Adjustable Height Coffee Tables
Buy the best adjustable height coffee tables selected and recommended by interior designers. By Emily Hilton.
The next evolution in the world of tables for home has arrived. With the adjustable height dining table, you never have to decide how tall a table needs to be when you buy it. These tables can raise and lower with ease, and on some models, the table top slides on tracks and folds open to expand the table surface.
Adjustable Height Coffee Tables
Buying Guide
Emily Hilton
Interior Design Expert
Emily is a young, talented designer, whose professional interests gravitate towards kitchen and dining spaces. She prides herself on her attention to detail, obsession with functionality, and appreciation for craftsmanship.
As housing has become smaller to conserve both space and energy, finding ways to meet practical and aesthetic needs has become a worthwhile pursuit. One way to do this is to purchase multi-purpose furnishings, such as an adjustable height coffee dining table.
Adjustable height coffee dining tables come in a variety of adjuster styles and general aesthetic appearance. Many of these versatile tables are placed on a scissor type adjuster, similar to that of a metal ironing board. This has the advantage of being able to easily raise or lower the table without having to move it from its normal space. Another type of adjuster is similar to that used by office chairs, with the easily recognizable lever that allows the adjustment process. Yet a third type is a sort of screw, which allows the table to be adjusted by turning it like a capstan.
Popular tabletop designs are, as might be expected, rectangles or circles. These styles are often congenial with most living room or sitting room configurations and can also be incorporated into small dorm rooms. Rectangular tables work well in front of rectangular couches or with sets of dining chairs, while the roundtables can work with dining chairs or with an arrangement of curved sectional seating. The adjustable height of these tables also makes them a good selection for family dining, when you have guests with children, or your children have guests. It is easy to set the table to a height that is appropriate for the size of the youngsters so they can eat, play or create crafts at a height that is comfortable for most of the group.
One round model, in its coffee table height, conceals four storage stools. Tucked away under the edge of the small table, they are out of the way when the area doesn’t require the extra height or seating. The under-seat storage areas are ideal for stowing extra cushions, tablecloths, placemats, place settings or even blankets.
Another storage option is the trunk-style coffee table. With the lid down, it looks like any other coffee table or like an elegant footlocker. The lid rises on scissor lifters to reveal plenty of storage beneath – a great place to conceal books, papers and even a laptop between uses. The lifted top can quickly turn your living room into an office space, or it can provide a place for afternoon tea.
Adjustable height coffee dining tables can be found in most stores that sell furniture, including department stores. The scissor-style table leg adjuster is probably the most common, but it’s not unlikely that you will be able to locate the other styles as well.
Whether you're shopping online or in-person, the first consideration to make when you're buying a lift-top coffee table is how big it should be. The shape you decide on depends entirely on the size of your room and the size and amount of furniture in it.
Most coffee tables are rectangular, but not all of them. You can find square tables, and even round or triangular pieces. These shapes offer clean lines and a streamlined design that fits neatly in front of your sofa and are well-suited to contemporary homes.
Another popular shape that is particularly useful in a lift-top design is the wedge shape. A spacious room with a large sectional couch and other seats can support a wedge coffee table because it supplies enough table area so that anyone sitting can reach it. It creates a cozy centerpiece and central talking point, and it's excellent for shared appetizers.
A smaller room, like a library or study, would benefit from a more traditional rectangular coffee table that suits the room's dimensions, especially the sofa or seating. If the table sits before a small loveseat, then the table's size should be equally dainty.
As lift-top coffee tablesare designed to be multipurpose and functional as well as stylish, you need to find the right size table that won't overwhelm your space while still being large enough to suit your storage needs.
To gauge what size your table should be, measure the length of the sofa in your seating area. The table should be almost as long as the seating area. Aim for a table that is approximately 3" inches shorter than your sofa on each side.
Since you're looking at a lift-top coffee table, it is essential to note the dimensions both when the table is folded in and also when it's opened up. You don't want any guests trapped by the table once it's opened up. Depending on the opening direction and whether it offers 360-degree swiveling features, you may need to allow at least 1' clearance between the open coffee table and the sofa. Take this into account when you are measuring the space in your living area.
Lift-top coffee tablescome in a wide variety of materials to suit your style needs. However, it is essential to remember the tabletop can't be too ungainly or heavy as the lift-top mechanism needs to support its weight. Some popular materials include:
- Solid wood
Solid wood is an elegant material ideal for adding texture and class to your space. However, some types of hardwood can be heavy and unsuitable for a lift top. If the natural appeal of wood suits your space, choose a table that features a solid wood base and a lightweight tabletop.
- MDF
MDF is a lightweight, inexpensive alternative to solid wood and well-suited to lift top tables. It comes is an extensive range of finishes and blends well with almost all décor styles.
- Metal
Metal coffee tables are a great addition to an urban or industrial living space.However, due to the density of most metals, you typically find lift-top coffee tables with metal frames or accents only.
- Fabric
Fabric upholstered lift-top coffee tables are beautifully suited to modern Scandinavian, farmhouse or country style living areas. The fabric usually covers a metal or wood frame for added durability.
- Faux Marble
Marble and other stone tabletops make a stunning statement in your living area, but the weight of authentic marble makes it unsuitable for a lift-top design. Faux marble gives you the on-trend visual appearance of marble without the weight.
There are a few directions that the tabletop can move as you open it. It can move straight up, to one side, and some very fancy tables have two moving parts that swivel away from one another.
- Straight-up - The most traditional mechanism is also one that will support the most weight on top when it's opened up. It has double hinges that move in concert with one another to move the tabletop upwards a couple of inches, revealing a space for storage underneath.
- Sideways - Many lift-top coffee tables have portions that lift out and to one side, an excellent idea if you would like the table to double as a quasi-desk, so you can work or eat off the top when it's opened up.
- This type will take up more space than the traditional, straight-up mechanism, so it is essential to measure how much space it takes when it's opened.
- Modern Swivel - You'll find some of the unique mechanisms in contemporary or modern furniture design and the more unusual shapes.
- A lot of the triangular or free form tables only have a portion or one side that opens up. These tables are almost works of art in themselves, and what's great is that they are functional as well as beautiful.
It is crucial to assess the quality of the hinges in a lift-top coffee table. You can find tables made of pure oak or durable MDF or many other quality materials, but the hinges should be of the best quality to give you a long-lasting piece.
The hinges should be made of high-quality metal, such as heavy-gauge steel, because you don't want them to wear out over time. You should also opt for powder-coated metal to avoid corrosion, which could cause the hinge mechanism to stick and lower its weight capacity.
The mechanism should open smoothly without shaking or sticking and feature a secure lock that clicks into place when the tabletop is fully extended. For a top made from a lightweight material, look for a tightly coiled spring at each hinge. Heavier tabletops should have a gas pneumatic or hydraulic lifts to support the weight of the tabletop and your coffee table essentials.
The beautiful thing aboutlift-top coffee tables is how versatile they are. You can find beachy, coastal lift-tops in light woods, or traditional, dark wood coffee tables for classically styled homes.
Lift-tops come in metal or glass, which works well for modern or contemporary homes, and you can also find unfinished ones so you can tailor them to your style.
Whatever style you choose, ensure the lift-up coffee table is cohesive with the room it's in and the furniture closest to it.