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Put the center of the screen at the eye level of the people on your couch. For most living rooms that’s about 42 inches from the floor to the middle of the screen, the number Samsung, SANUS and MantelMount all start from. How high to mount a TV also depends on your sofa, your seating distance, the screen size and what sits underneath, so here’s the chart and a five-minute way to find your own number.
Our verdict
Short answer: aim the screen center at seated eye level, about 42 inches up. If it has to go higher, keep the center within about 15° of your eye line and use a tilting mount. Over a fireplace, only a pull-down mount brings a high TV back to a comfortable height.
Top picks at a glance
Best budget tilt
Mounting Dream MD2268-LK
37 to 70 inch TVs near eye level that need a little glare control
$ BudgetBest full-motion
ECHOGEAR EGLF2
Corners, open-plan rooms and TVs from 42 to 90 inches
$$ Mid-rangeBest for over a fireplace
MantelMount MM540
TVs above a fireplace or any wall that is too high
$$$ PremiumWhy eye level
Your neck is most relaxed looking straight ahead or slightly down. OSHA’s screen guidance puts a monitor’s center 15 to 20 degrees below eye level and warns a screen too high makes you tilt your head back. Samsung recommends 42 inches to the center, which it says suits someone about 5 ft 6 in on a standard couch; Houzz explains it as an 18-inch seat plus about 24 inches to a seated viewer’s eyes.
The height chart
| TV size | Screen height | Center | Bottom edge | Top edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 in | 21.1 in | 42 in | 31.5 in | 52.5 in |
| 50 in | 24.5 in | 42 in | 29.7 in | 54.3 in |
| 55 in | 27.0 in | 42 in | 28.5 in | 55.5 in |
| 65 in | 31.9 in | 42 in | 26.1 in | 57.9 in |
| 75 in | 36.8 in | 42 in | 23.6 in | 60.4 in |
| 85 in | 41.7 in | 42 in | 21.2 in | 62.8 in |
What height charts don’t tell you
Big TVs centered at 42 inches nearly touch the console
An 85-inch TV centered at 42 inches has its bottom edge just 21 inches up, lower than many consoles, with no room for a soundbar. Samsung recommends 4 to 6 inches of space above furniture. With 75 and 85-inch TVs, raising the center a few inches is fine, and here’s how far you can go.
How high is too high, by seating distance
SMPTE’s old cinema guideline (EG 18-1994, since withdrawn but still a sensible yardstick) says the line of sight to the screen center should preferably be no more than 15° above horizontal, and most viewers feel discomfort past 35° to the top edge. That works out to:
| Couch to screen | Max rise above eyes (15°) | Highest comfortable center |
|---|---|---|
| 6 ft | about 19 in | about 61 in |
| 8 ft | about 26 in | about 68 in |
| 9 ft | about 29 in | about 71 in |
| 10 ft | about 32 in | about 74 in |
Why the fireplace wall fails the test
If a mantel puts the bottom of a 65-inch screen 60 inches up, the center lands near 76 inches. From 9 feet that’s about 17° up to the center and about 25° to the top edge, already past the 15° comfort line, and steeper from closer seats. Samsung doesn’t recommend a TV over a fireplace at all, citing heat (it says TVs should stay below 104°F), ash and the high angle.
Find your exact height in six steps
- Sit where you watch, the way you really sit.
- Have someone measure floor to the middle of your eyes. Average it for regular viewers.
- Put painter’s tape on the wall at that height, centered on your seat.
- Tape the top and bottom edges using the chart, and check the bottom clears the console and soundbar by 4 to 6 inches.
- Live with it for a day, from every seat, with the lights on, to spot glare.
- Measure from the TV’s top edge to the center of its VESA holes and mark the wall plate from there. This is the step people forget.
Then find the studs and plan the cables; see how to hide TV wires.
Special rooms
- Bedroom: propped up in bed, your eyes sit higher. Measure from there, and SANUS suggests a tilting mount if a dresser pushes the TV up. A full-motion mount aims at both bed and chair.
