The week the first frost shows up in the ten-day forecast, one sizing question starts coming up: "My TV is a 65. Which cover do I order?" We make and sell Made in USA flags. We also sell one flag-print outdoor TV cover, and this outdoor TV cover size guide is our full answer.

TL;DR: We size by the diagonal on the TV box, then hold a tape measure up against the product page, which lists dimensions for three of our sizes. Between sizes, we go up. And in winter the cover only goes on a TV that's off.

Outdoor TV Cover Size Guide: Start With the Diagonal

When we sized the cover for our own patio set, the tape read wider than the box suggested. (The "65-inch" on the box runs corner to corner across the glass and leaves the frame out of it.) And two TVs with the same diagonal can come out at different widths, since their bezels differ.

How to Measure Your TV for a Cover

Our routine starts with the set off and parked where it'll sit covered, and a swing-arm set gets folded flat first.

  1. Width: We run the tape across the outer edges (bezel and all) and round up.
  2. Height: We go top to bottom next, soundbar included if it'll sit inside the cover.
  3. Depth: We find the thickest point of the body and add any plugs or cable bends that stay inside.
  4. Mount: We note how the TV is held, since our cover has hook and loop closures along the bottom and a back flap that opens around the mount.
  5. Compare: Then our numbers go up against the table below.

But width is the one we've watched go wrong most, usually because the tape stopped at the glass.

Depth takes us longest. With a slim set on a flat wall plate, the body thickness is the whole number. Arm mounts take longer. The arm itself slips through the opening behind the back flap, so we leave it out. What we count is whatever hangs inside the fabric: the TV body, then a power brick zip-tied to the back or a streaming stick. And plug bends count too. Those extras pile up fast. Our product page puts the depth at 4.5 inches for every size it gives dimensions for (we checked each row). If extras push past that, we'd ask you to write to us before ordering.

TV Cover Sizes: Our 7 Variants

We copied the seven size names from our product page as-is, plus its dimensions wherever it gives them. Where it gives none, the cell says so.

Size option Screen diagonal Dimensions on our product page (W x H x D) Fit check
40" - 43" 40 to 43 in Not published (see note) Measure, then see the note
48" - 50" 48 to 50 in 46.5" x 27.5" x 4.5" TV should measure under these
52" - 55" 52 to 55 in 51" x 30" x 4.5" TV should measure under these
60" - 65" 60 to 65 in 58.5" x 35" x 4.5" TV should measure under these
70" - 75" 70 to 75 in Not published (see note) Measure, then see the note
80" - 85" 80 to 85 in Not published (see note) Measure, then see the note
86" - 90" 86 to 90 in Not published (see note) Measure, then see the note

Note: our product page has no dimensions for these four ranges (for 40" - 43" it lists separate 39-40 inch and 43 inch entries). If a reading comes out close, we'd like to hear it through our contact page before anyone orders.

Our listing also says "the cover's sizing is designed with extra allowance to accommodate a TV stand." A 45-inch or 77-inch lands in the gaps between our ranges. We go up a size there (and, for a 45-inch, check the width against the 48" - 50" row). But the 80" - 85" size has no listed dimensions, so for a 77-inch we'd like to see the numbers first.

And we leave sizing down for a snugger fit alone.

Winterizing an Outdoor TV

Samsung's Basic Product Guide says, "Do not expose this apparatus to rain," and tells owners to contact a service center before installing a set somewhere with "high or low temperatures." So we first ask whether the TV was built for outdoors at all. An indoor set that spent the summer on the patio comes in for winter.

We never switch the TV on with the cover over it. The same guide says the ventilation slots and openings "must never be blocked or covered" and adds, "Do not cover the slots and openings with a cloth or other materials."

On our patio TV the cover comes off before the power goes on (and the set is off again before the fabric goes back over it).

SunBrite's Solis owner's manual says the fitted dust cover "is designed to protect the LCD panel from harmful UV rays from direct sunlight." Ours gets every hook and loop strip along the bottom pressed shut, because an open edge on a gusty afternoon turns the cover into a sail.

After a snowfall we brush the cover off by hand (gloves on). SunBrite's 3214HD operator's manual covers the TV itself and says to "use a soft brush and towel to remove snow and ice from the unit."

That manual also calls for "a GFI-protected AC outlet with 'in-use' waterproof cover" outdoors, and its built-in heater needs power applied at all times to work properly. Samsung says to unplug a set during "a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time." Those pull in different directions, so we went by our own TV's manual before unplugging for the season.

Our Flag-Print TV Cover

Our product page describes the Outdoor US Flag Waterproof TV Cover as "a 600D material featuring a printed American Flag design," with an interior PVC coating. The same page mentions "an extra built-in pocket to store your remote control." Our TV cover collection holds all seven sizes. When someone is stuck between two rows of this outdoor TV cover size guide, we ask for three numbers and the mount type through our contact page before they order.

Related from our blog: How to protect your outdoor TV from all weather conditions

Outdoor TV Cover Size Questions

What size outdoor TV cover do I need for a 65-inch TV?
We point people with a 65-inch set to our 60" - 65" size, which our product page lists at 58.5" W x 35" H x 4.5" D. Then the tape goes across the TV, bezel included, to compare. If it comes out bigger anywhere, we'd ask to hear from you before ordering.

Is a TV's size the same as its width?
We tell people no, and we see the two mixed up a lot. The box gives the screen diagonal, corner to corner, while outside width varies by brand at the same diagonal. We go by the tape-measure width, since that's what decides the fit.

What if my TV falls between two cover sizes?
Our answer is to go up a size. A 45-inch TV sits between our 40" - 43" and 48" - 50" sizes, and a 77-inch lands between 70" - 75" and 80" - 85". We measure the width, then check it against the larger size on the product page where dimensions are listed (the 80" - 85" size has none). And if it's close, we'd like the numbers first.

Can I leave the cover on my outdoor TV all winter?
On an outdoor-rated TV that's off, we say yes, generally, since SunBrite recommends keeping its outdoor TVs under a fitted dust cover when not in use. We'd still look up the cold limit in that TV's manual. But an indoor TV moved outside is a different case, and we bring those in, because Samsung warns against rain and asks owners to call service before installing a set somewhere cold.

Can I turn the TV on with the cover on?
We tell people no. On our own patio TV the cover always comes off first, since a set needs airflow while it runs. Samsung's guide says the ventilation slots and openings "must never be blocked or covered," so ours goes back on only once the set is off again.

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