OmniMount OE120IW Recessed TV Mount Review

Wall mounting TVs is no longer “cool” or “innovative.” It’s the norm. However, just because the practice isn’t innovative, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to create innovative mounts. With the OE120IW, OmniMount has sought to bring together the best from full-motion, tilting, and low-profile wall mounts into a single package. Full-motion mounts – those with an articulating arm that allows the TV to be pulled away from the wall and pushed back – even when the arm is fully collapsed, don’t provide the sleek look of a low-profile mount. Even standard tilting wall mounts push the TV out from the wall further than non-tilting, low-profile mounts. Yet, while low-profile mounts are aesthetically pleasing, they aren’t particularly functional because they don’t allow for tilt, swivel, or pan adjustments. By recessing the mount arm into the wall, OmniMount has combined the flexibility of full-motion and tiling wall mounts with the aesthetic appeal of low-profile mounts. Read on to see if they succeeded in this endeavor. 

Overview

The OE120IW is a full-motion mount with a maximum extension of 10.75”. When pushed back against the wall, it has a nearly unbeatable .5” profile. This is possible thanks to a recessed box that the arm collapses into. AT 14.5” wide, the box fits right between standard 16” on center studs. The OE120IW works with TVs up to 120lbs, 42-80”, and with a standard VESA bolt pattern between 200x200mm and 600x400mm, meaning it will fit pretty much any TV on the market. With an MSRP of $349.95, it might seem spendy compared to bargain mounts found on Amazon, but it’s quite affordable when compared to similar mounts from the competition.

OE12IW Mount Rear View

To ensure the TV is positioned exactly how it should be, the mount features tilt, pan, and swivel adjustments. It can also be level post-installation, so even if you don’t quite get everything level during installation the TV will be perfectly level.

For me, what takes the OE120IW from just being a functional mount to being a compelling product are the finishing touches and attention to detail. OmniMount built channels into the arm for running wires and includes Velcro ties and plastic clips to secure the wires. OmniMount also includes two plastic covers to ensure that, even when pulled out all the way, the OE120IW has a polished, professional look.

The recessed box has two single gang cut outs that can be used with low or high voltage wiring. Included are two covers for use with low voltage cables, such as speaker wire and HDMI cables. In my installation, I used one of their covers for low voltage wiring and installed an outlet in the other opening. My recommendation is to use an outlet with built-in surge suppression, such as the Panamax MIW-SURGE-1G. This eliminates the need for an external surge protector, which is difficult to place with a mount like the OE120IW. Alternatively, you could use OmniMount’s OPK2, in-wall power and cable management system. The OPK2 was specifically designed to work well with the OE120IW.

Installation

Installing the OE120IW was simple and straight forward. OmniMount has created an official installation video – sure beats reading the manual – so I won’t explain the entire process.

The included cut-out template make is easy to level, mark and cut out the spot for the recessed box. Don’t worry if the cut-out isn’t perfect, as the TV can be leveled later on and a plastic cover will hide the edges of the box.

OE120IW Parts

There’s nothing notable about the process of bolting the recessed box to the wall, attaching the brackets to the back of the TV, or lifting the TV onto the mount - and nothing notable is a good thing.

Once the TV was up and the safety screws in place, I adjusted the mount until the TV was level, the tilt tension until it could be tilted by fingertip, and arm tension so it pushed in and pulled out easily. At this point, all that was left was to install the outlet, hook up and dress the cables, and install the décor covers. Using a standard old-work electrical box, installing the outlet went without issue.

Installing the OE120IW

Properly routing and dressing the cables took a bit more effort. The cable channels in the arm are best suited for small diameter, flexible cable. In my situation, I had to run HDMI, Ethernet, power for the TV, and three separate speaker wires through the channels. I was able to make everything fit, but just barely and not without some struggle. I suspect that most users will only run HDMI and power, in such a case the channels should work perfectly as long as the HDMI cable isn’t too thick. If it is, an HDMI coupler to a thin cable could be used.

The last step is installing the decorative covers. They snapped in place easily enough, though I would avoid using the included low voltage single gang covers. They pop off easily and, as far as I can tell, don’t serve any purpose because they are hidden by another decorative cover anyway. Once everything is installed, the wires are more concealed better than just about any other full-motion mount I’ve used.

Overall, installing the OE120IW is an easy task that any DIYer should feel confident undertaking. Considering the included cut-out template and online instructional video, in some ways you can be more confident installing this mount than a typical TV mount.

Use

Once the OE120IW was in place, I used it for a few months before writing this review. I wanted to see how it would perform for the long term. In short, it’s a solid product. Pulling the TV out and pushing it back in was easy once I loosened the tension nearly all the way. And, thanks to the double-arm design, you can pull it out all the way without fear of the joints locking, at which point you would need to go behind the TV and push the arm back a bit to unlock the joint. However, as with any full-motion mount there is a certain amount of stress put on the TV when you move it in or out. I’ve never had a TV break from this, but it always makes me a little uneasy.

I leveled the TV post-installation, and it remained level as I continued to use the mount over the following months.

Panamax surge suppression outlet installed in OE120IW

My 55” Sony X850c looks great when pushed flat against the wall. The low-profile of the OE120IW makes a noticeable difference when compared to traditional full-motion mounts. The 10.75” arm is pretty short compared to the 15” – 28” arms on many of the other mounts I’ve used, but for my purposes it’s all that’s needed. The arm allows you to swivel a TV just enough to make sitting anywhere in a room – other than maybe at drastic angles – a good viewing experience.

Conclusion

There's a lot to like about the OE120IW, and any drawbacks are due to the nature of the design, not the mount itself. Recessed mounts, because of the width of the recessed box, must be centered between two studs. That means that if the wall wasn't framed out with this consideration, the mount may not be centered on the wall. Additionally, $349 is a hefty price to pay for a mount, but not within this category. I could complain about the small cable channels, but again, that's pretty standard with full-motion mounts. Ultimately, if you are looking for the flexibility of a full-motion mount, but the looks of a low-profile mount, I can't think of a better option than the OE120IW.