Choosing the best size TV for your bedroom will depend on the resolution and quality of the picture, as well as the distance from your bed to the television itself. When purchasing a 4K TV, the screen size should match the distance between you and the television, whereas, with a 1080p television, you should take the distance and cut it in half to find the correct size TV.
How to Find the Best Size TV for Bedroom
As you now know, there are several factors to consider when choosing the best size TV for your bedroom. In order to make an informed decision and buy the perfect television, you will need to pay attention to two important details.
- The distance your TV will be from your bed.
- The resolution of the TV you have or want to buy.
We are going to go through how far your television should be from your bed, as well as the different resolution options and how to choose the best one for your bedroom, so keep reading! We have everything you need to know to choose the best size TV for your bedroom.
How Far Should Your TV Be From Your Bed?
When it comes to finding the best TV size for your bedroom, it’s important to start with the distance the television will be from where you are sitting on your bed.
So how far should your TV be from your bed? The most common recommended distance is nine feet. However, this length can and should either be elongated or shortened depending on the resolution of the television you own or are going to buy.
Remember, when purchasing a 4K TV, the screen size should match the distance between you and the television, whereas, with a 1080p television, you should take the distance and cut it in half to find the correct size TV.
What Is TV Resolution?
As we have discussed, one of the most important factors when deciding how far away your television should be from your bed is what kind of resolution the device offers. It’s important to understand that when it comes to TVs, a resolution is defined as the number of pixels displayed on the screen.
Just like most people, you probably won’t enjoy being able to see the individual pixels on your TV screen, and of course, the number of pixels makes a big difference on the distance needed in order to not be able to see these little tiny images.
So let’s find out the different kinds of resolutions you might have on your TV and how to choose how far away it should be from your TV, from there, we will be able to figure out what the best size TV is for your bedroom.
What Kind of Resolution is Best For your Bedroom TV?
The most common television resolutions are 1080p and 4K, and we are going to learn the differences between the two and which one is best for your bedroom.
What is a 1080p TV?
A 1080p TV is a High Definition TV, and the screen itself is made up of two million pixels (1920×1080). While 1080p TVs are often considered sufficient for most television watchers, they are by no means the best option on the market.
The pros of getting a 1080p TV:
- The picture quality is adequate for most homes.
- They are typically much more affordable than 4K or 8K TVs.
- It is a high-definition television and can be used for all forms of entertainment including over-the-air broadcasting, streaming, gaming, and more.
The cons of a 1080p TV:
- The picture quality is not as impressive as other resolution options such as the 4K.
- A 1080p TV needs to be farther away from your bed in order to not see the individual pixels which means you may have to buy a larger TV to enjoy a “big screen” effect.
What is a 4K TV?
When it comes to televisions, those with 4K resolutions are currently the most popular option, within the last year, they have surpassed the 1080p models in the United States as the consumers’ favorite design.
4K televisions are becoming more and more popular because of their incredible picture quality and their reasonable price tags. A 4K TV is an Ultra High Definition TV, with a resolution of 8.3 million pixels (3,840×2,160). Essentially, the more pixels a TV has, the better the picture quality will be. That means that the 4K TV has a resolution that is four times better than a 1080p model.
If you are willing to pay a bit more, a 4K television will be a great addition to your bedroom, and because there are more pixels, they will appear smaller on the television which means you will be able to place the TV closer to your bed and still enjoy top-notch picture quality.
Let’s Do the Math
So, now that you know the difference between a 1080p TV and a 4K TV in regards to what resolution they offer, we can easily do some quick math to find out how far your TV of choice should be from your bed. And with that information, we can then figure out the best size TV for your bedroom!
How Far Should a 1080p TV Be From Your Bed?
Depending on how your bedroom furniture is set up, you probably already have a good idea of where your TV should be placed in order to be able to watch comfortably from your bed. We recommend finding the distance from where you will be watching the screen, i.e. at the top of your bed, from the wall, and then choose your TV size based on that distance.
While you cannot control the size of your room, you can control where your bed is placed, so if these numbers that we are about to crunch don’t fit your current bedroom set up, you may want to consider moving a few things around.
