How far should my sofa be from the TV?

Emma LaurentFurniture Consultant & Space Planner

May 3, 2026

Quick Answer

For a 55 inch TV, your sofa should be 2 to 3.5 meters away. For a 65 inch TV, aim for 2.5 to 4 meters. The formula is simple: multiply your TV screen size (diagonal, in inches) by 1.5 to get the minimum distance in inches, and by 2.5 for the maximum.

The ideal viewing distance depends on your TV size. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommends a 30 degree viewing angle for most content, which translates to sitting about 1.6x the diagonal screen size away. For home use, a range of 1.5x to 2.5x gives comfortable viewing for everyone in the room.

What is the formula for TV viewing distance?

Take your TV screen size in inches (the diagonal measurement). Multiply by 1.5 for the minimum comfortable distance, and by 2.5 for the maximum. Convert to meters by dividing by 39.4.

So for a 65 inch TV: minimum is about 2.5 meters, maximum is about 4.1 meters. This aligns with recommendations from both SMPTE and THX for home theater setups.

TV viewing distance chart by screen size

TV Size	Minimum	Maximum	Sweet Spot
43"	1.6 m	2.7 m	2.0 m
50"	1.9 m	3.2 m	2.3 m
55"	2.1 m	3.5 m	2.5 m
65"	2.5 m	4.1 m	3.0 m
75"	2.9 m	4.8 m	3.4 m
85"	3.2 m	5.4 m	3.9 m

What height should the TV be mounted at?

The center of your TV should be at your seated eye level, which is roughly 100 to 110 cm from the floor for most adults. This is based on ergonomic research showing that a neutral neck position (0 to 15 degrees below horizontal) prevents strain during extended viewing.

If you have to tilt your head up to watch, it is too high. Mounting above the fireplace looks nice in photos, but your neck will suffer after a two hour movie. If you must go above the fireplace, a pull down tilting mount solves the angle problem.

What if my room is too small for the recommended distance?

If your room is physically too short for the minimum distance, do not force a big TV in there. A 50 inch TV viewed from the correct distance will always look and feel better than a 75 inch screen from 1.5 meters away. At too close a distance, you start seeing individual pixels on non 4K content and your eyes have to physically move to track action across the screen, which causes fatigue.

The solution for small rooms: measure your available distance first, then buy the largest TV that fits within the recommended range. Work backwards from your space, not forwards from your wishlist.

Summary

Multiply your TV diagonal (in inches) by 1.5 for minimum distance and 2.5 for maximum, then divide by 39.4 to get meters. Mount the center of the TV at 100 to 110 cm from the floor. If your room is too short, buy a smaller TV rather than sitting too close.