One for the mantelpiece

In November 2014, MantelMount launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise capital needed to start manufacturing its pull-down, over-the-fireplace TV mount – and was overwhelmed by the support.

“Our Kickstarter campaign exceeded our expectations, attracting pledges worth over 400% of the original goal. We then knew that we definitely had a product people wanted,” says MantelMount president Chuck Geiling.

The additional funds garnered on Kickstarter paid for 500 units that sold out within 30 days. Customers that missed out registered on the company’s website to be notified of the next release date. When the new product went live on 16 April, 342 units were sold on the first day.

“We didn’t think it would happen that fast. We knew we had a phenomenal product; it served our customers’ needs and whenever you have something that can enhance someone’s lifestyle, then it’s always a winner,” Chuck says.

The cherry on the top of this whirlwind success was the nomination as a finalist for the 2015 CEDIA Best New Product award.

“Isn’t that just the greatest thing ever? We are so proud and honoured to be nominated as a finalist,” Chuck says.

Why is MantelMount so popular? It is, after all, just a TV mount – and the world has plenty of those. But this product has managed to set itself apart from the competition.

“Anybody in the family can operate the MantelMount because it makes the lowering of the TV almost effortless. You can literally do it with two fingers. You can raise or lower it and stop it in any position between the fully extended and fully lowered positions,” Chuck says.

This ease of use is provided by the inclusion of tensioned, gas-powered springs.

“The technology that makes MantelMount unique is the use of automotive gas spring technology with a variable tension rod. The same gas springs prevent the boot door of a hatchback from slamming down. You can adjust that tension to the weight of your TV,” Chuck explains.

The mount allows the TV to be lowered 690mm and extended 460mm, with the ability to stop at any point in between. Once the TV is in place, it can be swivelled to the left or right, as well as tilted up or down. It’s this range of movement that sets the MantelMount apart from many other TV mounts and allows the TV to be positioned in the optimal position for viewing.

A definite advantage of the MantelMount is its adaptability to a range of TV weights and sizes. The mount can support weights of 11-54kg and TV sizes of 48-85”. During installation, the gas springs are adjusted with an Allen key to the weight of the TV. Should the home owner wish to upgrade their TV, the mount can again be adjusted to suit.

As MantelMount is primarily marketed to home owners, the equipment is designed to be easy to install. The unit can be mounted on brick, stone or into wall studs and hidden under a frame cover that can be painted or wallpapered. Further aesthetic benefits include the ability to hide the TV’s wiring.

“If you’re going to run your cabling and wiring behind the wall, the wire routing box allows you to thread into a 50mm conduit. You can swivel the routing box, which makes it very easy to allow that conduit to go in a certain direction, even if you have to make it go around a corner,” Chuck says.

Although MantelMount recommends that the TV is not positioned in front of the fireplace when the fire is lit, there is a built-in safety feature that monitors the temperature of the mount and TV.

“The rubber grips on the handles are coated so that if the ambient environment rises above 35°C, the handles will turn a different colour,” Chuck says.

With such a popular product, MantelMount is now looking to expand overseas. It has partnered with Fullworks Logistics and Mantlemount products will be available in Australia and New Zealand from April 2016.