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Cozying up in front of the television at the end of a long day is relaxing—unless you’re overwhelmed by clutter and AV cord chaos. Give your electronics, movies, and games a home with an entertainment center. The best entertainment centers are usually a focal point of the living room so it’s important to pick the right one.
The best entertainment center handles the size and weight of your TV, offers the right storage solution, and fits the size and decor of your room—there are many things to consider, including proper ventilation. This guide can help you decide which size, style, and model of entertainment center is right for you.
- BEST OVERALL: Convenience Concepts Designs2Go TV Stand
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Furinno Turn-N-Tube Entertainment Center
- BEST TALL: Bush Furniture Visions Tall Corner TV Stand
- BEST FLOATING: WALI Floating Wall Mounted Shelf
- BEST SWIVEL: Hemudu Universal Floor TV Stand
- BEST WITH FIREPLACE: Walker Edison Modern Wood Fireplace Stand
- BEST FOR SMALL SPACES: Ameriwood Home Elevation TV Stand
- BEST FOR STORAGE: Yates Entertainment Center
- BEST FOR GAMING: Atlantic Centipede Game Storage TV-Stand
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Entertainment Center
The right entertainment center fits seamlessly in your room, supports the size and weight of your television, and stores your AV components easily. There are several types and styles to choose from. Here are some features to consider when selecting the best entertainment center:
Type
Entertainment stands fall into a broad variety of categories; wall units, TV stands, media chests, and entertainment center fireplaces.
- Wall Units are named after the size they take up in a room. Often dedicated to a large portion of a wall, these units are designed to store many items such as movie collections, albums, audio components, gaming systems, books, smart speakers, and more.
- TV stands are usually under 30 inches high and they’re designed as a base to place the TV. These stands often include shelving or drawers for storage.
- Media chests are chests of drawers that vary in style, size, and capacity. They are primarily used for the storage of DVDs/Blu-rays, games, controllers, and other AV equipment. These are often more narrow than traditional entertainment stands, so they’re not usually intended to hold a television. Consider what you want to store in them (as well as any future purchases) to ensure that everything fits.
- Entertainment Center Fireplaces are dual-purpose, combining the features of a television stand with the comfort of an electric fireplace. These fireplaces often come with a remote, a thermostat, a glass front, and an option to have the flame without heat. Look for a fireplace entertainment center that has glass that stays cool to the touch for safety.
Material and Finish
Entertainment centers come in a variety of materials and finishes. Common building materials include wood, metal, and glass.
- Wood is the most traditional furniture material and it’s commonly used for entertainment centers too. Wood finished with a varnish seal helps protect the wood and thereby helps the entertainment center last longer. Particleboard is a type of wood product made out of wood chips bound together to give it a consistent quality, a flexible design, and more affordability.
- Metal is more lightweight than wood, but also incredibly sturdy. It’s often featured in modern style entertainment centers. Metal is versatile, as it can be shaped into many configurations.
- Glass is generally used for shelving or storage doors to open up a space visually.
Style
There are a wide range of styles and design choices for entertainment centers. Some popular design styles include farmhouse, industrial, modern, and mid-century modern.
- Farmhouse style entertainment centers are usually made of wood to give a rustic feel.
- Industrial style leans on materials that are rough, such as wood and hard steel that are often in darker shades.
- Modern entertainment stands are sleek and sophisticated with clean and minimal features. This style emphasizes function and form equally.
- Mid-century modern style shares the clean lines and simplicity of modern style. This style works with traditional and non-traditional materials and geometric or organic forms, to create an uncluttered and functional design.
To match an entertainment center to your room, you need to understand the distinguishing features of the room’s style and find an entertainment center that mirrors it, for example by matching your entertainment center to your artwork or light fixtures.
Size
Large wall units can take up a lot of space, and they’re difficult to rearrange. Measure the length, height, and depth of the area so anyone in the household can walk around it comfortably. A rule of thumb for purchasing an entertainment center is that the stand should be at least two inches wider than the screen width. For example, if the TV is 52 inches, get a stand that’s at least 54 inches.
Different entertainment centers allow for different sizes of TVs, they’re not one size fits all. Measure your television diagonally from corner to corner and also write down the width of the TV as well. These measurements help you pick the entertainment center that fits your TV. If you have a large theater system, a larger cabinet is a suitable option.
We also have ideas for your home theater if you want to size up even more.
Storage
Some people have minimal entertainment storage needs—those who operate as wirelessly as possible by using streaming services, wireless gaming, wireless sound systems, or those who simply don’t use much audio or video equipment.
