Mounting height
How high should a 40-inch screen be mounted?
Put the centre of the picture at the eye height of the people who watch it. For a 40-inch screen that means a centre 42.0 in (107 cm) from the floor for people on a sofa, 48.0 in (122 cm) at a meeting table, and 60.0 in (152 cm) for people standing.
| Who is watching | Centre | Bottom edge | Top edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seated on a sofa or lounge chair eyes about 42 in up | 42.0 in (107 cm) | 32.2 in (82 cm) | 51.8 in (132 cm) |
| Seated at a desk or meeting table eyes about 48 in up | 48.0 in (122 cm) | 38.2 in (97 cm) | 57.8 in (147 cm) |
| Standing eyes about 60 in up | 60.0 in (152 cm) | 50.2 in (127 cm) | 69.8 in (177 cm) |
| Standing, screen in portrait eyes about 60 in up | 60.0 in (152 cm) | 42.6 in (108 cm) | 77.4 in (197 cm) |
Heights are to the lit picture of a 16:9 screen, 34.9 x 19.6 in (88.6 x 49.8 cm) at this size; all 40-inch dimensions. The frame adds a little above and below. The bracket holes are not always at the centre of the cabinet, so measure from the holes to the bottom edge on your model before you drill. For other eye heights, use the mounting height calculator.
How high can a 40-inch screen go?
A screen above a counter, a door or a walkway sits above eye level on purpose. A common comfort rule keeps the centre of the picture no more than 15 degrees above the eye line. The farther back people stand, the higher the screen can go.
| People stand | Highest comfortable centre | Bottom edge then | Top edge then | Clear to walk under? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft (1.8 m) away | 79.3 in (201 cm) | 69.5 in (176 cm) | 89.1 in (226 cm) | No |
| 8 ft (2.4 m) away | 85.7 in (218 cm) | 75.9 in (193 cm) | 95.5 in (243 cm) | No |
| 10 ft (3.0 m) away | 92.2 in (234 cm) | 82.3 in (209 cm) | 102.0 in (259 cm) | Yes, 80 in or more |
| 12 ft (3.7 m) away | 98.6 in (250 cm) | 88.8 in (225 cm) | 108.4 in (275 cm) | Yes, 80 in or more |
| 15 ft (4.6 m) away | 108.2 in (275 cm) | 98.4 in (250 cm) | 118.0 in (300 cm) | Yes, 80 in or more |
| 20 ft (6.1 m) away | 124.3 in (316 cm) | 114.5 in (291 cm) | 134.1 in (341 cm) | Yes, 80 in or more |
| 25 ft (7.6 m) away | 140.4 in (357 cm) | 130.6 in (332 cm) | 150.2 in (381 cm) | Yes, 80 in or more |
| 30 ft (9.1 m) away | 156.5 in (397 cm) | 146.7 in (373 cm) | 166.3 in (422 cm) | Yes, 80 in or more |
For standing viewers with eyes 60 in from the floor. To hang a 40-inch screen with 80 in of headroom under it, the centre is 89.8 in (228 cm) up, and that meets the 15 degree rule from about 9.3 ft (2.8 m) away. Closer than that, tilt the screen down. A sign people only glance at can sit higher than one they read for a minute.
In a corridor or a public space
At standing eye level, the bottom edge of a 40-inch screen is 50.2 in (127 cm) from the floor. In the United States, the 2010 ADA Standards limit anything on a wall with its leading edge more than 27 and not more than 80 inches above the floor to 4 inches of protrusion into a circulation path. The screen and its bracket count together.
Three ways to meet it: choose a screen and bracket that stay within 4 inches, recess the screen into the wall so the face sits flush, or raise it until the bottom edge is 80 inches up. Our flush mount guide covers the recessed route. Your local code official has the final word.
If it is a touch screen
People have to reach what they press. The same standards put an unobstructed reach between 15 and 48 inches above the floor.
The picture of a 40-inch landscape screen is 19.6 inches high, so all of it fits in that band. Put the top edge of the picture at 48 inches: the centre is then 38.2 in (97 cm) from the floor and the bottom edge 28.4 in (72 cm).
Questions
How high should a 40-inch TV be mounted?
Put the centre of the picture at the eye height of the people watching. For people on a sofa that is about 42 inches from the floor, which puts the bottom edge of a 40-inch screen at 32.2 in (82 cm) and the top at 51.8 in (132 cm). For people standing, a 60-inch centre puts the bottom edge at 50.2 in (127 cm) and the top at 69.8 in (177 cm).
How far from the floor should the bottom of a 40-inch TV be?
About 32 inches for sofa viewing, 38 inches in a meeting room and 50 inches where people stand. The picture of a 40-inch 16:9 screen is 19.6 inches high, so the bottom edge sits half of that below the centre. The frame adds a little.
Can a 40-inch screen hang above head height?
Yes, if people stand far enough back. With the bottom edge 80 inches up, the centre of a 40-inch screen is 89.8 in (228 cm) from the floor. Standing viewers look up at more than 15 degrees until they are about 9.3 ft (2.8 m) away, so plan for readers at that distance or beyond, or tilt the screen down.