How to Buy a Dining or Kitchen Table For 2020

I have covered home furnishings for more than 10 years as a lifestyle editor for magazines including Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, and InStyle. In that time, I’ve written many home-goods shopping articles and interviewed dozens of interior designers, product testers, and other industry experts. My goal is always to recommend the best values in furniture that people can afford.

For this guide, I read dozens of articles, combed customer reviews, and interviewed furniture experts and interior designers, including Christophe Pourny, a master furniture restorer and author of The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore & Care for Furniture; Lucy Harris, an interior designer and principal at Lucy Harris Studio; Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of public relations and marketing for the American Home Furnishings Alliance; Max Dyer, a furniture-industry veteran and current vice president of case goods (a category of hard furniture, such as tables, cabinets, and chairs) for La-Z-Boy; Thomas Russell, senior editor at industry newsletter Furniture Today; and Meredith Mahoney, founder and design director of Birch Lane.

The best dining table for you will be the one that works for your budget, offers solid construction, fits your space, and has a style you’ll love for years. Even if you’re not thinking forever at this point, you can expect to have a table for at least five to 10 years. “Five years is not a long time,” said Pourny. “If it’s your first table, you may use it somewhere else after a few years, so you want it to be simple and sturdy and a style you’ll like for a while.” So a small, well-made table might find a place in your home for years to come.

Here are the factors you should consider before buying a table for your home.

Size

The number-one rule: Your dining table has to fit in your dining area! But a dining table is a deceptively large piece of furniture, and you need to account for space around it, too.

“In addition to the footprint of the table, you’ll want 3 feet of breathing room on all sides—and more is better!—to comfortably sit in a chair and move around the space,” said Harris. So whether your dining area is part of a multiuse space (such as a great room that you’re dividing into living and dining areas) or you have a separate dining room, start by measuring the length and width of the space you can dedicate to the dining table. Then subtract about 6 feet from those two measurements to get a target dining table length and width.

Next, think about how you’re going to use the table and how many people will typically sit at the table. “Figure that each place at the table needs 22 to 24 inches of table space and that larger scale chairs will require more,” said Dyer. These are the general dimensions you can expect:

As a longtime apartment dweller, I’ve found that the “visual weight” of a piece of furniture can really influence how big it feels in a room. It may technically fit, but it’ll seem huge if it’s a dark or bulky piece or if it’s too close to other furniture. To visualize how a bigger piece of furniture will look in your room, take the time to block out the length and width on the floor (such as with painter’s tape), and also the height of the table. I usually stand on my tape corners with a tape measure and then try to fill in that space with similar-size furniture (like a couple of chairs), after which I take a step back to see how it’ll feel. It also helps to have a friend stand there with the tape measure while you have a look. If your table won’t have a lot of room to breathe because of other furniture nearby, consider a table with a thinner frame or lighter-colored materials.

If you’re tight on space, consider options such as leaves that allow the table to expand. “These let you customize the table for different entertainment needs and party sizes,” said Mahoney. The one thing Pourny warned against was too many mechanisms or leaves that were attached or hidden within the table (versus stand-alone leaves). “If you buy things that are too complicated, it’s just more opportunity for something to fail,” he told us. The sturdiest expansion tables will be those where the leaves are solid, separate units that you place on the base once you’ve opened the table (versus a flip-up or butterfly style). If you plan to use your table very differently on weeknights versus weekends, expansion tables can be a great option.

And don’t forget about the considerations for moving your dining table into your home in the first place. Scope out any area the table will have to travel through, including doorways, hallways, and hard turns into a room that will limit your maneuverability. “Measure everything first, and treat the delivery team who brings your furniture well!” said Dyer.

Shape

“The shape of the room gets first to say, since some tables simply do not work in certain rooms,” Dyer told us. Tabletops come in two main shapes families, square/rectangular or round/oval. Ideally, you want your table to fill your space proportionately, so if you have a rectangular room, try a rectangular or oval table; if your available space is more square, a square or round table will look better.

Square or rectangular tables are the most common, so you’ll find the most options in that category in terms of styles, sizes, and extensions. But a round or oval table can give you a little more space to move around, because it cuts off the corners but still offers a good surface area. “For tighter rectangular spaces, the oval might be the best option,” said Dyer. Harris added, “Round or oval tables can be great for parties and conversation because there’s no head of the table, too.” As for squeezing people in, you’re limited only by the perimeter of the table—but you can lose a little space for serving pieces once you have all your place settings at a round or oval table.

