The best coffee tables you can buy

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The Insider Pick:

  • Coffee tables hold so much more than coffee these days. Plus, they’ve become important accent pieces within the design of a living room. If you’re looking for a great design that fits into almost any décor, the rustic yet durableEmerald Home T100-0 Chandler coffee tablerepresents an understandably popular choice.

If you only consider the coffee table in your living room the place where you rest your feet until your spouse comes home and tells you to move them, this article isn’t really aimed at you. However, if you see a coffee table as a way to provide style to a room, while also serving a variety of functions, our list of the best coffee tables for your home should appeal to you.

咖啡桌出现in a variety of sizes, heights, shapes, and construction materials, giving you thousands of choices. Finding one that meets your design needs shouldn’t be a problem. Narrowing down the number of coffee tables to consider, however, requires doing a little thinking about how you plan to use the coffee table, whether it’ll be for holding a cup of coffee, coffee table books, remote controls … or the occasional pair of feet.

Picking a coffee table

Selecting the right coffee table requires a bit of planning on your part. Think about the following criteria when seeking the best coffee table.

  • Height:An average coffee table measures 16 to 18 inches in height, but coffee tables are available in heights from 12 to 24 inches. If you have furniture that naturally sits low, you want a shorter coffee table, asHayneedle discusses.
  • Location:AsVals Viewspoints out, make sure you provide at least 18 inches of clearance between the coffee table and any furniture or walls.
  • Materials:咖啡桌出现in avariety of materials, including wood, glass, metal, upholstery, stone (for the tops), and fiberboard.
  • Size:The size of the table deserves a lot of attention. You don’t want a table too small to perform the job, yet you don’t want one that overwhelms the room. A coffee table that’s longer than two-thirds the length of a sofa may overwhelm the room. A smaller coffee table may not provide the complement to the room that you want.Vals Viewsrecommends selecting a coffee table that’s a little too small versus selecting one that’s a little too big, though.
  • 形状:咖啡桌在矩形、圆, squares, ovals, and a few other non-traditional shapes. Although the shape of a coffee table usually involves a stylistic choice, the shape also carries a practical aspect. Perhaps an oval coffee table fits better in the space you have available than a rectangle, for example. Additionally, an oval or round table has no corners where a baby could injure himself or herself.
  • Style:A coffee table should complement the other pieces of furniture you own. Picking a metal and glass coffee table doesn’t work well with all wood end tables and furniture, for example.
  • Color:Most coffee tables include a dark colored paint or wood tone finish. Those seeking a lighter color may have to shop around a bit, but various colors in coffee tables are available.

Uses for coffee tables

If you don’t own a coffee table, you may be wondering whether you actually need one. After all, we’re in the digital age, limiting the number of magazines to place on the tables. Trust us, though. If you have a coffee table in your home, you’re sure to find yourself using it in many of the following ways, as explained byIndyBest,Hayneedle, andVals Views.

  • Holding beverages and food:您可以使用咖啡table for – drum roll, please – holding cups of coffee. Or if you’re watching a big football game or another important TV event, the coffee table holds snacks.
  • Displaying books:Even though we’re in the digital age, coffee table books still have a place on a coffee table. They just look like they belong there.
  • Displaying accent pieces:If you have small pieces you’d like to display, a coffee table does the job well, as long as you keep them minimal. And if your favorite accent piece is the TV remote, we won’t judge.
  • Hidden or visible storage:Some coffee tables contain a few drawers and shelves for storage. Understand that people will be able to see the open shelves, so if you’re wanting to reduce the look of clutter, a coffee table with drawers may be a better option. Other options include a removable or liftable hinged lid that sits on top of the table, allowing for storage inside.
  • Let your creativity show:Coffee tables designers offer a lot of creativity. One designer came up with a table that includes abeverage cooler and USB ports. Or if you own fish, show them off with anaquarium coffee table. Perhaps you don’t need those levels of creatively. However, think about how the coffee table needs to function in your home and then come up with a creative solution.
  • Easy to move:If you want to move your coffee table around the room, look for one with wheels or thick and short legs. Coffee tables with long, skinny legs won’t slide well. Coffee tables that have hidden storage areas weigh quite a bit more than simple coffee tables with no shelves or storage.
  • Feet:Finally, should you live in a household where feet on the coffee table are allowed, first, we’re jealous. Second, look for a coffee table that consists of materials that are able to support the weight of your legs without suffering damage, such as a padded upholstered top or thick wood. Oils from bare feet or dirt and gravel in shoes may damage a veneered top or scratch a glass top on a coffee table.

