TV: To Mount or Not to Mount?

Most TVs come with mounting capability and have done for quite some time. People often wonder if mounting their TV is worth the hassle or the extra cost that it incurs if you can’t do it yourself. Most of the time they will go for the easier option of standing it on a surface like an entertainment unit or a table. Both mounting and using a TV stand have their advantages and disadvantages, so ultimately it will come down to your living space and how you use your TV. 

Let’s look at some of the most common pros and cons when deciding whether to mount or not mount your TV.

Form, Function, or Both?

Obviously, mounting your TV will give you a cleaner and more attractive aesthetic if done properly, but if you mount a TV without properly hiding and organising cables, it can make your entertainment setup look messy and cheapen the look of the overall room. 

In some cases, mounting may be your only option as limited space would require a TV to be pinned to the wall. In other cases, a surface stand may be the best option if your walls aren’t ideal for mounting and you need the additional storage space. 

Pros for mounting your TV

Aesthetically pleasing

Without a doubt, one of the main reasons people choose to mount their TVs is that it’s often visually appealing. If done properly, a well-mounted TV with good cable management gives a sleek and minimalist look to your room. It also gives the area a sense of openness making the room look more spacious. Perfect if you have a small living area and want to give your home a roomier impression because it frees up floor space that would otherwise be taken up by an entertainment unit.

Safety

Not many people think about the safety aspect of mounting your TV, but it’s a huge benefit, especially if you have small children. According to tvsafety.org, a child is killed from a tip-over accident every two weeks with most of those accidents involving TVs. With the size of the average TV in each person’s home getting bigger and bigger, mounting becomes an increasingly better choice.  

If you have young kids or pets who like to climb furniture, then wall mounting your TV is probably your most responsible option.

Mobility

You may think that mounting your TV limits your ability to move your TV around. While this is true as far as changing its physical location easily, this is not necessarily true as far as changing viewing angles. Most mounts come with a partial or full motion TV bracket. This allows you to change viewing angles as necessary. It’s handy if you have a TV mounted in your living room and you want to view it clearly while you’re in the kitchen preparing dinner, for example. It’s also an excellent solution if you have unwanted sunlight coming through the window at certain times of the day causing reflections and making viewing difficult.

Mounting is a popular option for commercial businesses such as gyms, offices, and bars because it looks cleaner and can be conveniently adjusted for customer viewing. 

Cons for mounting your TV

Limits your options and restricts remodelling 

Mounts can be restrictive. If you’re the type of person who likes to remodel your living spaces every six months, then mounting your TV will give you fewer options for changing around your furniture. So, if you are going to mount your TV, make sure you’ve picked the best spot for it and the height and the position are perfect, otherwise, it can be an annoying and costly process to fix.

Electrical costs and inconvenience

If you’re going to mount your TV, it’s essential to have an electrician come in to sort out the wiring. Having unsightly cabling hanging out of the TV after taking the trouble to mount it totally ruins the aesthetic advantage mounting brings and can also be dangerous. At the same time, having your wires hidden into a wall or panel makes it harder to access if you need to change out ports or connect other appliances to your TV, such as a new games console or sound system. Therefore, as good as a mounted TV looks, it can also come with many inconveniences if you’re someone who needs access to the TV’s rear ports often. 

Storage

A clean, minimalist design can be very attractive, but it can also be less than ideal if you have a lot of appliances and accessories such as game consoles, an extensive DVD collection and other items that are part of your entertainment set-up. These things will need separate storage which defeats one of the main purposes of mounting your TV in the first place, to save space and avoid clutter. In this case, an entertainment unit would be a better option as it can bring all your appliances and your TV together with the added convenience of much-needed storage space.

What’s Best for You?

Ultimately, whether you mount your TV or use a TV stand will be decided by a variety of factors. If you’ve got limited space and you don’t want it taken up by bulky furniture, or you have young children or pets, or if you just want your living room to look streamlined and contemporary, then mounting is your best option.

But if you’re renting your home and don’t like the sense of commitment mounting brings, or you have a lot of accessories and need frequent access to your TV, then using a TV stand on an entertainment unit is the way to go.