Will a TV fit in my car?
Measure five things in your boot and you'll know before you drive to the shop. The checker tests the three places a boxed TV gets stuck: the opening, the floor length and the roof height.
Fit checker
Five tape-measure readings decide it. The numbers below are an example compact hatchback — replace them with your car's, rear seats folded.
For a screen size alone the checker uses the largest box among the models we checked. Pick your exact model, or “Custom” with the packaged dimensions from the spec sheet, for a precise answer. Nothing you type leaves this page.
How to measure your car
Fold the rear seats first and use a tape measure, not the brochure — brochure “boot volume” in litres tells you nothing about whether a long, thin box fits.
1. Opening width — at the narrowest point of the boot opening, usually near the top where the tailgate hinges and lights intrude.
2. Opening height — from the boot lip (or load floor, whichever is higher) to the top of the opening.
3. Load length — along the floor from the inside of the boot lip to the back of the front seats, with the rear seats folded. Slide the front seats forward if you can.
4. Floor width — between the wheel arches, the narrowest part of the floor.
5. Interior height — from the floor to the roof lining where the box will stand, typically just behind the front seats. Sloping tailgates make the rear part much lower.
How the checker decides
The opening. A TV box goes in long side first, so only its end — height × depth, e.g. 80–85 × 12–19 cm for a 55″ — has to pass the opening. If it is taller than the opening, it can often still pass tipped on its side; the checker uses the exact geometry of a rectangle passing through a rectangle at an angle.
The floor. If the box is longer than the load length, it may still fit corner-to-corner. A 160 × 100 cm floor has a diagonal of about 189 cm, but a box has width too, so the checker calculates the real diagonal limit rather than just comparing with the diagonal.
The height. Manufacturers ask for flat-panel TVs to travel upright. When the box is taller than the car, it has to lean back, which also makes it take up more floor width. Up to about 25° is a normal, safe lean against padded seats; much more than that and you are close to laying it flat.
TV box sizes, 32 to 85 inch
| TV | Screen (16:9) | Largest box we found | Models checked | Fit guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32″ | 70.8 × 39.8 cm | ≤ 85 × 52 × 15 cm | 2 | — |
| 40″ | 88.6 × 49.8 cm | ≈ 100 × 63 × 14 cm (estimate) | — | — |
| 43″ | 95.2 × 53.5 cm | ≤ 107 × 66 × 15 cm | 2 | 43″ in a car |
| 50″ | 110.7 × 62.3 cm | ≤ 123 × 76 × 15 cm | 2 | 50″ in a car |
| 55″ | 121.8 × 68.5 cm | ≤ 140 × 85 × 19 cm | 10 | 55″ in a car |
| 58″ | 128.4 × 72.2 cm | ≤ 143 × 85 × 14 cm | 1 | — |
| 65″ | 143.9 × 80.9 cm | ≤ 166 × 105 × 20 cm | 9 | 65″ in a car |
| 70″ | 155.0 × 87.2 cm | ≤ 176 × 106 × 17 cm | 1 | — |
| 75″ | 166.0 × 93.4 cm | ≤ 188 × 115 × 21 cm | 4 | 75″ in a car |
| 85″ | 188.2 × 105.8 cm | ≤ 208 × 126 × 25 cm | 5 | — |
Screen sizes are exact 16:9 geometry from the diagonal (1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly). Box sizes are the largest manufacturer-stated carton per size among the 40 models in our TV box dimensions table, rounded up. The 40″ row is an estimate. The stand, accessories and foam add about 8–24 cm to the width and height of the screen.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a TV will fit in my car?
Measure the boot opening (width and height), the load length with the rear seats folded, the floor width between the wheel arches and the interior height. The box's end must pass the opening, its length must fit the floor (straight or diagonally) and its height must clear the roof upright or with a slight lean.
How big is the box of a 55 inch TV?
Across the 10 models we checked, a 55-inch box is 133.5–140 cm wide, 80.5–84.6 cm tall and 12.5–18.7 cm deep. In our data the LG OLED C5 box is the deepest. The exact figure per model is in the TV box dimensions table.
Can a TV lie flat in the car?
Manufacturers advise against it: large LED and OLED panels can crack from flex and vibration when laid flat, and that damage is not covered by warranty. Keep it upright; a slight lean back against padded, folded seats is fine.
Is it safer to take the TV out of the box?
No. Without the box the TV is smaller, but the stand, bezel and screen are exposed and much easier to crack. If the boxed TV won't fit, delivery is the safer choice.
Will a 55 inch TV fit in a hatchback?
Usually, with the rear seats folded: many hatchbacks offer roughly 150 cm of load length, enough for a box of up to 140 cm. The usual problem is height — the 80–85 cm tall box often has to be tipped to get through the opening.