Extendable Dining Tables
That item has been discontinued, but here are similar options.
An extendable dining table stays compact on a weeknight and opens to seat a holiday crowd, with no folding table hauled out of the garage. Within our Modern Tables, these run from a 42" round that opens up to long tables that reach 110" to 122", several of them in solid bamboo.
How an Expandable Dining Table Works
Every table here does the same job in a different way, and the mechanism matters as much as the wood. It decides how often you will actually open the table, and a table that is a chore to extend tends to stay closed. If you are still weighing a table that grows against a fixed top, compare these with every luxury dining table we carry.
The Dining Table With Leaf Inserts
The classic method: the top pulls apart and leaves drop into the gap. Several tables come with their leaves included, two 20" or two 22" leaves, which adds 40" to 44" of length, roughly a chair or two more on each side. Before you buy a dining table with leaf inserts, decide where the leaves will live when they are out of the table.
A dry closet shelf is fine. A damp garage is not.
Single-Leaf Extension Tables
Other tables use a single-leaf extension mechanism, one piece instead of two, which makes the change quicker on a busy night.
The Gateleg Table
A gateleg design folds its sides down when it is not needed. With the leaves dropped, it sits slim against a wall. Swing the legs out and the leaves rise into a full table, which suits an apartment where the table spends most days out of the way.
Sizing an Extendable Dining Table
Measure the room for the open length, not the closed one. Add about 36" of clearance at each end of the fully extended table and along both sides. If the room can only take the closed length, our Small Dining Tables may serve the space better day to day.
The ranges here are wide: a 72" brown wood table that seats six to eight, solid bamboo that runs 72" to 92", another that runs 78" to 110", and long tables that open from 78" to 122" or from 80" to 120".
An open table has a seam where each leaf meets the top. If you need the full length every night, a fixed top from our Rectangular Dining Tables avoids the seam altogether.
Solid Bamboo and Wood Expandable Dining Tables
Solid bamboo leads this group, in caramelized, amber and black walnut tones, with birch and walnut alongside. Bamboo is cut and pressed into a dense, fine-grained top that stays even in color across a long surface, which matters when that surface changes length.
Check how the leaf matches the top over time. Wood and bamboo mellow with light, so a leaf kept in a closet can come out a shade lighter than the table it joins. Open the table now and then, even when nobody is coming, so the leaves see the same light as the top.
Planning for the Long Night
Light the table for its everyday length, not its holiday length. A pendant centered on the closed top still lands near the middle when the leaves go in, and a few candles carry the far ends.
What is the difference between an extendable and an expandable dining table?
There is no real difference. Extendable dining table and expandable dining table describe the same idea: a table that adds length when you need it. The mechanism varies. Some use included leaves, some use a single-leaf extension, and one in this collection is a gateleg design with drop leaves.
How does a dining table with leaf inserts work?
On a dining table with leaf inserts, the top pulls apart and one or more leaves drop into the gap. Several tables here include two 20" or two 22" leaves, which add 40" to 44" of length. Store the leaves somewhere dry and flat so they stay true and match the top.
How long do extendable dining tables get?
Sizes range widely. The smallest is a 42" round that extends, and the longest open to 110" to 122". Other ranges include 72" to 92" in solid bamboo and 80" to 120". A 72" brown wood table seats six to eight. Measure your room for the fully open length plus clearance.
Is a gateleg table an expandable dining table?
Yes. A gateleg table counts as an expandable dining table. Its sides fold down when not in use, so it sits slim against a wall, and swing-out legs support the leaves when it opens. It suits small apartments where the table needs to step aside most days.