When it comes to storage needs for your entertainment center, ask yourself how much space you require. There are usually a few shelves for your cable box, game console, and a DVD/Blu-ray player, which may fulfill all your storage needs. If you have more television, gaming, and AV components, getting an entertainment center with more shelves or a cabinet may be enough. Bigger wall units have ample storage where you can store other types of mementos, photographs, books, plants, and other collectibles.
Weight Capacity
Check the specs on any entertainment center that interests you. Remember to consider the weight of your television as well as other media and gaming components you plan to store within or on the unit.
It’s important to know the weight of your television. In most cases, a stand that supports the size of television you have should also support the weight. However, if your TV is too heavy for the stand, it may compromise the proper support of your TV.
Different materials and construction methods have different weight capacities. For shelves especially, check the weight limit to ensure that your devices or other equipment aren’t too heavy. This is particularly important if you purchase an entertainment center with glass shelves.
Tips for Buying and Using an Entertainment Center
Keeping the above considerations in mind, there are a few additional tips to make sure you choose the best entertainment center. Do this mental checklist before you make your final selection:
- Will my TV go on the furniture or will it be mounted to the wall?
- Did I factor in how much space I need for speakers, soundbars, and other media equipment?
- Is there enough space for the furniture as well as movement around the entertainment center?
After you take the measurements of your TV and room, define which style goes with your room aesthetic, and have a good idea of your storage requirements, you’re well on your way. A few handy tips for finding the best entertainment center include:
- Proper ventilation for your electronics prevents trapped heat from affecting how it performs. Look for ventilation holes built-in to the shelf or openings at the back of the cabinet to circulate airflow.
- Avoid cord chaos by selecting an entertainment center with a built-in cord management system that keeps cords out of sight.
- Find a cabinet that is the right height; from a sitting position, your relaxed line of sight should fall in the middle of the television.
Our Top Picks
Based on the criteria outlined above, the following list includes some of the best entertainment centers available. Your needs in an entertainment center are unique to you, choose a unit that will fit your space, aesthetic, and needs. As individual requirements for an entertainment unit vary, these picks suggest entertainment stands to suit many preferences.
Best Overall
Convenience Concepts Designs2Go TV Stand
Convenience Concepts Designs2Go TV stand is an affordable space saver at 35.5 inches by 15.75 inches by 20.5 inches. Made of sturdy particleboard covered by an espresso wood grain laminate and stainless steel clad poles, this entertainment center keeps your equipment looking neat. With enough space to house a flat-screen up to 36 inches and 80 pounds, this unit has enough capacity for your TV, various media and consoles, audio components, and more. There is a display shelf for some equipment and a few collectibles, plus closed storage space with solid plastic opaque doors. With pre-cut holes in the cabinet to run cables, this entertainment center is both stylish and functional.
Best Bang For The Buck
Furinno Turn-N-Tube Entertainment Center
The Furinno Turn-N-Tube Entertainment Center suits any room, especially ones with limited real estate. Available in multiple color options, this simple design is meant to accommodate space and budget. This stand has several shelves for easy storage of electronics or gaming accessories. A green label product, this unit is made of recycled PVC tubes and medium density composite wood. A rounded edge design helps prevent potential injury from sharp corners. This unit is tested for durability too. Meant to hold TVs up to 25 inches, this unit’s open display gives your electronics the airflow they need. The small size of 41.5 inches by 11.6 inches by 22.85 inches makes it a worthwhile consideration for apartments or dorm rooms. Plus, there are no tools required to assemble this entertainment center.
Best Tall
Bush Furniture Visions Tall Corner TV Stand
Measuring over 31 inches tall, Bush Furniture Visions Tall Corner TV Stands gives you an entertainment unit with vertical storage that you can tuck into a small corner. A bit taller than standard TV stands, the extra height puts television viewing closer to your natural eye line when seated. This entertainment center fits flat screens up to 37 inches and weighs 64 pounds. Designed to save space and fit into compact areas, this stand gives you the shelf space you need with two adjustable and one fixed shelf. Encased behind a tempered glass door, the shelves and the components they hold are protected from dust. The design has an open back to easily access and tuck away cords and wires.
Best Floating
WALI Floating Wall Mounted Shelf
WALI’s Floating Wall Mounted Shelf is a three-shelf entertainment center that can be detached and reconstructed into a one or two-shelf system instead. Each large shelf is 15 inches by 11 inches and made of strengthened tempered glass, aluminum, and steel. Though elegant, these shelves are also sturdy and able to hold up to 17.6 pounds each. To keep the clean, overall look of this entertainment center, there is cable management on both sides of the wall plate to keep cables neatly tucked away. If the stand isn’t at the optimal height, simply loosen the connecting piece and adjust the shelf. Floating stands generally do not come with a place for your TV, as these types of shelves are intended for televisions that require wall mounts.
