Floating shelves, otherwise known as floating media consoles, combine modern technology and design. They save space, but also act as a pedestal for your media consoles, TVs, books and so forth. Moreover, the best floating media console will fill and complete blank walls, even act as an art piece, but save ground space at the same time.
It is hard to imagine a modern home without floating shelves, and a lot of people opt for wall mounted, floating shelves instead of the old, classical standing shelves. However, deciding which one should you buy isn’t easy, especially when you are faced with many choices.
Not only does it have to blend in with your home environment, but it also has to have enough room for your things. Moreover, it has to provide value for money, be durable, and made of quality material. So, in this article, we will discuss factors you should include while searching for the best floating media console. We will name and describe our top ten picks, and provide you with concise and straightforward buyer’s guide.
We will discuss anything from size to price, and emphasize the importance of personal needs and preferences. After all, you want the best floating media console for you and your home, not necessarily the one that is best for the majority.
Best Floating Media Console Reviews
South Shore Agora Wall Mounted Media Console (56)
The first on our list is the Agora Wall console. It comes in pure white color and is 17.2 x 56.2 x 12 inches big. This particular 56 version offers more space and is suitable for bigger walls. Agora Wall Mounted Media Console is tough and durable, able to hold up to 165 pounds. It comes with secure metal hangings and has a built-in wire management arrangement for more comfortable storing.
This wall media console highly adjustable sliding doors, allowing to decide how much content you want or don’t want to reveal. The product is made in Canada, out of high-quality laminate, and comes with 5-year warranty. The product would be perfect if the laminate finish were a bit more sturdy and robust. Also, the wiring holes should have been a bit wider, so that you could easily fit larger electrical plugs
Pros:
easy to install
excellent weight tolerance (can withhold up to 165 pounds)
5-year warranty
offers a lot of room
adjustable sliding doors
Cons:
wire hole is a bit small
somewhat expensive
Fitueyes DS210001WB-G
DS210001WB-G is a compact and elegant wall mount medial console shelf, being 39.4 x 10.2 x 11.8 inches in dimension and weighing roughly 27 pounds. The product features modern walnut-ish color, and will as such fit in most modern homes. It has two major storages for your video or audio appliances, the central 39 inches shelf providing just enough space to store your devices.
The DS210001WB-G is good at concealing the cables, giving your room neatness and compactness. It won’t be able to hold the TV, but you have the option to include the TV wall mount in your offer. The shelf is very easy to install, but you should be gentle when installing it. Our only complaint is the no-door design, so you won’t be able to hide your devices, which is cool if you don’t want to.
Pros:
value for money, quality walnut
made of quality walnut
modern and sleek design, suitable for extroverts
easy to assemble and install
elegant and concise
Cons:
can’t hold TV
FITUEYES Wall Mounted Audio/Video Console
We introduce another Fitueyes shelf to our list, but this one does differ from the previous one. Firstly, it is a bit bigger, being 48.4 x 11.8 x 15.7 inches big. It is also able to withhold your TV, unlike the previous Fitueyes shelf.
It is a bit bigger and more expensive and is best suited for holding gaming consoles, such as Xbox or PlayStation consoles. This floating media console too features an open design, so no doors here either. It is both practical and aesthetical and will fit in most environments.
What we don’t like are the instruction guides, you buckle up on a patient if you do decide to purchase it. It does offer a lot of space and is certainly a valuable option if you are looking for open designed media shelf to fit your consoles or media players.
Pros:
value for money
sturdy and robust
good wire management system
elegant and sleek design
Cons:
unclear instructions, hard to follow
South Shore City Life Wall Mounted Media Console (48)
City Life Wall Mounted Media Console is 48 inches wide, able to hold up to 120 pounds. This shelf features cross design at the center, having four open-spaced shelves for holding CDs and DVDs, and two adjustable shelves on the side. The shelf is made of North American laminate, featuring rustical looks. It is a quality made shelf and comes with 5-year warranty. Wire management is excellent and will suit modern wiring needs.