But before you go ahead and drag your bed across the floor, let’s find out how far your 1080p TV should be from your bed.
| Size Of 1080p Television | Recommended Minimum Distance From Bed |
| 32 Inch | 5.3 Feet |
| 40 Inch | 6.7 Feet |
| 42 Inch | 7 Feet |
| 48 Inch | 8 Feet |
| 50 Inch | 8.3 Feet |
| 55 Inch | 9.2 Feet |
| 60 Inch | 10 Feet |
| 65 Inch | 10.8 Feet |
| 75 Inch | 12.5 Feet |
| 85 Inch | 14.2 Feet |
As you can see, just as we mentioned before, nine feet is the average distance to watch your television comfortably, however, each TV size absolutely has its own recommended distance and your television watching experience will be better if you adhere to it.
How Far Should a 4K TV Be From Your Bed?
Now that you are an expert on TV resolutions, of course, you know that the pixel count on 4K TVs is four times higher than their 1080p counterparts. Because of this enhancement, your 4K television can actually be closer to your bed and you will not be able to see the little annoying pixels.
| Size Of 4k Television | Recommended Minimum Distance From Bed |
| 32 Inch | 2.6 Feet |
| 40 Inch | 3.3 Feet |
| 42 Inch | 3.5 Feet |
| 48 Inch | 4 Feet |
| 50 Inch | 4.2 Feet |
| 55 Inch | 4.6 Feet |
| 65 Inch | 5.4 Feet |
| 75 Inch | 6.25 Feet |
| 85 Inch | 7.1 Feet |
Remember that these are simply the recommended minimum distances, so your TV can, and will most likely be a little further away, but you get a little more leeway when it comes to distancing when choosing a 4K TV.
Now that we know the minimum distances, you are probably wondering, but what is the best size for my specific bedroom? Don’t worry, we’re almost there!
How to Choose the Best Size TV for Your Bedroom
Before shelling out the big bucks and buying a new TV for your bedroom, you will certainly want to know which size is the best option for your specific room set up. As you know, distance is important, so we recommend measuring the space between where you are going to sit, most likely at the top of your bed, and where you want to place your TV.
Once you have this number, make sure you convert it into inches, then you will need to do a little more math.
Luckily, there are two easy formulas to use when trying to figure out what size TV you should buy based on the distance between your seat and your TV, one for those with a 4K resolution, and one for a 1080p TV.
- The recommended screen size of a 4K television is the exact same number of inches as your seat is from your TV.
- For 1080p TVs, you will want to divide the distance from your TV by 1.5 in order to get the recommended screen size.
Sounds pretty easy right? All you really need is a tape measure and your smartphone calculator and you can quickly establish what size TV will best suit your bedroom.
All of this information is of course, extremely helpful, but you also may be wondering to yourself: what are the most popular TV sizes for bedrooms and which model is best for you?
What Are the Most Popular TV Sizes For Bedrooms
If math isn’t your forte, and you really just want to know which size television is the most popular for bedrooms, this is the section for you! Televisions that are 55 inches are the most popular options for televisions in bedrooms across The United States.
Most people choose this size because the average dimensions of an American bedroom are between 10×10, 10×11, 11×11, 11×11, or 12×12, which all suit these television measurements quite well.
If you’re still having doubts about which TV size to get for your bedroom, a 55 inch is a pretty safe bet. But remember, that if it has a 1080p resolution, it should be about nine feet away from your bed, and if it has a 4K resolution, it should be at least four and a half feet away.
What Size TV is too Small for a Bedroom?
Now that you understand the most common size TV for a bedroom, you may also be wondering if there is such thing as a TV that is too small for a bedroom. Well, the answer is yes, there are certainly TV sizes that are too small for some bedrooms.
As most bedrooms are between ten and 12 feet long or wide, if you mount your TV to a wall and also have your bed up against another wall, you will probably be sitting at least nine feet away from your television.
If your bedroom is of average size and fits these dimensions, you should not purchase a television that is less than 55 inches. In fact, if it is any more than a nine-foot distance, you will probably want to upgrade to a 60-inch television.
What Size TV is too Big for a Bedroom?
Just as there are TVs that are too small for a bedroom, there are also TV sizes, that while they may work wonderfully in a large living room, will simply be too large for a bedroom.
