Best fireplace TV mount | A spring-assisted pull down

What features to look for in a fireplace TV wall mount?

Full-motion

Let’s start with the important subject of the moving capabilities of a fireplace TV wall bracket since the required motion will be heavily used for a better viewing angle and to reduce glare.

The most movable features should be present in your fireplace mounting unit with no engineering or design problems.

A combination of both vertical travel and swivel is enough to find your eye level.

The MM750 pull-down fireplace TV mount doesn’t have an adjustable tilt, nor does the MM340, but both can swivel and pull down. The MM540, MM700, and Monoprice can tilt, swivel, and travel vertically.

Wireless control

A motorized pull-down fireplace TV mount like the VIVO is controlled with a programmable remote.

You can use a remote to adjust the height of the mount or to extend it off the wall and down to the right height. Swiveling can then be done manually.

The MM mounts, Mount-It, and Monoprice do not have motors and are operated manually.

Materials

A fireplace nook TV mount like those we’ve reviewed can be made of aluminum, steel, lightweight alloys, or plastic.

Sometimes you can get one for a stone fireplace as well. Each of the mounts is made from metal, except the VIVO which is made from steel and plastic.

This means some fireplace pull-down brackets are made more heavy-duty. The MM700 is made from 3mm steel, and the MM750 is made from 3.5 mm-5mm steel.

Weight capacity

Weight capacity is the ability of the bracket to take on the weight of the TV. A smaller monitor would need a lighter weight capacity rating, while a larger TV, such as 60 inches above, needs a higher weight capacity.

As each over-the-fireplace TV mount pulls down, you need to compare the different weight tolerances. Mount-It MI-373 can support 40-15 4lbs with the highest weight capacity.

Looking at all the TV brackets reviewed for a brick fireplace listed here, we can say that each one can take enough weight. Most of these brackets are spring-assisted mounts. To make lifting and adjustment easy.

Travel distance

Let’s talk about the mount’s flexibility and all the must-have features. Travel distance is the ability of the mount to be pulled down from the highest point to the lowest point.

The vertical motion made over fireplace mounts is what makes these unique from other types. To meet the range needed to cover different TV heights required above a fireplace.

A good travel distance would set your eye-level comfort as desired. For TVs with screen sizes above 60 inches, take a bracket with a 27-inch travel distance.

TV size

Your flat-screen TV should fit perfectly on your wall plate, so size matters! And sit perfectly on the wall when not in use.

But with an above fireplace pull-down TV bracket, this should not be a problem. Here’s how to take the proper measurements of your monitor to make sure you get the right television bracket size to match.

Cable management

If you’re going to pick a fireplace TV bracket, make sure that it comes with a cable management system.

Note that cable management systems vary from brand to brand. If all else fails, cable ties and clips do well in keeping the cables looking neat and tidy.

The MM750 comes with 8 cable ties. 

And we have here some tricks on how you can hide those wires when mounting on a fireplace.

Mounting capacity

When getting a fireplace mount, look into the mounting capacity and the installation process of each unit.

You should find a good mount with matching VESA hole patterns that are compatible with your box to help reduce installation time.

Furthermore, you can also consider future usage of the mount to a different television with another VESA pattern. For your next mounting dream.

Accessories included

Accessories help you use the mount conveniently. The Mantel Mount brackets include paintable wall covers, heat-sensing handles, and a built-in soundbar. The MM340 features pull-down handles and adjustable stops.

These are features the great ones not to forget about in your fireplace TV mount.

Assembly

The assembly of over-fireplace TV hardware varies. All of the mounts come with instruction manuals giving step-by-step instructions. You’d want to have a shorter assembly time and easy-to-digest manuals and hardware with standard VESA patterns for a quick setup.

Why mount a TV over the fireplace?

1.  To make your living room cozier by having a television above the fireplace – you can simply pull your prized possession down in front of the fire when you want your loved one to watch your favorite show.
2. Putting your TV above the fireplace will make your room more spacious and roomy – by mounting your monitor, you can free up space for when you are not watching.
3. Hanging your screen above the fireplace will provide a central gathering point – people will want to be near them so you can face your sofa in one direction. 
4. You can be creative with interior design in your living room – if the screen is at eye level when people stand up, you can decorate the surrounding wall space.
5. You can integrate the TV into your wall – you can keep it in an alcove so that you save space when it is not in use. The MM750 comes with a recess box that will help you to do this straight out of the box.

Elevated angles: How to deal with viewing angle?

Putting your furniture in front of the TV mount will prevent you from straining your neck or eyes to see the TV. Getting a TV mount with a large travel distance will also help by allowing you to bring the tilting mount closer to your eye level when y’all watch TV.

And with ergonomic seating a fireplace TV mount will help you sit with a good posture, this is exactly what you need for comfortable viewing.

How does a pull-down fireplace TV bracket help achieve an optimal viewing angle?