Supports

The base—usually legs, a pedestal, or a trestle—can have an effect on how many people you can fit at the table. “You just want to be sure the leg space isn’t being invaded by the supports,” said Hirschhaut. When you see a table in person, sit at it to see if your legs hit the table’s legs; also verify if you have enough space for your knees when you scoot in all the way, and if you can cross your legs underneath the table. The apron—the frame that holds the tabletop up—can cut down on your room to maneuver.

If you want to be more flexible in adding dinner guests, pay attention to the leg width and where the legs are placed. “In general, a table with thinner legs, or where the legs are at the corners, will make it easier to squeeze an extra chair in,” said Harris. And as Dyer noted, be aware: “A leg table is generally limited to how long it can be extended without bowing in the middle.” A very large-scale table might have two pedestals or a trestle base to support it, but a four-leg table that extends really far out could get unstable.

With a pedestal or trestle table, you have more flexibility to add more people to the table. “A center base is the best option to squeeze people in,” said Harris. Pourny told us he was wary of larger round pedestal-style tables because they could be a little less sturdy than a four-leg table. “You have to be able to lean on it and dine on it every day without it tipping over,” he said.

Trestle tables can give you flexibility along the sides of the table but can limit the space at the ends of the table. Dyer said, “The challenge with the trestle table is that there can be spots along the table where a chair is straddling the base.” This situation can be less comfortable and make pushing in chairs impossible. But Pourny told us he liked this style because it’s sturdy and rooted in antique furniture. Look closely at how much space a design has between the edge of the table and where the trestle supports are attached to make sure you have space for your knees.

Style

This is the fun part! You can find thousands of options, so first you want to narrow your selections. “Do you want formal elegance or casual comfort? Do you envision a cozy room or a grand one?” asked Hirschhaut. If you’re starting from scratch, browse through sites and make a Pinterest board to see what you’re attracted to.

That said, because a dining table is a big investment, you want to find something you’re going to like for a while. Pourny advised against getting anything too trendy. “If you get something too funky, with too many weird details, one day you may wake up and wonder what you were thinking,” he said. “Keep it simple and sturdy.”

He also said that in general he found that lighter woods (such as white oak or bleached woods), raw or natural finishes, and weathered materials done in cleaner lines tended to stand the test of time. Mid-century-style furniture has become more popular in the past 10 to 15 years and that popularity continues to grow.

Materials

Wood

Solid wood is a classic material because it is durable and easy to repair. Pine, acacia, mango, and teak are less expensive woods that are becoming more popular now. Different woods have different hardnesses—pine is much softer than acacia, for example, which in turn is softer than walnut. “Solid wood is the most popular, though it’s often the most expensive,” said Hirschhaut. Manufacturers have been working to get the price of solid wood down—IKEA, for one, has an unfinished solid-pine table for around $80, but a larger-scale one from a different retailer can cost $1,000 or more.

Wood expands and contracts with heat and humidity and can show scratches and wear, but is fairly easy to repair. “If it’s good wood, in 10 years you can strip it and you’ll still have something to work with,” said Pourny. Heat and moisture can damage the finish, so “be prepared to protect [the] tabletop with pads, cloths, mats or trivets,” added Hirschhaut.

Veneer/wood-look

Wood veneer is often a more economical alternative to solid wood. To create wood veneer, a manufacturer glues a very thin layer of solid wood (or material printed to look like wood) to a plywood or other wood core. Depending on the maker and the materials, wood-veneer pieces can be just as sturdy as solid wood—or quite flimsy. “Generally, veneer is used to achieve one of two objectives: a decorative patterned top (for better goods) or to appear as solid wood (to reduce costs by using a cheaper substrate beneath it),” said Dyer. “A well-made veneer will be a little thicker (1/36″ or greater) and will use multilayer, cross-banded plywood as the core that it is glued to.”

Another way to spot cheaper veneers is to look underneath the table at the store. “If just the outside is finished, but the underneath looks like a different material, the manufacturer is cutting costs,” said Dyer. Also look along the table’s outside edges. “On a solid-wood table, or one with a good veneer, the wood grain will run all the same direction, instead of changing direction,” Dyer noted. Russell mentioned another concern: “Beware of products that seem too cheap, and make sure particleboard says it’s CARB compliant, which means it’s passed emissions tests.” And you can always ask the salesperson exactly what the table is made of—if they’re not sure, that’s a red flag, said Dyer. You can usually touch up a good wood veneer with a bit of stain or paint, but as with solid wood, try to avoid direct contact with heat and moisture.