Now on to our top picks for the best coffee tables. We've got something for everyone, including design freaks, people want storage, and those who want a simple, classic look.

To outfit your home with the best of everything, check out our guides for thebest area rugs,best clothes hangers,best cordless vacuum cleaners,best laundry baskets and hampers,best sheets,thebest mattresses,best duvet covers,best pillows, and more onInsider Picks.

Although theEmerald Home T100-0 Chandleris our top coffee table pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider theNiangua Furniture Live Edge Hickory Rustic Coffee Table with Copper Pipe Legs,Ashley Furniture Signature Design Mestler Coffee Table,Winsome Wood Nolan Coffee Table,Garreston Storage Box Coffee Table, and theDorel Living Faux Marble Lift Top Coffee Table.

The best coffee table overall

Emerald home chandler coffee table
Emerald Home

Why you'll love it: The highly popularEmerald Home T100-0 Chandler coffee tablehas a simple wood and metal design that looks great, while offering a good price and durability.

Sometimes, coffee tables have cheap materials. That’s not a problem with theEmerald Home T100-0 Chandler coffee table. This piece of furniture features a solid wood top that stands up to any abuse you can dish out.

In its review,Look What’s Coolappreciates the design of this coffee table that perfectly combines the distressed wood’s elegance with the metal supports. An Amazon customer reviewer loved the look of theChandler, too, also mentioning theease of assembly.

Home of Art’s review points out thebalance of style and elegancethisEmerald Home coffee tableaccomplishes, which isn’t always an easy process. In its review,Pick My Coffee Tableloves the solid wood top on the T100-0, as you won’t catch your coffee mug on the edge of a plank when sliding it across the table.

The top piece of wood offers a distressed and rustic look thatfits in well with a variety of design styles. However, asHome of Artpoints out, this distressed design means the top of the table has some roughness, which some people may not like. The biggest complaint among Amazon customers was theEmerald Home tablearriving damaged after shipping.

All of the reviewers mentioned here loved the price point of theEmerald Home T100-0 Chandler coffee table. It’s not the cheapest coffee table in the market, but considering its durability and solid wood top, it represents a great value.

Pros:Solid wood top, great price point, nice fusion of wood and metal design, distressed and rustic look works well in many rooms, relatively easy assembly, lower shelf offers some storage capacity

Cons:Top wood piece is not completely smooth

Buy the Emerald Home T100-0 Chandler on Amazon for $167.38 (price varies)

The best handmade coffee table

Niangua Furniture
Niangua Furniture

Why you'll love it: TheNiangua Furniture Live Edge Hickory Rustic Coffee Table with Copper Pipe Legsis a gorgeous, handmade coffee table constructed from solid wood and copper.

Having mass manufactured furniture isn't quite the same as owning something that was made by hand. You don't have to go antiquing to find quality handmade furniture that's made of real wood —Niangua Furniturehas you covered. The company handcrafts every single piece of furniture that's made in its rural Missouri workshop. One of its finest pieces is theLive Edge Hickory Rustic Coffee Table with Copper Pipe Legs, which you can buy on Amazon for a mere $329.

The table top is a single piece of solid hickory wood that's been cut from a solid log into a 1 3/4-inch thick slab by Ozark craftsmen. Four 3/4 inch copper pipe legs and two braces hold the table top in place. A removable hickory shelf sits at the bottom of the coffee table for added support and storage.

