Choosing the right TV Mount

  So you’re ready to purchase the tv mount for your tv? This is our honest recommendation, as we don’t promote any specific brands.  The type of tv mount is important but mounting flexibility is importanter (kidding). Let’s start over, the flexibility that the mount is able to give you is of higher import since the base plate (mounting plate) size and intended use can impose limitations on where you can and can’t mount the tv. Now if that doesn’t matter much to you (you may want to read our other article“where to mount my tv” “what size tv should I buy?” and “what height should I mount my TV?) then by all means, have at it, buy whatever mount fits your budget. However, if you are a bit more particular and hoping to get the center of your TV in a precise location then the mount of your choosing may impose limitations on that. For starters, what kind of flexibility do you want, are you mounting in an open living space layout? if so, you may want to consider having a mount that allows it to be pulled out from the wall and rotated in different directions to allow for a better viewing experience in different areas of the layout (e.g. from a kitchen or dining space) You may want to buy a mount that accommodates this, which is commonly known as a full motion mount (usually $50-$200), and those vary in their rotation ability, longer arms are available for pulling the tv further out from the wall which allows it to be turned a full 90 degrees to face occupants in another room or separated space. This mount is also useful for other spaces where you may not be able to mount it on the wall due to structural or design limitations, this allows you to mount it on another wall and pull it out in front of you when needed. However, that may not be a requirement. Maybe you’re in a smaller confined space and you’ll only be primarily viewing the TV head on, then a fixed, static, or flat tv mount would be the better option (these usually range from $15-$30 but can sometimes go to $100 for the higher end brands). The mount should be engineered for your tv size, if so, whether it is lower end or higher end doesn’t make much difference in my personal mounting experience. Another important factor to consider the mounting plate size, for maximum flexibility, we do not recommend single stud tv mounts since they greatly reduce where the center of a TV can go due to it being dependent on a single stud location, but these tend to be the cheapest mounts that you can buy. Aim to buy a mount that has a mounting plate large enough to accommodate at least a 24” stud spacing (look up 24” stud spacing TV mount on a search engine) and this goes for both flat/static/fixed mounts as well as the full motion variety. When choosing a brand, I say with all my mounting experience, that the brand doesn’t so much make a difference so long as it is engineered for your size TV; so read the reviews and take a middle ground with regards to price, Amazon.com and Walmart.com will have the best deals while many of the big box stores will be overpriced (mounting dream mounts are rather popular for price and quality). If you need one quickly for a reasonable price, (whispers) Harbor Freight tools usually has them in stock, and they have lots of locations throughout the U.S. Happy Hunting!