When you're setting up your front room, you need to strike a balance between ornamentation and comfort. Coffee tables help you bridge this gap, but only when they can pull their weight. How much weight, then, can a coffee table actually hold?
The weight that a coffee table can hold varies based on its size. Smaller coffee tables top out at 50 lbs while middleweight tables can hold up to 150 lbs. Large, reinforced coffee tables can even hold up to 300 lbs.
If you're in the market for a coffee table that can hold a significant amount of weight, make sure you cast your net wide. We can help you distinguish between a lightweight coffee table and the kind of table that can hold not just your knick-knacks but all of the accessories that you want on display.
How Much Weight Can A Coffee Table Hold?
No two coffee tables are the same. Whether you build one from scratch or buy one that's already been put together, you'll need to work within the confines of the piece you have.
You can break some of the most widely available coffee tables down into three weight categories: lightweights, middleweights, and heavyweights. By distinguishing between these tables - based on wood type, the presence of reinforcements, and the table's age at the time you buy it - you can subsequently determine how much weight it should be able to bear.
Lightweight Coffee Tables
Lightweight coffee tables tend to cap out their carrying capacity at 50 pounds. If you're looking to decorate one of these tables, then, you can invest in any of the following pieces:
Artificial Flowers
Nothing lights up your room - and your coffee table - like an array of artificial flowers. Whether they stand on their own or require a simple vase, these flowers are easy to arrange and swap out with the changing of the seasons.
Find flowers like these on Amazon.
Books
There's nothing so universal as the coffee table book. Whether you want a book that your visitors can browse at their leisure or something that captivates their attention for an extended period of time, even a lightweight table should be able to hold this excerpt from your collection. Stack the books in groups of three or leave a single one out for your visitors to peruse.
Find a wide selection of coffee table books on Amazon.
Middleweight Coffee Tables
Middleweight coffee tables have a little more support than lightweight tables. On average, these tables can support upwards of 150 pounds. If you want to use these tables' carrying capacity to your advantage, you can fit them with the following decorative elements:
Flower Vases
Artificial flowers make a beautiful addition to any room. Instead of freestanding arrangements, however, why not opt for a decorative vase? Heavier vases tend to come with interesting design features of their own, drawing the eye with their make, size, or both.
You can accent these vases with smaller companions or swap out their flowers on a regular basis. Either way, a mid-sized coffee table should be able to make these accessories a focal point in your room of choice.
Find more flower vases on Amazon.
Herbs
What's more practical than your own herb garden? A herb garden that you can grow inside. The combination of a mid-sized coffee table's size and carrying capacity makes it the perfect place for you to display your growing collection of herbs.
Make sure you have a large tray for drainage underneath traditional herb gardens, as you'll need to catch and dispose of any water that your herbs don't drink.
Find herb pots with a tray on Amazon.
Heavyweight Coffee Tables
Heavyweight coffee tables are the strongest of the bunch. Equipped with pre-existing reinforcements, a heavyweight table should be able to hold upwards of 300 pounds. With that in mind, you can use heavyweight coffee tables to hold your:
Artisanal Lamps
Lamps come in all shapes and sizes. If you're looking to light up a room and make a decorative point, have your heavyweight table take on an artisanal lamp. These pieces can come equipped with chargers, changing lights, and hanging accessories; whatever features fit your aesthetic of choice.
What's more, heavyweight tables can make the perfect supports for lamps that are as much performance pieces as they are light fixtures. So long as none of your pets nor children try to damage your display, you should be able to enjoy your coffee table lamp for years at a time.
Find artisanal lamps on Amazon.
Memory Chests
Memory chests may be sizeable, but they can hold a special place among your home's many decorations. While you can leave these accessories on a heavyweight coffee table while they're empty, the table in question should also be able to bear them when they're full.
When you have such a substantial table helping you keep your accessories afloat, you can fill your memory box to the brim with movie tickets, old art projects, yearbooks, and more.
Find wooden memory chest set on Amazon.
Decorative Art
Are you a fan of fine art? You don't need a display cabinet for your collection. Instead, all you need to do is find a sturdy coffee table. While heavyweight coffee tables may not be the best for canvas work, they're the perfect spot for you to put decorative busts and sculptures.
How Much Weight Can an Ikea Lack Coffee Table Hold?
The average IKEA Lack table can hold up to 55 pounds of weight. The carrying capacity of the table will vary, however, on the table's age. Older tables that have been exposed to the elements or that have started to show signs of wear and tear may be more delicate than newer models. With that in mind, be sure to check your table's screws and overall stability before decorating it.
How Do You Reinforce a Coffee Table to Hold More Weight?
If you'd rather reinforce your existing coffee tables than purchase new ones, there are tricks that can make your current product sturdier. Some of the easiest ways to improve your tables' carry capacity include:
Thicken the Legs
If you have a table with removable legs, consider investing in an upgrade. The thicker the legs of your coffee table are, the more weight that the coffee table can hold.
You will, of course, want to invest in legs that match your table's overall look and make. You can do this by working with a local artisan or by creating new legs on your own time.
Create a Table Curtain
The term table curtain describes a supportive piece of wood that you can fit between your coffee table's legs. This wooden beam is designed to increase your table's stability - and subsequently its carrying capacity.
You can fit your coffee table with a table curtain by using wood glue to position the new support beam in place. Alternatively, you can use power tools to fit the curtain in place with nails or screws.
Regularly Maintain Your Tables
One of the simplest ways to keep your coffee table's carrying capacity high is to maintain the table regularly. Check the status of your screws, for example, to make sure that age hasn't forced any out of their original positions.
Similarly, replace any damaged wood or rot that might have weakened your table over time. The more effort you put into maintaining your existing tables, the less you'll have to spend on new ones.
How to Find Out How Much Weight Your Coffee Table Can Hold
If you've long since assembled your coffee table and want to find out how much it weighs, you have a few workable options available to you. Instead of putting as many heavy objects on your table as you can, consider how different elements factor into its style. Some of the most important include:
- Its type of wood
- Its manufacturer
- The presence of any existing supports
Certain woods, like oak, are meant to hold more weight than others, like pine. Certain manufacturers, too, make a point of creating tables that are meant to be supportive as well as decorative.
Finally, any table that already has existing supports in place should be able to hold as much weight as a middleweight table, if not a heavyweight. Using your best judgment, consider how these factors work together with one another, and you should be able to guestimate how much weight your coffee table can hold.
Finding the Best Coffee Table for Your Home
Coffee tables are versatile living room accessories. Not only can these tables hold your guests' drinks, but they can also serve as display cases for some of your most valuable accessories. If you're in the market for a coffee table that can hold a significant amount of weight, you can rest easy knowing that there are plenty available on the modern market.
You'll need to distinguish between a heavyweight coffee table, though, and some of the lighter models currently available. So long as you shop deliberately, you'll be able to spot the differences between these models with little to no effort.
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