When To Mount Your Television and When To Let It Stand
There is a constant debate when designing a room of which is better - a TV stand or a wall mount?
08/09/2019
There’s a debate in the entertainment system world of which is better: a T.V. stand or a wall mount? Now, this is a matter of preference. But as a consumer, before choosing a side, it makes sense to have examples to pull from in order to come to an informed conclusion. Here is a list of a few winning arguments from either side of the line.
Team TV Stand
• Choosing to go with a T.V. stand is a prime choice for certain circumstances. Some might not even like the aesthetics of a wall mount. Some may want to go with the functionality of said stand. Either way, a television stand is a classic approach that’s been around since T.V. was a thing. Here are some situations to help sway you towards getting that stand you’ve been eyeballing.
• Most TV stands are more than just four legs and a base. Many commercial stands are sold as “entertainment centers.” They come fully equipped with everything you need to stabilize your set and then some. The primary selling point for these particular stands is space. Instead of having to find shelving, and storage, and places to put everything, an entertainment center has it all. Even with regular stands, the space around and under the television is a perfect spot to stack your Blu Rays. A stand designates a given area as a TV area. Therefore, everything around it can complement the centerpiece.
• If you're into video games, a stand is the right choice for you. A stand often has compartments or platforms to place your various systems on, be it a DVD player or an Xbox. It keeps the TV low enough to the ground so that wires and cables can be linked directly instead of having to create an intricate network of electric vines inside a wall. Also, a lot of people don't like the look of wires everywhere. They take away from the viewing or playing experience. If you’re connecting to a mounted television, you have a bundle of loose wires extending from the closest electrical socket. We’ve all tripped over one at some point in our lives.
• Stands also lend themselves to a certain aesthetic. Depending on what kind of furniture you have in your home, you can customize and choose designs that solidify the look. An out of place entertainment center or stand, for many, just won’t cut it. It has to fall in line with the central theme. For instance, if you have a home based on contemporary earthen aesthetics, having a wooden stand ads that extra functional touch. It’s seen as an accent--a detail of sorts. There are examples online of people using warehouse pallets as stands. The options are endless when it comes to this.
• A very important reason to get a stand as opposed to mounting your television on a wall, is if you own that wall. Are you allowed to drill holes in it? Is it more of a liability to just go ahead and mount? These are the things one has to keep in mind when doing any modifications to a home. It’s a lot safer to just not touch it. A lot of landlords aren’t the easiest to get ahold of anyway. It’s not worth the headache of trying to contact, wait for a response, or be forced to pay for damages to the wall. Where one decides to put a TV is just too easy of a fix to have to go through that.
Team Wall Mount
• To mount, or not to mount? That is the question. On this side of the big debate, mounting is seen as an everyday modern solution with the advent of flat screens. Stands just seem like an old-timey way of presenting a modern consumer marvel. To those that are admittedly pro-mount, the reasons are pretty clear and quiet one sided. Here are a few to think through:
• If you have small kids or small pets, mounting a television is not only a great way to keep dirt and marker ink off of them, it’s probably a lot safer. In recent years, cases of large pieces of furniture falling on small children have popped up in the news. Most infamously, Ikea dressers were the center of some unwanted attention. Even with televisions today being much lighter than their tube counterparts- people go for much larger options. On top of that, even if nobody gets hurt, it's still an expensive piece of entertainment equipment. It makes a lot of sense to keep it away from potential damage.
• Entertainment systems are elaborate and large. They’re made of tons of material and are often only assembled with professional help. Wall mounts, on the other hand, are simple to use and best of all, inexpensive. A good TV mount doesn’t have to break the bank. The average price for a wall mount is almost a quarter of the cost of a stand of the same quality. We already spent what we spent on the best television around. It seems like a bit of a redundant move to spend just as much on the thing you’re supposed to put the unit on.
• We’ve all plopped down in front of the T.V. in the late afternoon, hoping to catch up on the latest season of our favorite show. But lo and behold, the five o’clock glare lets its quality-sapping presence be known. It may be seen as just a minor annoyance, but the whole reason behind buying a good quality set is to be able to enjoy the picture, unhindered. Good thing most mounts today have a short swivel arm that lets you tilt it slightly in either direction. This way, if there’s a bit of glare on the right, you can just turn it far enough to solve the problem.
• Lastly, wall mounts lend themselves to the sleek and modern aesthetic many young people are going for these days. They’re seamless pieces on a wall, almost like a work of art. The way that they can tie a room together keeps one’s focus at standing eye level, not on the ground or on the stand. And from there, one can set up their entertainment area accordingly.
Whether you choose the stand of the mount, it’s safe to say that it will look great either way. You may be more moved by your wallet, or you may like the utility of a good solid piece of furniture. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Happy shopping!