I'm considering wall mounting a 40" LED TV.
Up front, I realize this is a somewhat vague question. Is there any real quality difference between brands or retailers for TV wall mounts? It seems like the big box stores have exorbitant markup; Best Buy prices most mounts $50 to well over $100. I also see visually identical mounts for around $20 from sites like Amazon and Harbor Freight.
What I can't determine is whether these mounts are really comparable. One one hand, Best Buy loves to charge $30 for an HDMI cable. On the other hand, Amazon has become a clearing house for low-quality and counterfeit items. Harbor Freight has served me well, but after the jack stand recall, I'm less confident about any item that holds something heavy over my head.
Is there any standards body that rates or certifies TV mounts that I could look for? For example, UL, ANSI, or OSHA?
Best Answer
The answer would seem to be "Yes." In short, you'll want to look for VESA and UL certifications for monitor/TV mounting brackets.
There are VESA Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI) specifications for wall mounts but those seem to be mostly constrained to the "geometry" of the mount and its usefulness for fitting VESA-compliant monitors and televisions. The VESA standards do seem to set weight specifications that must be met in order for the mounting system to be considered VESA Certified though.
UL certifies TV/monitor mounts, and "mounts that are UL-approved have undergone an additional level of testing that only adds to our peace of mind while hanging a TV off the wall. To attain UL certification, a mount is tested to at least four times the advertised weight rating. Most of the mounts we researched have an advertised weight rating of 130 to 175 pounds, which is already excessive, given the relatively light weight of today’s TVs."
NY Times, The Best TV Wall Mount", OCTOBER 2, 2020