The best small coffee tables to buy in 2023

Whether you’re looking for something stand-out and stylish or simple functionality, picking out the best small coffee table can be an especially important task for those of us with tiny living areas. Though space can be a limiting factor, our list aims to help you avoid compromising on this living room essential. Below, we’ve highlighted a wide range of petite coffee tables, with options ranging from designer pieces and ergonomic space savers, to budget buys and classic designs, as well as models with storage space and coffee table sets.

Before browsing our top picks, our handy buying guide below will take you through some of things you should know before picking out your perfect coffee table. Scroll just beyond that and you’ll find our full round-up, where we’ve selected our favourite small coffee tables in a number of different categories.

There are coffee tables out there made from just about every material you can imagine. However, the most common materials used in their construction are:

Fibreboard : A type of low-cost, engineered wood, fibreboards of various kinds are created by combining wood chips with resins and adhesives. Types of fibreboard are categorised by their density, with common types including low-density fibreboard (LDF), also known as particleboard, medium density fibreboard (MDF) and high-density fibreboard (HDF). Fibreboard furniture is often covered with wooden veneers or laminates, to give it a more aesthetically pleasing, wood-like appearance.

Solid wood : A term used to distinguish ordinary lumber from engineered wood composites like MDF. Solid wood tables, previously the standard, have become something of a luxury item in recent years. Designers and consumers alike favour solid wood for its warmth, versatility and timelessness, with some common solid woods used in furniture construction being oak, walnut, maple, mahogany, cedarwood and pine.

Toughened or tempered glass : While you might’ve seen both these terms used and wondered if there's a difference, toughened and tempered glass refer to the same material. Toughened glass is a type of glass that has undergone thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength. This tempering makes it several times stronger than regular glass and more resistant to knocks and impacts. If tempered glass does break, the structural changes it has undergone when treated means it will break into small, grainy chunks, rather than larger, more dangerous shards.

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Steel : Usually used to provide sturdy legs and frames, steel is a notable material consideration for anyone looking for a small coffee table, as it is light, easy to clean and relatively cheap.

Coffee tables, even the smallest of them, can set you back a fair bit. For our list below, we’ve tried to root out the best available for every price bracket.

If you’re working within a tight budget, the cheapest tables we’ve seen land in the £25 to £50 range and tend to be sturdy enough but barebones. For between £50 to £100 – our recommended price range for most people – you can secure yourself a solid, stylish table. Tables in this price bracket often come with additional storage space, well-applied finishes and high-quality wooden parts. At £100 to £200, we found models tended to either be larger than was suitable for this list, or simply less well-priced versions of tables in the sub one-hundred range. However, if you’re willing to step up another bracket, spending over £200, you’ll find an array of dinky tables made with designer flair and from more premium materials.

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Price: £27 | Buy now from The Range

A diminutive coffee table with an equally miniature price, this offering from Homcom is an excellent choice for anyone looking for something simple and fairly priced to fill a space in their living room. While there are many options out there whose only benefit is being on the cheaper side, this coffee table offers a nice range of benefits to go along with its value price. The table's crossed hairpin legs are sturdy, and provide stability, the tempered glass top and steel frame are easily wiped clean, and its black and gold colour scheme has a muted, elegant look.

Key details – Dimensions: 40 x 42.5 x 42.5 cm(HWD); Material(s): Tempered glass, steel

Buy now from The Range

Price: £49 | Buy now from Vivsense

Further down the list you’ll find a range of coffee tables with space-saving storage solutions, offbeat designs, colourful finishes and more. However, if you’re after a classic coffee table, with a rectangular top, four legs and a wood-patterned finish, then this Casares Coffee Table will save you from having to scroll any further. Offering a respectable amount of surface area while still remaining small enough to fit into even the most tight-spaced living areas, this table's beautiful laminate walnut finish and pointed black legs ensure you’ll be getting a piece that is stylish, as well as to-the-point and functional.

