Guide · 2026-10-24

Fixed, tilting or full-motion: which TV mount do you need?

The three kinds of TV wall mount, what each is good at, and how to choose for your room.

Most people pick a mount by price. A better way is to start with where you'll sit and where the TV is going. There are three kinds, and each one solves a different problem.

Fixed mount: flattest and simplest

A fixed (or "low-profile") mount holds the TV flat against the wall, usually an inch or two out. Nothing moves.

• Best for: a TV at a normal height straight in front of the couch, with no glare problems.
• Good: the cleanest look, and the least to go wrong.
• Watch for: the plugs on the back of the TV. With the screen this close to the wall, a stiff HDMI cable can press against it. A right-angle HDMI adapter fixes that.

Tilting mount: for TVs that sit high

A tilting mount lets the screen angle down a few degrees.

• Best for: over a fireplace, a bedroom TV you watch from bed, or any TV mounted above eye level.
• Good: cuts glare from windows and lights, and brings a high screen back toward your eyes.
• Watch for: tilt doesn't turn the TV left or right.

Full-motion mount: for corners and open rooms

A full-motion (articulating) mount has an arm that pulls the TV out from the wall, swings it left and right, and usually tilts as well.

• Best for: a TV you watch from two places, like the kitchen and the couch, corner installs, and rooms where the seating isn't straight in front.
• Good: you can point the screen wherever you're sitting.
• Watch for: the arm puts a lot of leverage on the wall, so anchoring matters more than with any other mount. Folded flat, it still sits further off the wall than a fixed mount.

How to choose

1. Will the TV sit higher than eye level? Get a tilt.
2. Will you watch from more than one spot, or is it in a corner? Get full-motion.
3. Neither? A fixed mount is the cleanest and cheapest.

Size and weight ratings matter

Every mount lists a screen-size range, a maximum weight and the VESA hole patterns it fits (the bolt spacing on the back of your TV). The TV has to fit all three. Big screens are heavy, so for 75" and up I use mounts rated well over the TV's weight.

Supplying the mount

I bring the mount if you'd like: fixed $49, tilting $59, full-motion $79 (TVs up to 70") or $119 (71" and up), each rated for your TV. You're also welcome to supply your own, and I'll check its rating before it goes up.

Price my install Call (737) 204-8712

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