Niangua Furniture's Coffee Tableweighs just under 75 pounds, so you know it's a solid piece of furniture that's built to last. It is very easy to assemble, following the included directions, and it ships straight to your home, thanks to Amazon.

Buyers on Amazonjust love this table. It has a 4.9-star rating, which is almost unheard of. The only issue一个买家had is damage during transport. The buyer said the legs were bent and the top was scratched. In thecomments on the review, others chimed in recommending the buyer contact Niangua Furniture to get a replacement, as the company cares deeply about customer satisfaction. It's unclear if the issue was resolved.

Other buyers point outthat this is a veryhigh-quality tableforthe price, which is true — many of the other coffee tables use some form of particle board instead of real wood and charge the same price or more.

Pros:Solid wood plank top, real copper legs, sturdy design, strong value for the price

Cons:Heavy, pricier than bargain tables

Buy the Niangua Furniture Live Edge Hickory Rustic Coffee Table with Copper Pipe Legs on Amazon for $329.00

The best simple coffee table

best_coffee_table_ _Ashley_Furniture_Signature_Design_ _from_Amazon
Ashley Furniture

Why you'll love it: If you want simple and functional, theAshley Furniture Signature Design Mestler Rectangular coffee tableoffers simple lines and a classic, proven design.

When it comes to design, sometimes simpler works better. So if you have a room better served by simple lines and simple functionality, we really like theAshley Furniture Signature Design Mestler Rectangular coffee table. There’s nothing fancy about the straight, clean lines of this coffee table. Additionally, its deep brown color offers a rustic look that fits well in many different room designs, according to theLook What’s Cool review.

This coffee table doesn’t clutter its design with multiple construction materials or extra drawers or storage areas. You have a simple all-wood design and a shelf with wood planks across the bottom for limited storage or display of accent pieces.

TheDiscover Furniture video reviewof theMestler coffee tableappreciates the look of the accent colors used in the bottom shelf planks of this unit, each of which has a different color. The product photo doesn’t do these colors justice. These pieces provide the look of reclaimed wood for thisAshley Furniture coffee table. However, some Amazon customers were a little surprised by thevariance and brightnessin the colors in these bottom shelf planks, as well as odd textures with some of them.

ThisAshley Furniture Mestler coffee tableoffers high durability, according to theMorning Brew Expert review, that lasts for several years, making it a good value. An Amazon customer reviewer agreed, saying thesturdiness of the coffee tableallows it to work well in a room that receives a lot of use.

Pros:Simple functionality for a coffee table, simple lines make up the design, variances in color for bottom shelf planks provide look of reclaimed wood, table has a rustic feel, durable unit

Cons:Brightness of colors of shelf planks surprises some customers, some odd textures on portions of the table

Buy the Ashley Furniture Signature Design Mestler Rectangular Amazon for $160.64 (originally $235.00)

The best affordable coffee table

best_coffee_table_ _Winsome_Wood_Nolan_ _from_Amazon
Winsome Wood

Why you'll love it: TheWinsome Wood Nolan coffee tableoffers a simple, elegant style and good functionality, but its best feature may be its extremely low price point.

Some people may look at theWinsome Wood Nolan Coffee Table, decide the basic design doesn’t work and move on to the next option. However, when you’re looking for a coffee table for a room with furniture already in place that you love, basic works better. A basic coffee table allows the furniture to be the focal point in the room. The coffee table just remains functional, and the Nolan does this extremely well.

TheWinsome Wood coffee tablerepresents a sturdy unit,featuring high-quality materials, according to one Amazon customer review. Another Amazon customer appreciated the ease with which assembly was completed. The same customerloved the espresso brown colorof this table. However, a few other Amazon customers weredisappointed in the quality of the finishon the top of the table.

In its review,Look What’s Coolemphasized the useful size of theWinsome Woodunit, as it offers plenty of space for keeping items on the lower shelf. The curved legs on the Nolan coffee table give it a slightly different look from some other coffee tables and create slightly more space for the bottom shelf.

