How High Should A TV Be Mounted?

It only seems right to tackle the topic of how high to mount your TV this month, April 2020. I'll let you dudes do the math on that one. First off, we'd like to say good call on deciding to mount your TV to the wall...and not because we sell TV wall mounts, but because it makes your house look sick as hell. The last time a piece of gigantic furniture with a TV sitting on it looked good, Rick Moranis was shrinking his kids with a ray gun. That's pretty messed up, Rick.

Once the flatscreen is on the wall, your whole room will open and let you position the TV exactly where you want it. So the big question is, how high should you mount the TV? That'll depend on your unique setup, but here are some guidelines to help you figure it out.

How High To Mount A TV In The Living Room

Let's just say the "living room" represents any normal TV watching setup. You know, a couch where you sit, crack some brews with the squad, and watch something cool. I recommend taking Hot Rod for a spin during these trying times. For setups like these, picking how high to mount your TV is pretty easy. You want the screen to be centered at eye-level from wherever you plan on sitting. This guy nailed his install, and he looks like Dennis from Always Sunny In Philadelphia...right?

Eye-level height should be easy to figure out for most TVs, but you'll need to check the position of the VESA pattern. And yes, VESA pattern sounds like something straight outta the movie Dune. It's not as cool (or technical) as it sounds, VESA pattern refers to the little holes on the back of your TV. You'll use them to attach the TV interface part of your TV mount. Take a look, they'll either be right in the middle of the TV:

Or off-set like this one:

If your VESA pattern is in the middle, pop a squat on the couch, and have your friend or lover put a small piece of tape on the wall. Adjust it until it's exactly at eye level. You'll want your TV wall plate to be centered directly over this spot. If it feels too low or bumps into some legit decor you've got, feel free to adjust it up a few inches. Your house, you make the rules. I just happened to have a dancing Jack Black sticker laying around, so I used it to mark the perfect spot. It made placing the drilling template easy and got me fired up to watch School Of Rock. Big time W.

Hold up, wall template? If you're a legend and already bought an Echogear mount you'll most likely have one in the box. Most of our mounts come with a wall template, so just center it over the sticker and bam, drilling done. Don't worry, there's still time to become a legend. Check out our mounts here.

Already have a TV mount and don't need the plug? Hold the wall plate over the sticker and use a pencil to mark drilling holes. Now drill your pilot holes and attach the wall plate with a ratchet & you're good to go.

There's a little math involved if you've got an off-center VESA pattern. Instead of putting the wall plate at the exact height you want the screen, measure the distance from the center of the VESA holes (blue dot) to the middle of the screen (orange dot). Let's say that's a solid 4".

Now, do the same exercise as before with the sticker and find where you want the center of the screen to be. Adjust the sticker down 4", or however far off yours is, to compensate for the off-center VESA pattern.

How High To Hang A TV In The Bedroom

If you're placing the TV somewhere other than a classic living room setup, the steps are similar but the type of TV mount you have becomes more important. Let's throw on something more comfortable and slip into the bedroom for this one. Imagine you're laying in bed covered in Cheetos dust wondering how your sheets will ever be clean again. Regardless of your off-orange sheets, you'll want the TV to be in a comfortable position while laying down. If you hung the flatscreen at sitting eye-level, you'll have to crank your neck in an awkward position to see the screen. That sounds like it sucks, so let's fix it. Mount it 6"-12" higher and tilt the screen down. This is where you make sure to get a TV mount that can tilt like this one. That way, you can mount the TV high enough to be comfortable and tilt the screen down to avoid annoying glare. This guy gets it.

Lay back and get comfy. Do the same steps as before. Throw a sticker on the wall to find the most comfortable viewing angle from wherever you'll spend the most time watching. Adjust it up or down depending on your VESA pattern, and bang. You've got the optimal height for your TV mount. However, at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference. If you think it'd look cooler higher on the wall, go for it.

Does Screen Size Impact How High A TV Should Be Mounted?

Generally speaking, size doesn't matter. Having a 65" or 75" TV shouldn't impact screen height. No matter the size of the TV, you want the middle of it to be at eye level, or as close it as you can get. If the screen is massive and you think it would look awkward being too close to the ground, move it up a few inches. Just remember to get a mount that can tilt to make watching Bad Boys 2 as magical as it's supposed to be. Having a subpar day? Play this song from the soundtrack and get ready to shake that keister.

I've Got A Fancy Fireplace, How High Should I Mount My TV?

Fireplaces are the best places for fire. If you're lucky enough to have one, congrats, you have a great spot to burn documents linking you to that unfortunate smelting accident. Mounting above a fireplace is a little trickier than a standard install, so we've got a whole separate blog covering that. Head on over and soak in a hot tub of our TV mount knowledge.

Well, that about sums it up. How high you should mount your TV depends on where you'll be watching from. For the best viewing while sitting down, try to get the middle of the screen right at eye level. For other rooms, you might need to put it higher on the wall. Just eyeball it and pick the best spot for your setup. If you've got any hot q's about TV mounts or need killer show recommendations, click the chat button in the bottom right and give our TV mount nerds a chance to flex. They are legit.