Quick answers
- Fixed: flat, slim, cheapest. Best at eye level. Seen at about $10 to $40.
- Tilt: angles the screen down. Best above eye level or with glare. Seen at about $10 to $75.
- Swivel (single arm): swings a smaller TV sideways. Seen at about $20 to $40, some higher.
- Full-motion: extends, swivels and tilts. Best for corners and open rooms. Seen at about $15 to $120, more for long-reach models.
- Check two numbers: your TV's VESA hole pattern and the mount's weight rating. Then match the mount to the wall.
- Prices are for the mount only, as listed on October 28, 2026. They are not install prices.
TV mounts look alike on the shelf: a steel plate, two brackets, a bag of bolts. What differs is how far the TV can move. That decides how the room looks, how easy the cables are to reach and how hard the wall works. Here are the four types and what the mount alone costs.
The four mount types at a glance
| Type | What it does | Works best for | Typical mount price (hardware only) | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Holds the TV flat, about 1 to 1.5 in. off the wall | Eye-level TV, one seating area | Typically about $10 to $40; premium models about $65 to $170 | No glare control, ports hard to reach |
| Tilting | Leans the top of the TV away from the wall | TV above eye level, glare, over a fireplace | Typically about $10 to $75; premium models about $100 to $280 | No sideways movement |
| Swivel (single arm) | One arm swings the TV left and right | Small and mid-size TVs in kitchens, bedrooms, offices | Typically about $20 to $40; some small-TV listings ran about $55 to $90 | Short reach, lower weight limits |
| Full-motion | Double arm extends, swivels and tilts | Corners, open rooms, TVs viewed from several seats | Typically about $15 to $120; long-reach models about $135 to $280, and some premium models up to about $400 | Costs most, thickest, most load on the wall |
Fixed mounts
A fixed (flat) mount hangs the TV a little over an inch from the wall and holds it there. Echogear's EGLL1, for example, sits 1.25 in. out. It is the best fit for a TV at or near eye level in a room where everyone sits in front of it, such as a bedroom, den or media wall.
Pros: the lowest price, the slimmest look and the simplest install. Cons: you cannot angle the screen to beat glare, and ports are hard to reach. Echogear says as much, which is why its fixed mount has pull cords to release the TV.
Tilting mounts
A tilting mount is a fixed mount with a hinge. The bottom stays close to the wall and the top leans out, so the screen points down a few degrees. Listings we opened ranged from about 3 to about 15 degrees of downward tilt.
Pros: a modest price, a low profile and a better angle. Cons: no sideways movement, and a big screen may not reach the full tilt number on the box because the TV hits the wall. Sanus says large TVs on traditional tilt mounts often hit the wall, which limits the tilt. Its BLT3 Elite tilt mount extends 6.8 in. to get around that.
Swivel (single-arm) mounts
Swivel mounts add a pivot so the TV can turn toward the viewer. Retailers usually list the single-arm style as a full-motion mount for smaller screens. The single-arm models we saw at Home Depot were sized for roughly 13 to 55 in. TVs, and one small-TV listing was rated for 44 lb. They suit a kitchen corner, a small bedroom or an office.
Pros: cheaper than a double-arm mount. Cons: shorter reach and lower weight limits, so not for big TVs.
Full-motion mounts
Full-motion (articulating) mounts use a folding arm to pull the TV out, swing it sideways and tilt it. Echogear's EGLF2 is a good example of the specs: 22 in. of extension, up to 130 degrees of swivel, 15 degrees down and 5 up, and a 125 lb rating. They suit corners and open-plan rooms where one TV serves a couch and a kitchen island, and they make cables easy to reach.
Pros: the most flexibility. Cons: the highest price, the thickest profile when folded (2.4 in. for the EGLF2) and the most leverage on the wall. That is why our TV on plaster walls guide says to anchor into at least two studs or solid masonry.
Our pick: Sanus
If you ask us which brand to buy, we recommend Sanus. Here is what we can back up from Sanus's own pages. It says its TV mounts are safety tested and UL listed, with testing at four times the rated weight, so a mount rated for 100 lb is tested to 400 lb. Its warranty page gives metal video monitor mounts a 10-year limited warranty from the date of purchase, for mounts bought from an authorized seller. Its customer care line, 1-800-359-5520, is staffed seven days a week.
Read the warranty's limits too. It replaces defective parts, it does not pay for removing or reinstalling a mount, and it is void if the TV is heavier than the rating or the mount is moved from its first install.
| Type | Sanus model | Price, Oct 28, 2026 | Weight rating | VESA range (mm) | TV size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | LL11 (0.55 in. off the wall) | $169.99 | 150 lb | 75 x 75 to 800 x 400 | 40 to 85 in. |
| Tilting | VLT7 (tilts 7 up, 12 down; extends 6.8 in.) | $199.99 | 150 lb | 150 x 100 to 600 x 400 | 42 to 90 in. |
| Swivel (single arm) | No single-arm model found. Closest: VSF817 compact full-motion | $139.99 (Sanus site only) | 40 lb | 75 x 75 to 200 x 200 | 19 to 43 in. |
| Full-motion, up to 65 in. | VMF822 | $279.99 | 70 lb | 200 x 100 to 400 x 400 | 32 to 65 in. |
| Full-motion, up to 90 in. | VLF828 (extends 28 in.) | $429.99 | 125 lb | 100 x 200 to 600 x 400 | 42 to 90 in. |
Specs come from Sanus's product pages. Best Buy listed the same price for every model except the VSF817, which we did not see at a retailer. Sanus mounts cost more than the budget ranges above, and the VLF828 is above the top of the full-motion range in our table. The review counts on these exact models are small and mixed, so we are not leaning on star ratings. Retailer listings and Sanus's own site do not always agree on which models are current, so check stock before you buy.
