The primary reason why you’d buy one is so you can fit a large TV in a room that’s lacking in floor space or to position the screen in a spot where everyone can see. Using one of the best TV mounts can also give your TV better viewing angles and increase viewing comfort. Plus, they can keep your expensive OLED or QLED TV out of danger if you have young children or pets tearing around. TV mounts come in three primary types. There’s full-motion mounts that have articulated arms to turn the TV left, right, up and down; tilting mounts that allow the TV to be angled downwards if it’s mounted above eye-level; and fixed mounts that keep the TV in one position flat against the wall. Each one has a different purpose. Confused? We’ve got a full guide further down the page to help you choose the best TV mount for you, in addition to a guide to how to mount a TV to the wall for when you’ve bought one.
The best TV mounts in 2022
Finding the perfect spot for a large TV can be hard. That’s where a dual-arm articulated mount comes into play, and the Echogear Full Motion TV Wall Mount EGLF2 has the flexibility you want in this type of mount. It works with TVs from 42 inches all the way up to 90 inches, and can support up to 125 pounds — good enough for almost all current TVs. Best of all it extends 22 inches from the wall, can move 130 degrees and tilts 15 degrees, allowing you to get the best viewing angle from a lot of different seating locations. You can install the EGLF2 on studs that are either 16 or 24 inches apart and it includes important post-installation levelling for minor adjustments. The EGLF2 works with VESA patterns from 200 x 100 to 600 x 400 millimeters. The only potential drawback is that, when collapsed, the unit is 2.4 inches from the wall. If you’ve spent thousands — or even tens of thousands — on a TV, you may want to get a TV mount that matches the quality of your screen. Sanus Advanced Full-Motion Premium TV Mount BLF328 costs much more than any other TV mount on our list, but it also looks and feels better than the rest. Its brushed metal construction comes in two colors, charcoal or stainless steel, to help better match your decor. It also extends the farthest of our top picks — a full 28 inches, and collapses back to just 2.15 inches to stay out of the way. It’s able to swivel 57 degrees to either side from center (114 degrees total) and tilts 15 degrees, as well. With those options you should be able to find an ideal viewing angle in most situations. The BLF328 supports a wide range of TV sizes and holds up to 125 pounds. If you can swing the cost of the BLF328, you may get as many oohs-and-aahs about your TV mount as you do for your TV. One thing you give up with a less expensive mount is the ability to adjust the level after installing the mount, so make sure you spend the time during installation to get it right! A tilting TV mount can be useful when you’re watching in a bright room — you can tilt the TV down (or up) to reduce the glare from the sun or lights. It can also improve your viewing angle if you have to mount the TV higher than the ideal. The Rocketfish Tilting TV Wall Mount RF-TVMLPT03V3 tilts a full 10 degrees down (or 5 up), giving you plenty of angles to play with. This solidly built mount works with almost any TV — from 32 to 75 inches — and holds up to 130 pounds. It is also compatible with VESA patterns up to 700 x 400 millimeters. Its low, 2-inch profile means it won’t stick your TV too far off the wall and it has a quick release option for when you need to get to the ports on the back of your TV. You can find other tilt mounts that cost less, but none that are better. A fixed TV mount, which doesn’t tilt or extend, can be the best option for mounting your TV if you want it to be as close to the wall as possible. The Sanus Classic Low-Profile Fixed Position TV Mount ML11 protrudes just 1 inch from the wall — that’s about as tight as you can get. Fixed mounts often make it hard to access any connections on the back of your TV, so Sanus includes cords you can pull to release the TV from being locked on the mount — making it much easier to get to those ports. The ML11 can handle just about any TV, from 37 to 80 inches, and supports a large variety of VESA patterns, from 75 x 75 all the way to 700 x 400 millimeters. With a weight capacity of 130 pounds, you needn’t worry that it will crack under pressure. Able to work with studs up to 24-inches apart, the ML11 makes finding the right place to put the mount easy. You can also move the TV horizontally after installing the bracket to better center your screen. Not everyone who wants a TV mount that swivels needs the robust features of a dual-arm articulating model. A single-arm articulating mount, such as the Echogear Full Motion TV Wall Mount EGMF2, can do many things its beefier cousin can, and usually costs less. With an impressive 20 inches of extension, 15 degrees of tilt and 90 degrees of swivel, the EGMF2 could be a solution if you have a TV that’s between 32 and 60 inches and weighs less than 60 pounds. The EGMF2 is easier to install than a dual-arm model because you only need to mount it to a single stud. But that means you ideally want that stud in the center of where you want to mount the TV — not always an option. The EGMF2 supports VESA patterns from 100 x 100 to 400 x 400 millimeters — fewer than many of our picks. If you’ve got a small TV or a computer monitor, you can mount that too, clearing valuable desktop space or just to keep it out of the way when you’re not using it. The Peerless AV Full-Motion TV Wall Mount ETA100 is perfect for screens ranging from 10 to 29 inches. The single-arm articulating design lets you extend out to 12.7 inches from the wall and retracts to just 2.6 inches. You can move the mount around 90 degrees and tilt it 15 degrees to get a better viewing angle. And it’s very affordable for the quality. Of course, this mount is designed for very specific screen sizes, so if you have something larger than 29 inches, this isn’t the mount for you. And 12.7 inches of extension may not be far enough, depending on your set up.