As we learned from the tables above, there is a recommended minimum distance from televisions, and although the distances are lengthened as the television dimensions grow, once you get up for TVs with a measurement of 75 or 85 inches, you really will want to be fairly far away in order to best enjoy the picture quality.
With a 75-inch 1080p TV, you need to be sitting more than twelves feet away from your television screen. Now, that is a fairly large distance, and unless you have a very spacious bedroom, a 75 inch TV will most likely be far too big.
The same goes for 85-inch televisions, but you would need even more space to make these monsters a good choice for a bedroom. In fact, with a 1080p TV, you would need fourteen feet of space between you and the TV!
Of course, when it comes to 4K resolution TVs, you have a better chance of pleasantly watching an extra-large TV, even with smaller space as the pixels are much smaller. A 75 inch 4K TV only needs a minimum of six feet in order to have a great viewing experience, and an 85-inch model requires at least seven feet.
Remember that these measurements are simply recommendations, and realistically, 85-inch television in your bedroom may make you feel like you are at the movie theater. Realistically, this can either be a good or bad thing, depending on what kind of TV watching experience you are going for and the design aesthetic of your room as well.
What Size TV Looks Best in a Bedroom?
That leads us to our next factor to consider when choosing the best TV size for your bedroom: the way the TV actually looks in regards to design and style. So far, we have only discussed what size TV to choose based on resolution and distance from your bed, but it’s also important to think about how your room is going to look with a TV on the wall.
Depending on your personal taste, you may not want your bedroom to look like a home cinema, or you just might! So it truly is tough to say which size is the best for your television based on interior design, however, there is a basic rule of thumb you can use to make sure your TV doesn’t become the only thing you see when you walk into your bedroom.
The average bedroom wall is only 132 inches long. This means that a 75-inch television would take up more than half of your wall space.
Not only does that mean that you won’t have any space on your wall for anything other than a TV, but it also means that when you walk into the room, the TV will certainly be the first thing your eye goes to.
If the design isn’t important to you, and you simply want to enjoy watching a big screen every night, then, by all means, go big!
But if you want to have a well-balanced aesthetic, we recommend sticking with a 55 or 60-inch television for your bedroom.
Where Should You Mount Your TV in Your Bedroom?
Okay, so we have learned quite a lot about the sizes of TVs, including which sizes are best for the dimensions of your bedroom, which resolution is the best choice for your measurements, and even what most people feel is the best size for a bedroom, and hopefully, you now feel like you can confidently purchase the correct size for your specific bedroom.
Now you may be wondering, where is the best place to mount this perfectly-sized television?
A good location is essential, in fact, everything we have discussed so far about the best size TV for your bedroom will be useless if you do not place it in the right spot. There are several factors you need to consider when mounting your television:
- The TV needs to be close enough to connect to an outlet.
- It needs to be at a comfortable viewing angle from where you will sit or lay down in bed.
- There needs to be space for your bedroom furniture.
- The TV needs to be a certain height from the floor.
Let’s step through each of these requirements in order to ensure you get the most out of your new TV in your bedroom.
The TV Needs to Be Close to an Outlet
While this may sound fairly obvious, people often forget and end up with ugly cords running all the way along their bedroom wall. Realistically, it is ideal to place the TV somewhere where the cord connecting the device to an outlet will be hidden either behind the TV itself or behind a piece of furniture.
You Want a Comfortable Viewing Angle
In most cases, the bed is the largest piece of furniture in a bedroom. As there are fewer options available for where to put a bed than for where to put a TV, you should first place your bed where you know you want it to be, and then find a spot for your TV that works with it.
We have already scrutinized the appropriate distance a television should be from your bed, but we have not yet talked about angles. Experts recommend that you sit with a viewing angle of no more than thirty degrees, however, most television watchers recline and enjoy their viewing at about fifteen degrees.
Here’s where a little more math comes into play. To get a thirty-degree viewing angle, you should multiply the distance from the top of your bed to your television in inches by .6 and the answer should be your TV screen size.
So if the distance is 96 inches, times that by .6 and you will get 58, which means you should have a 58-inch screen TV. Once you lay down, it will probably be more like fifteen degrees instead of thirty when you are sitting up, making it the perfect viewing angle no matter what your position is!
