Best ceiling TV stand | TV pole mounting

Wall mount vs. Ceiling mount

Most TV mounting systems are designed for walls rather than ceilings. Wall-mounted TVs are easier to reach and easier to attach cables to if needed. It is also easier to mount a TV on a wall than to hang it from a ceiling. Even if you have no prior experience, you could probably wall-mount your TV with a few tools.

But wall mounts aren’t appropriate for all rooms. If the only available walls don’t have studs or open areas, a ceiling mount might be the better option.

Of course, there are drawbacks to ceiling mounts as well. They can be difficult to install on your own if you don’t have any experience or a quality ladder, so you might have to hire a pro to do it for you. Ceiling mounts are also generally more expensive than wall mounts.

On the plus side, most ceiling mounts allow you to tilt and rotate your TV in different directions. This, plus the convenience of having the TV and mounting hardware out of the way, may make a ceiling mount worth the extra hassle and cost. 

Telescopic mount vs. Flip down TV mount

Telescopic mounts and flip-down mounts are among the most common ceiling TV mount designs available. The best telescoping TV mounts allow you to pull the TV toward you for viewing, and to push it back out of the way when you are done. Flip down mounts, for their part, allow you to tilt the TV down for viewing and tilt it back up when not in use, mostly done via a remote control.

Both options are ideally suited for rooms where space is limited or if you want the ability to push your TV back out of the way when it isn’t being used. But telescopic mounts have a slight versatility advantage because you can pull the TV closer for optimal viewing. While flipping the TV down is better than nothing, the range of motion provided by a hanging TV mount isn’t as extensive as what a telescopic mount allows.

Full-motion tilt control

TV mounts that provide full-motion tilt control, such as the Barkan reviewed below, are the most versatile options available. Also known as articulating mounts, these allow for a wider range of positioning options than most TV mounts provide. Some of these models even allow you to adjust the viewing angle by as much as 15 degrees, making them excellent choices when you want as many different viewing positions as possible. 

Full-motion tilt control mounts are generally more expensive than fixed mounts. But if you need a ceiling mount that allows for a good range of viewing angles, full-motion tilt control mounts are definitely worth looking into

Top ceiling TV mount

My choice for the top ceiling TV mount is the Barkan ceiling mount. It comes with a telescopic adjustable arm and accommodates flat and curved screen TVs ranging from 29 to 65 inches. It also supports TVs weighing up to 88 pounds. The Barkan is a full-motion mount that has three movement options: telescopic, swivel, and tilt. You can even replace the middle section of the telescopic pipe with a longer piece if you want even more reach. Even with the factory-issue components, the Barkan lets you pull your TV down by as much as 38 inches from the ceiling

Is there a ceiling TV mount that can take a 75-inch+ TV?

If you have a large 75-inch TV, the Mount-It! (MI-509B) is the right ceiling TV mount for you. It accommodates TVs ranging in size from 32 to 75 inches, weighing up to 110 pounds. The Mount-It! is an excellent choice for rooms with high ceilings, as it can stretch down up to three feet. Mount-It! conforms to universal VESA standards too, so it will work with almost any TV available. This means that you could continue to use the same mount even when you upgrade to a bigger TV.

Is there a better way to hang a TV from the ceiling?

There are other options for mounting your TV from the ceiling, including folding TV mounts and motorized folding mounts. As the name implies, these mounts conveniently fold out when you want to watch TV and can be folded back out of the way when you are done. Retractable ceiling TV mounts are among the most discreet mounts available and are hardly noticeable when they are out of the way.

Motorized folding mounts are even easier to use, as they can be folded and unfolded with a remote control. Because the remote control lets you move the mounting arm without having to reach up to the TV, you can even install your TV in a corner or above a bulky piece of furniture. I’m going to cover these and other options in an upcoming article, so look out for that

Ceiling TV mount features

Telescopic length

These allow you a wider range of viewing distances without necessarily having a long mounting arm. Telescopic arms usually allow for better viewing than arms that only move up and down.

Full motion swivel and tilt

TV mounts that allow for a full range of swiveling and tilting options are among the most versatile options available. The best ceiling mounts for TV can be swiveled to allow for viewing from any part of the room, and can even be tilted so you can view the screen at the proper position while lying on your side.

Weight capacity

The larger your TV is, the more it will weigh. Large TVs can weigh as much as 110 pounds, so you will want to make sure that your ceiling mount can support the weight.

Stealth

It is always best to have a ceiling TV mount that blends into the room and doesn’t call attention to itself. Black hardware is often the best choice, as it blends well with most room decor. You might also want to consider mounts that allow you to conceal the cables in the ceiling mount TV bracket.

How to install TV ceiling mount

Apart from the ceiling mount kit, you will need the following:

• A ladder or to be extra safe a portable scaffold
• A stud finder (For finding fixing in the ceiling like “joists”)
• A pencil
• A screwdriver (Philips)
• A wrench
• And a cordless drill

Here are the basic steps for installing a ceiling TV mount.

1. First, place your ladder under the spot on the ceiling where you want the TV. Use the stud finder to locate the nearest beam and mark its edges.
2. Unscrew the ceiling mount’s middle screw to remove the arm. This will let you mount the ceiling mount and connect the arm to the TV so you can later join the two pieces.
3. Bolt the mounting plate into the beam.
4. Take the connecting arm and connect it to the rear of your TV.
5. Place your TV up against the ceiling mount and connect the arm to the mount.

Ceiling TV stand comparison

	Barkan	Mount-It!
	CHECK CURRENT PRICE	CHECK CURRENT PRICE
TV sizes supported:	29” - 65”	32” - 75”
Maximum weight supported:	88 lbs.	110 lbs.
Swivel/tilt range:	160°/25°	360°/25°
Maximum distance ceilling:	38”	22” - 35.8”

How to mount a TV above a fireplace?

Few sights are as soothing as a fireplace warming up a room. And having a nice flat-screen TV above it only makes it better. But mounting a TV above poses some challenges. The constant flow of hot air can damage the electronics in your TV over time, so you do have to take some precautions. I’m going to cover this subject in more detail in a future article. For now, I suggest going with a pull-down mount if you want to hang your TV over your fireplace. This keeps the TV away from the heat and reduces glare besides.

How far from the ceiling should I mount my TV

When mounting a TV from the ceiling, you might want to have the screen at around eye-level when you are sitting at your favorite chair. Of course, you should also consider the height of everyone who will be using the TV, so position the TV so that it is at the average eye-level of everyone. For most households, this comes out to about 38 to 42 inches more or less. With a good full-motion mount, you should have a fairly wide range of heights and angles so you can accommodate everyone’s viewing preferences.

But many ceiling mounts are designed to be out of the way, and up on the ceiling, TV mounts with a swivel can allow you to tilt the TV downwards, with this TV height it is better for a more social environment with the TV in the background, as the height is a little less engaging than what you can get with a wall mount

Conclusion

The Barkan TV ceiling mount is a versatile full-motion mount that will work with pretty much any room or space. The telescopic, swivel, and tilt options allow for a wide variety of viewing options, and it can position your TV’s screen from 16 to 38 inches from the ceiling. It supports TVs from 29 to 65 inches as well, it takes the weights of up to 88 lbs.

The Mount-It! is the best choice for rooms with high ceilings, as it can extend your TV down a full three feet from the ceiling. It is also a full-motion mount that allows for a wide range of viewing angles. And because it conforms to VESA standards, it will work with pretty much any TV on the market