After a long day at work, there's nothing like curling up on the couch and watching your favorite TV show. To ensure that you have the best TV viewing experience in your living room, bedroom, or conservatory, you should not only have the best TV, but also the best floating TV units on which to place it. But, before rushing out to your neighborhood furniture store and making an illogical buy that will leave you with an ill-fitting TV cabinet, you should take a step back and consider your options.
There are three crucial factors to consider while selecting floating TV sets or units for your home. The size of your TV and the area you want to put it in comes first, followed by your storage needs, and last, the concept and décor of your space. We'll be focusing on all of the above in this blog to assist you choose the best support for your TV in its hour of need. If you can't stand your present TV cabinet or are considering purchasing one for the first time, keep reading for some helpful advice.
The size of your television will have a significant impact on the type of floor-standing TV stand you can purchase. If your television is too large for the matching TV unit, it will not be properly supported and could easily be knocked over or fall. Similarly, if floating TV sets are too large for a living room or bedroom, they can make the space appear smaller and confined, which is why we always recommend double-checking all measurements before making a purchase.
The proper viewing height
Have you ever sat at a computer for an extended period of time only to develop neck pain because the monitor was set too high or too low? I mean, who hasn't? The same regulation applies to televisions. In general, a floor-standing TV unit will sit lower than your couch or armchair, but not to the point of causing strain over time. A wall-mounted cabinet, on the other hand, if placed too high on the wall, will make viewing uncomfortable and develop tension in your neck and head over time. To avoid this, consider the viewing height of your TV before making your final selection on which floating TV sets to buy.
The size and shape of a room
The shape of a room will assist you in determining which TV cabinet will work best in that space. If you have a large living room or bedroom, nearly any form or size will fit and look fine, so there is no need to be concerned. It's a little more difficult if your living room is oddly shaped or even tiny. We recommend putting a corner TV box into the area for this. A corner unit's back is meant to push much further into the room's corner than a stand with a straight edge.
Materials and design
Personality plays a role in style. You can match your existing furniture, such as a coffee table, nest of tables, lamp table, or bookcase, to your new TV entertainment unit, or you can go with something altogether different. It's your choice, but don't forget to think about each material carefully. Wood, for example, is more sturdy but can be costly, whereas glass is more elegant but tends to show every fingerprint, which isn't ideal for small children with sticky fingers.
Last but not least, there's storage. The majority of floating TV units will include additional storage for gaming consoles, satellite boxes, and even remote controls. Closed cabinets can be used to assist hide these things, while open shelving can be used for a brighter, more open look. If you pick open shelving, keep in mind that it's better to under-fill rather than over-fill these shelves, as over-filling can make a room appear congested.
There are as many floating TV units as there are televisions, with a variety of shapes, sizes, and functionalities to choose from; the options can be overwhelming. You'll have to decide what you're going to put that brand new, costly television on at some time, and it won't be a simple milkcrate. It's easy to dismiss the importance of a well-chosen TV stand, but don't overlook the importance of a poorly-chosen stand. The ideal one will give your television the best possible support and security while also adding a touch of beauty to your living space.
Floating TV sets are ideal for raising your TV off the floor and providing you with a much greater viewing angle. They can also provide additional storage space for related things such as DVD players or gaming consoles. Learn everything you need to know about buying TV stands so you can make an informed selection.
Get out the tape measure and measure your TV now if you don't already know the exact dimensions. Measure diagonally across the screen. Keep in mind that, while TV screens are measured diagonally, TV stands are measured by their width. When you have floating TV units and a TV with the same dimensions, the TV stand will be broader than the TV.
Your floating TV units should be at least as broad as your television, though you can go for a much larger TV stand and then center the television on top of it. This can be beneficial because it allows you to place other items such as consoles or decor on each side of the TV. Short, regular, and tall TV stands are all readily available, so choose one that corresponds to the height of your chair and the viewing angle you want.
