A low TV unit is right for your home if you have a low or medium height sofa, prefer a wall mounted television, want your living room to feel more open, or have a room with a lower ceiling. It may be less suitable if you need lots of storage, have very tall seating, or have young children who can easily reach anything at floor level. The deciding factors are viewing height, storage needs and how you want the room to feel.
Low designs make up a large part of our low modern TV units UK range, and they sit comfortably alongside the rest of our modern living room furniture UK collection. To help you decide, we have broken the question into the practical considerations that matter most in real homes.
There is no fixed definition, but a low TV unit generally sits noticeably closer to the floor than a traditional stand, often around knee height or lower. They tend to be long and horizontal, with a slim profile that keeps the eye moving across the wall rather than up it.
The style has grown in popularity alongside larger, thinner televisions and lower, deeper sofas. Many modern living rooms are designed around a relaxed, lounging posture, and a low unit suits that way of sitting.
This is the most important question. For comfortable viewing, the centre of the screen should sit roughly at your seated eye level, or slightly below. If your sofa is low and deep, your eye level will be lower too, which suits a low TV unit well.
If you have high backed armchairs or a traditional sofa with firm, upright seating, your eye level may be higher. A very low unit could leave you looking down at the screen, which becomes uncomfortable during long films or matches.
A quick test helps. Sit in your usual spot and ask someone to measure from the floor to your eyes. Then add the height of the unit you are considering to the distance from the base of your TV to the middle of its screen. If the two figures are close, a low unit will work.
Low units come into their own beneath a wall mounted television. The screen can be fixed at the ideal height for your seating, while the unit below holds devices, a soundbar and décor. This combination looks clean and gives you complete control over viewing height.
If you are considering this approach, our wall TV brackets UK range includes fixed, tilting and swivel designs to suit different rooms. Tilting brackets are particularly useful if the TV needs to sit slightly higher than eye level, for example above a fireplace.
If you prefer your TV on its stand, the unit height becomes more critical, so measure carefully before choosing.
Low units usually offer less storage than taller designs, simply because there is less internal height. A long unit can still hold a surprising amount, particularly if it has drawers or deep cupboards, but it will not replace a bookcase or a large media cabinet.
Make a quick list of what the unit needs to hold: consoles, controllers, streaming boxes, a router, films, games, board games, chargers. For music lovers, audio equipment needs particular thought. Turntables and amplifiers benefit from a stable, vibration free surface, and our hifi stands and units UK sale designs are built with that in mind.
If the list is long, you may want a tall unit instead, or a low unit paired with separate shelving. Our guide to tall TV units that offer good value for UK homes explains what to look for in that alternative.
Low units help rooms with modest ceiling heights feel taller. By keeping furniture low, you emphasise the space above it, which is useful in cottages, loft conversions and many modern flats.
A low unit keeps sightlines open, so small rooms feel less crowded. Choose a slim depth to protect the walkway.
If you have wallpaper, panelling or a large piece of art you want to show off, a low unit leaves the wall on display rather than covering it.
Low units fit neatly across a chimney breast wall or into alcoves on either side, keeping the proportions of a period room intact.
Households with toddlers or pets should think about what will be within reach. A low unit puts devices and decorative objects at a height small children can grab, and some dogs may treat the top as a convenient shelf. Closed storage with secure doors, and a wall mounted TV above, solve most of these concerns.
For older family members, bending down to reach a very low cupboard may be less comfortable. Drawers can be easier to use than deep cupboards at floor level.
Low units rely on length for their visual impact, so width deserves careful thought. A low unit that is noticeably wider than the television looks settled and generous. One that only just matches the screen tends to look undersized, because the horizontal line is the whole point of the design.
That said, a very long unit can crowd a small room or run into a door frame or radiator. Measure the usable wall width, subtract anything that intrudes, and leave a small gap at each end so the unit does not feel squeezed in.
Depth is equally important. Low units are often slightly deeper than traditional stands, which gives them more internal storage but can eat into walkways. In narrow rooms, look for a slimmer depth and check that your soundbar and devices will still fit comfortably with cables at the back.
Because a low unit covers a long stretch of wall at floor level, its finish has a big influence on the room. Pale wood and white finishes keep things light and airy, which suits smaller spaces and rooms with limited daylight. Darker wood, charcoal and black create a grounded, cosy feel and help the unit blend with a switched off screen.
High gloss finishes reflect light along their length and can make a room feel brighter, though they show dust more readily at this height, where it tends to settle. Matt finishes are more forgiving and suit relaxed, lived in schemes.
Think about your flooring too. A unit that contrasts gently with the floor stands out as a feature, while one that closely matches can make the room feel more seamless and spacious.
Because low units are long and horizontal, they look best with a balanced arrangement on top. Place the television or a central piece in the middle, then add height at one end with a lamp or tall vase, and something lower at the other end, such as a stack of books or a bowl.
The wall above offers plenty of scope. A large piece of art, a pair of framed prints or floating shelves can fill the space if the TV is on the unit. If the TV is mounted, keep the arrangement simple so the wall does not feel busy.
A low unit that appears to float can look particularly elegant. Our guide to luxury floating TV unit looks for UK living rooms shows how to achieve that effect with lighting and careful cable management.
If your seating is low, you like an open, uncluttered look and your storage needs are modest, a low TV unit is likely to suit you very well. If you need lots of storage, have upright seating or want a strong vertical focal point, a taller unit may be the better fit.
Whichever you choose, measuring your space and your seated eye level first will save a great deal of second guessing. When you are ready, browse our low, wall and tall designs at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
It depends on your seating. If a standing TV ends up well below your seated eye line, the unit is too low. Mounting the TV on the wall above a low unit solves this.
Yes, as long as the unit is wide enough and rated for the weight. Large screens often look particularly good above a long, low unit.
They can be, with closed cupboards and a wall mounted TV. Securing the unit and television to the wall adds further peace of mind.
Yes. Wood effect or painted finishes suit period homes, and a low unit keeps features such as fireplaces and cornicing on display.
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