Whether you have just purchased a new TV or are moving your old TV onto a new entertainment center, how well your TV fits on top of a stand is one of the most important things to pay attention to.
It is generally recommended that your stand be larger than your TV. Although, it is still possible to safely place a TV on top of a stand that is too small, just as long as you evaluate how sturdy it is from all angles first.
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Safety Considerations
First and foremost, any heavy piece of furniture has the potential to fall over if it is not properly mounted or secured. This includes TVs that are placed atop stands that are too small to support their weight.
If a TV is not mounted and secured as recommended and it falls, it can easily injure your pets, your kids, or yourself. It can also permanently ruin the TV and your floor.
Just as dangerous is placing a TV that is too heavy on top of a stand that is not made to support that much weight. Your stand could break and your TV could fall, leading to the same issues described above.
Can You Put a Bigger TV on a Smaller Stand?
So, can a TV be bigger than the stand? Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to this question.
While it is completely possible to put a larger TV on a smaller stand, three important factors that need to be determined are weight, width, and placement in the room.
Weight
This is by and large the most important factor when determining if a certain stand can fit a certain TV. The stand you choose needs to be able to safely withstand the entire weight of your TV with some room to spare.
Every piece of furniture has a weight limit that the manufacturer sets. This is to inform the consumer about the maximum amount of weight that can be safely placed before damage or injury occurs.
Failure to pay attention to the weight limit of your stand is a recipe for disaster. If the TV comes crashing down, you have not only ruined two pieces of furniture but potentially hurt yourself or somebody else in the process.
Do some research to determine the weight of your TV and the weight limit of the stand. If you’re unsure how much weight your furniture can hold, research comparable items and use your best judgment.
When in doubt, do not place your TV on top of it.
Width
It is not necessarily a problem if your TV is wider than your stand. Because tube TVs are rarely made anymore, flat-screen TV’s being wider than the stand they are on is actually quite common.
The biggest problem would arise if the stand is exceptionally narrow when compared to the width of the TV. If the sides of the TV stick out too far, it could be easy for it to tip to one side or the other, and even get knocked over by accident by somebody walking by.
Even if the weight limits are checked and deemed to be safe, a TV that is way too wide for a stand may require you to consider other options.
Placement in the Room
After you’ve checked the weight limits on your furniture and determined that the width of the TV is not an issue, the last factor to consider is where you are going to place it in the room.
Putting a TV with its back towards a wall is the safest option, just as long as the sides of the TV do not obstruct anything you may need access to, like hallways, corners, and windows.
If you plan to place your TV in a more central area of the room, you may want to reconsider, especially if it is too wide for the stand. Not only can it get knocked over from the front or the back, but it can be accidentally hit while someone is walking through.
What Are Some Alternatives?
If you still don’t feel comfortable placing your TV on a stand that is smaller, consider mounting it to the wall instead. This removes the need for a stand altogether.
Alternatively, you can just purchase a stand that would fit your TV safely or, as a last resort, place your TV on the ground for the time being.
Final Thoughts
Not only can an improperly placed TV look unappealing, it can also be a safety hazard in the home. Fortunately, there is a way to properly and safely place a larger TV on a smaller stand, so long as you take the important factors of weight, width, and placement into consideration.