How to choose the best TV mount for you
Picking the best TV mount starts with your TV: how big is it and how heavy is it? You want to make sure the TV mount will work with its size and be able to handle the weight. Next, you’ll need to check that the TV mount you choose will attach to your TV properly. Most TVs these days are VESA compatible, meaning the mounting holes on the back of the TV are a standard distance from each other. VESA patterns differ based on the TV size itself, but generally are listed as 200 x 200 millimeters, 400 x 400 millimeters and so on. With several styles of TV mounts to choose from, your next choice is whether you want one that’s fixed (no movement); tilts; or uses an articulated arm (extends and can swivel). Fixed mounts tend to have the lowest profile, meaning the TV will be closest to the wall. This can make it challenging to get to ports unless the TV mount has a way to release the TV from the mount for access. Tilting TV mounts can be great for angling a TV for better viewing. Articulated TV mounts give you a lot of flexibility, with arms that both extend and swivel, allowing you to position the TV for the best viewing angle. Finally, you need to consider where on the wall you are placing the TV mount. It should be attached to the studs in the wall (or concrete) to make sure it is secure. Find out how far apart your studs are and get a TV mount that can accommodate that distance. When installing you want the mount to be level; some mounts come with a level, though one you get at a hardware store may be more accurate. The best TV mounts allow you to adjust the level further after installation, to correct for any slight variations. Once you’ve bought a mount for your TV, you might need some help hanging it on the wall. Check out How to mount a TV to the wall in 8 easy steps for our hassle-free advice.
Why get a TV mount?
If you’ve looked at the list of the best TV mounts above, you already know that the hardware needed to hang a TV on the wall can be extremely affordable – even less than a new TV stand would be, if your current furniture isn’t big enough to support that big screen TV you’ve been eyeing. But affordability isn’t the only benefit to mounting your TV. You can also get improvements in ergonomics, overall picture quality and even safety, all with relatively easy installation that you can do in an afternoon. Save space: By mounting the TV on the wall, you get the benefit of freeing up a little more space in your room, eliminating the need for a bulky, specialized piece of furniture to place the TV on. In most living rooms, this space savings can even be enough to let you go a few inches larger on screen size, since the TV will sit closer to the wall, and just a little bit further from your couch. Better aesthetics: A wall-mounted TV just looks nice, and can help make your home theater setup look more professional, more put together. And if you do a full installation, with cables run behind drywall, it looks a lot cleaner, too. (Don’t worry, you can get a similar effect by hiding the cables behind a neutral colored cable run.) More comfortable viewing: The ergonomics of watching TV can be downright lousy. If a TV is set too low, it can make you crane your neck a bit, while a TV that’s too high requires tilting your head back to look at an angle. Not only does this horizontal angle reduce the picture quality, it can potentially cause musculoskeletal disorders from holding the bad position for the minutes or hours spent watching. An adjustable TV mount lets you move the TV to just the right height. Eliminate glare: If your living room lights frequently reflect off of your TV screen, then you could definitely see some improvement from an adjustable mount. Whether it’s overhead lights or sunshine from a window, the glass surface of most displays can catch all those rays, obscuring the screen and reducing the visibility of your TV. Dimming the lights for a movie is great, but if you have to do it just to watch the weather, you should probably get a mount with adjustable tilt. Better safety: A wall mounted TV is actually a safer TV, especially if you have kids. According to a 2020 report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, falling TVs make up 32% of all injuries caused by tip-over incidents, and they’re especially dangerous for small children. The trend for larger TVs makes this a problem that will only get more common, but a simple wall mount means you’ll never have to worry about your TV getting knocked over or falling due to earthquake or horseplay. And check out the rest of the best TV accessories for your home theater: Best TV antennas | Best cheap TV antennas | Best Bluetooth TV adapters | Best Bluetooth speakers | Best Soundbars | Best cheap HDMI switchers