All of the mounts here can swivel and be pulled down. The MM750 has the greatest non-recessed travel distance at 32 inches.

The MM700 has the greatest swivel capacity, at 35 degrees in both directions.

The Mount-It MI-373 has a total pull-down distance of 31.5 inches. The Monoprice and Mount-It can also rotate and tilt.

Both options will tilt 3 degrees down and 15 degrees up while rotating 5 degrees and are ready to effortlessly pull.

What’s the edge of a fireplace TV mount over a standard articulating wall mount?

Full articulating TV wall mounts

Articulating mounts advantages

• Full-motion-capabilities.A full-articulating television mount has a swing arm that you can tilt, swivel, and rotate. This helps you find the perfect angle because you can move the arm in three dimensions.

Disadvantages of full-motion brackets

• Difficult to manage cables. Cable length needs to be managed carefully so that it reaches your TV without being pulled out or getting in the way when using the swingarm. 

Fireplace TV pulldown mount

Why install a fireplace TV mount 

• Good cable management. A fireplace TV mount like those we reviewed comes with cable ties or clips that help secure cables.
• Saves space. Keeping the television close to the wall and elevated off the ground will save space in your room.
• Flexible field of view. This mount can swivel, tilt, and pull off the wall. Mount-It has the best combination of travel distance, swivel, tilt, and rotation.
• Ergonomics. The adjustable travel distance, and the ability to tilt and swivel, mean that fireplace TV mounts help you maintain a good posture.

Drawbacks of a fireplace TV mount

• Challenging to assemble. There are a lot of steps to follow in the instructions, and sometimes extra help is needed. Paste content here.

Think about this before mounting a fireplace pulldown

If your TV is mounted too high, you’ll have to crane your neck. Instead, position your screen at eye level. You can use a TV mount that has a longer vertical travel distance, like the MM750 or the Mount-It MI-373.

Cable and electrical wires can pose a safety risk [1]. While also being a fire hazard hanging cables obstruct the pull-down mechanism. Cables must be carefully organized, and that depends on how many cable ties come with your mount. 

Lastly, install a mantle or fire bar to protect your monitor from the heat. 

When is a pull-down TV mount right for you?

There are three things to consider. Are power outlets close to where you’d like to mount your TV, is your fireplace far away enough from the intended TV location, and can your TV fit into the mount you want to buy.

If these are true for you, then a pull-down TV mount is for you.

We chose the Mantel Mount MM750 as the best for fireplace TV mounting as an engineering masterpiece like the Terminator.

Sitting out only 1.75 inches from the wall when retracted the arm travels as far as 30.5 inches down on extension.

You will love the tension adjustment system that allows you to change and adjust positions at any point.

A curved TV can also fit into this mount within 125 lbs weight capacity.

As a fully functional fireplace TV mount with a recess box, attached soundbar, auto-straightening, heat sensor handles, and more you can get a good deal here.

The hardware here comes with a lifetime warranty for the already heavy-duty steel construction making this my top choice!

Rest assured I like this great investment even after I have had many arguments about all the the options.

Coming in a lot cheaper, the Mount-It MI-373 is very good value for money. Equipped with a solidly built frame with a bar speaker holder and a user-friendly tension adjustment system that does the job pretty well.

TVs between 50 and 100 inches will fit into the mount like a perfect screw on the wall, with a travel distance of almost 32 inches, boasting flexibility and movability from our standards.

On top of that, I like how you can use this with TVs weighing up to 154lbs making this great option suitable for everyone.

If you’re looking for a model like the MM750 that doesn’t come with such a hefty price tag and almost half the price, but still has solid features, then the MM700 is an ideal choice.

The model we are now looking at works well for large TVs, but great viewing comes from the correct measurements and installation.

We love the auto straightening and auto-stabilization technology. The good lowering adjustment can swivel up to 35 degrees.

We have to give credit for the soundbar and robust construction made from the steel bar.

If you’re on a tight budget, and you still want the quality of a Mantel Mount, then the MM340 will suit you better by costing a little less and having just about the same specs. However, at a shorter travel distance of 27 inches. 

You’d still get the same features we love from mantel mount, adjustable stops, auto-straightening, and auto-stabilization. The same quality only comes without the speaker attachment.

You can accommodate up to 80 inches and up to 90 lbs TVs. 

If you have a smaller TV, don’t worry this will fit into your budget.

Adjustable height: understanding pull-down distance

Adjustable TV height that you can pull down. The pull-down mechanism of a fireplace pull-down TV mount makes a bad boy unique from other standard types of TV positioning hardware.

TV brackets with a large travel distance like the Mount-It and the MM750 greatly reduce the chance of neck and eye strain while watching TV, because you can lower the mount instead of moving your furniture.

Retraction can happen by either getting pulled down manually or using wireless control. 

