Four ways a table gets bigger
The mechanism decides how small the table is on a normal day, where the extra pieces live, and how many steps sit between small and large.
Fold-down and flip-top tables6 tables. Gatelegs, drop-leaf tables and flip tops. Hinged leaves hang down or fold over, so nothing has to be stored.Wall consoles that pull out10 tables. Shallow tables that live against a wall and pull out into a long dining table, usually with loose leaves.Coffee tables that rise to dining height5 tables. Low tables on a lifting frame that raise to about 30 in and slide open for leaves.Pull-apart tables with leaves30 tables. Ordinary dining tables that split in the middle and take one or more leaves, including round tops that go oval.
| Type | Tables | Smallest closed top | Longest open | Median growth, open length over closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fold-down and flip-top tables | 6 | IKEA NORDEN, 10.25 in x 31.5 in | Expand Furniture Echo, 62 in | 2.0x |
| Wall consoles that pull out | 10 | Expand Furniture Expanda v2, 8.66 in x 35.43 in | Expand Furniture Atlas Max, 196.9 in | 6.0x |
| Coffee tables that rise to dining height | 5 | Expand Furniture Extending Glass, 41.75 in x 28 in | Expand Furniture Box Coffee Curve, 86.8 in | 1.8x |
| Pull-apart tables with leaves | 30 | IKEA TONSTAD, 31.5 in x 27.5 in | Expand Furniture Juggernaut 2, 189 in | 1.5x |
Reading the growth figure
Growth is the fully open length divided by the closed length. A wall console that goes from 17 in deep to 106 in long has a growth of about 6x; a pull-apart table that goes from 59 in to 78 in sits near 1.3x. A high number means a small everyday footprint, and usually more loose leaves to store somewhere.