Stone and stone-look
Stone tabletops can include marble, quartz composite, or cast stone (like cement). “There are both natural and man-made options in the stone category, but it is not a big category in dining tables,” Dyer told us. Stone is durable, but it can be porous and can absorb stains easily. “Depending on how it’s made, it can chip or crack,” said Hirschhaut, and once that happens, it can be tough or impossible to repair. Such tabletops can also be quite heavy. The price of stone can really vary, too: Cement-topped pieces can be under $500, but marble-topped ones run into the thousands.

Glass
Glass tabletops can be clear, frosted, or tinted. They’re relatively inexpensive and “can create a feeling of space and openness,” said Hirschhaut. Though glass isn’t susceptible to moisture, it can chip, scratch, or crack from heat. It also shows every fingerprint, making it a higher-maintenance material. A good glass tabletop can last decades if you’re not too clumsy, but will start to look bad in a few years if you’re prone to chipping the edges or dragging plates across the table. You can find larger-scaled glass-topped tables under $750.

Metal
Metal, including stainless steel, brass, zinc, and lacquered or painted versions of those, sees use more frequently for table bases than for tabletops. “Metal is durable and not easily damaged,” Hirschhaut told us. But because it’s higher shine, it shows every fingerprint and can require special cleaning tools, making it a higher-maintenance option. And Harris has found that painted metals can be hard to repair: “If you nick a high-gloss or lacquered table, it’s hard to touch it up. I’ve had to try to match nail polish to finishes to try to repair them.” Tables using metal can be less expensive than wood tables, though finding an all-metal dining table beyond utility tables is rare.

Plastic and laminates
Man-made materials, either molded into a shape or glued onto plywood or another core, are an inexpensive option. “They can last a long time, but aren’t considered the nicest-quality material,” noted Harris. These materials tend to resist staining and require little upkeep, but often appear cheap.

Construction

A good dining table is sturdy and well-made, with a finish that withstands heavy use while suffering little obvious wear. “The material is a major part of good construction, but a table is only as good as the joinery,” said Dyer. Joinery is the industry term for the places where the base and tabletop fit together—the more solid this fit is, the longer the table will last. “Wood is a great material because it holds a screw, as well as old-fashion joints like tongue and groove, dovetailing, mortise and tenon or pegged tenons,” Dyer mentioned.

On the surface, look for tables with a “smooth top,” suggested Mahoney, and avoid ones with deep grooves or “crumb catchers” (Russell’s phrase) in between boards or in a distressed finish that might make them harder to clean. That includes spaces where you might separate the table to expand it. In general, the more moving parts—whether they’re intersections joined with screws or expansion mechanisms for leaves—the more opportunities for the table to malfunction. “The best leaves are the ones where you pull out the table and set the leaves right on it,” said Pourny. “Too many mechanisms—push this, spring that—can get tricky.”

To decide which dining tables to recommend, we scoured the websites of furniture retailers including Amazon, Arhaus, Article, Ashley Furniture, Birch Lane, Blu Dot, CB2, Cost Plus World Market, Crate and Barrel, Design Within Reach, Ethan Allen, IKEA, JCPenney, Joybird, Macy’s, Pier 1, Pottery Barn, Raymour & Flanigan, Restoration Hardware, Room & Board, Target, Wayfair, West Elm, and Z Gallerie. We looked for their best sellers and their highest-rated dining tables (which are not always the same thing).

We analyzed each table based on the following criteria:

• Good-quality materials: At the advice of our pros we looked for solid-wood tables (which you can refinish if they suffer damage) over wood veneers. But we also looked for highly rated tables with glass or stone tops. (You can read more in our section about materials.)
• Timeless style: We looked for tables that most people could expect to still like a decade from now. Pourny told us that lighter woods with raw or natural finishes, as well as weathered materials done in cleaner lines, tended to stand the test of time.
• High customer reviews: Because we couldn’t test the tables side by side—and we weren’t able to see some of them in person at all—we looked closely at customer reviews to glean what people who had purchased these tables liked and disliked, how well the tables might wear over time, and what the buying experience was like. We gave preference to tables that had a lot of customer reviews and an overall rating of four-plus stars out of five. We do recommend a few tables in this guide that didn’t have online customer reviews, but we looked at those in person.

