unlike the old days, when tuning to a station yielded only one channel, many stations now offer multiple subchannels that provide a greater variety of programming,” Ciacci says. Such subchannels often include a mix of vintage TV shows, nature programs, weather, and foreign-language programming.
The FlatWave FL5500A is among the top antennas in our rankings. Like many newer models, it has a superthin, flat design that lets it be wall-mounted or placed on a window using the included adhesive strips. Like other amplified models, it needs power, but it gives you the flexibility of either using a TV’s USB port or plugging into a wall outlet. This model comes with a 3-foot USB cable, plus a long 18.5-foot coaxial cable. Because it’s hardwired, you may have to coil the cable and hide it behind the TV or in a media console. This model has a claimed 50-mile range.
Approximate price: $60
Buy at: Amazon, Home Depot, and Winegard.com
This flat antenna is another top model from our testing. The Winegard FlatWave Amped Pro earns its “smart antenna” designation, thanks to a built-in signal meter and Bluetooth capability. When used with Winegard’s free, interactive Android/iOS mobile app, you can use the meter’s audio and visual prompts to find the optimal placement. This model has an inline amplifier, with a claimed reception distance of about 60 miles, and it comes with a 3-foot USB power cable and an AC adapter, plus adhesive strips for mounting.
Approximate price: $100
Buy at: Winegard.com
Like many other models, the Eclipse has a paper-thin design, but it’s unusual in that it’s circular, with a large cutout in the center. It’s probably the least obtrusive of the models we tested, especially for window placement, because the hole allows light to pass through. The antenna comes with a strip of sticky tape that lets you mount it easily to a flat surface such as a wall or window. This model has an inline amplifier, so it requires AC power, and the company claims it can receive signals within a 50-mile radius. The package includes a 15-foot coaxial cable, a 5-foot USB cable, and a USB power adapter. An unamplified version costs $15 less and has a claimed range of 35 miles.
Approximate price: $40
Buy at: Amazon and Antennas Direct
This multidirectional model from Antop is designed for either indoor or outdoor use. (It comes with metal support brackets for pole mounting.) It has an upright rectangular design, with telescoping VHF rods that come out of either side. This model has an inline amplifier, which has a switch that lets you choose either short- or long-range reception. The antenna has a weather-resistant UV coating, and comes with filters that the manufacturer claims can prevent 4G and LTE cell signals from interfering. It also comes with an AC/DC power adapter, and a long 33-foot coaxial cable. It has a claimed reception range of as much as 80 miles when used with the amplifier.
Approximate price: $85 to $119
Buy at: Amazon, AntopUSA, and Walmart
This flat antenna from 1byone did well in our tests, especially when you consider its fairly low price. It’s an amplified model, with a detachable inline amplifier and a claimed reception range of 25 miles. It comes with an integrated 16-foot coaxial cable, an AC/USB power adapter, and adhesive stickers for mounting.
Approximate price: $20
Buy at: Amazon
This model, the largest in our tests, features a unique, upright figure-8 design with a pair of antenna bars that swing outward and snap into place. It’s one of the better models overall, but it’s one of only a small number of tested models suitable for either indoor or outdoor use. It comes with both an indoor base stand and a 20-inch adjustable mast and clamp. The 2Max is a nonamplified model, so it doesn’t need to be placed near an AC power outlet, and ClearStream claims it has a 60-mile reach. Unlike most of the models we tested, it doesn’t come with a coaxial cable.
Approximate price: $120
Buy at: Antennas Direct and Best Buy
Adopting the theory that small can sometimes be better, the Mohu Leaf Metro is half the size of many flat antennas, so it won’t block as much of the view if you’ll be placing it on a windowsill. It’s a compact antenna that the company says is ideal for those living in cities, in apartments, or even on the go in an RV. This model is unamplified, with a claimed reception range of about 30 miles. The Metro comes with a 10-foot detachable coaxial cable, plus hook-and-loop tabs and pins for wall mounting.
Approximate price: $23 to $39
Buy at: Amazon, Mohu, and Walmart
As its name implies, this lower-priced amplified antenna from Monoprice has a curved design; it comes with a leg-style stand, but it can also be mounted on a wall. This multidirectional model has a removable inline amplifier, which is powered via the included AC adapter. The antenna, at 3 inches thick, isn’t as slim as many of the super-flat antennas in our ratings. It comes with a nondetachable 5-foot coaxial cable and has a claimed range of up to 60 miles.
