Nowadays, everyone knows what a TV stand is for, and many are convinced (rightly) that it is a rather simple product. A good TV stand can significantly improve the experience while watching TV, not only avoiding the clutter of a large television on a piece of furniture. Also, did you notice? It allows positioning even in environments where it would not be possible but above all increases comfort in terms of posture, improves vision, and makes the eyes less tired, the neck and back.
But even if it is a very simple accessory, the factors to consider before buying are many because often, when you think about buying a TV stand, you tend to settle for basic solutions without paying too much attention to the spaces and your real needs. And the result is clear: often, you risk buying an unsuitable and unsatisfactory product.
For this reason, we have decided to enclose all the advice regarding TV supports, with the hope of helping you understand which model to focus on and, above all, point out the most important technical characteristics to be evaluated before buying.
As anticipated, the factors to consider before purchasing the best TV support for your needs are many. What does a TV stand allow you to do? How many types of TV support are there? Where can they be placed? And how much weight can it support? Below we will try to give a definitive answer to these and other questions and then proceed with the real buying guide.
What to Consider While Buying the TV Wall Mount
Table of Contents
There are a few things to consider while buying the best TV wall mount. Here we discuss one factor that you should consider before buy.
TV Weight and VESA Standard
Before defining the choice of the TV stand, it is necessary to consider some fundamental technical aspects related to the weight of your TV and the so-called VESA standard.
The weight factor is easily understood: each TV support is designed to support a maximum range beyond which it cannot go; by loading it with excessive weight, the risk is that the support will break, causing the TV to fall to the ground with unpleasant consequences.
However, the weight alone is not enough to confidently identify the perfect TV support model for your needs: the second factor to pay attention to is precisely the VESA standard.
VESA is an acronym that stands for Video Electronics Standard Association and refers to a consortium of 225 manufacturers of TVs and PC monitors; this association has established the standard dimensions for fixing televisions and monitors using supports. The value referred to, in this case, is relative to the distance between the mounting holes placed on the rear panel and is expressed in millimeters; this value allows you to immediately understand which TV support is compatible with your television.
As further confirmation, it is also possible to rely on the measurement in inches of the screen to identify the compatibility or not of the TV; however, it is a less accurate signaller than the VESA standard.
Type of TV Stand: Fixed, Swivel, or Tiltable Support
The TV stands currently available on the market are divided into three main types: fixed, swivel, or tiltable.
The fixed TV stand is particularly suitable in all those cases in which there is only one location from which to watch television. A typical example is a TV hanging on the wall in front of the living room sofa; in this case, a fixed TV stand is a perfect solution. Looking at the screen in a frontal position does not require special needs, and the viewing angle provided by fixed support is certainly the optimal one. Moreover, fixed TV support is certainly very minimal and elegant and adapts well to any type of furniture. In this first case, finally, the ideal would be not to have lights behind you that can reach the screen and annoy the view; however, if the light source is positioned right behind the spectators, we recommend considering another type of support.
Swivel TV
The swivel TV stand gives a possible solution; this type is particularly useful when the television is located in several stations where viewers can sit. A typical case, for example, is that of the dining room, which also has the function of a living room. In an environment of this type, you can choose to watch television sitting around the dining table or comfortably lie on the sofa, depending on the time of day.
Another possibility is that of the open space kitchen connected with the dining room: in this case, we can watch TV preparing lunch or dinner, therefore positioned in the kitchen, or sitting at the table or on the sofa. In all these cases, the swivel support allows you to very simply orient the television according to the location where the viewers are located to adapt the viewing angle and make it always optimal according to your needs.
Tilting Support
Finally, a third possibility that you can evaluate is the purchase of a tilting TV stand. These products are best suited for situations where space is at a premium and a difference in height between viewers needs to be considered. Besides, the TV forces you to look at the screen from a particularly uncomfortable position, which causes pain in the neck and shoulders and strains the sight.
The tilting support allows you to definitively solve this problem: it is a solution often adopted in hotels, where, wanting to make the most of the available space, the TV is fixed to the wall or even to the ceiling and then tilted to allow customers to still have an optimal view of the screen.
Very often, within the walls of the home, it happens to have to place a small TELEVISION on top of a high piece of furniture: this situation, however, risks greatly tiring the viewers due to the bad viewing angle. Therefore, the screen can be oriented downwards using a tilting TV stand to allow viewers to take a comfortable and relaxed position.
Dual Functionality
Finally, some models currently on the market have the dual functionality of swivel and tiltable support: these are the most versatile TV stands, which allow you to get the best viewing angle from virtually all possible locations.
Location: WALL, Ceiling or Floor Column TV Stands
A further element of evaluation concerns the type of location for which the TV stand is intended, a question that depends only partially on whether the chosen model is fixed, swivel, or tiltable.
We can decide to place the TV stand from the wall or ceiling or hook the TV to a floor column.
If you choose the wall support, you can opt indifferently between the fixed, swivel, and tilting solution since all three types lend themselves to being fixed to the wall.
What Experts Recommend for Installing and Fixing the Wall Mount TV Stand
We recommend installing the fixed or swivel supports at approximately the same height as the eyes of the spectators or, in any case, at a slightly higher height, which allows you to keep the vision of the TV unchanged. However, this will allow you to stay in a relaxed position with your neck and shoulders and see the images transmitted by the TV to perfection.