If this seems a bit complicated, you can also just lay down in your bed and look at where you want your television to be and you will probably be able to tell if it feels right!
There Needs to Be Space for Your Bedroom Furniture
This may sound like another clear-cut consideration, but there is typically a lot more furniture in a bedroom than there is in a living room.
If you have a small bedroom, you should consider using a wall mount for your television, no matter what size. This will ensure you have plenty of space under the TV for a dresser or anything else you want to put in your room. A moveable wall mount is a fantastic choice as it will allow you to move the angle of your TV depending on where you’re sitting.
Place the TV at the Correct Height From the Floor
Calculating the height your television should be from the floor is a little more complicated as there is no real formula. Each TV size has its own recommended height.
| TV Size | Height From Floor |
| 42 Inch | 56 Inches |
| 55 Inch | 61 Inches |
| 65 Inch | 65 Inches |
| 70 Inch | 67 Inches |
So once you have established the distance of your television from your bed and purchased the best size TV for the space, you now know exactly how high you should place it on the wall for the best possible TV watching experience!
Is It Unhealthy to Have a Big TV in the Bedroom?
You may be wondering, is having a big TV in the bedroom unhealthy? Well, yes and no. A larger size television will emit more light and may lead to fitful sleeping or even insomnia if you are not careful.
Luckily, there are a few tactics you can take in order to eliminate or at least reduce this problem, even with a large bright television.
- Turn off the TV at least an hour before you actually plan to go to sleep.
- Put on a bedside lamp while you watch TV. It will ensure the eyes are not only focusing on the blue light, which can cause insomnia.
- Don’t watch anything action-packed as it may keep you stimulated instead of sending you to sleep.
- Turn down the brightness.
- Put on a sleep timer so your television doesn’t continue playing after you have fallen asleep.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you can certainly have a large TV, or any TV at all, in your bedroom. But if you find it is affecting your sleep pattern, it may be best to not watch TV at night at all.
Let’s Recap
When it comes to choosing the best TV for your bedroom, there are quite a lot of factors to consider. As you now know, the distance between your television and your bed and the resolution of your chosen TV model is certainly the most important components to be aware of.
With the tables above you can easily find your perfect television size and type for your bedroom! But if you want to keep the easy mathematic formulas in mind, just remember: with a 4K TV, the screen size should match the distance between you and the television, whereas, with a 1080p television, you should take the distance and cut it in half to find the correct size TV.
It’s also important to know that where your TV is placed on your wall will affect your viewing experience, so make sure you mount or place the TV at a thirty-degree angle or less from where you will most commonly be watching.
When in doubt, a 40-60 inch TV is probably the best size for your bedroom, and it will most likely be mounted or placed about nine feet from your bed at a height of 60 inches from the floor.
TV Problems to Look Out For
If you have accidentally purchased the wrong TV size or resolution type for your bedroom, you will really only notice if the picture quality is affected.
When it comes to a 4K TV, the picture quality is technically better as the resolution has four times more pixels than a 1080p TV. So while you may think that means that the picture will always be better, it is actually a little more complicated. Because you are able to enjoy so many more details on a 4K TV, placing it much further away will actually detract from what the device has to offer. So all that money you spent may go to waste.
Essentially, if you know you are going to place your television more than nine feet away from your bed, you may actually want to go for a 1080p. The 1080p TVs need to be farther away as when you are too close, you will be able to see every little pixel and therefore the picture quality will be seriously disappointing.
So if you know that your television is going to be within a few feet of your bed, we certainly recommend a 4K model. When it comes to choosing the right TV for your bedroom, there is no clear-cut answer. It greatly depends on all the factors we have discussed in this article.
If you do follow all the guidelines exactly as we have laid them out, you should come home with the perfect TV!
However, if you notice that the picture is grainy, the distance feels too far, the angle is not quite right, or you simply do not like the way the recommended size looks, of course, return it and do what Is best for you and your bedroom!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you now are now a TV size expert! You can confidently purchase the perfect TV for your bedroom and enjoy watching streaming gaming, or anything else you like to do for entertainment knowing you are getting the best possible picture quality and viewing angle.
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