The best dining tables tick two important boxes: they look good and they’re practical. Choosing a new dining table isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, though. After all, furniture of this stature can be a sizeable investment.
While it may seem like a no-brainer to assess whether a dining table will fit the allocated space in your home, you’re going to need to consider the chairs that go around the table, too – is there a comfortable amount of space to pull up a seat, and can you neatly tuck the chairs under the table when not in use?
While we’re talking about seating, you should also consider whether you want benches – which are great for flexibility and families with young kids – or chairs.
If you often host friends and family, an extendable dining table could be a good versatile option. Usually, this style of dining table comes with an extra leaf – either stowed under the table in a mechanism or fully removed from the table – which can be used to increase the table’s surface area when you need to feed the 5,000.
Once you’ve decided on size, you’ll need to consider the shape of your dining table. This is really a matter of taste, and what’s going to work with your space. Round dining tables are thought to be more convivial for group conversations and save space. Long dining tables are great for formal dining, though, and are essential if you’re going for bench-style seating.
How we tested
![We tested the tables in our busy family home](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/06/27/08/How%20we%20tested%20the%20best%20dining%20tables%20indybest%20review.png)
All shapes, sizes, prices and designs were reviewed for this round-up. We were looking for quality tables that would go the distance, providing a space for special occasions and everyday life. We hosted a procession of tables in a busy family home with children and invited friends and family to dine with us throughout the testing period. Of course, aesthetics were factored in, as we know this is key when choosing items for your home.
The best dining tables for 2024 are:
- Best dining table overall – Dunelm Karla extendable dining table: £549, Dunelm.com
- Best budget dining table – Dusk Heidi oval dining table: £359, Dusk.com
- Best for families – Next natural Arizona extending pine dining table: £775, Next.co.uk
- Best round table – Loaf parquet pie dining table: £835, Loaf.com