If you’ve ever mounted a TV above a fireplace and realized you’re craning your neck every time you watch, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common home theater frustrations — the TV looks stunning up high, but the viewing experience is terrible. The MantelMount MM860 motorized TV mount solves this problem elegantly, and after living with it in my own home, I can tell you it’s one of the best smart home upgrades I’ve made.
Watch my full hands-on demo below, then read on for the complete breakdown:
The MantelMount MM860 is a motorized drop-down and swivel TV wall mount designed specifically for above-fireplace installations. At the push of a button, it smoothly lowers your TV to eye level for watching, then sends it back up flush against the wall when you’re done — keeping that clean aesthetic you wanted when you mounted it up high in the first place.
In this review I’ll walk you through exactly how the MantelMount MM860 performs in a real home, covering motor noise, remote control features, wire management, and the built-in heat sensor that makes it safe for fireplace use.
Key Specifications
- Mount type: Motorized drop-down and swivel
- Control: Included IR remote with memory presets
- Memory positions: 2 saved slots (M1 and M2)
- Movement: Up, down, left, right tilt and swivel
- Travel time: Approximately 25 seconds full range
- Heat sensor: Yes — auto-retracts if temperature exceeds safe limit
- Wire management: Built-in cable routing, hidden in-wall installation
- Home automation: Compatible with Control4, Savant, and more
- Compatible TVs: Ultra-thin panels including LG OLED G-series
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Completely motorized — no manual effort required
- Two memory presets for exact saved positions
- Swivels left and right to face any seating position
- Built-in heat sensor automatically raises the TV if it gets too hot
- Motor is near-silent going down; slight hum going up as a safety alert
- Hidden in-wall installation for a completely flush, sleek finish
- Integrates with Control4, Savant, and home automation systems
- Works beautifully with ultra-thin TVs like LG OLED
Cons
- Premium price — this is not a budget mount
- In-wall installation adds complexity; professional install recommended
- Motor hum on the way up is noticeable in a very quiet room
Why You Should Buy the MantelMount MM860 in 2026
- Full home automation integration: Works with Control4, Savant, and similar systems — your TV can automatically drop to eye level the moment it turns on
- Swivel for any seat in the room: Not just up and down — the MM860 swivels left and right so everyone gets the perfect angle, not just people sitting dead center
- Fireplace safe: The built-in heat sensor will automatically retract your TV if the fireplace gets too warm, protecting your investment
- Invisible when not in use: Hidden in-wall design means no visible arm, no visible cables — just a TV floating on a wall
- Precision memory positions: Save M1 for eye-level viewing, M2 for a safe height when the fire is on
Real-World Performance: What It’s Actually Like to Use
I installed the MantelMount MM860 above my fireplace with an LG OLED G-series TV — one of the thinnest panels available — and the combination is genuinely impressive. When fully raised to the home position, the TV sits ultra-flat against the wall. You’d never know it was sitting on a motorized arm.
The remote is simple and well laid out. Directional controls handle fine-tuning tilt and swivel, and the M1 and M2 memory buttons lock in your exact preferred positions. I set M1 to the absolute lowest eye-level position and M2 to a safe mid-height for when the fireplace is running.
The one-button “Home” return is genuinely useful — press it once and the mount travels all the way back to the raised position on its own in about 25 seconds.
On noise: going down is nearly silent. I recorded audio while standing nearby and it was barely audible. Going back up there’s a slight hum — intentional, acting as an audible safety warning that the mount is moving. Not annoying, just noticeable.
Wire management is one of the unsung strengths. Cables route neatly through the arm, and with the hidden in-wall installation option, from any angle in the room you see nothing but a clean wall and a floating TV.
The Heat Sensor: The Feature That Justifies the Price
If you have a working fireplace, this is the feature that matters most. The MantelMount MM860 has a built-in heat sensor that monitors temperature continuously and automatically sends the TV all the way back to the home position if it detects dangerous heat. I use M2 specifically when the fireplace is on — the mount remembers the safe height and goes there with one button. The automatic retraction is a genuine safety net for a $2,000+ TV.
Home Automation Integration
One of the features that sets the MM860 apart from standard motorized mounts is its native compatibility with professional home automation platforms including Control4 and Savant. This means you can program your system so that when you turn on the TV, the mount automatically drops to your saved eye-level position — no remote needed. When the TV turns off, it returns home. It’s the kind of seamless smart home experience that used to require a custom installation costing tens of thousands of dollars.
Who Is This For?
The MantelMount MM860 is the right choice if your TV is above a fireplace and you want fully motorized movement, swivel capability for off-center seating, hidden in-wall aesthetics, heat protection, or home automation integration. If you want just a manual pull-down and have no fireplace, a simpler model will serve you. But for the complete package — motor, memory, heat sensor, swivel, and smart home integration — the MM860 is in a class of its own.
Final Verdict
The MantelMount MM860 is one of those purchases that genuinely improves daily life at home. The motorized movement, programmable memory, near-silent operation, clean wire management, heat sensor, and full home automation compatibility make it the definitive solution for above-fireplace TV mounting. It’s a premium product at a premium price — but for the TV it’s protecting and the comfort it delivers every single day, it earns every dollar. If your TV is mounted too high over your fireplace, this is the upgrade you need.