For many, a TV above the fireplace feels like the most natural place to enjoy a TV and a warm fire at the same time. It can look nice, you can design the space around the fireplace and have it also be a great sitting area. However, we regularly caution our customers against it.
Why Fireplace TVs Cause Discomfort
Our vision has a natural downward gaze from the horizon of about 12-15 degrees. Meanwhile, to have a fireplace above the TV can require up to a 40-degree upwards angle. When you watch TV above a fireplace, your eyes and neck have to adjust for this. For the length of a movie or TV show binge, this can cause eye and neck strain. This makes watching TV for long periods uncomfortable..
Unfortunately, no amount of articulating the TV will fix the discomfort associated with a TV mounted high above a fireplace.
So Why Are TVs Still Put Above Fireplaces?
So why do people still mount their TVs above the fireplace, despite the neck pain? There are two main reasons:
1) Aesthetics
A TV on its own versus one over a fireplace? When the TV is above the fireplace, it can look more cohesive with the space. Both the fireplace and TV can be aligned and framed together with surrounding shelving. Giving the TV a dedicated place in conjunction with a dedicated fireplace sitting area can feel unnecessarily complicated!
2) Convenient Home Layout
Many rooms with a fireplace already have the room seating oriented towards the fireplace. If you want people to also enjoy the TV, it makes sense to put the TV where the seating is already pointed. In fact, it could feel like a waste to have separate seating just for watching TV in the same room.
Is It Okay to Put a TV Above the Fireplace?
Of course you can, but there will be tradeoffs. Aesthetically, it’s easy to make a TV look great above the fireplace. But mounting a TV so high puts the screen center well above eye level, which can lead to neck strain with time.
If you plan on watching casually or occasionally, it may work just fine. If you enjoy longer viewing sessions or movie nights, you’ll likely feel the discomfort.
The Comfortable Fireplace TV Solution: MantelMount
Thankfully, we have just the solution. The MantelMount allows you to have the design of a TV above the fireplace without the neck and eye fatigue. MantelMount is a special style TV Mount. Your TV rests above the fireplace when you’re not using it, but MantelMount makes it easily lower to the perfect viewing height when it’s time to watch.
Powered MantelMount:
A Powered MantelMount will lower to the perfect height at the press of a button. You can lower it from the comfort of your bed or your couch. When you’re done watching, the TV will raise itself back up flush with the wall.
Manual MantelMount:
The manual MantelMount is just as easy. There’s a ‘chin’ beneath your TV that you can grab. You gently pull that down and the TV will lower. When you’re done, push the chin up and the TV will rise back above the fireplace.
The entire mount has shock absorbers that make raising and lowering the TV nearly as easy as picking up the remote. Yes, even if your TV is heavy! The MantelMount makes it easy at any height.
Should You Get A MantelMount?
It’s certainly not for everyone. If you want a TV above your fireplace and would only have it on as background material, you’re probably best off with a traditional mounting solution. However, if you want the aesthetics combined with a watching experience that won’t cause neck and eye fatigue, the MantelMount is a no-brainer.
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and are looking to have your TV mounted professionally, give SoundVision a call at 415-456-7000. All our TV installs are hung by our highly experienced staff. That means no wires are showing, and your TV is level and mounted securely.