What TV Unit Size Do I Need?

You have found the perfect TV to realise your ‘Golden Age of Television’ dreams. All that is left now is figure out how to present the slim, crisp, 21st century wonder to the rest of the room (and your visitors of course).

We have found that using the golden ratio works quite well as a rule of thumb for TV to TV stand sizing. When a TV unit width is 1.6 times the width of the television, the two look quite balanced. However, there are some considerations to bear in mind and alternative arrangements which can work very well.

Longer TV Unit Sizes

As the width of a TV unit increases beyond 1.6 times the width of the television, it will appear to have more of a ‘console’ or lowboard look. The Console/Lowboard effect begins to emerge when the unit is about 2 times the width of the TV screen. Lowboards look as though they have more utility than just having a TV on them, so they can also take away the emphasis of a TV (especially a big TV) on the room. They also blend well into the horizontal plane of the room around them more then shorter width units. This can be very useful if the unit is placed across a long stretch of wall, even more so if the wall lacks architectural features and fittings like joinery: windows, doors, dados and panelling, etc.

Shorter TV Unit Sizes

Shrinking the TV unit width below 1.6 times the TV width creates a piece that looks more purpose-built for the television screen. If the preference is for a smaller unit but it has to be placed against a long wall as above, then some more consideration goes into what occupies the space either side of the media unit. A large space either side can make the arrangement appear barren. Consider high shelving units and occasional chairs next to the unit. It is usually better to have a TV unit that is slightly wider than the television, except of course for technical TV stands that are specifically designed to support the TV using minimal space.

Same Size TV Stands

Matching the width of a TV and TV unit can have pleasingly ‘designed’, neat look which can often actually be more appealing than having a slightly larger TV Unit. It is also a great way to conserve space in smaller rooms (or for bigger televisions). Hairpin leg TV stands are a great example of this, combining pleasingly minimal geometry with minimal footprint. Our Hairpin TV Stands can be easily customised to very specific widths for this purpose.

TV Unit Height

There are varying opinions on how high a television should be positioned. Our opinion is that, where possible, the centre of the screen should be no higher than eye level. This is based on aesthetics rather than technical viewing considerations. The smaller the room, the more this is true. The obvious exception to this is a cinema room with an extra large TV screen, as greater consideration has to be given to design and positioning to suit multiple seats, along with the system in place.

Visualiser – See Which Size TV Unit Works

Visualise your television with TV unit sizes by first entering the TV unit dimensions below and then changing the sizes of the furniture width and height to see how the two balance out. Then scroll down to see visualisation. Set the TV size (usually provided in inches diagonally across the screen), to calculate your approximate TV width and height. Note, the size below is an estimate for a 16:9 aspect ratio television. 

We recommend checking manufacturer specifications for the actual width and height size of your chosen TV before ordering your furniture piece, as leg heights and bevels (the frame around the screen) vary from model to model. This can be quite elusive information as the headline statistic is usually the diagonal length from opposing corners of the screen (screen size).