When you ask your friends and family about the height of their TV stand you are likely to get either an odd look or a shrug. While we don’t often consider how exactly we watch TV, the way we do can influence how comfortable we feel. After all, you don’t want your neck to get stiff after hours of watching TV just because your television is too high up.
But if you have a TV stand, how can you add a bit of height so you don’t need to crane your neck when watching television. Here are some top tips on how to increase the height of a TV stand.
What’s the Best Height for a TV?
Before we take a look at how to increase the height of your TV desk, we need to find out first what the best height for your TV is.
The general rule of thumb for the best TV height is that the screen should be positioned just slightly below eye level. It is recommended that your TV height is around 42 inches but this depends on the height of your chairs or sofa.
You can easily find out the right setup for you when you measure the distance from the floor to your eye level height when you are sitting on your sofa or chair. Then subtract half of the TV’s height, and the ideal height for your TV stand will then be roughly in the middle of the difference.
How to Increase the Height of your Existing TV Stand?
When you want to increase the height of your TV stand, you should ensure first that there are no customized options on the stand or the TV to increase the height.
Check Your TV Stand
Start by pulling out your TV stand from the wall, and check behind the unit if there are any adjustment brackets that might allow you to raise the height. If the stand is adjustable, you can simply lift the base to the height you need and secure it with fasteners.
Here each TV stand is different, for example for some you need to loosen some screws, then lift the base and tighten the screws again. You can also check the TV stand manual or instructions from the supplier to see if there is a way to raise your stand.
Check your TV
Next up is your television. You can ask someone to help you, or carefully turn the TV on its back to check if there is a way to adjust the height of the television legs.
Most TVs however have static standard size legs, but while you are here, you should also have a close look if you can see any mounting holes along the lower edge of the television. This could give you the option to connect a platform stand, increasing the TV height in this way.
Once you checked your television and TV stand and found no in-built options to increase the height, you can start to consider other ways. Depending on what you want, budget and the design of your room, these can range from easy DIY to more expensive wall mounts. Below are a few options on how you can add height to your TV stand.
Legs
Adding legs to your TV stand can be as easy or complicated as you like it to be. If your TV stand currently does not have legs, you may want to consider adding legs to give it a bit more height. The height of the legs will depend on how much higher up you want your television to be.
Wooden Blocks
Similar to the leg option, adding wooden blocks of any color or size under your TV is a quick and easy way to increase the height of your television. You can use wood that matches your existing furniture and simply cut the blocks to exactly the size you need.
Wheels
Adding wheels under your TV stand is not only a practical option to raise your stand, but it gives you much more flexibility if you want to move your television around.
You need to make sure that you get four wheels that are sturdy enough to hold the weight of your TV stand as well as the television. Ideally, you should use metal wheels. They also give your TV stand a vintage look.
Pallets or Crates
If you need to add more than one inch in height to your TV stand, you should consider this rustic option. Putting pallets or crates under your stand, or even on top of it, can increase the TV height significantly.
Platform Stand
Originally only used for computer screens, platform stands or TV risers are now available in all shapes, sizes and designs. TV riser stands are easily put on top of your TV stand and fixed in place. This non-DIY option gives your TV stand an additional inch or two in height.
TV Mount
There are any number of different TV mounts. Most mounts can be installed on the wall, while others are fixed to the TV stand directly.
The size of mount you need depends on the size and weight of your television. If your TV is too heavy, you are better off mounting it to the wall rather than raising the height with a mount on your TV stand.
Conclusion
With the many ways of raising your TV stand, there is no limit to your creativity. They all can be individual and match your room’s decor. Some options require at least basic DIY skills. If you are not keen on DIY, you can consider TV platforms or mounts that could add a few inches to your TV stand.
However, if you are looking for the very best way to ensure your TV is installed at the right height, and the correct viewing angle you should consider buying a TV wall mount as you will then be able to adjust the display levels individually.
Take a look at this great TV stand hack if you want to increase the width of your TV stand.
