How to Choose the Right TV Stand

By Veiko Kallas, co-founder of JALG. Originally published: 2 July 2024. Updated: 18 August 2026.

To choose the right TV stand, measure your TV's actual width rather than its diagonal screen size, check its weight and VESA pattern, position the centre of the screen near seated eye level, and choose a stand that fits both your room proportions and your storage needs.

Most people look at the screen size in inches and assume that's the width they need to buy for. It isn't.

A 55-inch TV is usually only about 48 inches wide once you measure the actual frame. That gap between the advertised size and the real dimensions is where most sizing mistakes happen.

This guide covers what actually matters: getting the size and height right, the features worth checking before you buy, and picking a material and style that will still look right in ten years, not just on the day it arrives.

How to measure your TV properly

Ignore the screen size on the box.

Grab a tape measure and measure the television itself, edge to edge, including the bezel and the frame: width first, then height. A 55-inch TV, for reference, usually measures about 48 inches wide and 27 inches tall including the screen and bezel; the legs or base will add a little more height.

Then check where the feet or base actually sit, since some televisions use a centre pedestal while others sit on two feet set wide apart. This matters more than people expect, because a stand only needs to be wide enough to hold the real base, not the full width of the screen.

Depth is worth a moment too.

Measure how far the TV's feet sit forward from the wall and add a few centimetres for cables, since a stand that's wide enough but too shallow will still leave you fighting cables behind the television every time you move something.

What size TV stand do I need?

For a conventional TV cabinet, where the television rests on its own feet, choosing a surface about 3 inches wider than the television on each side usually looks most balanced and keeps the feet fully supported.

JALG TV stands work differently: the television mounts to the stand using VESA-compatible brackets rather than resting on its feet, so the stand doesn't need to be wider than the screen. What matters instead is your TV's VESA pattern, screen size and weight, covered in the sizing table below.

Undersized stands look unstable and can genuinely tip, which matters more than it sounds if you have children or pets running around the living room. Oversized ones throw off the room's balance.

Your TV size	Actual TV width (approx.)	JALG collection	Fits
42″–54″	37–48″	Regular Collection	Compact living rooms and bedrooms
55″	48″	Regular or XL, depending on preferred height and proportions	Most standard living rooms
56″–77″	49”–67″	XL Collection	Larger screens, tested to hold TVs up to 45 kg

If your television sits right on the boundary between two rows, size up rather than down. A stand that's slightly too generous still looks intentional. One that's slightly too small never quite does.

It's also worth buying a little ahead of your current television rather than exactly for it. Screens tend to get larger over the years, not smaller. For conventional TV cabinets, sizing slightly wider gives you more flexibility if you upgrade to a larger screen later. For a VESA-mounted floor stand, choose a model whose supported screen size, VESA pattern and weight capacity cover both your current TV and any likely future upgrade.

Getting the height right

The centre of your screen should sit at, or just below, eye level when you're sitting on the sofa.

Measure your seated eye height (most people are around 44 inches (111 cm) from the floor), then subtract half the TV's actual height. Take a 24-inch-tall TV as an example: half its height is 12 inches, so subtract that from a 44-inch eye level. This gives you an approximate target for the bottom edge of the television – 32 inches.

For a TV resting on its own feet, account for the height of the feet or pedestal. For a VESA-mounted floor stand, adjust the mounting position so the centre of the screen sits at or slightly below seated eye level.

If you'd rather not do the arithmetic yourself, a TV mounting height calculator will do it for you.

For more on getting this exactly right, including what to do if your sofa is unusually high or low, we've written a separate guide to optimal TV mounting height.

Viewing distance

Distance matters as much as height.

Viewing distance depends on screen size, resolution and personal preference. For a 55-inch 4K TV, around 1.7–2.3 metres is a useful starting range, but you can sit closer or further away depending on how immersive you want the picture to feel.

Higher-resolution 4K and 8K sets let you sit closer without losing picture quality, which matters if your room is on the smaller side. The reverse is also true: a large TV with a lower resolution can look pixelated if you sit too close, so match the distance to the resolution, not just the screen size.

