Bar Design Ideas – What is the Right TV Height?

What is the best TV height for bars

What is the right TV height for bars? What’s the best size?

WHAT IS THE RIGHT TV HEIGHT FOR BARS, SPORTS BARS AND RESTAURANTS?

Just purchased a bunch of new LED TV’s for your bar and now you don’t know how high to mount them? People are always asking what’s the best size TV for bars? As I always say, when it comes to TV’s for bars, sports bars and restaurants, the bigger the better, but since most owners purchase multiple TV’s, the sweet spot for retailers and owners is between $500-$600. The new hot spot for TV’s that match this price point is 55”. However, 50” TV’s can still be the proper choice when attempting to fit them on a soffit, as seen in FIGURE 1, below.

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WHAT IS THE CORRECT TV HEIGHT FOR BARS?

As for the correct installation height, there’s obviously a difference between optimizing a TV for a bar and one for your living room. In the case of the bar, you’ll have people of differing heights and distances, and although this would seem to add to the difficulty of planning, it actually makes it easier, as patrons will move to the spot they find most comfortable. According to architectural standards, the goal is to set the height of the TV so the people closest will see the middle 10”. By the same standards, the forward viewing angle of the patron is 30-35°.

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FIGURE 1. IMAGE OF BAR WITH A RANGE OF VIEWING ANGLES FOR TV's

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TV VIEWING ANGLE, DISTANCE AND TV HEIGHT

From the above information, the ideal height is more critical for the people closest to the TV, because their viewing angle is the shortest. Consider the following:

  • As illustrated in FIGURE 1, above, patrons standing 14’ from the bar can see the middle of the TV screen much easier than the patrons seated at the bar (about 5’ from the screen).
  • When installing the TV, it should also be tilted forward slightly to optimize the viewing angle; for many TV’s this angle is between 5-8°.
  • The best gauge for most bars and sports bars is to set the bottom of the TV at 90” above the finished floor and tilt it between 5 – 8° (forward).
  • Most TV’s will work optimally at an angle within this range. In addition to the above, the quality of the images of flat screen TV’s drops as the lateral viewing angle increases to about 35°.

Therefore, because a single line of TV’s isn’t capable of servicing the needs of a large crowd, the way to adequately service a large crowd is by installing TV’s on multiple walls, as shown in the photo below.

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THE BOTTOM OF THE TV SHOULD BE 90" ABOVE THE FINISHED FLOOR
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A TIP ABOUT INSTALLING TV’s IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS

Here’s a tip for the right TV height for bars. As seen in the above photo, the bottom of the TV should be 90″ above the finished floor. When mounting TV’s to soffits and walls, I always specify one layer of 3/4″ fire-treated CDX plywood over the entire surface – before the installation of drywall. This will provide you with an infinite number of options in which to mount your TV’s.

 

My favorite reference book for architectural standards:
https://amzn.to/38q3piJ

 

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RICK UZUBELL

President of Cabaret Design Group, Rick holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and is a F&B consultant and well-known bar design expert with years of experience serving hotels, restaurants, sports bars and destination bars. He has developed a command of bar design solutions involving ergonomics, equipment, systems and finishes that bridges the "Gray Zone" between interior designers and architects. He's also a champion of ADA design in commercial bar applications. Through his unique architectural engineering approach he calls "Integrated Bar Design," Rick solves complex bar design challenges beyond the expertise of typical design professionals. His proudest achievements include curved bar design solutions using the modular bar die system and steel as a core design element. As a commercial bar design specialist, Rick has cutting-edge knowledge of draft beer systems, liquor systems, keg room design and batch cocktail systems. He will add significant value to any commercial bar design project. Rick is a proud member of the F&B consortium known as the "Magnificent 7".
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