The 5 Best Attic Antennas of 2018 – Top Models [Reviewed]

While you may be having digital, cable TV or Satellite TV in your home, you still need to have the best attic or outdoor antenna installed.

This is particularly essential for those living in remote rural surroundings or those that would like to cut down the costs associated with cable TV subscriptions.

While this is the case, you must have realized that there are numerous antennas to choose from in the market. To ensure that you have purchased the best product, you need to consider several things.

As you will learn later in this guide, your preferred attic antenna should be of the right type. Again, you should get a unit that can receive your preferred frequency ranges (Source).

You also need to choose between directional and multi-directional antennas. Reviewed below are five top rated antennas.

Best Attic Antennas 2018

1. ClearStream 2V Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna with Mount – Best Overall

The ClearStream 2V Indoor/Outdoor HDTV antenna is rated one of the best attic antennas on many platforms for a reason. To begin with, the antenna features a distinctive appearance.

This may be attributed to its patented loop design, which was specifically designed to receive a wider range of frequencies. Additionally, this unique design gives the product a wider beam angle. As such, you will rarely need to rotate it for enhanced signal reception.

This design has also been proven to prevent multipath interference.  Another desirable aspect of this product is its extended range. In this regard, the antenna is capable of receiving TV signals from as far as 60 miles from the broadcast towers.

This makes it a great choice for suburban and rural dwellers alike. If you are getting weaker signals as a result of interference by the roofing material or heavy foliage, you should consider buying this product.

2. RCA Compact Outdoor Yagi HDTV Antenna – The Best 1080 HD Attic Antenna

Are you looking for the best attic antenna that will give you all your favorite local and network channels in full 1080 HD quality? The RCA Compact Outdoor Yagi HDTV Antenna will be a great choice. To make things a little bit simpler for you, this product comes pre-assembled. Additionally, the package will also include mounting hardware and a mast. These parts are designed to offer you a greater variety of placement options.

This RCA antenna features a superior reception technology. This, coupled to its ANT751R multi-element, cross-phase antenna design makes its reception capabilities some of the best in the industry. In this regard, this antenna will give you exceptional picture and sound quality from as far as 70 miles. The HD antenna happens to be one of the best streaming player complements you can buy today.

Some of the streaming players compatible with this attic antenna include Roku, Apple TV and Xbox. In this regard, you only need to pair the unit with your streaming device. By so doing, you will be able to receive live content, along with your preferred on-demand programming.

3. GE 33692 Attic Mount HD Antenna – A Product by a Leading American Brand

For many appliances and gadgets today, extended warranties by the manufacturer is a guarantee of quality construction and superior performance. In this regard, the GE 33692 Attic Mount HD Antenna is backed by a lifetime limited warranty by the manufacturer. In this regard, the product features a compact and durable construction that can withstand weather conditions when used outdoor. Additionally, very few attic antennas can match the performance of this product. This may be attributed to the many performance features it is packed with. Having been designed for HDTVs, this antenna allows you to receive up to Full HD 1080p quality.

If you are worried about the quality of this product, you should rest assured that it is one of the best in the industry. As a matter of fact, the manufacturer is rated one of the best American Antenna brands today. The unit will overcome several signal abstractions to give you the best free high-Definition TV broadcasts. Some of the broadcast networks you will receive with the antenna include NBC, CBS, Univision, Fox, PBS and CW.

Finally, you will find the product comparatively easy to assemble. The compact design of the product makes it relatively easy to position and mount o your attic. Additionally, it comes with the installation hardware you need as well as assembly instructions.

4. Vilso TV Antenna Outdoor Amplified – The Best Long Range Attic Antenna

Are you getting poor digital TV signals just because you live too far away from the broadcasting towers? Improve reception performance with the best amplified antenna, such as the Vilso TV Antenna. This product features a built in amplifier for extended range. In this regard, the unit boasts of a 150-mile range—one of the longest ranges in the industry today.

For enhanced reception, the antenna features a built-in motor rotator. This allows you to rotate the antenna up to 360 degrees so as to get the best reception possible. With this antenna, you can easily receive 1080p HDTV signals at 32 db, high-gain reception from a distance of 750 miles.