RTINGS' viewing distance calculator is a good second check if your layout is unusual, an L-shaped room or a sofa set at an angle, for instance.

Features worth checking before you buy

Beyond size and height, a handful of features decide whether a stand actually improves your living space or just sits there holding a television.

• VESA compatibility: JALG floor TV stands mount the television using VESA-compatible brackets, so check that your TV's VESA pattern, screen size and weight fall within the supported specifications. You can find the full measurements on our VESA compatibility page.
• Soundbar brackets: ours come as standard, not as an accessory you pay for later. It's a small thing until you've bought a soundbar and discovered your existing stand has nowhere sensible to put it. If you ever need a replacement bracket or an extra set, our accessories collection has them.
• Weight capacity: large televisions are heavier than they look, often well over 20 kg once you include the stand fittings. Check the manufacturer's rated capacity rather than assuming any stand will hold any TV. Our XL Collection is tested to 45 kg for exactly this reason.
• Cable management: look for stands with a genuine gap or cutout at the back, not just open space underneath. It's the difference between a tidy setup and one you're rearranging every few months.

Choosing a TV stand style to match your room

TV stands broadly fall into a few families.

Scandinavian and mid-century designs favour clean lines, tapered legs and visible wood grain; the stand is meant to look like furniture, not equipment.

Minimalist stands go further still, built around neutral colours; white, grey and light oak tones work particularly well, and the fewest possible shapes, so the television is the only thing your eye actually lands on.

If you'd rather the stand be a visible feature than something that disappears into the room, a darker piece such as walnut does that job well against pale walls.

More traditional cabinets sit at the other end, with doors that hide everything away and a heavier, more formal presence.

The room itself should decide more of this than personal taste alone.

In a smaller apartment, a lower, narrower stand keeps the space feeling open. In a large, open-plan living room, a wider stand actually helps; it anchors the seating area and stops the television from looking lost against a big wall.

For a bedroom, a lower stand tends to look more proportional against a bed-height sightline. It also works well tucked beside a corner fireplace for movie nights or a lazy Sunday watching sport.

Our wooden TV stands are designed to sit comfortably in most Scandinavian, Japandi or mid-century rooms without fighting the rest of your furniture.

Storage and cable management

Before choosing between open shelving and closed cabinets, count what you actually need to store: a streaming box, a games console, maybe a soundbar receiver.

Open shelving keeps these accessible and lets heat escape, which matters for anything that runs warm during long use.

Closed storage hides clutter and keeps everything dust-free, which is useful if you've got a lot of small accessories, remotes, cables or the odd game case that never look tidy left out. Just check there's still room for cables and airflow behind whatever door or panel you choose; a games console sealed into a cabinet with no ventilation will run hotter than it should.

Most people don't need to choose one or the other.

A shelf for the console and a drawer for the remotes and the mess work better in practice than committing fully to open or fully to closed.

If you're setting up specifically for gaming, depth matters more than it does for a simple streaming box. Allow roughly 35–40 cm of usable shelf depth for many current models, plus space for cables, a power strip and adequate airflow. Always follow the console manufacturer's ventilation recommendations.

What is the best material for a TV stand?

TV stands come in a wide range of materials, and it's worth understanding the landscape before we explain why we've narrowed our range to four.

• Wood is the classic choice: teak, acacia, Indian rosewood, mango wood and reclaimed wood all turn up regularly, valued for being sturdy and relatively affordable. Bamboo is a newer entrant, prized for growing quickly and for being surprisingly strong for its weight.
• Glass, usually tempered or laminated, offers a sleek, modern look and can carry more weight than it appears.
• Metal, typically steel or aluminium, leans industrial and minimalist, combining strength with a sharp, clean profile.
• Acrylic is lightweight, transparent and shatter-resistant. Concrete is the most dramatic option, heavy and sturdy enough to be a genuine style statement in the right room, and recycled plastics are a newer, more sustainable alternative.
• At the premium end, furniture makers often use slower-grown, denser hardwoods, such as oak, birch or walnut.

Why we only offer four materials

It would be easy to add MDF or laminate to the range and call it a choice.

