Sanus, a division of Milestone AV Technologies, has been creating AV technology solutions since 1986. They primarily specialize in TV wall mounts, but they also offer alternate projector mounts, AV furniture and speaker stands. One of their tried and true projector mounts is the Sanus Systems VMPR1. While Sanus now has a newer version of the projector mount, we still gravitate towards the VMPR1. The Sanus VMPR1 has earned the TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award due to its excellence in adjustability, the best weight capacity on the market and a solid, yet sleek, construction.
The Sanus VMPR1’s black steel exterior and four-armed design makes it look much like an armored spider, ready to attach and securely hold any projector you throw at it. From the base, a 7-inch extension pipe can be attached to let the projector descend from the ceiling for maximum viewing ease. If you need the mount to be flush to the ceiling, simply don’t attach the pipe. The projector mount measures 7 x 18 x 4.75 inches, and its weight capacity is one of the best on the market. It can comfortably support a projector up to 50 pounds. But seeing how most projectors today don’t weigh over 20 pounds, the large capacity really isn’t needed.
Once the projector is installed, it can roll 6 degrees side to side, tilt plus or minus 30 degrees and rotate 15 degrees around the base. Each of these movements is independent from the others, which means you can make fine-tuned adjustments.
As we’ve seen with Sanus’ other products, they do a great job in designing mounts that are both complex and user-friendly. The Sanus VMPR1 is no different. All of the mounting hardware you could possibly need comes with the package. All of the extra hardware is meant to make the mount as universally compatible as possible. Installation instructions and a user manual clearly show you how to install the mount. To finish the installation off, Sanus includes bezels that snuggly fit into the screw holes to hide the hardware. They even give you white decorative covers if the black decorative covers are not to your liking.
This Sanus mount has been quality tested, not only by their own engineers, but also by the Underwriters Laboratory. To be UL listed, like the Sanus VMPR1, means the product has been safety certified by the Underwriters Laboratory – a very good recognition to have. You’ll find the UL’s seal on dishwashers, ovens and TVs, but the VMPR1 is one of the only projector mounts in our top 10 lineup with the UL’s stamp of approval.
Although the VMPR1’s roll and pitch can be adjusted and it can rotate like a dream, this projector mount can’t compensate for a sloped ceiling on its own. If you are installing this mount in room with an angled ceiling, you’ll have to also purchase the Sanus VMCA5 vaulted ceiling adapter. This extra little piece simply connects to the mount’s extension pipe to allow for an angled installation.
When your projector’s light bulb burns out, which it will eventually do, you’ll appreciate Sanus’ foresight in designing a quick release mechanism into the mount. This quick release allows you to change light bulbs or clean the filters without altering the projector's focus or alignment.
Built into the Sanus VMPR1’s extension pipe is a cord management system that organizes all of the power cords as they come down to the projector. You will still need to find a way to organize and conceal the cords as they come up the wall, but once they hit the extension pipe, they are taken care of.
When we called Sanus’ customer support line, we were immediately greeted by a friendly representative who genuinely seemed interested in our questions. He went to the trouble of obtaining the Sanus VMPR1 to answer some of the specific inquiries we had. Now, we can’t guarantee this quality of service every time, but if this experience and the user-friendly way the user manual and website are written mean anything, we’d bet customer service is one of Sanus’ top priorities. You can also contact the company via an online email form or through any of their social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter, the Sanus blog or YouTube.
Another indication of Sanus’ customer-oriented attitude is the 10-year warranty they offer with their products. The warranty is limited to the projector mount, specifying that damage to the projector from improper installation or mount failure is not included in the warranty. The warranty is also void if the mount is moved from the location it was originally installed. Regardless, Sanus provides one of the best warranties on the market.
Sanus continues to be one of our favorite mount manufacturers, presenting us with the Sanus Systems VMPR1 projector mount. The VMPR1 is a heavy-duty solution to all of your projection needs. It can support the largest projectors on the market – up to 50 pounds – and it has a universal mounting pattern. Sanus has designed it to be complex enough to include a quick release option and cord management, but user-friendly enough that anyone could properly install it. Our favorite features are the rotation and other adjustments you can make to fine-tune the projector’s location to your specific requirements.
