# How high to mount a TV: the height chart by size, and the angle behind it

Source: https://specwiseguide.com/tv-mounting-height/
Updated: 2026-11-13 · By SMART SC Editorial Team

**Short answer:** **Mount the TV so the center of the screen is at seated eye height, about 40–42 in from the floor** for a typical sofa. That puts the **bottom of the screen** about **31 in** up for a 43-inch TV, **28–29 in** for 55, **26 in** for 65, **24 in** for 75 and **21 in** for 85. Measure your own eye height sitting down and adjust. Every 10 in higher adds about **5–6° of upward gaze** from 8–10 ft; screen ergonomics guidance puts comfortable viewing **slightly below** eye level, not above it. In bedrooms, mount to where your eyes are in bed.

## Key takeaways

- **Rule:** screen center = seated eye height (≈40–42 in on most sofas).
- Bottom of the screen = center height − half the screen height (chart below).
- Most people mount too high: a center at 60 in means looking up ~12° from 8 ft for the whole film.
- To set the bracket, measure from the TV's top edge to its top VESA holes: the bracket height follows from that, not from the TV's center.

The most common mounting mistake is hanging the TV where a picture would go, at standing eye level. You watch a TV sitting down, for hours, so its height should come from where your eyes are on the sofa.

## The rule: screen center at seated eye height

Sit where you'll watch and have someone measure from the floor to your eyes. On a typical sofa that's **about 40 in**, give or take a few inches with seat height and posture. Put the **center of the screen** there, or up to a couple of inches above if the TV has to clear a console.

Why the center and not the top? For an office monitor, OSHA's guidance is to keep the **top of the screen at or below eye level** and the center **15–20° below** horizontal. A TV across the room can't do both: a 65-inch screen is 32 in tall, so its top would have to sit at eye level and its bottom near the floor. Centering the screen on your eyes is the practical compromise: you look slightly up at the top edge and slightly down at the bottom, and your neck stays neutral. We're applying office guidance by analogy here, but the direction of the advice holds: **lower is more comfortable than higher.**

## Mounting height chart by TV size

With the screen center at 42 in (40 in eyes, plus a little clearance):

| TV size | Screen height | Bottom of screen | Top of screen | TV body height (models we list) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 in | 21.1 in | 31.5 in | 52.5 in | 22–22.2 in |
| 50 in | 24.5 in | 29.7 in | 54.3 in | 25.4–25.6 in |
| 55 in | 27 in | 28.5 in | 55.5 in | 27.7–28.2 in |
| 65 in | 31.9 in | 26.1 in | 57.9 in | 32.4–33.1 in |
| 75 in | 36.8 in | 23.6 in | 60.4 in | 37.7–38 in |
| 85 in | 41.7 in | 21.2 in | 62.8 in | 42.2–43 in |

Screen heights are for a 16:9 picture of the nominal size. The TV's body is a little taller than its screen, by the bezel and on some sets a speaker strip along the bottom; the last column gives the range across the models in our [spec database](/tv-models/). Use your own eye height in place of 40 in: if you measure 44 in, add 4 in to every number.

For an 85-inch TV the bottom of the screen ends up about 21 in from the floor, lower than many people expect, and lower than most consoles are tall. That's fine: if you want furniture underneath, choose a low one, or a TV on its stand on a low console ([TV stands by size](/tv-stands/85-inch-tv/)).

## What "too high" costs: viewing angles

How far you look up or down depends on the distance and on how far the screen's center is above your eyes (40 in assumed):

| Screen center height | From 6 ft | From 8 ft | From 10 ft | From 12 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 in | 3° down | 2° down | 2° down | 2° down |
| 42 in | 2° up | 1° up | 1° up | 1° up |
| 48 in | 6° up | 5° up | 4° up | 3° up |
| 55 in | 12° up | 9° up | 7° up | 6° up |
| 60 in | 16° up | 12° up | 9° up | 8° up |
| 65 in | 19° up | 15° up | 12° up | 10° up |

(Diagram: Side view to scale: a 65-inch TV centered at 42 in and the same TV hung with its center at 65 in, seen from a sofa 10 ft away with seated eyes at 40 in.)

