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March 21, 2022 - Do you have a television that you want to mount to a wall but are not sure how high to put it? This can be tricky, since you want the flat screen to be high enough to look good on your wall while being low enough to achieve the ideal viewing angle. There are many things to consider before drilling holes into the wall such as its size, the layout of the room, and what your personal preferences are for comfortable viewing. 

One of the greatest benefits of a mounted TV is that you'll have full range to customize. It may require some trial and error to confirm the right height for your television and space. To help you determine the perfect height, we've created this introductory guide that will help you review the different factors on how high to mount TV brackets. 

How High Should I Mount My TV? 

If you've found yourself looking around your room wondering to yourself "How high should I mount my TV", you're not alone! Determining the right height for your television can seem like a daunting task, but thankfully there are several different TV mounts and hardware products that can help you get the job done easier. Below are the top considerations for determining the ideal height for your flat-screen TV. 

Considerations for Determining Your TV Mounting Height

There are several factors to consider when deciding how high to mount your TV. Two of the main factors that you will want to be aware of before mounting your TV are the size of the screen and the distance from the TV to the primary viewing position. Also, think about the location of your television as well. Are you mounting a TV to a corner? Is it going above your fireplace? Do I need an extra long arm TV wall mount? When making this decision, it's helpful to have a tape measure handy that you can use to try out different heights, mark them on the wall, and mock-up a cardboard cutout to verify the positioning you are looking for. Ideally, you want the center of the TV to be at your eye level to prevent your neck from straining as you binge-watch your favorite shows and movies1 . 

The Size of the TV

The size of the TV will determine where it should be placed. Not only do you want to make sure that your TV is mounted at an eye level height that is comfortable for viewing, but you also want to make sure that it is mounted at a height that looks proportional to the space of the room. The manufacturer should have specifications for your TV model that you can follow to gauge the size of your TV. These specifications will also be vital for understanding how to choose a TV wall mount type and model that will best suit your needs.

In a perfect world, you want the center of the screen to be at eye level. For most people that will be viewing their TV from the comfort of a couch, the center of the television tends to fall at about 42 inches above the floor2 . However, if the TV is a larger size, such as 65 inches, it may require the mounting height to be moved up to 65 inches off the floor for comfortable viewing3 . Remember that when you are calculating eye level, the correct height is from where you will be sitting in the room when you are watching TV, not from your standing height. 

The Layout of the Room

While the TV size is one factor to consider when determining where to play the wall mount, there are more things to consider as well. Another important variable is the layout of the room the TV will be mounted in. What is viewing distance between the TV and the primary seating? What type of furniture will be used for watching TV and how high is it off the ground? These are all questions that will be useful to ask yourself as you are determining the correct height to mount your TV. 

This is where your tape measure will come in handy. Start by measuring the distance between your TV screen and the primary viewing position in the room. Next, measure the height to the top of the seat of the couch or chair you will be sitting in. From there, you can use these values to determine the ideal viewing height for your specific setup. For example, if you have a 60-inch television, that means it is about 32 inches tall, which means that the center of the screen is at about the 16 inch mark. If your sofa seat is about 18 inches off the ground, your eye level will be about 24 inches above the seat. If you add those two values together, that means that the center of the television would ideally be at 42 inches (the 18 inches for the sofa seat height plus the 24 inches at eye level while comfortably seated). For a 60 inch TV, this means you will probably want the TV installed with the bottom of the screen at about 26 inches off the ground4 . 

Personal Preference

Another element that is vital to keep in mind as you are figuring out how high to mount your TV is your personal preference. While the above system of measuring helps to give you a useful starting place, the perfect height will ultimately be a matter of personal preference. Once you have your starting point from measuring the various elements in the room and TV, try placing a piece of paper or cardboard where the screen would be mounted and see how you feel about it. You may find that it feels too low since you are on the taller side or want it slightly above eye level, in which case you can adjust the mounting point up by several inches until you reach a TV height you are comfortable with5 . 

In addition to your personal preference, the specifics of the design of the room and how you use it may also play a role in how high you want to put your TV screen. For example, to mount a TV above fireplace fixtures and mantel, it will typically end up being quite a bit higher than the calculation would suggest. Conversely, if you like to use the room for parties where individuals will be standing and watching the screen as they grab an appetizer and have a drink, you may want your TV mounted higher so that it is at a comfortable viewing height for both seated and standing individuals6 . 

Testing the potential mounting bracket height with a piece of paper or cardboard will allow you to get an idea of what the TV will look like and how it will feel in the room. When it comes to how high you should mount your TV, there's no wrong answer, so be open to a bit of trial and error. Many TV mounts are also adjustable so that you can tilt or move the screen to get the optimal viewing angle. But, how much tilt for wall mount TV fixtures is optimal?  If you want the ultimate viewing experience, check out our tilting mounting hardware from Mount-It today.