Skip to main content

This simple chart shows you how to choose the right size TV for your living room

What size TV do you need? This handy chart tells you

Whether you recently moved into a new space or are planning to upgrade your entertainment setup, you may be asking yourself, “What size TV do I need?” It’s tempting to buy the biggest screen you can with the highest resolution. But, if the screen isn’t the right size for your room, it can overpower the space and may cause unnecessary strain on your eyes. Thankfully, this TV size chart from Reddit makes it easy to choose the perfect-sized television for your living room, bedroom, or den. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about TV size, distance, and more.

modern living room with tv on a stand
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Quick tips for finding the right TV size

Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind before tv shopping:

  • Understand screen size measurements: Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner; be sure to check the dimensions when deciding where to place the television set.
  • Bigger isn’t always better: Though nothing compares to a large screen, if the TV is too big, it won’t fit your room.
  • Consider screen resolution: Most TVs nowadays are available in either 1080p, 4K, or 8K resolution. The higher the resolution, the more expensive the TV and the further you can place it from your sofa.
  • Plan in advance: To find the right size television, you’ll first need to decide where you want to place it; then measure the room to find the perfect fit.
Recommended Videos

Use this TV size chart to create the perfect setup

Thanks to Reddit, purchasing the right size television for your home is easy. The TV size chart posted on the r/coolguides subreddit provides an easy cheat sheet for choosing the best television—no math required. All you need to do is take a few measurements.

How to measure your room

Before you can use this super simple chart, you must first decide where you want to place your television. Then, use a measuring tape to calculate the distance between your future TV set and your couch or primary seating area. Mounting the TV on the wall will create a further distance between your seating and the screen, which will allow your space to accommodate a larger TV.

When measuring the space, note that the distances on the chart are in meters, so you’ll need to take your measurements in meters or convert your measurements from imperial to metric before using the reference guide.

Calculating the right TV size

Now that you know the distance between the couch and the screen, you can refer back to the chart to select the right TV size. Keep in mind that this is just a rough guideline—your room measurements likely won’t be exactly the same as the ones included in the chart. If you want to be as specific as possible and do your own calculations, one commenter noted that the distance was about 1.77x the screen size (in meters).

And of course, your personal preferences matter too. The best screen size depends on what setup is the most comfortable for you.

Choosing a television screen size shouldn’t be a complicated process. And thanks to this handy TV size chart from Reddit, buying the right size television for your living room will be a breeze!

Shannon Cooper
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Shannon Cooper has written about everything from pet care and travel to finance and plumbing in her seven years as a writer…
Apple TV+ shows and movies will be free to stream for three days
The streamer has a limited library, but has managed to produce a consistently high quality of programming.
The cast of Ted Lasso

As anyone with an Apple TV+ subscription will tell you, there are plenty of great movies and TV shows available on the streamer. Unfortunately, at $9.99/mo., the cost of a subscription is just too rich for some people's blood.

Apple is apparently hoping to bag an entirely new group of subscribers by making all of its shows and movies free for the first weekend of 2025. From Jan. 3 to Jan. 5, everything on Apple TV+ will be streamable for free with an Apple ID and password. That means that users can watch everything from Severance to Ted Lasso for free for a limited time, with the rather obvious goal of enticing users to sign up for a paid membership to the streamer.

Read more
What to binge before 2025: The best TV shows of 2024
Hacks, Slow Horses, and Baby Reindeer headline a fantastic year
Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai in Shogun

With 2024 coming to a close, TV fans are ready for all of the great shows that will be returning to their screens in 2025. Before looking forward to the future, it's fun to reflect on the year that was in television. The abundance of streaming services available to viewers has made the industry more diverse than ever before, but it is also more difficult to discern what is great and what isn't.

The best TV shows of 2024 range from comedy-drama series to historical epics and murder mysteries. These programs make us laugh, cry, and think about our lives in a new light. Allow us to guide you through the great year that was in television. There are a wide range of streaming services represented here, from Hulu to Max and everything in between.

Read more
The best Harlan Coben shows on Netflix: Which one should you watch first?
All of Coben's adaptations are ranked for your viewing pleasure
Michael C. Hall stars in Safe

Reading a Harlan Coben novel just feels right during the fall and winter. Coben's masterful use of characters that interact in relatable settings makes avid mystery readers and newcomers to the genre instantly captured in the fun. Coben's writing reads like a binge-able TV drama that forces you to press "next episode" with each page turned and Netflix felt the same way as us. The popular streamer has a deal that has been ongoing for half a decade with the author to adapt many of his best books for the silver screen.

Harlan Coben has eight of his stories adapted for Netflix at this point, featuring fantastic actors like Richard Armitage from The Hobbit film series and Michael C. Hall from the series Dexter. All of the miniseries are created with the intention of watching them in a couple of sittings at most, and we have all of them ranked so you know which ones to start with on your next lazy weekend. These are the best Harlan Coben TV shows to watch right now.

Read more