Where these prices come from
We looked at listings at Home Depot, Best Buy, Echogear, B&H Photo and Sanus on October 28, 2026. Amazon, Walmart and Lowe's pages would not show us prices, so they are not in these ranges. Low ends come mostly from budget brands; premium ranges from Sanus, Chief and Peerless models. Prices change, so treat these as a guide, not a quote.
Check the VESA pattern and weight rating
Two numbers decide whether a mount fits. The first is the VESA hole pattern: the distance in millimeters between the mounting holes on the back of the TV, written as horizontal by vertical, like 200 x 200. The second is weight. Ergotron's summary of the VESA standard groups patterns into classes. MIS-D covers 75 x 75 and 100 x 100 mm up to about 30.8 lb. MIS-E covers 200 x 100 mm up to about 50 lb. MIS-F covers 200 x 200 mm and larger, up to about 250 lb. Individual models may differ.
Mount makers publish their own limits. Echogear's EGLF2 lists patterns from 200 x 100 to 600 x 400 mm and a 125 lb rating. Best Buy's Essentials tilt mount lists 100 x 100 to 600 x 400 mm and 110 lb. A "fits 32 to 65 in." label is only a guide. Check the pattern and weight, and pick a rating above your TV's.
Match the mount to your wall
- Drywall with studs: the easy case. Most mounts are designed for 16 in. or 24 in. wood studs. Never rely on drywall anchors alone for a TV. See our wall anchors for heavy items guide. Metal studs need a different kit; Echogear sells one for fixed and tilting mounts up to 175 lb.
- Plaster over lath: hard to anchor and easy to crack. Read TV on plaster walls.
- Brick: it needs masonry bits and rated anchors. Read TV over a brick or stone fireplace.
- Concrete or block: fine for a heavy TV with the right anchors. Some mounts, such as Best Buy's Essentials full-motion model, list only wood studs or solid concrete or block as acceptable walls.
If the manual lists only wood studs and solid concrete, believe it. A wall that is not on the list is a job for a pro. Sanus's BLT3 manual says the wall must support five times the combined weight of the TV and mount, and a longer arm puts more load on it.
Height, angle and the fireplace
Sanus suggests a seated eye level of about 42 in. from the floor as a starting point, with the middle of the screen near that line. Echogear agrees: the middle of the screen belongs at eye level, which is lower than many people expect.
A fireplace often pushes the TV much higher. Sanus calls its Elite tilt mount, with 12 degrees of downward tilt, a go-to for above-eye-level spots like that. A tilt mount helps, but it does not fix a TV that is far too high. Check the heat, too. Our TV over a brick or stone fireplace guide covers heat, height and pull-down mounts that lower the screen when you watch.
Hiding the cables
For clean cables, the usual choices are an in-wall power kit with a recessed outlet, or a paintable raceway on the wall surface, which is the practical option on brick or concrete. Use a kit made for the job rather than running a regular power cord inside the wall. A new outlet behind the TV is work for a licensed electrician. For install costs, see our TV mounting cost guide.
Mounts we install, and mounts we can supply
We install customer-supplied mounts. If you do not have one yet, tell us your TV model and the wall type, and we can help you choose and supply the right one. Either way, we want a mount rated above your TV's weight and a stud, masonry or plaster plan before anyone drills. See our TV mounting service, or the local pages for Bethesda, McLean, Great Falls, Potomac and Washington, DC.
Wall mounting is also a safety step: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Anchor It! program calls it a great way to minimize tip-over risk. Ready to hang it? Text a photo of the wall and your TV model to (202) 438-6197 for an exact quote.
Sources
Prices and specs were read on October 28, 2026 and may have changed.
- Home Depot: fixed TV wall mounts
- Home Depot: tilting TV wall mounts
- Home Depot: single-arm swivel TV wall mounts
- Home Depot: full-motion TV wall mounts
- Echogear: TV mounts, including the EGLL1 and EGLF2
- B&H Photo: TV wall mounts
- Best Buy: fixed, tilting and full-motion Essentials mounts
- Best Buy: SANUS OLL15 fixed mount and SANUS Elite BLF528 full-motion mount
- SANUS BLT3 tilt mount (now listed as discontinued)
- SANUS: warranty information and product pages for the LL11, VLT7, VSF817, VMF822 and VLF828
- Best Buy listings: SANUS fixed, tilting and full-motion mounts and SANUS full-motion mounts
- Ergotron: the VESA mounting standard
- SANUS: TV mounting height
- CPSC Anchor It!