How Long Do Owners Say LG TVs Usually Last?

As the company that holds nearly half of the global OLED market, LG has already solidified its standing as one of the best smart TV brands. That's according to customer satisfaction scores, mind you, meaning that an LG is in the no-brainer category for reliability. However, since LG displays (especially larger OLED ones) tend to be on the pricier side, it's reasonable to want to make each dollar count and get an LG TV that owners say will last a long while.

Good news: according to multiple Reddit threads online, the most commonly cited lifespan is five years. One owner, who complained about their LG dying after five and a half years, reached out to LG customer support. The agent allegedly told them that most TVs are built to last exactly that long – half a decade. However, this figure isn't set in stone. Along with LG TVs that lasted over 10 years with no issues (one user says his LG OLED turned 11), some users were unlucky to see their OLEDs die after just 14 months.

Fortunately, RTINGS did the legwork by conducting an accelerated aging test on multiple units by various brands. Per its findings, of 24 LG displays put through the paces, only one had a complete breakdown and eight experienced partial failures. To put things into perspective, 23 Samsung TVs tested had four complete failures and six partial ones. Meanwhile, Hisense (often considered the best budget smart TV brand) fared even worse. Out of 13 TVs tested, five died completely, with three partial failures. In plain terms, LG is robust with a capital R.

The majority of owners saying LG TVs last five years on average is not rusty at all, especially when you combine it with great results in the accelerated aging test. What do owners who were unlucky enough to witness their TVs' early death report? Well, not much. One user reported that a TV that had shown a few flashing lines for three years died randomly, and another said that lines appeared on the display at the one-year mark (right after the warranty expired). 

Other than that, the overwhelming majority complained about partial failures, mainly the bane of OLEDS: the dreaded burn-in. Despite rocking an LG OLED for 11 years, one commenter said the only thing wrong with it is the burn-in. Yet, this doesn't happen that quickly anymore. For instance, a Redditor noted that the issue materialized seven years after heavy gaming, and another said they noticed burn-in after, believe it or not, nine years. It's hard to predict how soon this will happen as the figures can vary wildly. One owner was unlucky, it seems, as they experienced burn-in after two and a half years of use, while a Reddit user said their LG OLED lasted a decade without any defects.

All in all, you're safe with LG. Newer OLED panels have come a long way since their "baby days" and are, for the most part, less susceptible to burn-in. Sure, you may experience minute issues common with LG TVs (which you can resolve yourself), but other than that, there's a strong chance you'll get your money's worth out of an LG – at least if happy online users are to be trusted.