If you are in the market for a new TV for your bedroom or living room, then the biggest question you have probably is: “How big should a room TV be?” We do not blame you if you’re currently thinking that you should get the biggest one you can afford.
Yes, a bigger TV is a whole different experience in itself. But there is one other thing that is more important than how much you can spare for a new TV, and this is, how much space you must properly place your TV. It’s the TV space that matters the most, not the budget.
There is a metric that is super useful when talking about TV sizes and room sizes. It is called a viewing distance. The viewing distance is the distance between you and the TV screen.
The right distance for you will also depend on things like personal preference, room shape, lighting, and the TV panel technology among other things. However, a general guide is useful while making decisions, as it would be true for most consumers.
An optimal viewing distance will mean that the TV screen will cover around 30 to 40 degrees of your field of view. This is the recommendation for an immersive watching experience.
The right viewing distance will also mean that your eyes will be less strained after watching the TV for a long time. The picture will also appear smoother.
Watching a big TV from up close can feel nauseating as well. We recommend that you think of the viewing distance as a range recommendation and not a precise hit or miss number.
Let’s talk TV sizes
Before we get into the details of TV size, we want to talk about how TV sizes work. TV sizes are measured corner-to-corner. These are diagonal dimensions. They are mostly advertised in inches.
For example, if you take a 43-inch Sony TV, the 43 inch is a diagonal measure. The TV is going to be 38.38 inches wide, 11.38 inches tall and 21 inches thick.
So, make sure you also check the actual rectangular dimension of the TV before you buy. This is a must check if you’re buying a small TV for a tight space. Nowadays, TVs have a small bezel, so that would almost be a quarter or half of an inch, but the advertised size of any TV is the screen size excluding the bezels.
TV resolution will come into the mix with TV sizes as well. The common options are Full HD, 4K, and 8K. Full HD is okay if you’re going for a 32-inch screen or even a 43-inch one. As TVs get bigger you will need a higher resolution.
4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) panels (resolution 3840 x 2160) provide four times the degree of detail as Full HD (1920 x 1080) panels. You can sit closer in front of a 4K UHD TV than you can in front of a Full HD TV without noticing the small pixels that build up the screen.
If you are too far away from the screen, your eyes will be unable to perceive the detail that a higher resolution provides. That means that with 4K TVs you can sit closer without causing eye strain and can appreciate more details.
High-end TV models like Samsung 82-Inch Smart TV will also have 8K resolution, this will give you the best possible picture detail without pixels disturbing your viewing, but they also cost significantly more.
Getting Right TV Size for Your Room
Your viewing distance should determine the size of the TV. If you have a small room, there is no point paying top dollar for a TV that will overwhelm your living space and feel like an elephant in the room.
A small TV in a big room is even worse. If you are buying a TV for the living room, then think of the distance between the TV and the couch. Use this distance to determine the right TV size.
Most manufacturers have a recommendation for the viewing distance, you can go by that as well. But the problem is that they do not always agree with each other. What we have done instead is to give you a range, as this works best, and, you won’t be watching TV with a measuring tape in your hand.
TV Size for Medium Sized Rooms
We’ve found 55 inch TVs to be the sweet spot for moderately sized rooms. One of our staff writers was gracious enough to provide a picture of their LG 55 inch TV in their moderately sized living room in a condo. But you can go even bigger because as you can see, there’s still space.
TV Size for Larger Sized Rooms
Have a big living room? Get a 65-inch TV. If you have a large living room and your viewing distance is going to be around 8 feet you should get ideally get a 65 inch TV or bigger.
The 65-inch TV is a sweet spot in the TV market right now. You might have noticed in your TV search that TV prices move up as the sizes become bigger. Current TV pricing up to 65 inches still adhere to the general trend of slightly more money asked for a slightly larger TV.
Larger displays like 75-inches and 85-inches command a premium price, so the graph there is going to steep upwards. For a 65-inch TV, you also do not need to worry if you need an 8K display – 4K is just right.
For living spaces that are even larger, and your viewing distance is going to be more than 8 ft, then you might want to go for a bigger screen.
For most users, their couch will divide the living space and is places almost perpendicular to the TV. The viewing distance is going to be between 6 feet and 8 feet.
You can choose between 55-inch, 60-inch or 65 -inch models. This range has a lot of options. You can get TVs from popular manufacturers as well as budget brands.
We recommend that you go for a good TV brand for this category, as with this range the picture quality from more popular brands is going to be a lot better.
| Viewing Distance | TV Size | Recommended TV |
| Up to 4 feet | 24-inch to 32- inch | Samsung Q60A 32-inch TV |
| 4 feet – 6 feet | 32-inch to 50 inches | Sony X80J 43-inch TV |
| 6 feet – 8 feet | 55 to 65 inches | LG A1 Series 65-inch OLED TV |
| 8 feet and above | Above 70 inches | Samsung AU8000 85-Inch TV |
You may want a TV for your bedroom, kitchen and even your bathroom. We recommend that you do not place big TVs in these rooms.
A big TV in your living room can interfere with your sleep because of bright flashes and sound. It also promotes an unhealthy bed routine. In smaller rooms, your viewing distance is going to be around 4 feet. You can go for a 32- inch or a 43-inch TV. If you have to go big, go for a 48-inch or a 50-inch TV.
For the Kitchen and the bathroom, your available space, and the cabinet should dictate the TV size. If you are willing to carve out some space to place a TV, then we recommend you go for a 32-inch size, as at this point you will get a good range of options from budget brands like Vizio, TCL and even some of the more popular makers like Samsung and Sony.
Remember! It’s not only the TV – TV in bedroom ideas
Once you’ve purchased the TV and brought it home, you’ll need to carefully install it to add value to the aesthetics of your living space.
You must locate the ideal location and determine how you will install it – will it be placed on a stand, or will it be wall-mounted?
Wall mounts will save some space, while TV stands will make it easier to store all TV accessories, soundbars and consoles. The best of both worlds is to mount the TV on a wall and place a TV table right below it.
TV height in bedroom
Generally, most experts recommend mounting your tv 43 inches or 109 cm from the floor. However, a lot would depend on the height of your viewing furniture; bed or couch.
If you’re looking to buy a small tv like a 42-43 inch tv, you should mount it about 56 inches from the floor to the TV center. Mid-sized TVs like a 55-inch television, on the other hand, should be mounted around 61 inches from the floor of the room.
Bigger TVs like the 65-inch television should be mounted approximately 65 inches from the floor, and a 70-inch tv should be around 67 inches from the floor of the room to the center.
