TV Bed vs End of Bed TV Stand - Which Is Better for Your Bedroom?

Now we're called TV Beds North West so we might be a little biased, but in this piece we wanted to weigh up the pros and the cons. If you want a telly at the foot of your bed, you have two real options: put an end-of-bed TV stand there, or buy a bed with the TV built into the footboard. For most bedrooms, the TV Bed is the tidier and more space-efficient choice. A stand makes more sense if you love the bed you already have.

We sell TV beds for a living, so we're not neutral. But we'd rather you bought the right thing than the wrong thing from us, so this guide covers both honestly, including the situations where a stand is the better buy.

What is an end of bed TV stand?

An end of bed TV stand is any piece of furniture that holds a television at the foot of the bed, facing the pillows. You'll also see it called an end-of-bed TV unit, an end-of-bed TV cabinet or a bottom-of-bed TV stand. There are three main types.

• A standard TV stand or unit. An ordinary low cabinet or media unit placed across the foot of the bed. The TV sits on top and is always on show.
• A TV lift cabinet. A cabinet with a motorised lift inside. The TV rises out of the top when you want it and drops back out of sight when you don't.
• A floor-standing TV bracket. A slim pole or pedestal stand with the TV mounted on it. It takes up the least room but hides nothing.

All three sit in front of your existing bed as a separate piece of furniture. That's the key difference from a TV bed, where the television and its lift are built into the footboard of the bed frame itself.

TV bed vs end of bed TV stand: side by side

A TV bed wins on floor space, cables, sound and storage. A stand wins on flexibility and on keeping the bed you already own.

When an end-of-bed TV stand is the better choice

A stand is the right call when the bed itself isn't up for replacement. We'd point you towards one if any of these sound like you.

• You love your current bed. If the frame is new, sentimental or just exactly what you wanted, there's no sense replacing it to gain a telly.
• You want a screen bigger than 43 inches (though we're not sure why you would need to!). A TV bed's footboard sets the limit. A stand doesn't, so a 55-inch screen is no problem if the room can take it.
• You're renting or move often. A stand is one piece of furniture you can carry out of the door.
• Your bedroom is large. If you have plenty of floor space at the foot of the bed, the space a stand takes up matters far less.
• It's a spare room. For a telly that gets watched a few nights a year, a simple stand does the job.

If you do go for a stand, measure the gap between the foot of the bed and the wall before you buy. You need room for the cabinet and still enough space to walk past it and open any wardrobe doors or drawers.

When a TV bed wins

A TV bed is the better choice when space, tidiness or sound matter to you. Here's where it pulls ahead.

Smaller bedrooms

In a typical UK bedroom, the floor at the foot of the bed is the bit you can least afford to lose. A TV bed is slightly longer than a standard frame, but that's the only extra room it asks for. There's no second piece of furniture and no walkway to keep clear around it.

No cables on show

With a stand, the power lead, aerial cable and HDMI leads all have to get from the cabinet to the wall. With a TV bed they run inside the frame. There's a media shelf under the bed for your streaming box or games console, so those disappear too.

The TV hides when you're done

Press the remote and the screen lowers into the footboard. The room goes back to being a bedroom. Only a lift cabinet matches this, and then you've got a motorised cabinet and a bed to buy.

Sound that a stand can't match

A TV on a stand plays through its own small speakers unless you add a soundbar. Our TV beds have speakers built into the frame, from simple 2.1 systems through 4.1 and 5.1 surround to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Because the speakers sit around the bed, the sound is set up for exactly where you're lying.

Storage under the mattress

Most of our range has ottoman storage. Lift the mattress base, and you've got space for bedding, suitcases and everything else that would otherwise need a cupboard. An end-of-bed cabinet gives you a shelf. An ottoman gives you the whole footprint of the bed.

One purchase, one delivery

The bed, the TV lift, the sound system and the storage arrive together. We deliver free in the UK to your room of choice, and we can assemble it for a small fee if you'd rather not.

Frequently asked questions

Can you put a TV at the end of a bed?

Yes. You can stand it on a unit or cabinet, mount it on a floor-standing bracket, or choose a bed with the TV built into the footboard. The foot of the bed is the most comfortable place for a bedroom TV because you look straight ahead instead of turning your neck.

What is a bed with a TV in the footboard called?

It's called a TV bed. You'll also see it described as a TV footboard bed, a pop-up TV bed or a bed with a TV lift. They all mean the same thing: a bed frame with a television that rises out of the foot end.

What size TV can go at the end of a bed?

On a stand, any size the stand is rated for. In a TV bed, most of our range takes a TV of up to 43 inches. Our guide to whether your TV will fit in a TV bed has the exact measurements to check.

Is 43 inches big enough for a bedroom TV?

For most people, yes. Lying in a king-size bed, your eyes are roughly two metres from the footboard, which is much closer than you sit to a living room TV. At that distance, a 43-inch screen fills a comfortable amount of your view.

Is a TV bed cheaper than a bed and a TV stand?

It depends what you compare it with. A basic stand in front of a bed you already own is the cheapest route. But if you're buying a new bed anyway, add up the frame, the stand or lift cabinet, a soundbar and the storage you'd otherwise need. Our TV beds start from around £700 for a standard double, with the TV lift and speakers included.

Do TV beds come with a TV?

Usually the TV is bought separately, so you can use one you already own or pick your own. We sell 43 inch TVs that fit our beds, and some offers include one.

Can I use my own TV in a TV bed?

In most cases, yes, as long as it's 43 inches or smaller and has standard mounting holes on the back. Check the dimensions against the bed before you order.

Are TV beds hard to assemble?

No. Most of our TV Beds are simple to put together yourself, and we offer an assembly service if you'd prefer us to do it.

The verdict

Keep your bed and buy an end-of-bed TV stand if the frame is staying, you want a screen bigger than 43 inches, or you move home a lot. Choose a TV bed if you're short on floor space, you hate visible cables, or you want proper sound and storage built in.

If you're replacing the bed anyway, a TV bed does the job of four pieces of furniture in the space of one. Have a look at our full range of TV Beds, from small double to super king, or get in touch and we'll tell you honestly which one suits your room.