The most popular materials for floating TV sets are wood and aluminum. A wood TV stand will add a more traditional or rustic feel to your living room, but a metal TV stand will fit into a more modern setting. Maple, oak, cherry, and mahogany are the most common woods used in TV stands. Because of the broad selection of woods available, you can select one that complements your design while remaining within your budget. Metal floating TV units are frequently powder-coated or chrome-plated to improve their appearance.
There are many various varieties of floating TV units available on the market, but entertainment centers, corner TV stands, and TV hutches are the most popular. Entertainment centers are a wonderful alternative if you want TV units with storage. Other objects such as your Sky box, video game consoles, DVD players, games, and DVDs can all be stored in them. The design of these supports makes it simple to connect wires from any of the entertainment center's devices to the TV.
Styles
Choose floating TV units that complement the rest of your home's decor and tie the space together, whether it's a rustic or modern TV stand, or something completely different. Choose a conventional TV stand constructed of solid hardwood for a timeless aesthetic that will never go out of style. Instead, choose a modern TV stand with crisp, sleek lines for a more up-to-date style.
Optional Extras
Shelves, glass doors, and drawers are all frequent additions to TV stands. If you need floating TV units with storage, make sure you have adequate space for all of the devices you need to keep close to your TV, regardless of which option you choose. If you can fit your video library onto your floating TV sets, that's a terrific bonus and a great way to save space.
If you have a few objects of various sizes that you want to fit into your floating TV units, adjustable shelves are a great feature to have. T stands with drawers or glass doors can be beneficial if you want to hide part of the contents in the stand so that all that is visible is the stand and the TV. Make sure the glass on TV stands with glass doors is tempered, as it is more stronger than plain glass and decreases the danger of accidents.
Because most TV stands are made of wood, brown is one of the most common and popular colors for stands. Brown is an excellent choice since it can be used in a variety of color schemes and styles.
Black is a great choice for a contemporary look. While brown and black are the safest color options, especially if you prefer to change up your decor on a regular basis, more unusual colors, depending on the color scheme in your living room, can also work well.
Choosing the correct TV cabinet will guarantee that you have enough storage for all of your TV room accessories as well as a comfortable watching experience. Here are some pointers to help you choose the best TV cabinet for you and your house.
What exactly are floating television units?
Floating TV units are big pieces of furniture that contain the television and other associated items. Cabinets, drawers, and shelves for the TV signal box, gaming devices, and other critical items may be included in TV sets.
TV cabinets are available in a wide range of sizes and materials to complement any décor style. TV cabinets are often fairly large and are not advised for tiny rooms because their size may take up too much space.
TV cabinet designs have changed in recent years to allow you to mount your television. Choose a TV cabinet with flat screen panel mounts if you still want to have a TV cabinet that encases the TV.
Before you go out and buy floating TV sets, you need figure out how much space you have for your TV. If your TV's size is determined by a diagonal measurement, you'll need to measure it from corner to corner to figure out what size cabinet you'll need. Make sure to measure the depth of the television to guarantee that it will fit on the TV cabinet's mounts.
After that, you'll need to take measurements of the room to see how much floor space you have for your floating TV units. Make sure there is enough space between the room's corners and the TV cabinet so that you can enjoy your TV viewing experience. The floating TV sets should ideally be placed in the middle of the wall, with plenty of room on either side. You should also measure the height of your furniture to ensure that the TV cabinet will position the TV at a reasonable viewing height for you to watch TV from your couch or recliner without straining your neck.
Many different materials, including wood and metal, are used to create floating TV units. When choosing floating TV units, choose one that is built of a material that complements the rest of your room's decor. If the rest of your room's furnishings is made of metal, go with that. A TV cabinet built of a matched hardwood is an excellent choice if the décor includes hardwoods. The TV cabinet should, ideally, blend in with the rest of the room. If you don't want your TV cabinet to stick out, don't go for too strong a design.