This technology allows the tension to be adjusted and pivoted from the highest point above the fireplace to the lowest point.

What makes this even more unique is the capability of changing possible viewing angles. 

Uneven stone bricks: how to deal with it?

The best way to smooth over a stone fireplace is to apply cement. You should apply a thin layer of cement across the stone, ensuring the spread gets into all the cracks.

Once that’s done, leave the cement to dry for 30 minutes and keep repeating the process until the stone bricks are completely smooth so that the bracket doesn’t wobble.

Another option is to use steel washers as spacers to get an even mounting surface.

Can you drill and install a TV on stone bricks?

It’s possible to drill holes in stone and bricks and install a TV mount onto a hard surface using concrete anchors. But you’ll need a drill with enough power to make holes and one that has the right masonry drill bit.

Drilling should only take less than a minute per hole.

Hammer drills make drilling in concrete easier because they’re more powerful and give the required hammering action needed for carbide-tipped masonry bits to drill [2].

Here’s your quick and easy guide to brick wall mounting.

How to protect your TV from flames and heat from the fireplace?

You can install a mantle, which deflects the heat rising from the fireplace. Or you can build an alcove for your TV so that the heat simply rises past. Neither one has an advantage, this simply depends on what your preferences are and the layout of your room.

Tips for installing a TV above the fireplace

Fireplace TV installation practices and techniques

• Do make sure you conceal your cables.
• Do make sure you install your mount at the right height.
• Do make sure that your sturdy mount can handle the size and weight of your TV.
• Use a wall drilling template.
• Do use appropriately sized concrete anchors when fixing to brick, masonry, and concrete walls if wall studs are not available.

Fireplace TV installation precautions to avoid

• Don’t try to install one completely by yourself if you’re confused about the instructions. 
• Don’t mount a TV if you haven’t got a mantle or alcove to avoid the heat. 
• Don’t continue to use the mount if the mount gets stiff or squeaky.

Can I use other hardware above the fireplace aside from the pull-down TV mount?

You can use fixed or tilted mounts. Fixed mounts keep your television close to the wall, but you can’t change the position in any way.

Tilted mounts allow you to move the TV vertically, but not horizontally.

Any other spots I can use as a pull-down helper?

You can use one in any location where you attach your TV to the wall. That could mean places in your home where there is high shelving, for example.

How I tested to find the best fireplace TV mount.

When testing to find the best fireplace TV mounts, we have to put consider the weight capabilities of each bracket when under pressure greater than their requirement to allow for the pressure of movement during use.

We concluded the best option is the strongest and most durable bracket. And that brackets that tilt under pressure has a lower manufacturing quality, are more questionable, and will be badly noticed in architectural environments.

The questions we put under scrutiny were:

• Was there any tilting on full extension?
• Were there any sounds like squeaks on movement?
• Did the handle have a heat insulation factor?
• Was the installation easy to set up with only two DIY’ers?

This is how we came to our verdict below.

What we found when we compared the features

	Mantel Mount MM750	Mount It! MI-373	Mantel MM700 Pro	Vivo MOUNT-E-MM070	Mantel Mount MM340	Mantel Mount MM540	Monoprice 27773
Verdict:	#1 Top fireplace TV mount	Best value pull-down	Mantel Mount's best Value		Best low-cost Mantel Mount
TV size:	55 to 100 inches	50 to 100 inches	50 to 100 inches	37 to 70 inches	44 to 80 inches	44 to 80 inches	55 to 100 inches
Weight capacity:	125 lbs	154 lbs	115 lbs	77 lbs	20 to 90 lbs	20 to 90 lbs	154 lbs
Travel distance:	30.5 inches	31.5 inches	26 inches	23 inches	27 inches	27 inches	31 inches
VESA:	Up to 600 x 600 mm	Up to 800 to 600 mm	Up to 800 to 550 mm	200 x 100 mm to 600 x 400 mm	Up to 600 x 600 mm	Up to 600 x 600 mm	200 x 200mm to 800 x 600 mm
Swiveling:	25°	15°	35° to 60°	25°	30°	30°	30°
Tilting:	Na	-3° to 15°	3°	3° to -3°	Na	9°	-3° to 15°

Our verdict: For the top choice to mount TV above the fireplace

The best TV mounts for above your fireplaces start with the Mantel Mount MM750 with patented features like Stop Anywhere Positioning and Enhanced Leveling.

Don’t be shocked by our help to discover that this option is designed and made from heavy-duty 3.5-5mm steel. However, Mount-It is a cheaper option for an effortless pull.

The Mount-It can also tilt and rotate. Either one makes a great pull-down experience a reality. As a sturdy fireplace TV mount for your home, the choice you make depends mostly on your budget. 

The next review that you can read is of the MM750, where we cover everything in detail but for now, this is our pick. But don’t hesitate to make your mounting dream a reality.