We haven't, deliberately.

MDF and particleboard are cheaper to work with, but they swell if they ever get damp, and unlike solid wood, they can't be sanded back or refinished if the surface gets damaged. That makes them a poor trade for furniture meant to hold a heavy television for the next decade.

Every material we do use has to earn its place: solid enough to hold that weight for years and honest enough that the grain, the weight and the finish are the real thing, not a veneer standing in for it.

That's a smaller range than most furniture sites offer.

It's also, we think, a more useful one: four materials you can actually tell apart, rather than twelve variations on the same laminate.

Materials: oak, walnut, birch or acrylic

We only work with four materials, deliberately, rather than offering everything. Each does a different job.

Material	Character	Best for
Oak Also available in: Oak Yakisugi	Warm, medium tone, natural oil-wax finish	Most living rooms; ages well and can be re-oiled
Walnut	Rich, dark grain	Rooms where the stand is meant to be a statement piece
Birch Also available in: White & Black	Pale, glossy Nordic finish	Brighter rooms and true Scandinavian interiors
Acrylic Clear Also available in: Red, Green & Blue	Transparent, lightweight	Small spaces where you want the furniture to visually disappear

Oak, walnut and birch are all durable solid hardwoods suitable for long-term furniture use. Oak is known for its pronounced grain and robust feel, walnut for its richer, darker appearance, and birch for its lighter, smoother look.

For a TV stand, all three can provide excellent longevity when properly cared for, so the choice is usually more about colour, grain and interior style than durability alone.

Unlike laminate or MDF, solid wood can be sanded back and refinished if it develops a scratch or watermark over the years, meaning a well-cared-for stand can genuinely outlast the television sitting on it.

The Oak Yakisugi model is finished using yakisugi, a traditional Japanese method of preserving wood by charring its surface with fire. This signature black TV stand in JALG's Limited Edition collection reflects a deep appreciation for Japanese furniture craftsmanship and detailing.

Acrylic, used in JALG's newer product line, is a transparent, lightweight material valued for its strength, stiffness, optical clarity and impact resistance.

Optimise placement in your room

Proper placement of your TV stand can greatly enhance your viewing experience.

• Position the TV at an angle where sunlight or indoor lighting won't cause glare.
• Avoid placing it directly in front of a window to prevent reflections and glare.
• Position it across from your sofa, so it becomes a natural focal point rather than an afterthought.

In a bedroom, a stand tucked beside a corner fireplace creates a cosy setup, perfect for movie nights or a lazy afternoon watching sport.

Centre the middle of the TV with the middle of your largest seating area for a balanced look; it's not just about aesthetics, it also means everyone in the room gets a clear view of the screen, not just whoever's sitting dead centre.

Skip mounting above the fireplace too; tempting as it is, the height is almost always higher than the eye level we covered earlier, and the viewing angle suffers.

Keep the TV away from busy walking areas so it's not a constant distraction, and away from radiators or vents so neither heat nor cold shortens its life.

Styling your TV stand

Decorating your TV stand can add a personal touch and make your living space more inviting.

• Vary the details: mix decor items that differ in height, material, colour and shape; a tall vase next to a stack of books or a small sculpture reads better than a row of matching objects.
• Coordinate with the hardware: match your decor loosely to the stand's hardware colour rather than fighting it, for a more cohesive look.
• Keep it to three or four pieces: beyond that, it starts looking cluttered rather than styled.
• Use faux plants: a fair shortcut for colour and life if you'd rather not keep anything alive that close to the cables.
• Pick vases that suit the room: rather than whatever was nearest in the shop, so the styling matches the rest of your decor.

Explore other types of TV stands

A floor-standing TV stand isn't the only option, and it's worth knowing the wider landscape even if JALG only makes one part of it.

• Floating stands: mount to the wall and free up the floor entirely, usually with cable routing built into the wall plate.
• Corner TV stands: nest into an unused corner, useful in a small room, though you trade some storage for the tighter footprint.
• Media chests and TV consoles: lower, simpler pieces built mainly to hold the television with a little storage beneath.
• Bedroom stands: tend to sit lower again, for the reasons covered above.
• Entertainment centres and armoires: add substantial cabinet space at the larger end, sometimes tall enough to reach the ceiling, and occasionally built around an electric fireplace for extra warmth.