Though the product is not made for holding TVs, it will support and hold a lighter TV, but make sure you don’t go over 120 lbs. We do like the mixture of shiny laminate and real wood since it does give the slight unique looks. It is a bit heavier, so you might have some troubles assembling it and installing it on the wall.
Pros:
a mixture of shiny laminate and quality wood
can hold up to 120 pounds
spacious
good wiring management
Cons:
somewhat difficult to install
PERLESMITH AV Shelf
PERLESMITH AV Shelf is modern, small and compact wall shelf, suitable for holding two devices. It is compatible with both wood and concrete, so you won’t have any problems installing it. This floating media console is small, able to hold up to 16.5 pounds, preferably AV players. It features modern design, and it won’t fit in older homes. It is very lightweight, easy to assemble and install.
The shelf is made of tempered glass and is very durable and sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about shelf’s stability. This floating media console comes with a lifelong warranty, HDMI cable, and friendly customer service. The problem is, it is small and requires specific taste. It does save a lot of space and features adjustable shelves so that you can fit devices of any height, as long as you abide weight capacity.
Pros:
sleek, modern design
5 mm thick tempered glass shelves, highly durable
saves a lot of space
adjustable shelves
compact and very easy to install
Cons:
futuristic, won’t fit older holmes
small carrying capacity
Prepac DCAW-0208-1
Prepac DCAW-0208-1 is designed t match your LCD or plasma TV, and can hold up to 75 pounds of weight. The upper part of the shelf features three open compartments, suitable for keeping AV appliances and video game consoles. The bottom part has one compartment, excellent for storing CDs/DVDs and BlueRays. The design is open and simple, the shelf being 16 x 58.2 x 16.8 inches in dimension. It is quite spacious and has excellent wire concealment system.
The product is made in Canada, out of the robust laminate. The shelf feels firm and stable, won’t wobble, and will save you a lot of space. The installation guide is clear (comes with pictures), but requires two people to install it. They only thing we don’t like is the wiring hole, which is too small. Also, the mounting bracket will be visible, so placing something atop of the shelf wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Pros:
very reliable and durable
the shelf is spacious, can keep a lot of stuff
decent weight carrying capacity
made of quality laminate
interesting expresso color
Cons:
visible mounting bracket
wiring compartment is a bit clunky
Prepac Expresso Wide Wall Mounted AV Console
Expresso wall mounted is 42 inches wide, with the ability to withstand up to 50 pounds of weight. It is designed to hold LCD TVs and features two compartments. The upper compartment is excellent for holding AV devices, and the bottom compartment for storing CDs and BlueRays. It features simple, open and modern design, emphasizing space saving.
The top is slick and smooth and will fit perfectly in modern homes. The console is highly adjustable and easy to install and will fit in any room. The product is made of laminate wood, in the USA. The product also comes with 5-year warranty, and with a booklet for more convenient assembly and installation. This console fits best on wood, and you may have some trouble installing it on other material, but it is doable.
Pros:
clear instructions, easy to assemble and install
made in the USA (out of quality laminate)
excellent space-saver
compact and stable
elegantly designed
Cons:
you might experience troubles installing it on non-wood (concrete, metal, etc)
Stony-Edge Floating Wooden Wall Mount Shelf
I couldn’t resist not reviewing this small and beautifully designed wooden shelf. It will fit in most homes, has interesting dark expresso colors, and is made of high-quality wood (not laminate). It is small, being 20 inches in length, but can hold up to 50 pounds, each shelf 25 pounds. Now that is quite amazing, considering the size of this shelf.
This product is very easy to assemble since it is very compact and lightweight. It is very stable and robust, featuring excellent carrying capacity. The product is best for holding small-size devices, but it can fit gaming consoles, such as Xbox or PS4. Though the product is amazing, it will wobble, due to its small size. Also, the mounting holes are a bit small, so you might experience some troubles installing this shelf.