When choosing floating TV units for your house, be sure they can support the weight of the TV as well as any other goods you intend to keep. To ensure that it is structurally solid and won't collapse with the weight of the contents, choose a TV cabinet that is sturdy and uses dependable construction. In addition, you should budget for a TV cabinet to cost at least a reasonable amount of money. In most cases, low-cost TV cabinets do not provide the necessary support for your devices.
What's the difference between a TV stand and floating TV sets, for starters? While the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, we distinguish them by stating that a TV stand's primary function is to hold your television, and nothing else. It will usually consist of just a single shelf or holder, though there may be additional shelf or two for another device. A TV cabinet, on the other hand, is a larger piece of furniture that can accommodate additional equipment, such as TV streamers, soundbars, and so on.
1. Storage Areas
The first thing you should think about is what you're going to put on your TV stand/cabinet – how many other gadgets do you have besides your TV? Consider not only the gadgets you have now, but also those you might acquire in the near future.
As a result, many individuals nowadays opt for a soundbar instead of the TV's modest speakers. Typically, you'll want to put it directly beneath your floating TV units. Do you have a packaged streamer? Do you have a Freeview box of your own? How about a video game console? What about a VCR? (Of course, I'm joking... but if you do, it's time to acquire a VHS to DVD converter!)
Make sure there's enough room for at least ONE MORE package. So, if you have two "boxes" that need to be placed under your TV right now, get a cabinet that can hold at least three.
Many boxes/soundbars still use Infrared remotes, which means you can't hide them behind a cabinet door/glass unless they're special Infrared pass-through doors (and some of our picks here do have those.)
The "optimal" height for your TV, according to experts, is when the center of the screen is at eye level. It can also be a little lower than you – but higher is usually negative and can cause neck strain. Still, a lot of it boils down to personal preference - expert opinion is good and dandy, but if you've been watching TV for 30 years, you're used to it.
Some floating TV units allow you to adjust the height of the TV, while others just position the TV (with the stand it came with) on top of the shelf/cabinet, ensuring that the height is fixed and cannot be modified (unless you use a stack of phone books, which we strongly advise against).
So, at home, lay down on your sofa and use a measuring tape to determine how high your TV should be to be more or less at eye level.
The days of 32-inch televisions in our living rooms are numbered, as large flat-screen televisions become increasingly affordable. However, a larger screen necessitates a larger TV stand/cabinet, as well as one that can support the increased weight of the larger screen.
While flat screens today weigh a fraction of what big-bellied televisions did in the past, they're still rather hefty, so be sure the cabinet you're buying can handle them (the enormous Sky Glass, Sky's streaming TV, weighs 35kgs with its stand!).
The maximum size of the screen that most floating TV sets can hold is usually specified. In general, the cabinet should be WIDER than the real TV (not simply the TV's base/stand) to ensure that everything is sturdy. Electronic equipment generate heat, with some producing more than others. In the cold, a gaming console, for example, can keep your hands toasty. However, these boxes require space for their cooling systems and fans to vent air out, so make sure your cabinet has adequate area BEHIND where the box will be placed. Even better, the back is open, allowing air to freely circulate behind the box.
Returning to the subject of cords and wires, if you don't want an unsightly mass of tangled cords behind your lovely cabinet, look for one with a cable management option. The most popular method is to drill holes in the rear of the cabinet's main section, through which all wires pass and up to the floating TV units. It isn't ideal, but it is an improvement over nothing (An even better solution is a cable tidy box).
The list goes on and on – some cabinets even have built-in lighting (which I love, although it may draw your attention away from the TV). Some have infrared-compatible cabinet doors, while others have wheels — Decide on your NEEDS first, and then look for the extras.
The same goes for the material – some floating TV units are made of wood, MDF, plastic, tempered glass, and so on – but keep in mind that if you have small children, glass may not be the ideal option.