Choosing the Best TV Wall Mount
Mounting your tv to the wall is not only a great space-saver but can also be a better viewing experience tailored for your space.
Done right, mounting your tv to the wall can also be a safer option, especially if you have smaller children. Today’s flat panel televisions are at higher risk of tipping over. A mounted tv can also minimize risk to any drunk or clumsy friends in the Man Cave.
Even though modern technology has made televisions thinner and lighter, they have also made them bigger. They are still heavy and of course, large enough to cause damage.
With all this in mind, let’s get started.
The Wall Matters Most
Before buying a tv wall mount, make sure the wall can handle it. Seems rather obvious but making sure the wall is strong enough is critical for the safety of yourself, your loved ones and your television.
Most all television wall mounts are compatible with your typical stud and drywall construction. They generally come complete with all the components you’ll need for a good installation. However, it’s up to you to determine what kind of wall you’re dealing with.
Additional hardware and materials may be needed to insure a safe installation. Make sure your wall can handle the size and weight of your tv.
What is VESA and Why is it Important?
VESA stands for the Video Electronics Standards Association. Seems like there’s an association for everything these days doesn’t it? In our case the VESA standard refers to the 4-hole mounting pattern on the back of most modern televisions.
In other words, you need to know that the tv wall mount holes line up with the holes on the back of your television.
Therefore, you need to know your VESA pattern to select the right tv wall mount. You can usually find this information in the specifications of your tv. Just make sure the tv and the wall mount have compatible VESA hole patterns.
The Different TV Wall Mounts
Let’s talk about the types of tv wall mounts available.
Basically, there are three types of wall mounts. Fixed, tilting, and full motion. Which one is best depends on how you plan on using your TV.
The Fixed TV Wall Mount
A fixed mount is pretty much what you think. It holds your television is a fixed position and does not let you tilt or otherwise move the tv around to different positions.
A fixed tv wall mount is a good choice if you want to optimize your viewing without the risk of someone else moving your dialed-in position.
The down side can mean that re-arranging your room may require relocation of the tv and also the fact that some mounts may not have a lot of room behind them, thus making it harder to deal with cables. This just means you may have to attach all cables before mounting.
The Tilting TV Wall Mount
The tilting mount lets you adjust the viewing angle of your television. This comes in handy if you’re having to or wanting to hang your television higher on the wall. You can adjust the angle so you get the best picture quality.
Some of these types of mounts can also swivel. However, the amount of swivel can vary depending on the model you choose.
The Full Motion TV Wall Mount
Last but not least, we have the full motion or fully articulating tv mounts. You may have your reasons for wanting a fixed or tilting mount, but for our money, you can’t beat a full motion mount.
It gives you the option to adjust your view in many directions, not to mention the ability to move the tv forward or against the wall. The versatility is perfect for those of us that may move around the man cave a little more.
You also have the added benefit of being able to work on all your cabling and wiring more easily.
Note that some larger televisions may require a two arm wall mount to accommodate the weight. But they do make them.
Summary
Those are the basic three common mounts. However, they do make specialized mounts that let you hang your tv from the ceiling or corner of your room. As long as you select a mount that matches your television, you should be fine.
As far as choosing the right one goes, there are many, many tv wall mounts on the market. Now that you know a little more about the kinds of mounts and how they work you can hopefully do a little homework to choose the right one for you.
We do recommend paying attention to how many good reviews a product has. The more the better. In that regard, we think Amazon is the place to go for the best rated tv mounts and best sellers.
We’ve provided a link below that will take you straight to their Best Sellers list to hopefully help you narrow your search a bit.
Note: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
