Vivo Universal TV Stand Review

We purchased the Vivo Universal TV Stand so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

The Vivo Universal TV Stand is a basic replacement stand for the plastic pedestal mounts that come with most televisions. It’s designed to bolt up to a television using the same method as a wall mount, which is why it’s more or less universal. Since it doesn’t rely on the proprietary mounting points used by plastic pedestal mounts, it can be attached to a massive range of televisions, all the way from 22 inches to 65 inches.

We recently tested the Vivo universal stand out on a couple televisions to see how easy it is to bolt up, how well it works on different VESA mount sizes, how sturdy it is, and more. The largest television we tested it with was 50 inches.

Design: Basic and functional

The Vivo universal stand is just about as basic as it can get. It’s designed to replace the plastic pedestal mount that came with your television, whether you discarded the original mount or just want something to lift your television up a little higher. It consists of two legs, each of which are bolted together from three component parts, and comes with all of the hardware you’ll need to attach to your television.

The “universal” part of the name comes into play due to the fact that this stand is designed to bolt to the VESA mounts on your television. Each leg has a number of holes that are designed to match up to any VESA mount with spacing as wide as 800mm x 400mm, so this really does work with a huge range of televisions.

It’s important to note that this stand is designed for tabletop use. That means you can’t just bolt it on and then set your television on the floor. If you have a table, cabinet, console, or anywhere else to set your television, then the Vivo stand will allow you to do so. If you don’t, you’ll need one of the slightly more expensive solutions that are designed to sit directly on the floor.

Setup Process: An easy process with a few potential snags

The Vivo universal stand isn’t ready to go out of the box, but assembling it is fairly straightforward. Setup is an easy process that involves bolting the feet to the legs, bolting the legs to the extensions, and then bolting the whole thing to the VESA mounts on your television.

Attaching the mount to a television is also very straightforward. It uses the same VESA mounts that you would normally use for a wall mount, so you just have to hold each leg up to the VESA mounts, and note where the VESA mount holes match up with holes in the Vivo universal stand. There, just insert the appropriate bolts. With the bolts tightened, it’s ready to go. In some cases, you will also have to use spacers to make everything line up and keep the legs straight.

Construction: Solid steel with a matte black finish

The TV stand legs are solidly built, which is important when you’re trusting a product to hold something as expensive as a television. Each leg, foot, and extension piece is made out of steel with a matte black finish. As long as everything is properly tightened, and you stay within the recommended size and weight limits, this stand doesn’t seem likely to fail due to any material or construction issues. Because the legs are made out of steel, the stand comes with non-slip strips to help prevent scratching on whatever surface you set your television on.

Compatibility: Works with a wide variety of televisions using standard VESA mounts

The Vivo universal stand isn’t actually universal, because there are some televisions it won’t work with. The specifications state that it has a limit of 110 pounds, and it’s designed to work with televisions that are between 22 inches to 65 inches in size. Additionally, the legs are designed to bolt to VESA mounts as small as 75mm x 75mm and as large as 800mm x 400mm.

Usability: Doesn’t get in the way

For this type of TV stand, the strongest praise possible would be to say that you can forget that it’s there once it’s installed. That’s true of the Vivo universal stand, for the most part. Once you have it installed on your television, it just does its job and doesn’t get in the way.

The only real issue that comes into play is if you use it with a television on the smaller end of the compatible range. The feet are quite large, which is necessary to provide stability to larger televisions. With smaller televisions, it creates a situation where the television is somewhat reminiscent of a stork with massive feet, and you may have to push it further back on your table or console than you would prefer.

Stability: Provides a stable solution across a variety of television sizes

The Vivo universal stand felt very sturdy on the televisions that we tested it with. The largest television we tried was 50 inches. It felt roughly as sturdy as the base that came with the television. The only difference is that with this stand, we were able to raise the television higher than the factory pedestal mount allowed.

Since this is a universal stand, there are bound to be cases where installing it will result in less-than-perfect stability. The issue is that it’s designed to connect to the VESA mounts. In situations where the VESA mounts on a television are narrow, and the television is large and heavy, it can end up feeling a little wobbly. For televisions with that problem, pairing this mount with safety straps may be an adequate solution.

Cable Management and Storage: None

The Vivo universal stand is an extremely basic affair, with no frills or extras. There are no cable management solutions, no bonus storage, or anything of the kind. It’s literally two steel legs that bolt to the VESA mounts on a television, and nothing more.

Price: Good deal for a basic solution

The Vivo universal stand is priced more or less in line with competitors. It typically retails for about $16 to $20, which is a decent price for a TV mount stand that covers such a large range of television sizes and VESA mount configurations. More expensive options typically offer additional features, like cable management and the ability to swivel the television, so the lack of features in this unit is reflected in the price.

Competition: You get what you pay for

The Vivo universal stand stacks up very favorably when compared to other basic solutions. One close competitor, the Mount-It! Universal TV Stand Base Replacement has the same weight capacity and maximum VESA mount spacing, but it works with a smaller range of televisions. The Vivo stand works with 22-inch to 65-inch televisions, while the Mount-It! Stand works with 36-inch to 60-inch televisions.

Another competitor, the Rfiver Universal Table Top TV Stand Base typically sells for a little less, but it also offers less compatibility. It works with televisions between 22 inches and 55 inches, and supports just 88 pounds.

Slightly more expensive competitors, like the TAVR Swivel Table Top Universal TV Base Stand, offer additional features. The TAVR unit typically retails for around $30, but it allows you to swivel the television from side to side. It also offers some cable management and has a large, stable base, in contrast to the two separate feet used by the Vivo universal stand.

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• Ameriwood Home Carson TV Stand
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