The Best TV Stands to House Your Home Entertainment

Take your living room decor and storage organization to the next level with the best TV stands available. 

By Tom Scalisi | Updated Aug 11, 2020 9:02 PM

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Best TV Stand

Photo: amazon.com

Years ago, console TV sets were little more than a piece of furniture in a living room. Most of the best TV stands available were crafted from basic wood species and designed in standard configurations, yet they were often the focal points of living or family rooms.

Today’s large, flat-screen TVs have taken small screen entertainment and the stands that hold them, to the next level. Their styles range from simple cabinetry with open shelves to hold other electronics with slots in the back for cord management to stands that have cabinet doors that house books, remotes, and even clutter. Read the following guide to choose the best TV stand for your space.

  1. BEST OVERALL: Walker Edison Modern Farmhouse Grooved Wood Stand
  2. RUNNER UP: WE Furniture Minimal Farmhouse Wood Stand
  3. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Zinus Modern Studio Collection TV Media Stand
  4. UPGRADE PICK: Simpli Home Amherst Universal TV Media Stand
  5. BEST DESIGN: Walker Edison Mid Century Modern Wood Stand
  6. BEST STORAGE: Walker Edison Modern Farmhouse Barn Wood Stand
Best TV Stand

Photo: amazon.com

What to Consider When You Buy a TV Stand

Taste in TV stand design is personal, but whether you are partial to midcentury or rustic farmhouse style, there are considerations you should not ignore. If you do, you risk buying a stand that doesn’t fit in your space, won’t hold what you want, and even creates safety hazards. Take a few moments to review the points below so you choose the best TV stand for you.

Available Space

Measure your room to ensure you buy a TV stand that suits the height, width, and depth of the area in which you will place it. Take care to ensure that its position won’t block doors or pathways. If it’s near a door that opens into the room, make sure the door doesn’t bump it. If the TV stand is not the appropriate size for the room, it will become a nuisance and even a safety hazard.

If you have an oversized living room, take care to choose a TV stand that is not too small or it will look like an afterthought. If you prefer a small stand in a large room, you might flank it with a quilt rack, small bench, or shelves with artwork and memorabilia.

TV Size

TV sizes are measured diagonally, so give some thought to the size of the TV stand you need. If you already have a TV, your best bet is to measure it from side to side and choose a TV stand that is at least three or four inches wider. That size allows you to center the set so it’s stable and safe.

Remember, many manufacturers state their stands hold TVs up to a specific width. For example, some manufacturers say their stands will hold up to a 55-inch model. You probably want to choose a stand that holds a slightly larger model.

Configuration

Those that remember heavy cable boxes and VCRs know the importance of audio-visual configurations. Now that most devices plug into the back of the TV and cords are out of view, stand configuration is often overlooked.

Having adequate shelving is important, especially if you’re a gamer or haven’t cut ties with your cable company. You need a convenient place for your console or DVR box. Select a stand with a shelf underneath the TV so audio/video wires and power cords reach their intended locations.

The stand’s design and where it is placed in the room also impacts configuration. If you choose a corner stand, you want to tuck it away in a corner of your room so it doesn’t look odd or protrude into a walking area yet has enough room in the back for any needed cords.

Material

Manufacturers make TV stands from various types of material. You will find stands made from laminate, plywood, MDF (medium-density fiberboard), and particleboard (known as pressboard). Manufacturers will typically cover such materials in a veneer, solid wood, or vinyl that mimics wood. Of the various choices, plywood offers the best durability. Particleboard and MDF are incredibly stable, which makes them excellent choices for non-solid wood TV stands. There are some solid wood stands available, but they will likely cost more.

Storage 

If you want your TV stand to do double duty, such as to store magazines, books, video games, or odds and ends, you can find one with storage. Many TV stands have built-in cabinets, usually flanking a set of shelves. For those that want to store items in a devil-may-care configuration, it’s best if these cabinets have solid, not glass, fronts so the messy piles are out of sight.

If you want to use your TV stand to display photographs, artwork, and decor pieces, you will find TV stands with open shelving.

Our Top Picks

If you’ve considered your room’s space, determined the configuration that makes sense for you, and analyzed your storage and display needs, you’re ready to consider some of the best TV stands available. The following is a list of highly-rated choices deemed some of the best TV stands to lead you toward one that works for you.