Best of all, theWinsome Wood Nolan coffee tableoffers a low price compared to other well-built coffee tables. If you need to save some money on a coffee table and you don’t mind a basic design, this unit offers tremendous value.

Pros:Extremely low price point, stylish but basic design, better than expected lower shelf space, very easy to assemble, basic design allows other furniture pieces to remain focal point

Cons:Table top finish could be of a better quality, table’s 37-inch length is a little small

Buy the Winsome Wood Nolan Coffee Table on Amazon for $79.95 (originally $150.00)

The best storage coffee table

Garreston coffee table
247SHOPATHOME

Why you'll love it: If you really hate clutter around your coffee table, theGarretson Storage Box coffee tablehides it all from view.

If you’re going to pick a coffee table, why not pick one that has a finish that looks like a dark, creamy cup of coffee? The dark-coloredGarretson Storage Box coffee tableoffers an espresso finish that gives this storage coffee table an elegant look.

However, its stylish design doesn’t represent its greatest feature, according to theLook What’s Cool review. Instead, all of the storage space in this unit grabs your attention. It features a couple of large drawers and a slideable top for additional storage.

TheHome Best Furniture reviewsays the large top on theGarretson Storage box, which measures roughly 2-by-4 feet, works great for displaying accent pieces or large coffee table books.

TheGarretson Storage Box coffee tabledoes use some fiberboard and veneer in its design, so it may not stand up to rough scratches. But theLiving Rooms Furniture Blogsays the unit overall has a sturdy build quality after completing assembly. The long andconfusing assembly processdid receive negative marks from several Amazon customer reviewers.

One Amazon customer reviewer noted thesturdy build qualityof theGarretson coffee table, saying it works great with kids who may end up crawling onto the table on occasion.

Pros:Tons of storage space with drawers and slideable top, heavy and sturdy design, elegant dark finish, stylish overall design, reasonable price point, large surface top area

Cons:Some fiberboard and veneer in design, assembly instructions are poorly written

Buy the Garretson Storage Box Coffee Table on Amazon for $200.00 (originally $349.99)

The best lift-top coffee table

best_coffee_table_ _Dorel_Living_Faux_Marble_ _from_Amazon
Dorel Living

Why you'll love it: TheDorel Living Faux Marble Lift Top coffee tablehas a nice hidden storage area and features a style that gives it a high-end look, despite its low price point.

If you want some hidden storage in your coffee table, but you’re not looking for a heavy design like the Garretson model we mentioned earlier, theDorel Living Faux Marble Lift Top coffee tableprovides a great option. This coffee table’s design includes a top section that lifts upward and away from the table on hinges, revealing a storage area. The Dorel Living coffee table has no bottom shelf, so this hidden area represents your only storage.

Yes, the top consists of faux marble, but asKnow Your Grinderpoints out in its review, the look of the material in the table top fools some people at first glance.Dorel Livingoffers the faux marble in a brown or black color design. Additionally,Space Saving Desk’s reviewhighlighted the elegant design of this coffee table as one of its best features.

Beyond the faux marble top, theDorel Living coffee table由实木和单板,所有在一个黑暗的brown that Dorel Living calls an espresso finish. However, some Amazon customer reviewers said the coffee tabledid not have much longevitywith cheap materials.

In its review,Look What’s Coolmentioned the strong functionality of this lift top coffee table, thanks to its hidden storage area. One Amazon reviewer mentioned the ability to extend the marble top anduse it with a laptopand mouse, as the added height of the lift top makes it comfortable to use for this purpose.

Pros:Lift-top design provides hidden storage, coffee table has a high-end look, two marble colors available, good price point

Cons:No bottom shelf, quality of table’s materials is questionable

Buy the Dorel Living Faux Marble Lift Top on Amazon for $99.00 (black) or $123.70 (brown) Price varies

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