The quickest way to choose the right entertainment unit is to answer a few practical questions before you look at styles. Knowing your screen size, the devices you own, the space you have and how the unit will be used tells you most of what you need. The twelve questions below cover each of those areas in turn.
Our range of modern entertainment units UK sale spans compact media benches through to larger units with display shelving and closed cupboards. Working through these questions first will help you narrow that choice to the designs that suit your home, and browsing the wider modern TV stands and units UK range lets you compare internal sizes across different styles.
Start with the television. Measure its width and, if it stands on the unit, the distance between its feet or the size of its base. The unit should be wider than the screen, with some space on each side.
Think ahead too. Many people upgrade their television during the life of an entertainment unit. Allowing a little extra width now saves replacing the unit later.
This single decision changes almost everything. A screen that sits on the unit needs a strong top, enough depth for its stand and a height that suits your seating.
A wall mounted screen frees the unit from carrying the television, so it can be lower, longer and shallower. A quality wall TV bracket UK also lets you set the screen at exactly the right height and angle. If you are mounting, plan the cable route so wires run down to the unit neatly.
List everything the unit will hold: router, streaming box, games consoles, soundbar, amplifier, turntable, controllers and chargers. Measure the largest items, including cables at the back.
Compare those measurements against the internal dimensions of the units you are considering, not just the overall size. Panels, backs and doors reduce the usable space more than people expect, so a unit that looks generous from the outside can still be a few centimetres short inside.
Consoles, amplifiers and routers produce heat. Behind solid doors, that heat can build up. Look for open compartments, ventilated backs, or doors with glass, slats or mesh.
Infrared remotes need a clear path to the device, which solid doors block. Many newer devices use wireless signals, but check your equipment before choosing a unit where everything is hidden. For dedicated audio equipment, a separate piece from our modern hifi stands and units UK sale gives amplifiers and turntables the open, stable space they need.
Measure the room with your sofa and other furniture in place. Work out the walkway you need, typically around 80 to 90 cm on main routes, and see how much depth remains for the unit.
In smaller or narrower rooms, depth matters more than width. A shallower unit can make a real difference to how open the room feels.
Hinged doors need clear floor in front of them. Drawers need space to pull out fully. Check that a coffee table, footstool or rug edge will not get in the way.
If space is tight, sliding doors or shallow drawers may suit better than wide hinged doors. Push to open mechanisms keep the front clean, but still need the same clearance.
Place the unit close to power and connections so cables are short. Look for cable ports, removable backs or open rear sections that let wires pass through without drilling.
If the sockets are in an awkward position, consider having new ones fitted before the unit arrives. It is far easier than working around trailing extension leads.
Entertainment units often end up holding more than electronics: board games, books, photo albums, records and everyday bits and pieces. Decide what should be on show and what should be hidden.
A mix of closed cupboards, drawers and a little open shelving handles most needs. If your collection is large, a separate bookcase or display cabinet can take some of the load, keeping the entertainment unit tidy.
Consider your floor, walls and nearby furniture. Wood brings warmth and ages well. High gloss reflects light and suits smaller rooms. Glass keeps the unit feeling light. Matt finishes are calm and hide fingerprints.
The unit does not need to match everything exactly, but it should share at least one quality, such as tone, colour or leg style, with other pieces in the room.
A family room with young children needs rounded corners, sturdy construction and closed storage for toys. A room used mostly for films might benefit from a low unit and a soundbar shelf. A room where you also work or dine might need the unit to define a zone.
Be honest about how the room is used day to day, not just how it looks at its tidiest.
Measure every door, corridor and staircase between the front door and the living room. Large assembled units may need to be carried upright round corners, so check diagonal measurements as well as widths.
Find out whether the unit arrives assembled or flat packed. Flat packed units are easier to carry but need space and time to build. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, and Returns are available up to 30 days.
Look for signs of good construction: metal drawer runners, adjustable hinges, a thick top panel and a clearly stated maximum load. Read the materials description carefully, and check close up photographs of edges and corners.
A simple, well made unit in a timeless shape will usually outlast a more fashionable one. If you want to try a trend, bring it in through accessories rather than the unit itself.
Imagine a family living room in a semi detached house, around 4 metres wide, with a chimney breast on the main wall and a bay window at the front. The television is a large model that the household plans to wall mount above the hearth. Devices include a router, a streaming box, one games console and a soundbar.
Working through the questions gives a clear brief. Because the screen will be mounted, the unit can be low and shallow. It needs one ventilated compartment for the router and console, a shelf at the front for the soundbar, and closed cupboards for board games and controllers. The sockets sit to the left of the chimney breast, so cable access on that side is important. The floor is mid oak and the walls are a soft green, so a walnut or darker oak unit with a matt finish would suit the room.
Because the hallway has a tight turn at the foot of the stairs, a unit delivered flat packed is the safer option. With that brief written down, the shortlist narrows to a handful of designs within minutes.
Most frustrations with media furniture come from skipping one of these questions. Shelves that are too shallow for a console, doors that hit the coffee table, cables with nowhere to go and a finish that clashes with the floor are all avoidable with a few minutes of planning.
Once you have worked through these questions, you will have a clear brief: a target width and depth, a list of storage needs, a preferred finish and a sense of the room around it. That brief makes shopping far quicker and helps you spot the right unit when you see it.
For a more detailed look at storage, measurements and delivery, read our guide to buying a TV unit with storage online in the UK. If closed storage appeals, our piece on where to place a TV unit with doors in a UK home covers door clearances and layout ideas.
When you are ready to compare designs, you can explore entertainment units and matching living room pieces across Furniture in Fashion.
The terms are often used interchangeably. Entertainment units tend to offer more storage and display space for devices, media and accessories, while TV units can be simpler stands or benches.
It should be wider than your television, with some space on each side. Allowing a little extra width gives room for speakers, lamps or a future larger screen.
Many units have an open shelf sized for a soundbar, or enough space on top. Check the shelf height and width against your soundbar, and make sure it will not block the bottom of the screen.
Assembled units save time but need a clear route into the room. Flat packed units are easier to move through tight hallways and stairs but need assembly on arrival.
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