Pros:
made of quality wood
exciting design and dark expresso colors
will fit in most home decors
excellent cable management and carrying capacity
Cons:
somewhat difficult to install
VonHaus Floating Adjustable Shelf
VonHaus Floating Adjustable Shelf features futuristic design and is the lightest shelf we reviewed, weighing only 1.03 pounds (now that’s light). Despite being light, this shelf can hold up to 6.6 pounds. It is very easy to install, highly flexible and adjustable, featuring adjustable clamps and side arms. Interestingly enough, this shelf can be mounted both vertically and horizontally, allowing you to adjust it according to your taste.
It is best used for holding AV players and other thinner devices, up to 3 kg. It comes with wall fittings and instruction guide. The only downside of this shelf is that it can’t hold gaming consoles or other similar devices, but only those that are 45 mm thick (or less). It is, however, very inexpensive, easy to install, and fairly stable. I doubt this shelf would fit in older houses, due to its futuristic design.
Pros:
amazing futuristic design
compact and lightweight
inexpensive
highly adjustable
stable
Cons:
can’t hold devices thicker than 45 mm
Martin Furniture IMSE350S Floating TV Console
IMSE350S Floating TV Console is elegant, and laminate finished wall mounted shelf that will blend in any contemporary decor. It is 48 inches long and can hold up to 90 lbs.
I do love the sleek, smooth and simple design, featuring simple dual compartments for storing AV players and CD/DVDs. It does come with the mounting hardware, so you won’t have trouble installing it on wood (but might experience difficulties with concrete).
It is very stable and highly durable, and also comes with the 5-year warranty. There are two things we don’t like. The first one is the price; we don’t think its overpriced but is more expensive than other products on our list. Also, if it had deeper compartments (they are 11.75 inches deep), this would have been a perfect product. It is made of quality wood, features a simple design, is lightweight and easy to install, but is also somewhat expensive.
Pros:
simple, elegant design
takes little, saves a lot of space
durable and comes with a 5-year warranty
easy to assemble and install
helps hide and organize the wires
Cons:
the most expensive on our list
compartments should be a bit deeper
Best Floating Media Console Buyer’s Guide
In this section, we will briefly discuss the factors according to which you should select the floating shelf. The guide is simple, and we recommend going through it even if you do have a full understanding of the subject.
Dimensions
Big, medium or small, which would suit you better? In our list, you will find anything from 58 inches to 20 inches, so do consider the dimensions. Lenght is the most important thing to consider. For instance, if you plan on mounting it below your TV, try to match their lengths.
Weight Capacity
Floating consoles and shelves are attached to the wall, and as such can hold the only limited amount of weight. For instance, not every console can hold a TV. Some can hold more than 100 pounds, other up to 10 pounds. Consider the weight of things you plan on putting on the shelf.
Design
When you think about design, don’t merely look for the shelf that will fit in your home decor. Moreover, consider whether you want an open design or the shelf that features sliding doors? Are you looking for modern, futuristic, or classic design? Also, some of the shelves are suitable for holding TVs and have compartments big enough for holding gaming consoles, while others don’t.
Material
Are you looking for laminate, wooden, or mixture of these materials? Some of the shelves are made of tempered glass (like the PERLESMITH AV Shelf), so do consider it when you go through the selection process. The shelves are commonly made of wood, with laminate finish.
Assembly And Installation
Some of the shelves are harder to assemble than others. They are either bulky, require two people to install or come with poor or without instructions. If you aren’t handy, consider opting for one that is easy to install.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that floating shelves save space, fill empty walls, help manage/conceal wires and cables, and fit in nicely in your home. Make sure you take as many factors as you can and read our buyer’s guide to make your decisionmaking easier.
Look for the shelf that will fit your budget and your needs, regardless of what they are. We hope this article helped you learn about floating shelves, and that it will help you decide which one would suit you the best.