Key details – Dimensions: 41.8 x 90 x 50cm (HWD); Material: Laminate particle board

Buy now from Vivsense

Price: £65 | Buy now from Big Furniture Warehouse

What's better than a clean-lined, compact coffee table? A clean-lined, compact coffee table that provides a solid amount of extra storage space. While your instinct with a smaller space may be to go for the most compact option available, picking up a coffee table like this one, with its spacious shelf, can help declutter other parts of your living room and reduce your need for extra shelving and other storage solutions.

This table's shelf also allows you to keep the top clean and minimal in appearance, with just your essential items and favourite decorations needing to sit on top. Finished with easy-to-clean, hard-wearing melamine paint, and sitting on hip, industrial-style hairpin legs, this table from Henley is the perfect option for anyone after something cool, fuss-free and functional for their living area.

Key details – Dimensions: 47 x 45 x 91cm (HWD); Material(s): MDF board, steel

Buy now from Big Furniture Warehouse

Price: £69 | Buy now from Dunelm

Compact, cute and classy, this coffee table's simple, retro-inspired design and dinky size mean it will fit nicely into any living area. As well as a fun, rounded-corner triangular shape, the table's top boasts a smooth, painted finish, which is available in two colours: matte black or a pleasant blue-ish grey. Sturdy and richly coloured, the table's Scandi pine wood legs provide an extra touch of elegance which won us over. As well as being eye-catching and petite, this table is also functional, with its shelf-top design protecting your carpet from spillages and other mishaps.

Key details – Dimensions: 43.5 x 71cm x 51cm (HWD); Material(s): MDF board, pine wood

Buy now from Dunelm

Price: £81 | Buy now from Wayfair

Paired side by side, or nested with the second table for occasional use, this two-piece coffee table set is a clever way to save space in smaller rooms, allowing you to vary how much space your coffee table takes up, as well as how much surface area it provides.

As well as being compact and versatile, the nesting design provides a unique layered aspect to your coffee table, which complements the curved, fluid look of the tables’ rounded tops and bases. Waterproof and scratch-resistant, the table tops are available in a dark, rustic brown and cool grey wood pattern, with either of these simple styles matching nicely with most modern living rooms.

Key details – Dimensions: 50.5 x 60 x 60cm (HWD), 41.5 x 40 x 40cm (HWD); Material(s): MDF board, steel

Buy now from Wayfair

Price: £30 | Buy now from Robert Dyas

A versatile option that can function as either an end table or coffee table of sorts, the c-shaped table is an innovative space-saving solution for smaller living rooms. Its design allows it to tuck into the side or front of your couch, letting you perch your laptop, coffee or snacks without taking up too much precious floor space.

This option from Homcom has a simple but pleasant looking design, with its wood-grain effect top shelf sitting over a black steel frame. This model also comes with adjustable footpads, which help improve the table's balance and prevent your floor getting scratched up.

Key details – Dimensions: 64 x 41 x 51cm (HWD); Material(s): MDF board, steel

Buy now from Robert Dyas

Price: £255 | Buy now from Wayfair

If your budget can stretch far enough to accommodate it, a coffee table made from solid wood is hard to beat in terms of sturdiness, style and the general elegance it brings to a room or living space. This table from Mercury Row, a fine example of these qualities, has a beautiful natural wood grain and a sleek, lacquered finish. Not just relying on quality materials to justify its price, this table's unique geometric design gives it a standout look, with its overlapping steel legs contributing to the table's distinctly modern, statement-piece look.

Key details – Dimensions: 30 X 60 x 60 cm (HWD); Materials: Solid wood, steel

Buy now from Wayfair

Price: £250 | Buy now from Argos

The clear, all-glass construction is especially suited to smaller spaces, with its transparency helping to maintain a sense of spaciousness in your living area and allowing carpets, rugs and other floor decorations to remain visible. If you’re worried about breakages, you’ll be happy to know this table is made from toughened glass, which is super sturdy and very difficult to chip or crack.

Key details – Dimensions: 38 x 80 x 50cm (HWD); Materials: Toughened glass

Buy now from Argos