Written by Mark Brezinski and Ben Keough
Updated August 4, 2023
While many of the major streaming platforms offer live TV, the feature is often locked behind a steep subscription hike. For people who have cut the cord and ditched their cable or satellite provider, buying an HDTV antenna is the best way to source live sports like the Super Bowl or the Olympics. You can also find news, classic TV, and other programming on your new TV, without any monthly fees.
We tested a handful of the most popular options to find the best indoor TV antennas you can buy. Overall, we found a lot of extremely similar products, but a clear favorite eventually emerged. The Clearstream Eclipse is the best indoor antenna we tried, thanks to its reliable clarity.
Best Overall
ClearStream Eclipse TV Antenna, 35 Mile
Of the best TV antennas we’ve tried, the Clearstream Eclipse is a consistent top performer. In our testing the Eclipse was able to capture a good number of channels, but where it really stands out is in its TV reception. It's clearer and more consistent than other antennas on our list.
Along with its performance, the Eclipse differentiates itself from the crowd thanks to its usability and cool design. In a sea of black rectangles, its elegant, circular aesthetic is a breath of fresh air. The device also features a black side and a white side, so you can choose which fits better with your home decor.
The included "Sure Grip" adhesive strip provides a mounting option that's strong enough to grip the wall without needing screws or pins, but not so strong that it peels off your paint when repositioning. We think you'll also appreciate its detachable cable, which not every antenna includes.
Though you'll pay a slight premium for it, the Clearstream Eclipse is a winner for home entertainment, and quite handsome to boot.
If you want to boost the signal even further, they offer that option. We didn’t get hands-on with that model, the ClearStream Eclipse Amplified TV antenna. It promises to boost the range from 35+ miles to 50+. Given the mixed results other amplified indoor antennas gave us, that may or may not be a good thing.
Pros
-
Top-shelf performance
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Elegant halo-like design
Cons
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None that we could find
Buy now at Amazon
$32.99 from Walmart
Best Value
Channel Master FLATenna 35 (CM-4001HDBW)
The Flatenna might not have the aesthetic flair of the Clearstream Eclipse, but it holds its own in terms of performance. It was actually able to pick up more TV channels than any other antenna we tested, all the while maintaining a very clear, consistent signal. The Flatenna also offers the same black side/white side design of the Eclipse but doesn't have much else to differentiate it from the other flat rectangles out there.
Where the Flatenna really shines is in the performance it offers for its price. The performance is comparable performance to our top pick, but it costs a fair bit less.
The Flatenna indoor TV antenna offers the best performance for the cost we've come across. It’s great if you want to test out an affordable antenna before committing. It’s also great if you just want a basic design that gets you all the channels you need,
Pros
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Great overall performance
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Clear, consistent signal
Cons
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Plain design
Winegard FL5500A
The Winegard indoor HDTV antenna is an above-average performer, but its performance will cost you. The FL5500A ties with the Leaf Plus in terms of pulling in the most channels of the group. Unfortunately, the consistency of its reception doesn’t match up to the antennas in our top spots.
When we test and score indoor antennas, we reward the ability to tune into a higher number of stations. However, if those stations have spotty reception, we award far fewer points. There’s no point in “having” a station if it looks like a garbled mess.
The FL5500A came with the longest coaxial cable out of all the models we reviewed. It may seem like a small bonus, but we appreciate it. Being able to position the antenna further from the TV is helpful. We appreciated having more options for placement fresh out of the box (and without the need for extension cables).
Overall, the FL5500A is a solid device that is a little on the expensive side. As an amplified indoor antenna, it can pick up channels from further away. But that increased range comes through poorly and raises the cost into the neighborhood of our top pick.
Pros
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Above-average performance
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High volume of channels
Cons
-
Poor watchability
$59.99 from Amazon
Buy now at Home Depot
$59.99 from Walmart
Mohu Leaf Plus
The Mohu Leaf Plus offers plenty to like, including solid reception and plenty of channels. In our testing, the Leaf Plus had almost identical performance to the Winegard FL5500A. It was able to pull in the most channels of the group. Unfortunately, those channels weren't particularly watchable, with pretty consistent glitching.
Again, not a particularly poor performance, but not outstanding either. While it will certainly get the job done, it's also pricier than some of our other options.
Pros
-
High volume of channels
Cons
-
Relatively poor watchability
Buy now at Amazon
$59.99 from Target
$49.99 from Walmart
What You Should Know About Buying an HDTV Antenna
What Is an Indoor Digital TV Antenna?
When you think of a TV antenna, you might picture the classic rabbit ear design from the 1950s. While those are still around (and still work, though not well), most modern HDTV antennas are made of thin plastic.
Antennas are basically just receivers that are able to tune into signals broadcast by local sources, typically along the UHF (ultra-high frequency) or VHF (very high frequency) bands. Assuming you're located close enough to a broadcast source, your HDTV antenna can receive that signal, free of charge.
What Are the Benefits of an Indoor Antenna?
An HDTV antenna provides free, live broadcast TV with no need for a recurring subscription. You pay once for the antenna, then you’re free to watch whatever TV signals it can find, all in high definition.
As stated above, though, there are a few caveats to this unlimited TV smorgasbord. Those drawbacks include being limited to the channels that are available in your geographic location. Plus, signal strength can be finicky depending on environmental factors like weather.
How Do I install an Indoor HDTV Antenna?
Installing most HDTV antennas is very easy. You just attach the antenna to your TV's coaxial input via the included coaxial cable. Most of the time, that’s all you need to do to start receiving local TV stations.
If the antenna has signal amplification, you’ll need to connect it to a power source as well. In either case, you’ll want to mount it to your wall. Ideally, it should be out of the way of foot traffic, since that can interrupt the signal.
How Do HDTV Antennas Work?
Your local TV stations are constantly broadcasting HD signals, typically on the UHF (ultra-high frequency) or VHF (very high frequency) bands. An HDTV antenna basically just tunes into those frequency bands, allowing your TV to pluck programming right out of the air. This is a great way for cable cord-cutters to supplement streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ with live TV.
Of course, this means the available channels will be limited to what's available in your area (if any). Depending on your location, you could get over 100 channels or close to zero. To find out, you can employ a service such as Federal Communications Commission DTV reception map. This can tell you which channels are available in your area based on your zip code.
Also, because the signal is line-of-sight, your placement of the antenna can significantly affect its performance. We recommend testing out a few different locations to find out where the signal is better or worse. We also recommend mounting the higher up, if possible. People walking past the antenna (or other passing objects) can cause the signal to drop out momentarily.
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Meet the testers
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
See all of Mark Brezinski's reviews
Ben is an experienced industry journalist who formerly served as Senior Editor of News and Features at Reviewed. He now contributes as a freelance writer and editor. Most recently hailing from the vast wilds of the American southwest, he is an avid photographer who is deeply disturbed by the lack of wide open landscapes in Boston.
See all of Ben Keough's reviews
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