A few degrees above eye level is barely noticed; above about 10°, through a whole film, most people feel it in the neck. The closer the seat, the more height costs, which is why the same mounting height that works across a large room feels high in a small one. The worst case is a TV over a fireplace: see [TV above a fireplace](/tv-above-fireplace/) for that geometry and the pull-down mounts that fix it.

## Bedrooms, kitchens and standing rooms

- **Bedroom:** your eyes are higher in bed (sitting up against a headboard) or the head is tilted back (reclining). Measure in the position you watch from and center the screen there; a **tilting mount** angled down a few degrees lets a higher TV face your eyes. See [best TV for a bedroom](/best-tv-for-bedroom/) for size.
- **Kitchen or bar, watched standing:** use standing eye height, measured, and expect a smaller screen viewed from closer.
- **Two seating heights** (sofa and bar stools): favour the one used for long viewing, or use a **full-motion mount** and change the angle ([mount types](/tv-wall-mount-types/)).
- **Gaming close to the screen:** at 5–6 ft every inch of height counts double; keep the center at or slightly below eye height.

## From screen height to bracket height

The mount doesn't attach to the TV's center: it attaches to the **VESA holes** on the back, and they're rarely centered vertically. To place the wall plate:

1. Decide the height of the **TV's top edge**: screen center + half the TV body height (the model's height without stand, on its [model page](/tv-models/)).
2. On the TV, measure **from the top edge down to the top row of VESA holes**.
3. Note how far the mount's **TV brackets** sit above or below those holes once hung on the wall plate (the mount's instructions give it; many also lift the TV slightly as it hooks on).
4. Mark the wall plate position from those numbers, find the studs (16 in apart in most US walls), and check level before the second bolt.

For a heavy TV or metal studs, read [mounting a TV on metal studs](/tv-mount-metal-studs/) first. A mount rated for at least the TV's weight, screwed into studs or masonry with the supplied fixings, is the safety part; a TV on furniture instead should be strapped to the wall, as the CPSC's [Anchor It](https://www.anchorit.gov/) campaign urges.

## Checklist

- [ ] Measure seated eye height in the main seat.
- [ ] Screen center at that height (up to ~2 in above).
- [ ] Bottom-of-screen height from the chart, adjusted for your eye height.
- [ ] Soundbar space below the TV: 2–3 in gap plus the bar's height ([soundbar size](/soundbar-size-for-tv/)).
- [ ] Bracket position from the VESA holes, not the TV's center.
- [ ] Studs or masonry found; mount rated for the TV's weight.

## Frequently asked questions

### How high should a TV be mounted?

With the center of the screen at your seated eye height, usually 40–42 in from the floor. For a 65-inch TV that puts the bottom of the screen about 26 in up and the top about 58 in up.

### How high should a 65-inch TV be mounted?

Center at about 42 in, so the bottom of the screen sits about 26 in from the floor (a 65-inch screen is about 32 in tall). The TV's lower edge sits a little lower, by the bottom bezel.

### How high should a 55-inch TV be mounted?

Center at about 42 in, bottom of the screen about 28–29 in from the floor. A 55-inch screen is about 27 in tall.

### How high to mount a TV in a bedroom?

Higher than in a living room, because your eyes are higher in bed: sit or recline as you would to watch, measure from the floor to your eyes, and put the screen's center there. Tilt the TV down a few degrees if it ends up above that.

### Is it bad to mount a TV too high?

It's uncomfortable rather than harmful in the short term: looking up for hours strains the neck. Ergonomics guidance for screens puts the comfortable gaze 15–20° below eye level, so a screen above eye level is the opposite of what it recommends.

### How high should a TV be above a soundbar?

Keep the screen at eye height and fit the soundbar below it, 2–3 in under the TV's bottom edge. If the bar won't fit below, it's better on the console than raising the TV.

## Sources

- [OSHA eTool, Computer workstations: monitors (top of screen at or below eye level; center 15–20° below)](https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/components/monitors)
- [U.S. CPSC, Anchor It! (TV and furniture tip-over prevention)](https://www.anchorit.gov/)