4 Considerations to Make When Choosing the Ideal TV Size For Your Space
Your TV doesn’t need to be the focal point of your room (if you don’t want it to be) but it should fit. Picking a TV that’s too large for furniture or too small for the wall upon which it rests can be an eyesore and it can also create an unpleasant TV-viewing experience.
That’s why, when choosing the right TV size, there are a few key considerations to take into account to make sure it fits with your space and it makes sense for your viewing habits, lifestyle, and more.
Not sure where to get started? We’ve created a few helpful graphics and references that will put everything into perspective so you can find the TV size that works best for you and your space.
1. Consider Television Sizes and Dimensions
When you purchase a new piece of furniture, finding its dimensions are about as straightforward as measuring for length, width, and in some cases, depth. This makes it relatively easy to determine whether or not a particular piece of furniture will fit where you envision it in your space.
However, the same cannot be said for a TV.
When picking the right size TV, it’s important to understand standard TV sizes and their true dimensions. Televisions typically use a diagonal measurement, from one corner to the opposite corner.
What does that mean? Take a 55-inch TV, for instance. That 55-inch television is not actually that wide. The length is closer to about 47 inches.
Understanding the diagonal screen size of your TV will allow you to more accordingly plan your room size, furniture placement, and viewing experience desired.
Below we have listed some of the most standard TV sizes and their measurements to get a better sense of how to choose the right TV size for your room.
Popular TV Sizes & Dimensions
| TV Sizes | Width (Inches) | Height (Inches) |
| 32" | 28" | 15" |
| 40" | 35" | 20" |
| 42" | 37" | 21" |
| 49" | 43" | 24" |
| 50" | 44" | 25" |
| 55" | 48" | 27" |
| 60" | 52" | 29" |
| 65" | 57" | 32" |
| 75" | 65" | 37" |
| 80" | 70" | 39" |
| 85" | 74" | 42" |
2. Think About Your Lifestyle & TV Viewing Habits
It’s safe to say that whenever buying a new TV, creating a better TV-viewing experience is top of mind when shopping for the many options available. That’s why it’s important to consider your lifestyle and your TV-viewing habits in order to pick the right TV size for your family and the ways in which you enjoy watching TV.
To get started, think about where you like to watch TV. Do you prefer to watch TV in bed? In which case, you might want to pick a TV that’s going to be the right proportion above your dresser. Do you prefer to have an almost home theater-like immersive experience watching TV in the living room on a large screen? If so, you might want to look at larger TVs that fit your wall.
If you’re looking to understand more about how your favored TV-viewing position matters and how other watchers view TV, take a glance at our blog on what the best position to watch TV is. Additionally, it might provide more insight into where to place your TV: is your TV placement better in the opposite corner of the room from where your seating area is so it can be nestled away when guests come over? Or would you want to show off your TV, thanks to the clean look that the television gives to your space?
What’s more, you’ll have to think about your living situation. Are you a renter and can’t drill into walls? Then finding the right size of a TV for a media cabinet would likely be your best bet. Or, maybe you have active little ones running around, and baby proofing the TV area may be of high priority, in which case, you’ll need to find a TV with a comparable wall mount like a pull down TV mount from MantelMount.
3. What Size TV Fits For Your Room and Your Standard Furniture Sizes?
Whether you’re mounting your TV on the wall or you’re placing it atop a piece of furniture, you’ll want to consider the furniture’s size and dimensions when choosing the right TV screen size.
As a good rule of thumb, a TV’s edges should never go past the edges of the piece of furniture it is sitting on or placed above, and should actually be about 3- to 4-inches shorter than the furniture’s edges on either side of the TV.
Picture this: If you have a media console that tops out at 60 inches long, it would be a good idea to choose a from anywhere between a 50-inch TV and a 55-inch TV (and that means, with the aforementioned guide for knowing the size of a flat screen TV, the choice would be to go with a standard 60-inch TV).
This will leave you plenty of space to fill up the rest of the console’s top with décor pieces, pictures, or TV gadgets like a sound system or game console.
Learn More About Standard Furniture Sizes
Credenzas & Buffets
Credenzas, traditionally, sit in an office opposite a desk but they have found their way into modern living rooms as a storage piece below a TV.
The credenza tabletop is typically 30"-32" high and 18"-22" deep. They vary in length, but any credenza reaching at least 70 inches (or longer) will be large enough to fit most standard TV sizes.
Media Cabinets & Sideboards
Media cabinets and sideboards are similar to a credenza in that they are about 20"-22" deep, however, sideboards are typically shorter than credenzas, reaching only about 60" in length, in which case, a tabletop or mounted TV should not exceed 65".
And remember, the TV measurement should be taken diagonally to get the actual size of the TV but also the full width of the TV to make sure it will be secure, if it is placed on top of the media cabinet.
Tables & Desks
While dining table lengths vary depending on the number of people they can accommodate, desks usually land anywhere between 24"-60" long, with gaming desks often being found a bit longer.
If placing a TV on top of a desk or mounting over a desk, consider the dimensions of the TV as the width should be a minimum of 3" shorter than the edge of the table to prevent overhang and achieve the right proportions.
End Tables & Consoles
End tables and consoles are smaller than both standard credenzas and sideboards. Consoles are tall but shallow, only about 12"-14" deep; they will be more suitable under a wall mounted TV. End tables, on the other hand, are not as wide as console tables and sideboards, measuring about 16"-22" wide.
To counter the length of a TV mounted over an end table, place a large houseplant or another substantial décor piece on the floor next to the end table and past the edge of the TV to create balance.
4. Reference the Size of Your Old TV
There are any number of reasons why someone might be in the market to find a new TV, but before you throw out your old one in the interest of replacing it with something bigger and better, it might be a good idea to consider everything about your old TV that you liked and disliked to lead you to a final decision.
If you liked the size of your old TV, you might look for one in a similar size. This will likely narrow your choice down to different brands and help you rule out companies that don’t offer a TV in the size you’re looking to buy.
If picture quality was an issue, you might want to put your money toward a TV with HDR image capabilities and upgrade to an OLED or QLED. Not sure about what type of TV you might need to enhance your entertainment and TV-viewing experience? We have this TV Buying Guide that will be of help when you’re seeking to purchase a new television, regardless of if you are looking for a TV set, a massive widescreen TV for the living room, or simply need a small TV for mounting in the kitchen. For those that hold picture quality as the top check in the checklist, understand more about the science behind eye-level TV viewing.
Choosing the right TV size for your space and creating the ultimate TV-viewing experience may take a little consideration, but it’s all worth it in the end. If you’re curious about mounting your new TV or which wall mount is compatible, look no further than MantelMount.
Our friendly experts are always available to field questions about TV mounting and we’re happy to help you find the right MantelMount to fit your budget and space.