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In short :
- Measure your TV’s width including its feet, then pick a stand at least as wide, ideally a bit wider.
- Check the height so the centre of the screen sits around seated eye level, roughly 100–110 cm from the floor.
- Look for a load capacity of at least double your TV’s weight, plus room for a soundbar or console.
- Drawers hide clutter, open shelves suit a minimalist look, and a mix of both often works best.
- Plan your cable route and judge the build quality before you buy, and the stand will quietly disappear into the background.
Why the stand matters more than you think
You’ve picked the screen. Now comes the piece of furniture everyone forgets until the box is on the floor and the old coffee table is groaning under the weight. A television stand isn’t decoration — it’s the thing that decides whether your screen sits at eye level, whether cables disappear or dangle, and whether the whole setup feels calm or chaotic. Choose badly and you’ll be re-drilling holes at 10 p.m. Choose well and you’ll forget it exists, which is exactly the point.
This guide walks through the criteria that actually separate a stand you’ll keep for a decade from one you’ll regret by spring. No brands, no prices — just the checks worth doing before you commit.
Measure the screen and the room before anything else
Start with two numbers: the width of your television (including the base, if it stands on feet) and the width of the wall or alcove where it will live. A stand should be at least as wide as the screen, ideally a touch wider, so the TV doesn’t overhang and look precarious. For a screen in the 50–65 inch range, that usually means a stand roughly 120–160 cm wide. Too narrow and the proportions look top-heavy; too wide and it swallows the room.
Then check height. The centre of the screen should land roughly at seated eye level — around 100–110 cm from the floor for most living rooms. A stand that’s too low forces you to look down; too high and you’ll crane your neck during a two-hour film. If you can, sit where you’ll actually watch and hold a tape measure at that height before buying.
Common pitfall: buying for the TV you have and not the one you’ll upgrade to. A stand sized for a 43-inch screen will look lost under a 55-inch replacement two years later. Leave a little breathing room on both sides.
Check the load capacity and the top surface
Every stand is built to hold a certain weight, and televisions are heavier than they look — especially larger panels with metal feet. Look for a stated maximum load and keep a healthy margin: if your TV weighs around 20 kg, a stand rated for 40 kg or more gives you peace of mind and room for a soundbar. Skip this check and you risk a sagging top or, worse, a collapsed shelf.
The top surface matters too. Glass looks sleek but scratches and shows every fingerprint; veneered or solid wood hides dust and resists knocks. Whatever the material, press down firmly in the middle of the top in the shop or read the assembly notes carefully — a hollow-sounding top with a thin core will bow under sustained weight.
Real-world example: a household with a 65-inch screen and a separate soundbar often finds the soundbar doesn’t fit on the same shelf as the TV feet. Measure the gap between the feet before assuming it will.
Decide between open shelves and closed storage
This is the fork in the road. Open shelving keeps things airy and lets remote signals through, but every console, cable and dust bunny is on display. Closed storage — doors, drawers, a mix — hides the clutter and turns the stand into real furniture. If your living room doubles as a family room, drawers are gold: controllers, chargers, spare batteries and the tangle of cables all vanish behind a panel.
Think about ventilation, though. Consoles and receivers generate heat, and a sealed cabinet with no gap at the back will cook them. Look for open backs, vented panels or a shelf with clearance above the device. A drawer unit with a solid back and no airflow is fine for remotes, less so for electronics.
If you want a single unit that does everything — screen, storage, display — a combined TV stand and shelving unit works well in a living room, provided the shelves are deep enough (at least 35–40 cm) to hold books and boxes without overhang.
Match the footprint to your floor and traffic
A stand’s depth and leg placement decide how it lives in the room. Deep cabinets (45 cm or more) hold more but eat floor space and make the TV sit further back, which matters in a narrow room. Shallow units (30–35 cm) keep the room open but limit what you can store. Measure the walking path in front of the stand: you want at least 60–70 cm of clear floor so nobody clips a corner on the way to the sofa.
Legs versus a plinth is another practical choice. Legs let you see under the unit, which makes a small room feel bigger and helps with cleaning. A solid plinth hides cables and looks more grounded but traps dust. In a household with pets or toddlers, a plinth with no gap is easier to keep tidy and harder to crawl under.
Example: in a rental flat with a narrow living room, a shallow stand on slim legs keeps the walkway clear and the room feeling open — while a deep, closed cabinet in the same spot would crowd the sofa.
Think about cable management and the back panel
Cables are the difference between a tidy setup and a nest of snakes. The best stands have a cut-out or gap at the back for cables to pass through, plus a shelf or channel to route them. Check that the back isn’t fully sealed — you’ll need to reach behind to plug things in, and a removable or open back saves hours of contortion.
Count your devices before you buy: TV, soundbar, console, streaming box, router. Each needs a home and a route to power. A stand with a single small hole won’t cut it if you have four plugs and a power strip. Look for a generous cut-out, ideally at least 8–10 cm wide, and a shelf deep enough for a power strip to lie flat.
Practical tip: bundle cables with velcro ties and route them along the back edge rather than letting them drop. It takes ten minutes and makes the whole unit look intentional.
Check the build quality and assembly reality
A stand is furniture, and furniture is joints and materials. Solid wood and thick veneer last; thin particleboard with cam-lock fittings can wobble after a year of use. Look for a back panel that stiffens the frame, and check whether the unit has a centre support leg for wider spans — a two-metre top with no middle support will sag under a heavy TV.
Assembly is part of the deal. Flat-pack units vary wildly: some go together in 30 minutes with a single tool, others need two people and a free afternoon. Read the assembly notes and check the number of steps and fixings before you commit. If you live alone, a unit that needs two people to lift the top is a problem worth knowing about in advance.
Example: a wide stand with a centre leg and a braced back feels solid when you push it; the same width without either feels springy and will only get worse once the TV is on top.
Consider the style and how it fits the room
Finally, the look. A stand should feel like it belongs — matching the wood tone of your floor or the metal of your lamp, not fighting it. Low, wide units read as calm and modern; taller, narrower ones suit period rooms. If your room is small, a light-coloured unit on legs keeps it airy; a dark, heavy unit anchors a large space.
Don’t overlook the finish in daily life. Matte surfaces hide dust and fingerprints; high-gloss shows every mark and needs wiping constantly. If you have children or pets, matte and textured finishes are far more forgiving.
One last check: does the stand have room for the things you actually keep near the TV — a lamp, a plant, a bowl for keys? A unit with a clear top and no side space forces clutter onto the floor. Plan the surface, not just the screen.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a stand is wide enough for my TV?
Measure the TV’s width including its feet, then add at least 10–15 cm on each side. The stand should be as wide as the screen or slightly wider so the TV doesn’t overhang. If you plan to upgrade the screen later, size for the larger model now.
Are drawers worth it, or do open shelves work better?
Drawers win if you have controllers, remotes and cables to hide, and they keep a family room tidy. Open shelves suit a minimalist look and let remote signals through, but everything is on display. A mix — open shelf for a console, drawers for clutter — is often the practical middle ground.
What load capacity should I look for?
Aim for at least double the weight of your television, plus room for a soundbar or console. If your TV is around 20 kg, look for a stand rated for 40 kg or more. Check the stated maximum and the centre support before you buy.
The bottom line
Choosing a television stand comes down to a handful of checks: measure the screen and the room, confirm the load capacity, decide between open and closed storage, match the footprint to your floor, plan the cable route, and judge the build quality and finish. Get those right and the stand disappears into the background, which is exactly what you want.
For a broader look at the whole topic — including how to plan a full living-room setup — a more complete guide is available on the general theme.
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