TV Height Calculator
Use our TV height calculator to find the optimal height to mount your TV and calculate the vertical viewing angle.
TV Mounting Height:
Screen Height From Floor
| Center: | |
|---|---|
| Bottom: |
Vertical Angle to Bottom of Screen
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How High Should You Mount Your TV?
Whether you’re using the included stand or mounting your new TV on the wall, it is critical to plan the right height to position it. In addition to considering room design and accommodating furniture, viewing comfort should be high on the priority list.
Viewing comfort might be an even more important factor when planning the TV’s height if you spend significant time watching your favorite shows.
According to the New York Daily News, the average American watches 5 hours of television per day.[1] With that much time in front of the TV, it should be comfortable to avoid needing extra visits to the chiropractor.
When you go to the movie theater, do you choose the front row seats or decide to sit a bit further back and higher up? If you spend an extended amount of time looking up too high, you’re likely to get neck strain and back pains. If you’re like us, this will make it hard to enjoy your new flat-screen TV.
What is the Best TV Height
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all rule for the optimal TV height for those looking for a concrete answer and a specific measurement. The best TV height can be subjective, and there is no easy answer.
Most video professionals agree that the ideal height for the optimal viewing experience is to locate the center of the screen at the same height as your eyes when seated. We have also found this to be a comfortable viewing height in our experience.
The average height of your eyes when seated is 42″, assuming an 18″ couch and 24″ from the seat to your eyes. If you center a 70″ TV at 42″, the bottom of the TV will be 25″ off the floor for optimal viewing.
Most often, to get a comfortable viewing range, the rule of thumb is to place the bottom of the TV 25″ from the floor.[2]
This may compete with room design, which is another important consideration. Depending on personal preference, it may be ok to raise the TV a little. If you lean back while watching TV, you may raise the TV a little more.
How High is Too High to Mount a TV
The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers requires a viewing angle of less than 35° from the viewer to the top of the screen.[3][4] You should attempt to mount your TV in the most comfortable position possible, which is likely well below the maximum 35° viewing angle.
The sweet spot for the TV height in your room will depend on a few considerations:
- seating height – couch vs. bar seating height
- seating angle – do you sit back, which raises your field of vision, or do you sit more upright, which would move your field of vision lower
- viewing posture and personal comfort varies
Additional considerations for TV height
- how much time do you spend watching TV
- how do you use the room – is this a dedicated viewing space or a formal living space
- what are your design preferences and room aesthetics
- what furniture is being used – are you using an existing entertainment center
- room constraints – is the only spot available over the fireplace
- what is your budget – mounting options vary in price
How to Find the TV Height Sweet Spot
To find your sweet spot, we recommend sitting in your room and normally looking at where you want to mount your TV in the same posture as you would watch TV. Where do you feel comfortable watching?
One tip is to use painter’s tape to tape an outline of the TV at the desired height or cut out a piece of the TV box that is the size of the TV to locate the most comfortable height.
It’s up to you if you want to concede viewing comfort for room aesthetics, but this technique will at least help find the most comfortable TV height for your room.
What Can You Do to Make a Higher TV Position More Comfortable
If you really want to mount your TV above your fireplace or high on the wall, you still have options. First, consider a tilting wall mount, which will reduce glare and allow you to watch more straight-on, refusing distortion and eye strain.
We recommend a 32″-70″ tilting mount because it’s a cost-effective and easy-to-install tilting mount. Consider different seating that would allow you to lean back, which will naturally raise your field of vision. This is one of SMPTE’s recommendations when building movie theaters as well.
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If a lazy boy is not in your future, consider locating seating further away from the TV, which will reduce the viewing angle. Our TV viewing distance calculator can help you find your viewing distance range for your TV size to help determine how far back you can move your seating position.
References
- David Hinkley, Average American watches 5 hours of TV per day, report shows, New York Daily News, https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/average-american-watches-5-hours-tv-day-article-1.1711954
- Jason Carpenter, Best Viewing Angle and Height to Mount Your TV, Tom's Guide, https://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-mount-tv,news-24719.html
- Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, EG 18:1994 - SMPTE Engineering Guideline - Design of Effective Cine Theaters, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7513358
- My Home Theater, Vertical Viewing Angle, https://myhometheater.homestead.com/Verticalviewing.html