For those who would prefer to place the TV stand very high, we recommend focusing on a tilting model, which allows you to maintain the right viewing angle even with a certain difference in height between the eyes and the screen. This is all the more true if, for reasons of space or due to personal preferences, you choose to fix the TV stand to the ceiling. Also, in this case, it is highly advisable to orient yourself on a tilting model, thanks to which you can enjoy the show in a position of maximum relaxation.
On the other hand, someone may prefer to avoid fixing the support to the wall so as not to have to drill holes or simply because the wall cannot withstand the weight of their TV. In this case, you can rely on the floor column, a small column resting, in fact, on the floor through a large base and to which you can fix the television. The base of the column is usually fixed, although there are floor columns equipped with wheels and, therefore, furniture.
The column allows you to move the TV where you prefer it and is particularly useful if you have the desire to change the position of the furniture in a room; in these cases, moving the TV station will be simple and fast, especially when you have a column with wheels; otherwise, changing the position of the TV will be a bit more complex, but the advantage of not being tied to a single wall will remain.
Finally, we point out that the floor column also allows you to rotate the TV: several models provide the swivel function to orient the TV towards the position where the viewers are. The column can then remain parallel to the wall, while the TV will follow the viewers’ movements within the room.
Unlike the other models of TV support, among other things, this last solution is undoubtedly also the one most linked to an aesthetic choice, as well as functional: there are, in fact, columns with the most varied styles and colors, even if black and gray are the main proposals. Some columns, therefore, clearly show the signs of careful planning and thus give aesthetically very pleasing design solutions, while others focus on practicality, relegating aesthetics to a marginal role.
Other Useful Features of When Considering the Best TV Wall Mount
Finally, there are other useful features on which we can base the choice of TV support; on compared to the fundamental elements analyzed in the previous paragraphs. However, these characteristics remain marginal.
The issue concerns, in particular, the column TV stands, generally equipped with some extra function compared to wall or ceiling brackets. Some column models, for example, allow you to adjust the height of the TV: the latter is fixed on a rigid bracket that runs vertically on the column and can be stopped at different heights.
On the other hand, other models offer a convenient solution to hide the cables, which are housed inside the column itself. In this way, the annoying wires hanging from the TV will be completely invisible from the outside, giving the whole a minimal and orderly effect that is really pleasant and elegant.
For those who have to juggle different decoders, readers, and consoles. Finally, there is the possibility of choosing column support equipped with shelves to place all these devices. It is a particularly convenient solution, which saves you the purchase of an additional cabinet to place everything you need to watch your favorite movies or play games in freedom.
Where can I place a TV stand?
Although few imagine it, in reality, the types of TV support are different and depend on the location you want to use. Wall, ceiling, or column TV stands (to be hooked to the floor) are available on the market, each with its characteristics.
Our advice is to choose the best type to position the TV at the height of the eyes of the viewers, or in any case, just above. In this way, anyone who watches television will be able to do so in a position of perfect relaxation of the neck and shoulders and will thus have the opportunity to appreciate the images of the TV to the maximum.
Anyone who needs to place a TV very high could opt for a tilting wall model, allowing you to maintain the right viewing angle. And this advice also applies to those who need to place the television on the ceiling, thus opting for a ceiling TV stand.
If, on the other hand, you need to avoid piercing the wall, or if you want to place the TV near a wall that would not be able to support its weight, you could think of buying a floor column TV stand. It is a small column that, resting on the floor with a large base, allows the fixing of the television to varying heights. There are also floor column TV stands equipped with wheels, which will allow you to move the device without too much difficulty: a very useful solution to transport the TV from one room to another or if you want to change the furniture arrangement.
What is the VESA Standard?
VESA stands for Video Electronics Standard Association and is the term that represents a consortium of 225 PC and TV monitor manufacturers, which has set standards for sizes for fixing TVs and monitors via media. This regulation has imposed a predetermined distance between the mounting holes placed in the rear panel of the devices and has done so according to various types.
Therefore, it is important to make sure of the VESA standard supported by your TV and then go and choose the best TV support that is compatible with this specification.
Are materials important?
The materials are very important because they must be solid enough to hold a TV weighing several tens of kilos. Most of the TV stands on the market are made of steel, a robust and light material.
Is the brand important?
The brand is relatively important since there are also little-known brands on the market that offer robust and functional support, capable of performing their task in the best possible way. However, in reality, the best TV support is not delicate or particularly complex as an electronics product can be: in this case, the experience of a company is certainly important but not essential.
We, therefore, recommend opting for the brand that seems most reliable, trying to favor the producers most attentive to the quality of the material used, and avoiding the first price supports.
Is the price important?
In this case, the price is important only because it may be a fairly accurate indicator of the quality of the materials used to produce the TV stand. There are TV stands that cost 200$, or models that exceed 400$, and their price depends on the materials used (and their resistance and weight), the additional features of the support (such as the ability to hide the Davi) and, of course, the maximum weight supported.
However, in principle, it is possible to buy more than reliable solutions, even around 200$. Still, it is always good to remember that never as in this case, investing money in the security of your TV is not a factor to be underestimated.
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