How High To Mount Your TV To Get The Perfect View When Watching

Americans spend an average of nearly three hours daily watching TV, and at least 110 hours per year simply scrolling through streaming services for something to watch. With all of that screen time to fill as you stream or watch live, it's important to have your TV mounted at a good distance for enjoyable viewing. You can try to "eyeball it," but there's a high chance you might end up making a common mistake when mounting your TV: setting your TV too high. There are several factors you should consider to help you decide how high your TV should be mounted, including what type of TV you have, your eye level, the room layout, and the viewing distance from the TV.

Not choosing the right height for your TV is a common issue in homes, so much that Reddit even features a subreddit named "TV Too High" where people point out televisions mounted, of course, too high. The idea of "too high" seems like it could be subjective, but there are definitely considerations to follow as you try to mount your TV for your health and the optimal viewing experience. Once you decide how and where to mount your flat-screen TV, here's how you can pick the right height to make your binge watching sessions even cozier.

A major consideration for your TV's height is eye level. The general manufacturer rule is to position the bottom third of the screen underneath your eye level for the best viewing experience. Mount the TV too high or low, and you could develop neck strain, eye strain, and back pain due to the repetitive stress your body experiences as you watch. However, you must also consider ergonomics. Your eyes should align with the middle of the screen to reduce eye strain and as well as enhance the picture clarity.

As you calculate eye level, consider your TV size and room layout. How you watch TV and on what type of furniture can influence the television height, as well as the room. For example, when you watch TV in a living room, you're likely sitting on a couch or sofa to do so. With this in mind, TV manufacturers like Samsung generally advise mounting the TV so it sits 42 inches from the floor when you measure from the center of the screen. You must also adjust for any furniture, like a console, underneath the TV, which means you may place the TV 42 to 60 inches from the floor. On the other hand, if you're in your bedroom, you might lie down to watch TV, so your eye level adjusts. Instead of mounting the TV 42 inches from the floor, lower the height to around 25 inches from the floor to accommodate for the change.

Viewing distance also plays a role in ideal TV height. The best viewing distance depends on personal preferences as well as what type of TV resolution you have. Don't worry — Mom was wrong, you won't ruin your eyes if you sit too close! You will, however, possibly have a distorted viewing experience and could develop eye strain. If you have a 4K TV, your minimum viewing distance should be 1.5 times the TV's screen size, or 2.95 feet for a 43-inch 4K TV. This will allow you to see the full image rather than the individual pixels in the picture. The recommended distance changes for standard definition changes to six times the screen size, and three times the screen size for high definition television. Therefore, if you have a wider viewing distance that is 1.5 to 3 times the screen width, you'll need to raise the mounting height a half inch to one inch for every 12 inches you sit away from the television to watch it comfortably without eye strain.

It might seem like a little thing, but how to go about aligning your television on the wall at the right height is one of the most important things to know when to wall mounting a TV. By considering all of these factors and making adjustments as needed, you'll set yourself up for a comfortable viewing experience for those days when you want to kick back and marathon your favorite show.