When we could, we inspected tables at showrooms, including those of CB2, Cost Plus World Market, Crate and Barrel, IKEA, Raymour & Flanigan, Pier 1, and West Elm. We assessed the following attributes:

• Looks: We judged the tables for their overall appearance in comparison with how they looked online. Many seemed bigger and darker than they did online—something to consider if you’re decorating a smaller space.
• Stability and construction: We tried to shake, lift, and move the tables around to feel how well-constructed they were. (All of the tables within our sub-$1,000 budget were held together with hardware, versus the traditional tongue-and-groove wood construction you might find in models at higher prices.)
• Comfort: We sat at each available table in person to gauge its comfort. We wanted to make sure that crossing our legs underneath each table was easy. We found that the smaller the apron (the framing that connects the tabletop to the legs), the more clearance we had to cross our legs and to slide away from the table easily.
• Signs of wear: We looked for nicks and scratches on the surfaces of the floor-model tables as an indication of how the tables would perform under serious use in the home. In general, almost all of the tables had some damage to their tabletops and to the bottoms of their legs (where a chair would typically hit the side of the table). We found few tables with no damage at all. We noticed more damage when retailers displayed other products on the tabletops and where there was more foot traffic (such as at West Elm).

Because choosing a dining table is so specific to the amount of space you have, your plans for using the table, and your taste, we’re recommending a few tables in the most common categories. We didn’t do side-by-side testing for this guide (we do hope to for a future update), but we did sit at many of these tables in stores or showrooms. For those we couldn’t look at in person, we relied on customer reviews and the advice our experts gave on materials and design. Based on our research, we think these tables will hold up well over time and are some of the best you’ll find for under $1,000.

These tables comfortably seat two to four people, maybe six if you’re good friends. They have a small footprint, so they’ll work in a tiny dining space or as a kitchen table.

Article Seno Round Dining Table

Why it’s great: We didn’t inspect the Seno Round Dining Table in person (Article doesn’t have showrooms), but this model is one of the few hardwood tables that we found for under $700. Because it’s walnut, we think the Seno round table will look nicer for longer than comparable tables made of soft woods or wood veneer. With its thin, splayed legs, the Seno round table has on-trend mid-century styling that isn’t too exaggerated. Other mid-century-style tables we looked at were either quite bulky, out of our price range, or made of wood veneer.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: We don’t know how this table will wear over the long run, because we didn’t see it in person, and we didn’t find user reviews for it or other Article dining tables. We still feel comfortable recommending the Seno, though, based on the durability of walnut and because we’ve seen that Houzz readers are generally happy with the ship time and customer service for Article furniture. We also had a good experience testing the company’s Ceni sofa.

IKEA Jokkmokk Table and 4 Chairs

Why it’s great: This is one of the cheapest, best-reviewed finished solid-wood tables we could find (IKEA does have cheaper wood tables, but they are unfinished). The soft pine wood will dent and scratch more easily than hardwoods, but it can tolerate stripping and refinishing (unlike a wood veneer). Many of the very inexpensive tables we saw were made of metal or plastic and had more modern styling, so they looked like cheap restaurant tables. This model’s traditional styling and medium-neutral stain gave it a more quality, expensive look. At the store, I found this table small but sturdy, easy enough to move around for apartment living. If you upgrade to a larger space, you could use it as a desk later. Plus, the package includes the chairs!

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The table is quite small, a bit cozy for four. The floor sample I looked at had a few nicks, including indentations that seemed to be from someone writing too hard with a pen (a problem that is typical of a softer wood like pine). Because of the high cost for shipping, you may want to purchase this table in person. It has no warranty.