Best Swivel
Hemudu Universal Floor TV Stand
The Hemudu Universal Floor TV Stand is worth considering if you need a particular angle for watching TV. With a 100-degree swivel mount, 25-degree tilt function to expand your viewing angle, and eight height adjustments, this is an entertainment center that adjusts to fit you. With a weight capacity of 99 pounds, this stand fits most televisions from 19 inches up to 42 inches. Supported by a 10 millimeter solid tempered glass base and a solid steel pillar for stability, this clean design has a modern look. The two shelves are made of steel and have ventilation holes to allow heat from electronics to dissipate, which is good for items like laptops or consoles. Adding to the clean appearance, this stand has wire clips to organize your cables and wires. A perk of this design is that it doesn’t get mounted to the wall, so it’s easy to move if you want to rearrange the room.
Best With Fireplace
Walker Edison Modern Wood Fireplace Stand
The Walker Edison Modern Wood Fireplace gives a timeless and homey design, which is an appealing feature for those who like being cozy. The classic color options, cable management feature at the back, and adjustable shelving give this entertainment center a clean aesthetic. Measuring 60 inches by 15.75 inches by 27.5 inches, this entertainment unit supports TVs up to 65 inches and 250 pounds. The elevated center of the entertainment unit has an 18-inch electric fireplace that plugs into a standard outlet. Made with a faux wood facade, the fireplace has LED flames and heat that are controlled by two different switches at the front of the unit. The doors of the two storage cupboards have adjustable soft-close hinges for quiet use. Since it is a bit larger, make sure that this unit fits comfortably by measuring the space you have available.
Best For Small Spaces
Ameriwood Home Elevation TV Stand
Ameriwood’s Home Elevation TV Stand boasts a simple and sleek design that complements nearly any room decor. With three different sized shelves for your components, this entertainment stand is meant to give the appearance of floating shelves. Made with a metal frame, hollow-core shelves, and in a versatile black finish, the stand anchors to wall studs to ensure stability and support for televisions up to 60 inches or 175 pounds. The snap-on back panel is a great place to hide wires, but make sure you run the wires before mounting the unit to the wall, as they may be a little difficult to access later on.
Best For Storage
Yates Entertainment Center
Yates Entertainment Center is a wall unit model made of a manufactured wood frame with a vintage white finish. This spacious entertainment center is 84.5 inches by 108.5 inches by 16.75 inches and gives you five cabinets, a pair of side bookshelves, space for a soundbar, and additional space above the TV. A solid piece visually enhanced by crown molding and paneling, this wall unit is stylish and functional. The entertainment center accommodates up to a 65-inch television, as well as the digital boxes and consoles easily accessed through glass cabinet doors. For those that have a home theater system, this type of entertainment center may be a worthwhile selection.
Best For Gaming
Atlantic Centipede Game Storage TV-Stand
The Atlantic Centipede Game Storage TV-Stand was invented with gamers in mind, offering a way to keep your gaming gear organized. The television shelf with a carbon fiber pattern, is designed to support a television size up to 37 inches and a maximum of 80 pounds. This steel rod construction with powder-coated finish holds a lot of gaming equipment. The lower accessory and console shelves support up to 65 pounds and are capable of holding three consoles, four controllers, twelve games, and headphones. A space-saving gaming hub, this entertainment center measures 33.75 inches by 19.75 inches by 29.38 inches and uses the space it has to give an efficient storage solution for all your gaming equipment. Two fixed shelves near the bottom are for your consoles and the adjustable non-marring feet keep the entertainment center secure and your floors protected from damage.
FAQs About Your New Entertainment Center
The best entertainment center makes your television or gaming experience better by giving all your consoles and cords a home while fitting seamlessly into the room. No matter which entertainment center you purchase, you may be left with some questions on how to use it, where to put it, and what to do with it. Here are some common questions and answers about entertainment centers.
Q. Why do you need an entertainment center?
It’s one handy location for your television, gaming consoles, DVD/Blu-ray players, and other AV equipment.
Q. What is the best TV height on an entertainment center?
An average TV stand measures 30 inches high. When watching TV, you want your natural eye level to be in the middle of the screen.
Q. What is the best place to put an entertainment center?
A living room is generally where most people put their entertainment center. Depending on the size, it can also fit in a bedroom or a dorm room. People often make their entertainment center the focal point of their furniture arrangement due to the functionality of this frequently used piece.
Q. How do I organize my entertainment center?
Use the shelves for your digital boxes or gaming consoles, use the cord management system to keep wires organized, and put your other media devices inside the storage compartments.