5. Winegard FlatWave Air FL6550A Amplified Digital Outdoor HDTV Antenna – The Best Amplified Attic Antenna

Reduce your reliance on cable TV and save more every month on TV subscriptions. As opposed to cable TV that requires monthly subscription, the Winegard FlatWave Air FL6550A antenna will give you access to all your top rated shows for free. In this regard, the product makes it possible for you to watch live sports, weather, news as well as your favorite top-rated shows in HD for free.

The antenna is capable of receiving both UHF and VHF channels, which gives you the maximum content available within your area. For enhanced signal quality, the manufacturer uses Clear Circuit technology on this product.

Things You Need to Know Before Buying an Attic Antenna

If you are looking for a more affordable alternative to cable subscription TV, you should consider using the best Over-the-Air Antenna today.

However, you need to know that reception for this option is not the same in all parts of the country.

Depending on your geographical location, you may need to invest in a good attic antenna for you to get crystal clear HD native channels on your television.

The good news is that most of such channels are free on Over-the-Air Antenna. This is probably why a considerable number of people are opting for them today.

If you are shopping for the best attic antenna today, do not just settle for the most affordable option.

There are several other aspects that you should consider, some of which are discussed below:

1. What Type of Antenna Do You Need?

Basically, no one antenna type will deliver the best results in all locations. As such, the right type of antenna for your application will depend on several things. To begin with, you need to consider how far you are from TV station transmitters, the power of the transmitters as well as the height of their towers.

If your home is just a few miles from the transmitters and there is no obstruction to the signal path, a smaller indoor antenna may give you exceptional reception.

As the distance between the transmitters and your home increases, the signals weaken. In such a case, you need to be very careful while choosing the right HD antenna. You also need to bear in mind that TV signals mat bend in the lower atmosphere. This phenomenon further extends the reception range of such signals.

2. Frequency Ranges

Digital TV signals today are being broadcasted over two main frequency ranges. Depending on the channels you wish to watch on your television, you need to ensure that your preferred attic antenna can receive the right frequencies. The frequency ranges being used to broadcast digital TV signals today are:

• Ultra High Frequency (UHF) – Channels range between 14 and 51
• Very High Frequency (VHF) – All VHF channels range between 2 and 13, with the ‘low band’ VHF channels ranging between 2 and 6. Channels between 7 and 13 are referred to as ‘high band’ VHF

In total, there are about 1,800 full-power TV stations in the US today, 1,300 of which are UHF channels. About 50 of these are 50 low-band VHF channels while the other 450 are high-band VHF channels. if you intend to watch channels that are below 14,  you should get a VHF/UHF attic antenna.

The main difference between VHF and UHF antennas is their size. Since VHF waves are lower, they happen to have longer waves. As a result, the various VHF antennas feature a comparatively larger surface area in order to capture such waves.

3. Multi-Directional or Directional Antenna?

In addition to the distance between your home and the transmitters, you also need to consider the direction of the transmitters from your home. You need to ensure that your preferred attic antenna can capture waves from that direction.

So, should you go for the directional or multi-directional antennas? The various antennas that are labeled ‘Directional’ are meant to only receive signals from one direction.

Multi-directional antennas, on the other hand, are capable of receiving signals from multiple directions. However, choosing between the two is not that straightforward. The good thing about directional HD antennas is that they can receive signals from greater distances. Again, these antennas are resistant to multipath distortion and noise.

While multi-directional antennas are capable of receiving signals from different directions, they are prone to multipath distortion and noise interference. Therefore, you also need to consider such aspects when choosing the right attic antenna for your home.

4. Built-in Amplifier

Most of the leading antenna manufacturers today equip their antennas with built-in amplifiers. These are meant to boost the signal reception capabilities of the units. Such antennae will come in handy of you live in an area that has a lot of obstructions to the signals.

Final Verdict

As opposed to traditional antennas, modern attic antennas are more appealing and are designed to give you the best reception possible. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all the attic antennas available today.

This being the case, you need to be very cautious when shopping for one. Throughout this guide, you will learn the various things you need to choose the best attic antenna today.