BEST OVERALL

Best TV Stands Walker
Photo: amazon.com

If you will house your TV in a large room, consider the Walker Edison Modern Farmhouse Grooved Wood Stand, made from high-grade certified MDF finished with a multi-grain laminate. It measures 70 by 24 by 16 inches and is rated to house televisions up to 78 inches wide and will hold a maximum weight of 250 pounds.

The stand has both open and closed storage areas. The two sturdy cabinets, with adjustable shelves and slatted doors, are on either side of the television space. The open shelves in the center display a few decor items, a DVR, or a game console. There are cable management cut-outs in the back so your cords stay out of sight. It’s available in White Oak, Reclaimed Barnyard, Grey Wash, and Dark Walnut. A 58-inch stand is also available.

RUNNER UP

Best TV Stands WE
Photo: amazon.com

The best TV stand for you needn’t be elaborate. Consider the minimalist Walker Edison Furniture Minimal Farmhouse Wood Stand made from high-grade MDF with a laminate finish. The 24-inch by 58-inch by 17-inch stand has an elegantly simple design that houses your television (up to 64 inches) and includes four open display shelves for photographs, artwork, or home accents. Each shelving compartment features a knock-out space in the rear panel for cord management.

The TV stand can hold up to 250 pounds, and is available in Barnwood, Blackwood, Charcoal, Driftwood, Espresso, Natural, Reclaimed Barnwood, Traditional Brown, White, White Oak, and White Wash. The stand comes in a host of other sizes with options that include an electric fireplace display, which plugs into a 120-volt outlet, that heats up to 400 sq. ft.

BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK

Best TV Stands Zinus
Photo: amazon.com

The Zinus Modern Studio Collection TV Stand offers you a minimalist look at an affordable price. This simple, double-shelf stand, which measures 40 by  17 by 18 inches, boasts red mahogany-look shelves and a metal-tube frame. It works for TVs up to 43 inches that weigh up to 100 pounds and has a second shelf underneath. Space between the shelves measures 11.25 inches so it can hold game components, book, and decor accents. This stand is just as appropriate when it is placed beneath a wall-mounted TV as a display stand for game consoles, books, and photographs. It’s available in your choice of brown or espresso and has an easy-to-assemble design. The stand weighs just over 18 pounds and is held together with eight screws, so it’s easy to move. The manufacturer also offers the stand with a separate, matching end table.

UPGRADE PICK

Best TV Stands Simpli
Photo: amazon.com

A large TV doesn’t have to overwhelm your TV stand. The Simpli Home Amherst Media TV Stand holds televisions up to 80 inches, plus it has four separate cabinets with doors, a pull-out drawer, a flip-down shelf, and two open shelves with cord management knockouts on both sides. That’s a lot of storage for a stand that measures 72 by 19 by 26 inches. This solid wood stand has sophisticated features including tapered legs, a golden crown-edged tabletop, panel framed drawer fronts, metal drawer glides, and Antique Pewter round, decorative knobs.  It is available in a variety of colors including black, dark brown, distressed grey, hickory brown, light golden brown, and rustic natural-aged brown so it fits with most decors. A 54-inch stand is also available.

BEST DESIGN

Best TV Stands Walker Edison
Photo: amazon.com

The Walker Edison Mid Century Modern Wood Stand takes its style from the popularity of mid-century modern design but fits any decor. The stand is crafted from wood, glass, and metal which creates an overall look that will especially appeal to those that prefer minimalist modern spaces but suits any decor. It features a middle glass shelf, closed storage on both sides of the unit, sleek metal hardware, tapered legs, and a boxy frame.

The stand measures 60 by 16 by 25 inches and it has adjustable rubber feet to prevent it from sliding. It is rated to hold televisions up to 60 inches wide and has a 205-pound weight capacity. This stand has two cabinets on either side and a glass shelf for game consoles and cable boxes. It’s available in birch, dark walnut, pecan, and slate gray. You can buy it in other sizes, including 48, 52, and 70 inches, with some available with a coordinating end table.

BEST STORAGE

Best TV Stands WalkerModern
Photo: amazon.com

This stand measures 70 by 16 by 24 inches and holds TVs up to 78 inches and weights up to 250 pounds. It has two large cabinets on either side of the stand, with adjustable shelving, so you can personalize storage to suit your books, magazines, DVDs, games, and remote controls. You can use the two open center shelves to display photos, home accents, or books. The stand is crafted from MDF and laminate and has a weight capacity of 250 pounds. It’s available in Barnwood, Grey Wash, Reclaimed Barnwood, Stone Grey, and White Oak. This stand is also available in other sizes.