Each piece of furniture is made with a specific purpose in mind. An end table, for instance, is manufactured to sit next to a couch or a chair. A coffee table is expected to go in front of the couch so people can put things on it.
But, you can break yourself free from those hard labels to get the most out of the furniture in your home. For example, an end table might work better as a small work table in front of a recliner. And what about a coffee table that serves as an entertainment center?
By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll know whether you can use a coffee table as a TV stand.
In This Article We'll Discuss
Can a Coffee Table Hold a TV?
Coffee tables sit low to the ground, so they can usually double as a TV stand. However, it depends on the size of your set and the design of your coffee table. Even though it’s a coffee table, you can use it however you want.
But, there are some practical things you need to look at first. For example, if the coffee table has a single supporting leg in the middle or on the end, its center-of-gravity won’t work with a heavy TV.
If you have a large TV, you should also ask yourself whether it belongs low to the ground or whether a wall mount would be better.
Are Some Coffee Table Materials Better at Holding a TV?
Most coffee tables rely heavily on wood for their construction, with some using metal and even panes of glass in their design. A few of them might also incorporate rattan and acrylic into the frame. Once in a while, you can find one made of rock.
As a rule, metal and rock will support the most weight. Wood and acrylic can also support most televisions. We wouldn’t recommend putting a TV on a rattan coffee table.
The table’s design is just as important as its construction materials. A coffee table made out of thick planks of hickory or another hardwood will do a better job of holding a TV than a coffee table made out of thin lines of aluminum.
How Much Weight Can Coffee Tables Usually Hold and How Much Do Different Types of TVs Weigh?
Modern advances in TV technology and coffee table design make it even easier for a coffee table to hold a TV.
TVs have gotten lighter as mounting them on walls has gotten more popular. In addition, coffee tables remain fairly sturdy because they sit low, so they work well as a stand.
In terms of numbers, the typical wooden coffee table can hold approximately 300 pounds, while a tempered glass coffee table can hold maybe 250 pounds. Most home TV sets weigh less than 100 pounds, including large HDTV flat screens. They are designed that way so that they don’t require professional installation.
However, you can find TVs that weigh up to 1,000 pounds. But these are mostly large projection models that you wouldn’t want to set on a coffee table. And, they come with their own stands.
How Can You Secure a TV to a Coffee Table?
Placing a TV on a coffee table carries certain risks because someone walking through the room might bump into it and knock it off. Wires might also be a tripping hazard. There are a few tricks you can use to make sure your TV is properly secured.
One of the easiest ways to secure your TV is to push the table up against a wall. If you’re using your coffee table to hold a TV, you probably aren’t also using it as a coffee table. So, get it out of the way and place it somewhere that people are less likely to knock into it.
When you place the TV on the table, shake the table a bit. If it’s wobbly, you need to tighten the legs before permanently installing it. Check the other joints to make sure they’re as tight as they can be.
Gather the cables into one bundle and place them behind the set. Not only will this prevent someone from tripping over them, it’ll make it look more organized. Always remember that power cords are a significant trip hazard in any room, so put in the effort to minimize them.
Will Using a Coffee Table as a TV Stand Look Right?
Now, just because you can do something, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. In general, most coffee tables can work well as TV stands. Most are strong enough to hold most TVs, which is really the biggest factor you should consider.
But, will it look right or will it just come off as weird? That’s the question you need to ask yourself.
TVs tend to look better when placed higher and on thinner stands. That’s one reason why mounting them to walls has become so popular. A TV that’s higher up is more visible than one that is down low where other furniture can interrupt your line-of-sight.
Coffee tables are designed to sit in front of couches, so most come in squares, rectangles, circles, and even odd shapes. These are designed to be in the middle of a room, while TVs are generally placed against the wall. A circular coffee table pushed up against the wall to hold a TV might look like it’s wasting a lot of space.
On the other hand, a rectangular coffee table that can accommodate a TV, a soundbar, and a home wireless assistant like Alexa or Google Nest might look just right.
Conclusion
Feel free to place your television on your coffee table if it helps you achieve the look you’re going for in your living room. It’s your house, your possessions, and your sense of creativity. Don’t let labels hold you back.
There are a few practical considerations to weigh, especially whether or not your coffee table is constructed to hold your particular television. If your TV is too heavy, it could break your coffee table. Even worse, it could damage your television, which is a major home purchase.
If you have your own experiences using a coffee table as a TV stand, we’d love to hear about it in a comment down below. You can also share this article on your social media networks.