- Over a fireplace: check both manuals for clearances; Heatilator says a proper mantel can redirect heat. A pull-down mount is the real fix.
- Gaming: you sit closer and lean forward, so measure in your gaming posture. See couch gaming setup.
- Kitchens and bars: MantelMount suggests about 48 to 53 inches to the center for bar-height seating.
- Corners: use a full-motion mount with a long arm, and check a wide TV can clear both walls.
Mount type, studs and VESA
| Mount | Movement | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | None | TV already at eye level |
| Tilting | Angles down a few degrees | TVs a bit high, bedrooms, glare |
| Full-motion | Extends, swivels, tilts | Corners, several seats |
| Pull-down | Drops down and forward | Over fireplaces |
Home Depot notes studs are usually 16 or 24 inches apart; confirm with a thin nail where the TV will cover the hole. Mounting Dream’s manual says the wall must support five times the TV and mount weight. On brick, This Old House says drill into the brick, not the mortar, at least half an inch from its edges. Samsung lists typical VESA patterns of 200 × 200 for 30 to 43-inch TVs, 400 × 400 for 46 to 75 and 600 × 400 above, but check your manual. Full details in types of TV wall mounts.
Three mounts that cover most homes
Mounting Dream MD2268-LK
Best for 37 to 70 inch TVs near eye level that need a little glare control
- Fits 37 to 70 inch TVs, up to 132 lb
- VESA 200 x 100 to 600 x 400
- Tilts 0 to 8 degrees down
- About 1.5 in from the wall
- Fits studs up to 24 in apart
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
ECHOGEAR EGLF2
Best for Corners, open-plan rooms and TVs from 42 to 90 inches
- Fits 42 to 90 inch TVs, up to 125 lb
- VESA 200 x 100 to 600 x 400
- Extends 22 in; folds to about 2.4 in
- Tilts 15 degrees down, 5 up; 130 degree swivel
- For studs 16 to 24 in apart
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
MantelMount MM540
Best for TVs above a fireplace or any wall that is too high
- Fits 44 to 80 inch TVs, 20 to 90 lb
- Drops up to 27 in
- Handles turn red at 110 degrees F to warn of heat
- Swivels 30 degrees each way
- Clears mantels up to 18 in deep; soundbar bracket built in
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
The tilt mount’s 8 degrees won’t rescue a TV hung far too high. If no height works on your wall, a good stand is the better answer; see best TV stands for a 65-inch TV.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mounting it like artwork, at standing eye level.
- Measuring to the bottom edge instead of the center.
- Forgetting the offset between the VESA holes and the screen center.
- Ignoring the console and soundbar gap.
- Choosing the fireplace because it looks centered.
Distance matters too: see how far your couch should be from the TV and our TV size calculator.
How we picked
We gathered the guidance from Samsung, SANUS, MantelMount, OSHA, the SMPTE cinema guideline and Home Depot and This Old House install guides, put it side by side, and worked out the numbers the individual guides leave out. Every chart value is our own calculation from 16:9 geometry, and mount specs come from the makers’ pages. Every source is listed at the end.
FAQ
How high should a TV be from the floor?
About 42 inches to the center of the screen in a typical living room. Adjust a few inches for your seating.
How high to mount a 65-inch TV?
Center it at about 42 inches, which puts the bottom near 26 inches and the top near 58.
Higher or lower?
Lower, within reason. Looking slightly down is easier on the neck than looking up.
Is it OK to mount a TV above a fireplace?
Usually it’s too high and heat is a risk. If you must, use a pull-down mount and check both manuals.
How do I know it’s too high?
If you tilt your head back, it is. Keep the center within about 15 degrees of your eye line.
Related guides
Sources: Samsung: before wall mounting your TV · SMPTE EG 18-1994 (withdrawn) · OSHA: computer monitors · Tom’s Guide: best TV mounts · Home Depot: how to find a wall stud · This Old House: mounting a TV on brick
