You finally bought that 43-inch screen. It’s the Goldilocks of television sizes—not so small it feels like a computer monitor, but not so massive it dominates your entire living room or bedroom. Now comes the stressful part. You have to drill holes in your wall and hope the whole thing doesn't come crashing down during a Netflix binge. Honestly, picking a wall mount for 43 inch tv feels way more complicated than it should be because of the endless jargon about VESA patterns and articulating arms.
Stop overthinking it. A 43-inch TV usually weighs somewhere between 15 and 25 pounds. That's light. Your cat might weigh more than your TV. Because these sets are relatively lightweight compared to the 85-inch monsters downstairs, you have a lot of flexibility, but you also have more opportunities to make a "rookie" mistake that leaves your screen looking crooked or sticking out at a weird angle.
Why the VESA Pattern is the Only Spec That Matters
If you ignore everything else, look at the back of your TV. See those four screw holes? That’s your VESA pattern. For a 43-inch display, you’re almost certainly looking at a 200x200mm layout. Sometimes it’s 100x100mm, or if you bought a budget brand like Hisense or TCL, it might occasionally surprise you with something else.
Measure it. Seriously. Use a ruler. If the holes are 200 millimeters apart horizontally and vertically, you need a mount that supports 200x200. Most "universal" mounts cover a range from 75x75 up to 400x400. Don't just buy the biggest mount possible thinking it's "safer." If you buy a massive mount designed for a 75-inch TV to use on your 43-inch screen, the metal brackets might actually peek out from the top or bottom of the television. It looks terrible. It's like wearing oversized shoes. You want a mount that fits the footprint of a medium-sized screen so the hardware stays hidden.
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The Three Main Types of Mounts You’ll Encounter
Fixed mounts are the simplest. They sit flush against the wall. They're cheap. They're sturdy. But here is the problem: if you need to plug in a new HDMI cable or a Roku stick later, you’re going to be swearing at the wall while trying to wedge your hand into a one-inch gap. Only go fixed if your ports are on the side of the TV, not the back.
Tilt mounts are usually the "sweet spot" for a bedroom. If you’re mounting the TV higher up—like over a dresser—you need that 10 to 15-degree downward tilt so you aren't straining your neck. Brands like Sanus or Mounting Dream have basically perfected this. It gives you just enough room to reach behind and swap cables without taking the whole thing down.
Full-motion or articulating mounts are the fancy ones. They have an arm. They swing out. You can watch the news while you’re cooking in the kitchen and then swivel it back toward the couch. For a wall mount for 43 inch tv, a single-arm articulating mount is usually plenty. Double-arm mounts are overkill for this weight class and can be a pain to center.
Dealing with the Stud Situation
Walls are tricky. If you have standard drywall with wooden studs, you're in luck. Most mounts come with a template. Tape it up, find the stud with a reliable finder (not the $5 one that beeps at everything), and drill. But what if you're in a modern apartment with metal studs? Or an old house with plaster and lath?
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Metal studs require toggle bolts. Don't use the lag bolts that come in the box; they won't grip. If you have brick or concrete, you'll need a masonry bit and anchors. It sounds intimidating, but it's just about having the right tool for the specific surface. Never, under any circumstances, try to mount a TV to just drywall using plastic anchors. It might hold for an hour. It might hold for a week. But eventually, gravity wins.
Height is Where Everyone Messes Up
The biggest mistake? The "TV Too High" syndrome. People love to mount TVs like they’re paintings in a gallery. Unless you’re standing up to watch, the center of the screen should be at eye level when you're seated. For most people, that’s about 42 inches from the floor to the center of the TV.
If you put a wall mount for 43 inch tv high up on a wall, you're going to get "tech neck." It’s uncomfortable. It ruins the immersion. If you must go high, get a mount with a significant tilt.
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Cable Management: The Difference Between Pro and Amateur
Nothing ruins the aesthetic of a wall-mounted TV faster than a "tail" of black power cords and HDMI cables dangling down the white wall. You have three real options here.
- The In-Wall Kit: This is the cleanest look. You cut two holes, one behind the TV and one near the floor, and run the cables through the wall. Use a kit like the "PowerBridge" or "Legrand" to keep it code-compliant. Never just run a standard power cord inside a wall; it’s a fire hazard.
- The Raceway: These are plastic strips that stick to the wall and hide the wires. You can paint them to match your wall color. It's a 10-minute fix that looks 90% as good as the in-wall version.
- The Decorative Approach: Some people get creative with furniture or plants to hide the "drop," but it rarely looks perfect.
Price vs. Quality
You don’t need to spend $150 on a mount. A $30 mount from a reputable brand on Amazon is often just as made of steel as the expensive ones at big-box retailers. What you're paying for with the premium brands is usually the "smoothness" of the movement. If you plan on moving the TV every single day, spend a little more on a brand like Peerless-AV or Chief. If it’s going to sit in one spot forever, the budget options are perfectly safe.
Check the weight capacity. Most 43-inch mounts are rated for 50+ pounds. Since your TV likely weighs 20 pounds, you have a massive safety margin. The hardware usually fails because of bad installation, not because the metal snapped.
How to Avoid the "Crooked Screen" Nightmare
Most mounts have a little bit of "post-installation leveling." Look for this feature. It allows you to turn the TV a few degrees even after the bolts are in the wall. This is a lifesaver because even if your drill bit slipped a tiny bit, you can still get the TV perfectly level. Without this feature, if your holes are off by even an eighth of an inch, your TV will look tilted forever.
Also, use your own level. The tiny bubble levels they include in the box are notoriously inaccurate. Use a real 2-foot level from the garage. Trust me on this.
Actionable Steps for a Perfect Install
- Check your ports: Look at the back of your 43-inch TV right now. Are the HDMI ports facing out or to the side? If they face the wall, buy a tilt or full-motion mount to give yourself clearance.
- Identify your wall type: Knock on it. Hollow? Drywall. Hard and cold? Brick or concrete. Gritty and solid? Plaster. Buy the specific anchors for that surface if they aren't in the box.
- Find the VESA: Look up your TV model number online or measure the holes in millimeters. 200x200 is the standard for this size, but verify it.
- The Two-Person Rule: Even though a 43-inch TV is light, don't try to hang it alone. One person holds the TV, the other aligns the bracket. It prevents dropped screens and scratched paint.
- Cable Length: Remember that if you use an articulating arm, your cables need to be longer. When the arm extends, it pulls on the cords. Get 10-foot HDMI cables just to be safe.
Mounting a TV is one of those DIY tasks that feels high-stakes but is actually very manageable if you respect the physics of the wall studs. Get your measurements right, don't mount it too high, and take the extra five minutes to hide the wires. Your living room will look significantly more polished, and you'll never have to worry about a "crooked" view again.