Coaster Home Furnishings Damen Dining Table

Why it’s great: We didn’t see this Coaster Home Furnishings butcher-block-style table in person, but it was one of Amazon’s best sellers and has high customer reviews. Many purchasers say it’s sturdy and an overall good value. It’s one of the cheapest solid-wood tables we’ve found, and the price includes delivery (through Amazon Prime), making it a good alternative if you want an inexpensive wood table and don’t live near an IKEA store (or have a car to get there). The oak tabletop should be more durable than the pine IKEA uses on its solid-wood tables (although it will still dent and scratch easily). The small scale works for an apartment, as a kitchen table, or even as a desk or craft table. The narrow, widely spaced legs offer maximum seating capacity. You could tone down the country-kitchen look by using more modern chairs (or, down the line, painting the table in fun colors). It also comes in an unpainted version.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: We did not test this table in person. But some user commenters complain that the tabletop scratches easily, and that it’s a tight fit for more than two people. Note that unlike the IKEA Jokkmokk table, this model’s price does not include the chairs.

If you have a dedicated dining space, fill it with a great-looking table. These large-scale tables (ranging from 54 to 92 inches long) seat six to eight comfortably, and you can seat more if you’re willing to squeeze.

IKEA Möckelby Table

Why it’s great: In true IKEA fashion, you get a lot of table for your buck with the Möckelby. It’s the biggest, best-looking table we could find under $1,000. With a lighter, distressed finish and picnic-table-style construction, this table has a casual, rustic look, but because it has clean lines and slightly splayed legs, it’s more versatile style-wise than other farmhouse-inspired tables. I found the Möckelby very comfortable due to a shallow apron and widely placed legs, and the center bar was a surprisingly good footrest. This table is not expensive considering that it is the largest one in this group, and it felt hefty and solid in the store. Although this model is a veneer table, we haven’t read any customer complaints about it chipping.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The floor model I looked at was in good shape, but I worried that the seam down the middle of the table could be a crumb catcher. Even though the pros we interviewed said they recommended against wood veneers mounted over particleboard (because such designs are less durable over time), this model gives you about as much table as you can get in our price range, and the buyer reviews we saw were very positive. IKEA doesn’t offer a warranty, however, and given the high cost of shipping, you may be better off buying your table in the store if you can.

CB2 Silverado Chrome 80″ Rectangular Dining Table

Why it’s great: Glass-topped tables tend to look either ornate and old-fashioned or too office-industrial, but the simple style of the 80-inch CB2 Silverado Chrome Rectangular Dining Table will blend with a wide range of interiors. This table is inexpensive for its size and less expensive than comparably sized glass-top tables from other retailers (and many other dining tables from CB2). Because the glass is see-through and the legs are reflective, the table won’t look as big in a room as a solid-wood table would. The table also comes in a 72-inch version and with brass legs for a slightly different look. The base is well-placed for using the full perimeter of the table, and because this model has notable apron, it’s good for people with longer legs.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The surface of the floor model I saw was quite scratched. Use placemats with this table and avoid chairs with arms, which can chip the sides. And be aware that though glass cleans easily, it will show any spill or fingerprint. CB2 offers no warranty and a limited return policy.

CB2 Paradigm 54″ Dining Table

Why it’s great: The 54-inch CB2 Paradigm Dining Table combines two big home-decor trends, marble and brass. Though this model is the most trend-forward table among our recommendations, its simple shape makes it less likely to look dated after a decade of use. The surface is a thin (about ⅓-inch) piece of Carrara marble glued to an aluminum core to create a ¾-inch-thick slab. Other marble-look tables I saw (at Crate and Barrel, for example) had very visible scratches, dramatic veining that made them look fake, or too many trendy details to the point where they would go out of style quickly. The thin, widely spaced legs give you plenty of perimeter to add chairs. Because of the shallow apron, I found it comfortable to sit at. It also comes in an 80-inch version. Marble is more resistant to temperature changes and chips and scratches than wood, but can be susceptible to staining.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The surface of the floor model I looked at had lots of little scratches, but they were visible only when I got very close. Marble will stain more easily than wood or glass. CB2 offers no warranty and a small return window. The price has gone slightly above $1,000 since we first published this guide, but we still think this table is a good option.