If you're set on wall-mounting the television instead and only need somewhere for the components, our guide to comparing different types of TV stands covers the trade-offs in more depth.

Whichever you choose, width and weight capacity are the two figures worth checking twice. Our TV stand safety guide covers the tip-over risks that come from getting either wrong.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few sizing and buying mistakes come up again and again.

• Buying to the screen size, not the actual width: covered above, but worth repeating, it's the single most common mistake, and the easiest to avoid with a tape measure.
• Ignoring weight capacity: a beautiful stand is no use if it can't safely hold your television long-term, so check the rating, not just the price.
• Choosing depth as an afterthought: a shallow stand looks sleek in photos and becomes a daily frustration once you're trying to fit a console and a soundbar behind it.
• Buying for today's TV only: screens get bigger, not smaller, so a little extra width now usually saves you from buying twice.
• Matching the stand to the sofa, not the room: a stand that looks perfect next to your seating can still look wrong from the doorway, so stand back and look at the whole wall before deciding.

Ready to choose your TV stand?

Get the width and height right first; that's what stops a stand from looking wrong or, worse, becoming unstable. After that, it's really about matching material and style to the room you actually have, not the room in a photograph.

Still unsure of the numbers for your own room?

Our guide to measuring your space for a TV stand goes through it step by step. Once you've got them, browse the Regular Collection or XL Collection to find the size and finish that fits.

Frequently asked questions

How do I measure my TV to find the correct TV stand size?

Measure the real width and height of your TV, not the diagonal screen size. Use a tape measure from the left to the right edge of the frame, and from the base to the top of the bezel.

What is the ideal width for a TV stand?

For a conventional TV cabinet, a few inches wider than the TV on each side is a safe default. For a VESA-mounted floor stand such as JALG, the stand does not need to be wider than the screen; check VESA compatibility, screen size and weight capacity instead.

How do I calculate the optimal height for my TV stand?

Measure your seated eye level, then subtract half your TV's height. The result gives you an approximate target for the bottom of the TV. Then account for the TV's feet or the mounting position on a VESA-mounted stand.

What is the recommended viewing distance for my TV?

Viewing distance varies by screen size, resolution and personal preference. For a 55-inch 4K TV, around 1.7–2.3 metres is a useful starting range. Higher-resolution TVs can generally be viewed comfortably from closer distances.

What features should I look for in a TV stand?

Look for VESA compatibility (so the stand holds your TV securely), supported TV weight and screen size, soundbar compatibility, and real cable management rather than just open space underneath.

Is it okay if the TV stand is narrower than the TV?

It can be, as long as the TV's actual base or feet sit fully on the surface and the weight capacity is sufficient. It's more about the base width than the screen width.

For conventional TV cabinets, a stand slightly wider than the television usually looks most balanced. For VESA-mounted floor TV stands: the stand doesn't need to be wider than the screen; VESA compatibility, screen size and weight capacity are the key measurements.

Are JALG TV stands VESA-compatible?

Yes, every JALG stand is built to standard VESA mounting patterns. Check our VESA compatibility page for the exact specifications for your television.

How much weight can a TV stand hold?

It depends entirely on the stand. JALG Regular stands support TVs up to 30 kg (66 lb), while XL stands support TVs up to 45 kg (99 lb). Always check both the TV's weight and VESA compatibility before installation.

Can I fit a games console behind my TV stand?

Yes, as long as there's enough depth and airflow. Allow roughly 35–40 cm of usable shelf depth for current-generation consoles, plus room behind for cables, and avoid sealing everything into a closed cabinet with no ventilation.

What should I consider when choosing the material for my TV stand?

Oak, walnut and birch are all durable solid hardwoods suitable for long-term furniture use. Oak has a more pronounced grain, walnut a richer, darker appearance, and birch a lighter, smoother look. Acrylic is a good choice when you want the stand to feel visually light and unobtrusive.

Still unsure? Read more on our blog.