A TV stand should be wider than the television, by at least 3 inches on each side. Because TVs are sold by their diagonal, convert first: a 65 inch TV is about 57 inches wide, so it wants a stand at least 63 inches wide. Height is set by your sofa, not by the stand: the middle of the screen should land near your eye level when you sit, which for a standard seat usually means a stand 24 to 28 inches tall. A depth of 16 to 20 inches holds a soundbar in front of the TV and leaves air behind it.
These are general guidelines rather than an industry standard. Your seating, your room and the TV you actually own decide the final numbers, and the sections below show how to get to them in a few minutes with a tape measure.
Screen width, which is not the number on the box
A 65 inch TV is not 65 inches wide. The size on the box is the diagonal, measured corner to corner across the screen. Stands, on the other hand, are listed by width, so the two numbers never line up on a product page.
For a standard widescreen TV, the width of the screen is roughly 87 percent of the diagonal. That gives these approximate figures, with the stand width that follows from the rule in the next section:
| TV size (diagonal) | Approximate screen width | Minimum stand width |
|---|---|---|
| 55 inch | about 48 inches | 54 inches |
| 65 inch | about 57 inches | 63 inches |
| 75 inch | about 65 inches | 71 inches |
| 85 inch | about 74 inches | 80 inches |
The frame around the screen adds a little, and it varies by model. Before you choose a stand, look up the overall width of your TV in its spec sheet or manual, or measure it, and use that number rather than the table.
The width rule
Take the width of the TV and add at least 6 inches, so there are about 3 inches of stand showing on each side. A TV that is as wide as its stand, or wider, looks top heavy even when it is perfectly stable, and it leaves no room for the small things that end up beside a screen: a remote, a speaker, a plant.
Going wider is almost always fine. A long, low stand under a TV anchors the whole wall and gives the screen something to sit in, which is why a stand that is noticeably wider than the TV tends to look more settled than one that only just clears it. The practical limits are the wall itself and any walkway or door beside it.
One more check before you commit: where the TV's feet land. Many TVs stand on two feet near the outer edges rather than on a single central pedestal, so the footprint can be almost as wide as the screen. The feet need to sit fully on the top, not on an edge or across a gap between two surfaces.
When you have your number, browse our TV cabinets and compare the listed width of each against it.
Height, set by the sofa
The right height for a TV stand has less to do with the stand than with where you sit. The goal is for the middle of the screen to land near your eye level when you are seated, so you look straight ahead rather than up. For a standard sofa seat, that usually works out to a stand 24 to 28 inches tall.
To check it for your own room:
- Sit where you normally watch and have someone measure from the floor to your eyes.
- Look up the height of your TV, including its feet or stand.
- The center of the screen sits at the stand height, plus the height of the feet, plus half the height of the screen. Adjust the stand height until that lands near your eye level.
A low, deep sofa pulls the ideal stand height down; a tall dining-height chair or a bed pushes it up. If the TV is going to be watched from more than one place, size it for the seat you use most. Where the seating goes in the first place is a layout question, covered in our guide to how to lay out a living room.
Depth and what goes behind
A depth of 16 to 20 inches covers most setups. That is enough for the TV's feet, a soundbar in front of them, and some space behind the screen for cables and air.
The air matters more than people expect. TVs, game consoles and streaming boxes all shed heat, and a stand pushed hard against the wall with devices packed inside it has nowhere for that heat to go. If equipment lives inside the stand, look for open shelves or a back that lets cables and air through, and leave a gap between the stand and the wall.
A soundbar should sit in front of the TV feet without blocking the bottom of the screen or the TV's remote sensor. If your soundbar is tall, check its height against the gap between the stand top and the bottom edge of the screen before you buy either.
Sizing for the television after this one
A good stand usually outlives the TV that sits on it, and screens have tended to get bigger with every replacement. A stand sized exactly to today's screen is often the stand that looks too small after the next upgrade.
If you are close to a size boundary, size the stand for the next TV up. Someone with a 55 inch TV today who buys a stand of 63 inches or more has a stand that already fits a 65 inch screen, and it will still look generous under the 55 in the meantime.
Weight, and what the top has to carry
Large TVs are lighter than they used to be, but the top of a stand carries more than the TV: a soundbar, a console, books, a lamp. Look up the weight of your TV in its spec sheet, add what else will sit on the stand, and check the total against the stand you are considering. If a listing does not tell you what you need to know, ask before you order. We will confirm any measurement by email before you commit.
Whatever the stand, follow the TV maker's guidance on securing the set. A tip-over strap that ties the TV to the wall or the stand is a small job and worth doing in any home with children or pets.
Wall-mounted instead
Mounting the TV on the wall is the main alternative, and the trade-off is simple. Mounting frees the floor and lets you set the height precisely. A stand gives you storage, needs no wall work, and moves with you when you move.
Some people split the difference by mounting the screen and running a low cabinet or shelf beneath it for the soundbar and devices. If you are considering a shelf on its own, our guide to whether a TV can sit on a floating shelf covers what that shelf has to carry and how it has to be fixed.
What to measure before you order
Before you order a stand, write down five numbers: the overall width of your TV, the width of its footprint, the height from floor to your eyes when seated, the wall space available, and the depth you can give up without blocking a walkway. Then measure the route the stand has to travel: doorways, hallways, stairwells and elevators. Our guide on how to measure before you order furniture walks through each one.
Every Rootelier piece is made to order, so the sizes on a product page are starting points rather than the only option. If the width, height or depth you need is not listed, send us the three dimensions and the finish you want at support@rootelier.com and we will quote it. We reply to questions about custom work within 1 to 2 business days. Where a cabinet comes in more than one finish, such as oak or walnut tones, those are finish tones on the same solid wood, so the size advice here does not change with the finish.
Frequently asked questions
What size TV stand for a 65 inch TV?
A 65 inch TV is about 57 inches wide, so as a general guide it wants a stand at least 63 inches wide, giving about 3 inches on each side. Wider is fine, and it leaves room for a larger TV later.
What size TV stand for a 75 inch TV?
A 75 inch TV is about 65 inches wide, so look for a stand of at least 71 inches. Check where the TV's feet land, since on many models they sit near the outer edges.
How high should a TV stand be?
High enough that the middle of the screen lands near your eye level when you are seated. For a standard sofa seat that usually means a stand 24 to 28 inches tall, but measure from your own seat to be sure.
How deep should a TV stand be?
Usually 16 to 20 inches. That holds the TV's feet and a soundbar in front of them, with space behind the screen for cables and ventilation.