Last Updated on January 10, 2023
Purchased a new TV and want to create your movie theatre at home? The following formula we’ll share in today’s article will improve your viewing experience so you can watch your favourite content without any discomfort.
How High Should a TV Be Mounted?
Keeping in mind your viewing angle and optimal viewing distance, here’s how to discover the best TV height for you and your family in any room of your home.
TV Screen Height in the Kitchen
When you’re absorbed in the TV in the kitchen, you want the screen to be positioned at the perfect viewing angle to where you’ll be. Typically, you won’t be standing or sitting in one position in the kitchen, so consider which position you’re more likely to watch TV before you start mounting your TV.
Most commonly, people watch TV while they’re cooking for some background entertainment more than watching a program while you’re eating at the table. In which case, you’ll want to choose the correct height for when you’re standing at the cooker, sink or wherever you’re most likely to spend your time.
If you’re most likely to be watching TV from various positions and heights in the kitchen, consider opting for a tilting wall bracket where you can move around the TV to various viewing positions for the utmost flexibility.
Mounting Height in the Bedroom
A lot of people have a TV in their bedroom and choose to watch it while they’re lying down in bed. Consider measuring your eye level when you’re in bed at night and invest in a wall mount to attach the TV on the wall. Or perhaps you’d prefer to place your new TV on an item of furniture. If you opt for the latter, make sure that you measure the height of the furniture and don’t just place the TV on top for convenience.
Above a Fireplace
It’s quite common to mount your TV above a fireplace as this is a centre point in most living rooms. These are a few measurements to keep in mind for optimal viewing. A viewing distance of fifteen feet away from the TV reduces neck and eye strain. Fifteen feet away is considered the optimal viewing distance, but this might be a challenge if you have poor eyesight or a small TV screen.
Additionally, a viewing distance of under eight feet is typically too close to the TV and can result in severe neck pain from having to look up at the screen.
Consider the TV
When mounting your TV above a fireplace, you’ll want to consider the type of TV you own. In particular, older plasma TVs generally have a reduced range of viewing angles, so you can’t always clearly see the picture from every angle.
When looking at a flat-screen TV, you’ll need to look at it face-on in order to see the screen clearly. In which case, take the angle into consideration when mounting your TV above a fireplace. Bear in mind that you can always move around your furniture so that you can watch TV face-on.
Once you’re happy with the TV’s angle, mount your TV around 7 feet from the floor. You should also test where you’ll most commonly be sitting to ensure that you don’t have to look up to see the TV screen (there’s a reason why people avoid sitting in the front row at the cinema).
Mounting a TV With Children Around
If you want to mount a TV because you have children, that’s a sensible idea because TVs can fall on little ones, resulting in injuries. You’ll also want to pick an ideal height that is suitable for everyone in the house if you have children because not everyone will be the same height. Most importantly, you don’t want anyone in the house to have to look up and crane their neck while watching TV. Similar to the above, consider furniture location.
In an Entertainment Space
If you have an entertainment room or want to mount your TV in a pub, you’ll need to consider that people will be watching TV when they are both sitting and standing. When you’re standing, you’ll want the centre of the TV to be around 60 inches from the floor, which is typically around the same height as artwork in museums.
Things to Consider When Mounting Your TV
When choosing the optimal height or position of your TV, there are a number of factors to keep in mind.
Are the Ports Accessible?
Firstly, check and measure that the TV’s ports are easily accessible from the position and angle you’re choosing. For example, if the ports are positioned on the back of the TV, you’ll require a TV mount that slightly lifts the TV away from the wall, providing you with all the access you feed without any fiddling around. On the other hand, if you’re certain that you won’t ever need the ports, you don’t need to worry about this.
Is Your Wall Stable Enough?
The last thing you want is for your TV to fall off the wall because the wall isn’t stable or strong enough to hold it up. Even light TVs can be quite heavy, so we recommend using a stud finder to locate any studs inside of the wall before you hang it up. If there isn’t a stud, consider a new wall location that has a stud you need.
Calculate the Distance From Your Seat
Another important factor to look into is the distance from your TV to your seat. We recommend placing your seat at your preferred angle before you mount the TV to the wall. Otherwise, you could end up mounting it too high or low according to where you’re sitting.
Calculate the Distance From the Floor
You may also want to keep in mind the distance from the floor to your eye level as the centre of the TV should be mounted at eye level.
Choosing the Right Mount
It’s critical that you choose the best wall mounting system for your home, and below are the three different ways to mount your TV.
Fixed Mounts
This type of TV mount is ideal if you exactly know what angle you’re going to mount the TV in and are considering eye level. They’re budget-friendly and sit close to the wall for a sleek profile that won’t disrupt the layout of your living space.
Tilt Mounts
Another way to mount your TV is by choosing a tilt mount. As the name suggests, these mounts are tiltable, enabling you to move the angle according to your eye level. It’s an ideal choice for the kitchen, for example, where you might watch the TV while you’re sitting and standing. Additionally, you can move the TV to reduce the glare and move the screen to an optimal viewing angle.
Full-Motion Mounts
Finally, full-motion mounts provide the most amount of flexibility for when you mount your TV. They’re an ideal choice if you’re looking for numerous viewing angles, want easy access to cables and the back of the TV, and want to reduce any glare while watching content. Flexible and functional, these mounts fold, rotate and swivel to various degrees.
The Room’s Layout
Finally, you’ll also need to keep your room’s layout in mind when deciding where to place your TV. A couple of questions might be: what furniture will I use when viewing the screen? How high is this furniture off the ground?
To answer these questions, we recommend using a tape measure to calculate the distance from the TV to where you’ll be sitting.
As not everyone in your home will be of the same height, you might want to move the furniture around in your living space to accommodate everyone’s eye level and height. This way, no one has to stretch or strain to see the TV.
How High Should I Mount My TV?
Now for the ultimate question: how high should I mount my flat-screen TV?
There’s no one answer for everyone, and instead, you’ll need to make some calculations. Measure the height of your TV and half this answer. Then, subtract 42. That’s the TV height that you should be looking for to have the perfect viewing position.
How High Should a 55-Inch TV Be Mounted?
While this TV mounting height calculator works for most people, you might also want to bear in mind your height and eye level. In particular, 42 inches is for the average person, but you might want to lower or increase this figure to accommodate your height. You should also consider whether you’ll be reclining on a sofa or lying on a bed while watching TV. These different angles affect your eye-level height. A 55-inch TV should be mounted 28.5 inches from the floor.
Reclining
Speaking of watching TV while you are reclining, some television engineers recommend that your viewing angle doesn’t exceed 15 degrees above or below the centre of the TV. Mounting your TV too high (which some people do to prevent neck strain) can actually lead to picture distortion.
How High Should a TV Be Mounted on the Wall?
For the optimal TV height, your eye level should be in the centre of your curved or flat-screen TV, regardless of the TV size. You should also keep in mind your sitting position and adjust the TV’s height to suit your sitting eye level.
For the best viewing experience and utmost comfort, you shouldn’t need to crane your neck to reach the sweet spot.
Amy is a U.K.-based writer and editor with a penchant for helping consumers find the best home products for their needs, as well as providing easily digestible guides for living better at home. Her dedication to her work means she can usually be found elbow-deep in research or hunting down samples of the latest and greatest on behalf of her readers.
An avid DIYer herself, Amy’s passion lies in teaching others how they too can achieve their dream homes by tackling some of those pesky projects themselves! Whether it’s building furniture from scratch or turning an old dresser into a coffee table, Amy is always happy to share what she knows about making your house feel like home without spending a fortune.