Our tests show that with any of these top five aerials, you have the best chance of getting good reception. All scored well in our home trials, and gave a good picture on almost all channels in each room. This was backed up by the technical tests, which showed good reception over a wide range of frequencies.
A well-designed amplifier can make a difference where reception is nearly there but the picture is breaking up. For additional advice and information, see our introduction to indoor aerials.
Note that prices have been rounded up to the nearest pound. For details of how we assessed each aerial, see our test methods.
Recommended indoor aerials - best on test
| Rank | Model | Performance | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Telecam TCE2000 | 97% | £15 |
| 2. | Philex SLX Gold digiTop 27769R | 96% | £15 |
| 3. | Telecam TCE2001 | 95% | £20 |
| 4. | Philex High Performance SLX Gold 27768R | 88% | £13 |
| 5. | One For All SV 9215 | 81% | £19 |
Other indoor aerials on test
| Rank | Model | Performance | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | One For All HD Antenna SV 9380 R00 | 79% | £37 |
| 7. | One for All SV 9141 | 76% | £15 |
| 8. | Philex SLX Designer 'Bridge' 27772R | 73% | £22 |
| 9. | One For All SV 9365 R00 | 64% | £25 |
| 10. | One For All Full HD Indoor Aerial SV 9325 | 57% | £35 |
| =11. | One for All SV 9021 | 56% | £10 |
| =11. | Philex VHF/UHF 27747D/01 | 56% | £5 |
| 13. | Antiference Silver Sensor SS100 | 55% | £15 |
| 14. | Nikkai A25CX (Maplin branded) | 50% | £20 |
| 15. | One For All SV-9320 DVB-T Indoor Antenna | 40% | £12 |
| 16. | Mercury Magic Wand ST14 | 30% | £15 |
Test methods
All products went through a rigorous and tightly controlled test procedure. We put each aerial through a series of technical tests and tried them in homes in different areas.
We carried out a series of technical measurements in a special radio-frequency test chamber in a laboratory. This told us:
- how sensitive each aerial was, for picking up a weak signal
- how well it covered all the frequencies used by digital TV broadcasters
- how 'directional' the aerial was - that is, whether it worked best pointing in just one precise direction
We also assessed each aerial for how likely it was to topple over or come apart. We checked the lengths of cable included. And, for amplified models, how much power it took to provide that amplification.
We also wanted to see how well an aerial might work once you actually got it home. We tried each model in 11 different places, covering different signal strengths and a wide selection of transmitted frequencies.
Last updated: July 2013 (test reports December 2011)
Main page: Indoor aerials