Pier 1 Bradding Collection Natural Stonewash 84″ Dining Table

Why it’s great: We like Pier 1’s Bradding Collection Natural Stonewash 84″ Dining Table for its traditional styling and light, gray-tone natural finish, which give it a more casual, antique, or beachy feel. The lighter finish and thinner base also give it a lighter visual weight than other comparably sized, darker tables. It looks very similar to a table from Restoration Hardware that’s four times the price. Because two smaller-scale pedestals—rather than four legs—hold up the tabletop, you can use the full perimeter of the table to squeeze in more chairs. It also comes in extension and drop-leaf styles. The floor model we saw was covered in merchandise and positioned right by the front door, but it didn’t have a scratch, which made us think it had a high-quality veneer. But because we couldn’t find any customer reviews for this table, we don’t have much of a sense of how well it wears over time.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: I found the floor model a little wobbly when I shook it, but it had not been fully assembled. Because it’s veneer, you won’t be able to refinish the table, but you could repaint it if it chips over time. Pier 1 offers no warranty, so we suggest you check the table out in person in a store before ordering it.

If you really don’t have space for a dining table but want to entertain occasionally, the drop-leaf tables in this section get quite small, so you can tuck yours against a wall or between other pieces of furniture when you’re not entertaining.

Crate and Barrel Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table

Why it’s great: Often, I find drop-leaf tables to be kind of goofy-looking—they seem fine when they’re open but look terrible when they’re closed, or vice versa. Crate and Barrel’s Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table, however, truly looks like a console table when it’s closed, looks fine with one leaf up (say, if you were having dinner with one other person), and looks good totally open. On the floor model, opening and closing the leaves was easy. The style is clean and versatile, and because the top is made of solid acacia wood, a newly popular wood that is much more durable than pine or mango wood, it will stand up to wear and tear better than a wood veneer will (and can tolerate refinishing, too). This table also receives high marks from purchasers: At this writing, across nearly 118 reviews on the Crate and Barrel site, it gets an overall rating of 4.7 out of five stars.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The floor model we looked at had some dings along the edges and was not as sturdy as the stationary tables we saw at the store. Because the leaves and legs are mobile, it has more potential trouble spots over the long term where hardware could break or joints could come loose. This table has no warranty, and Crate and Barrel offers a limited return policy.

Target 40″ Threshold Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table

Why it’s great: If you like Crate and Barrel’s Origami table but it’s out of your budget, the 40-inch Threshold Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table, a scaled-down version from Target, is a good pick. It’s 20 inches shorter in length but just as wide, for about one-fourth of the price. It folds down as a console or to tuck away in a dining area; when open, it comfortably accommodates four people. The top is made of rubberwood, a softer wood (similar to pine) that will damage more easily than the Origami table’s acacia wood, but you can strip and refinish it if it suffers damage over time. Currently it has an overall score of more than four stars (out of five) across 142 customer reviews on Target’s site.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: We did not see this table in person, but we did read some user comments stating the table was hard to assemble, that the surface can be rough, and that the feet are wider than the tabletop when the leaves are down.

IKEA Gamleby Gateleg Table

Why it’s great: I found that many storage-oriented gateleg tables looked bad, but the IKEA Gamleby Gateleg Table was quite cute both open and closed. At about $250 currently, it’s very inexpensive for a table that can fit up to six. Closed, it comfortably seats two and could tuck against a kitchen wall to free up floor space. The floor model I looked at felt stable when open. The tabletop and frame are solid pine, a softer wood that will dent more quickly than others, but you can sand and refinish it to address damage. The gray painted base gives it an updated country look. A small drawer under the tabletop makes a good spot to store linens. You can also get matching chairs.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The table is fairly narrow (just over 30 inches wide), so it feels smaller when open than our other drop-leaf picks. The floor model I saw had some nicks on the surface. Because of the mechanisms to expand the table, it has more areas where it might fail in the future. Shipping starts at $50, so you’ll likely want to purchase this table in an IKEA store if you can. It has no warranty.

Cost Plus World Market Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leaf Table

Why it’s great: Unlike some other round folding tables I looked at, Cost Plus World Market’s Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leaf Table looks good both open and closed. It’s less expensive than similar-size wood tables I saw (it’s made of solid acacia). The floor model felt sturdy when fully expanded. It has a good leg-to-top ratio, and the style makes it look like an antique versus a new purchase. With a diameter of 36 inches when open, this table straddles the middle ground between a classic 30-inch-diameter bistro-style table and a standard round (42-plus inches), and it folds down to 18 inches wide (a good size for a side table). With this table fully expanded, two would be comfortable and four would be very cozy.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The floor model I saw was a little nicked, but not as badly as some of the pine tables I saw at IKEA, and this table could tolerate refinishing because it’s solid wood. If you’re looking for a really small round table, this isn’t it; the table looks bigger in person than it does online, more like a café table than a side table.