I bought the 47-inch Brimnes TV bench without checking the depth against my baseboard. First night, the back legs hit the trim, and the whole thing sat an inch off the wall. No big deal unless you like a gap that collects dust and remotes. The fix was a 2x4 spacer, but I should've just measured before hauling that flat-pack up two flights.
Here's the thing about the Brimnes: it's not just a TV stand. It's a storage unit disguised as one. Two cabinets with adjustable shelves, plus two drawers if you get the long version. I use the right cabinet for games, left for cables and a router, and the drawers for random living room junk. Works, but you need to plan which side gets what because the middle is just open shelf.
Measure the room, not just the TV
I assumed the 47-inch would fit my 55-inch TV. It does. TV sits on top with about six inches of margin on each side. But the real enemy is the room width. My living room is about nine feet wide. The bench takes up roughly 4 feet, so I've got about 2.5 feet on each side for a plant and a floor lamp. That works. If your room is narrower than 8 feet, consider the 31-inch version. It's a big difference in presence.
Also, that leg situation. The Brimnes comes with legs that are about 10 cm tall. If you have baseboard heaters or weird trim, measure the clearance before you assemble. I didn't, and the back leg caught on the baseboard. I ended up cutting a couple of 2x4s to raise it an inch. Not pretty, but it's behind the bench.
What I actually use it for
The drawer front is particleboard with a foil finish. It wipes clean, but doesn't love heavy weight. I keep remotes, not tools. The cabinet doors are the same material. They don't have soft-close, so they slam if you let go. I added those little adhesive bumpers to the inside frame to stop the rattle.
In the open middle shelf, I've got a soundbar and a few books. The gaps around the TV and the bench are tight, but the cables come out of the back and go down into the cabinet. There's a cutout in the back panel, but it's small. I had to enlarge it with a drill and a file to fit an HDMI cable with a fat ferrite core.
Delivery day reality
This thing is heavy. The 47-inch model is about 79 pounds, and it's one box. You'll need a second person to carry it up stairs. I saw the delivery guy flat out refuse to take it past the first floor. I ended up hiring a handyman to do the install, which cost me extra. Next time, I'd check the package dimensions and plan my day.
Assembly is straightforward, but the cam locks for the drawers are finicky. I've had to readjust two drawers because they weren't seating flush. Also, the instruction booklet is printed in six languages, but the diagrams are clear enough.
What I'd change if I bought again
I'd get the 31-inch if my room were narrower. But for a 9-foot wall, the 47-inch is right. Just measure the height, too. The bench is about 19 inches tall, which is fine for a sitting height if you're short, but if you want a taller media center, this isn't it.
Also, consider the white finish. I got the black-brown. It shows dust like a magnet. The white one hides it better, but it's brighter. My living room is south-facing, and the black-brown looks richer.
One more thing: the middle shelf is open, so anyone walking by sees your media clutter. If that bothers you, get the closed version with the sliding doors, but that's a different SKU and it's narrower.
The honest verdict
For $150–$200, it's a solid TV stand. It does the job, looks decent, and fits my gear. The downsides are the particleboard weight, the lack of soft-close, and the leg clearance issue. But you can work around them.
If you're on the fence, measure your room and your TV. Then measure the box. Then decide. I did the room and TV but forgot the baseboard. Your turn.
For more TV stand options, check More guides in TV Stands. And if you're dealing with a narrow wall, my earlier piece on the Brimnes TV Stand: How I Made the 47-Inch Work in a 9-Foot-Wide Room has the exact numbers I used.
If you're also looking for bench-style furniture, a friend asked about Outdoor Bench Table: I Bought One Without Checking the Leg Swell in, and the lesson is the same: measure the leg clearance before you commit. Same for dining benches — I Measured the Gap on Four Oak Dining Benches—Here's What Fit and — the gap under the bench matters more than you'd think.
And remember, the TV stand isn't a bench press. But if you're into that, Bench Press Progression: From Empty Bar to 225 Without the Fluff is a good read. Different kind of bench.
The best next step: grab a tape measure and check the floor space from wall to wall where the stand will go. That's it. Then you'll know if the Brimnes fits or if you need something smaller.