Do you have a tv that you keep on a movable table?
July 24, 2024 6:30 AM   Subscribe

I want to buy a tv. Due to an awkward living room space, I'd like to put the tv on a wheeled table and store it out of the way when it's not in use. But most tvs are very tall and thin and seem like they would fall over immediately if I tried to move them this way.

Is there a good way to do this? Do tvs ever come with a way to attach to a horizontal surface to keep them in position? Is there some other way to have a tv that doesn't always stay in the same spot? I looked into a swivel bracket, but that also wouldn't work with my current set up.
posted by stinker to Home & Garden (17 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
There are TV stands on wheels (search for "rolling TV stand").
posted by sailoreagle at 6:33 AM on July 24, 2024


Another possible option: a small projector and roll up screen.
posted by nickggully at 6:34 AM on July 24, 2024 [2 favorites]


They still make TV carts like you remember from movie days back at school, they just look different now. You mount the TV on the cart. If you Google TV cart you'll find a lot of different examples, some cute, some not.
posted by phunniemee at 6:34 AM on July 24, 2024


TVs are dangerous to kids because they can fall over and kill them. So yes, there are systems designed to keep TVs from falling over and killing kids , which could be used by you to keep your tv from falling over and breaking .
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:34 AM on July 24, 2024 [1 favorite]


Most TVs have a standard mounting plate on the back, called a "vesa mount", which is used to mount them to walls, etc; this is essentially the same as computer monitors. Computer monitor brackets which are permanently mounted to desks are common and far sturdier than the feet that come with TVs, start with "permanent vesa monitor mount" in your searches.
posted by AzraelBrown at 6:45 AM on July 24, 2024 [3 favorites]


Search on "flat screen cart." Most TVs have options for wall mounting: these carts take advantage of that and you secure the panel to the cart. Lots of different models with a wide array of height and depth.
posted by Silvery Fish at 6:46 AM on July 24, 2024


If you can do screws in the wall or ceiling, there's a vast array of flip up/flip down ceiling mounts and retractable wall mounts available.
posted by Bardolph at 6:48 AM on July 24, 2024


The thing about those child safety systems is they are generally made to keep the TV from falling forward onto a child... but if you're going to wheel your cart around, you need support in every direction, not just the one.

The VESA mount suggestion might be a winner. It depends on your TV size. Theoretically, as a TV gets too big for a VESA mount, you could look into ways to secure the feet to the cart. The issue you run into there is that wheeling a TV around will still be more wear/stress on those feet than they were built to handle.

So really, there's probably a practical limit for how big the TV can be. It may also be worth investing in an upgraded model that is thinner/weighs less so that there is less of a top heaviness issue.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:20 AM on July 24, 2024 [3 favorites]


Here's a TV mount that's built into a rolling cart. I'm sure there are others, too.
posted by hydra77 at 7:22 AM on July 24, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Only mentioning this in case you are as ignorant of modern TVs as I was a couple years ago: reasonably sized ones are surprisingly light. I am not strong and can easily pick one up and move it. So if that expands your options, keep that in mind.
posted by metasarah at 7:48 AM on July 24, 2024 [2 favorites]


If it fits within your budget, LG makes a TV with built-in battery and rolling stand.
posted by boisterousBluebird at 8:10 AM on July 24, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: What Metasarah said. We recently bought a 32” TV which we place on the coffee table by the couch when we want to watch. It’s very easy to simply pick up and place against the wall when we ‘re not watching. I’d never have guessed this would be a workable solution but it meets our needs perfectly (and we don’t miss the 50” TV at all).
posted by carterk at 8:31 AM on July 24, 2024


When a TV was a cube, putting it on wheels made sense, for getting it out of the way. But now TVs are flat panels - just mount one on a wall, and if you don't want it around, you could hide it behind a curtain or something.

But sure, I see lots of modern TVs attached to horizontal surfaces, in hotel rooms; probably with one of those VESA mounts as mentioned above.
posted by Rash at 9:55 AM on July 24, 2024


I've got a 46 inch Sony TV on an Ikea Lack TV stand with added castors, no mount or anything but the legs the TV came with, and weighed down a little by the Blu-ray setup and cable box. It's surprisingly stable, I just need to keep a hand on top when wheeling it around. Hasn't fallen over yet, despite the best efforts of my cats.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 10:03 AM on July 24, 2024


There’s also this TV in a briefcase.
posted by ElasticParrot at 11:26 AM on July 24, 2024


If you get a TV stand on wheels, avoid getting the metal kind where the feet stick out below your eye level. It's very easy to accidentally step on those and cut yourself quite badly. Source: did it twice when I had one.
posted by Jacqueline at 4:35 PM on July 24, 2024


I had a similar situation a few years ago and bought this "Modway Vivify Industrial Modern Two Tiered Serving Stand Rolling Cart". (Not from this vendor, but I can't find it where I bought it anymore):

https://www.modishstore.com/products/modway-vivify-tiered-serving-or-tv-stand


I have a 48" LG TV on it. Cart is heavy. TV is heavy. Feels pretty stable, but not sure I'd trust it around kids.
posted by sarah_pdx at 10:54 PM on July 24, 2024


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