Approximate price: $20
Buy at: Amazon, Target, and Walmart
This flat amplified indoor antenna, which comes with a 10-foot coaxial cable, didn’t do quite as well as the updated 2020 model listed above. It can be mounted flat against a wall or window, or even placed flat on a table or shelf. It comes with an inline amplifier that can be removed if it’s not needed, plus adhesive strips for mounting it. This model can be powered either by the included 5-foot USB power cable or an AC adapter. It’s among the lower-priced models in our tests, and the company claims an 80-mile reception area.
Approximate price: $20
Buy at: Amazon
Frankly, given its price, diminutive size, and a claim that you can watch free 4K TV—even though those signals aren’t yet available over the air—we weren’t expecting very much of this highly promoted “as seen on TV” model. But it did fairly well, if not great, in our tests. This antenna is tiny, with a very small base unit and telescoping rabbit ears. We sometimes had a hard time keeping it in place, though it does come with double-sided tape for attaching to a windowsill or tabletop.
Approximate price: $10
Buy at: Ace Hardware and BuyClearTV.com
This small, unobtrusive model kicks it old school, stylewise, with telescoping rabbit ears and a square-shaped wire loop that would be familiar to anyone who used an antenna back when over-the-air TV signals were still analog. Although it didn’t do great in our tests, given its low price it might be worth considering if you live fairly close to broadcast towers, don’t have a lot of obstructions, and don’t mind fiddling with the antenna ears to get the best reception. Note that this model comes with a short 4.5-foot coaxial cable that’s hardwired to the antenna. That means you may need to get an extension cable if it’s not going to be placed near the TV. RCA claims its reception range is 40 miles.
Approximate price: $18 to $22
Buy at: Home Depot and Walmart
This flat amplified antenna from Onn, Walmart’s house brand for electronics, eschews the usual rectangular shape of most flat models in favor of an oval design. As you might guess by its name, it’s a reversible model with black and white facings. It has a 10-foot integrated coaxial cable, plus a removable amplifier that has a claimed range of up to 50 miles. The antenna also comes with an AC power adapter, a USB cable, and mounting stickers.
Approximate price: $23
Buy at: Walmart
This ultrathin amplified model from Monoprice is among the more affordable models we tested. It has a unique translucent look, as you can see from the photo. It comes with an integrated coaxial cable, an inline amplifier, and an AC power adapter.
Approximate price: $14 to $24
Buy at: Amazon and Monoprice
Yet another flat antenna from Mohu, the Leaf Supreme Pro is a pricier amplified model that has a claimed reception range of about 65 miles, about twice that of other Leaf antennas. However, it didn’t do all that well in our tests. It has an integrated LED signal indicator for finding the optimal location for signal reception. This model is both reversible (black on one side, white on the other) and paintable for matching various room décors. It comes with a 16-foot detachable coaxial cable, a module with a 6-foot USB cable for powering the unit—it can also use AC power, but you have to supply the adapter—and hook-and-loop tabs and pins for mounting.
Approximate price: $70
Buy at: Mohu and Walmart
Despite its higher price and a claimed reception range of 70 miles, this amplified multidirectional model didn’t do so well in our tests. It did have some interesting features, including two coaxial outputs, so you can either connect to your TV and an FM receiver, or to two TVs. At about 17 inches wide, it’s among the larger models we tested, and it comes with a snap-together stand for mounting on a table or media center. You can also wall-mount it using the included pins or adhesive tabs. This model comes with a separate amplifier with an adjustable gain for boosting signals. Its two-tone color scheme—black on one side, white on the other—gives you the option of picking the side that works best with your décor. The amplifier can be powered using the included AC adapter or directly from a TV via its USB port. The antenna comes with a 10-foot wired coaxial cable, two 5-foot removable coaxial cables, and several adapters for connecting to the inputs on a variety of FM receivers.
Approximate price: $70 to $90
Buy at: Amazon and Walmart
This amplified RCA model—which had the lowest percentage of stations received in our tests—sports a flat, rectangular plate-style design that can lay flat, hang on a wall, or sit in the included easel-style stand. It has a reversible black or white facing, and comes with a removable inline amplifier, power adapter, and 5-foot coaxial cable. It has a claimed range of up to 55 miles.
Approximate price: $40
Buy at: Best Buy
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