Whether the family is sitting down for dinner in the kitchen or you and your roommates are marathoning Netflix in the living room, the sustainable tables from these brands will be your new gathering places for enjoying meals, drinks, and conversations together.

The sustainable table brands featured in this guide have furniture for any of your living and dining places:

• Dining tables,
• Side tables,
• Coffee tables, and
• Bar tables.

But first, you might be wondering: what is a sustainable table anyway?

What to Look for in a Sustainable Table

The word “sustainable” is used frequently and in so many different contexts that it can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly sustainable means.

That said, here are some key elements to consider when looking for your next coffee table, dining table, or desk.

Eco-Friendly Materials

When it comes to eco-friendly tables, wood is the most common material used because it’s a natural, renewable, and durable material that works with nearly any room or interior design style.

Note: If you find a brand that uses engineered wood or pressed wood, make sure to look on their website or ask about what adhesives are used. These products are often made from wood pieces that are bond together with glue that contains formaldehyde, which the EPA classifies as a “probable human carcinogen”.

Here’s what to look for to ensure sustainably-sourced wood:

• Reclaimed Wood. Using existing resources reduces waste and the need to cut down additional trees. Plus, reclaimed wood — especialcan add authentic character to your table!
• FSC-certified. The Forest Stewardship Council’s certification is the most widely used verification for responsible forestry practices. Just like any other large certification, the FSC seal is not perfect but can be an additional seal of approval to look for.
• Traceability. Look to see if the brand can tell you where the wood was sourced from. Usually, smaller furniture brands will be able to have more transparency and traceability of their supply chain!
• Local sourcing. Locally-sourced wood (from native or climate-appropriate trees) is preferable because sourcing locally reduces emissions from transportation.

Zero-VOC or Low-VOC Finishes

Similar to paints, finishes can contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Not only do VOCs create environmental hazards like air pollution and smog but they also pollute your indoor air too.

According to the EPA, health impacts of VOCs include:

• Eye, nose, and throat irritations
• Headaches and nausea
• Damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system
• Some VOCs are also known or suspected carcinogens

All too often we think of environmental sustainability as something separate from ourselves — something “out there in nature”.

But as with so many aspects of sustainability, what’s healthy for the environment is also often healthy for us as well — humans are, in fact, part of the environment. That’s why this sustainable table guide only includes non-toxic tables, too.

Other Sustainability Initiatives

Some other initiatives to look for from sustainable table brands include:

• Use of renewable energy to power their operations or the purchase of renewable energy credits to offset fossil fuel energy use.
• Take-back and/or repair programs to extend the life of their tables.
• Quality manufacturing that ensures durable products built to last.
• Trustworthy tree planting projects, especially if the company uses wood for their products.

Certifications

While not the end-all-be-all, certifications are third-party verifications that back up a company’s claim around sustainability, ethical sourcing, or non-toxic material use. Here are the certifications you might see for sustainable tables:

• FSC Certified = the wood sourcing was responsibly managed; this certification is imperfect but has a higher standard that Sustainable Forestry Initiative, as reported by environmental nonprofit Sierra Club
• GREENGUARD / GREENGUARD Gold Certified = the finished product was tested for low chemical emissions, with Gold representing the strictest tier
• Cradle-to-Cradle Certified = evaluates a product across material health, circularity, clean air/climate, water/soil stewardship, and social fairness; one of the only certifications that can assess a whole furniture product rather than a single material

Where to Find Sustainable Tables

Just as with fashion, looking secondhand first is a great way to find eco-friendly furniture at a more affordable price. Check out your local flea markets, secondhand stores, and keep an eye out for estate sales.

For online secondhand options, check out:

• Facebook Marketplace (owned by Meta of course, but does have the most options)
• OfferUp
• Chairish
• AptDeco

If you’re looking for a new eco-friendly table made from responsibly-sourced or reclaimed materials, take a look at the brands below!

Disclaimer: This guide includes affiliate links and partners, but as always all brands are vetted rigorously for sustainability and are brands we love, that we think you’ll love too

Best for Non-Toxic Dining Tables: Medley

Medley uses only FSC-certified walnut or maple hardwood for their solid wood eco-friendly dining tables and accent tables. Each table is finished with an all-natural furniture polish that consists of just beeswax, carnauba wax, and olive oil. And every table, just like the rest of Medley’s furnishings, is made in their own workshop in Los Angeles.

Conscious Qualities: FSC-Certified Wood, Transparent Local Production, Non-Toxic Finishes, Plants Trees

Price Range: $1,295 (coffee table) – $7,195 (extendable dining table)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. (or contact Medley for a quote outside of the U.S.)

Best for Reclaimed Wood Dining Tables: What We Make

What We Make crafts their dining tables in Chicagoland from 100+ year old reclaimed planks salvaged from Midwestern barns. Each table is handcrafted with hand-welded steel legs and a metal side skirt, finished with a matte, VOC-free, plant-based finish. You can select from classic rectangular tables, or oval shaped and round tables. The small business has everything from pub tables and outdoor tables to modern and farmhouse style tables.

There are several tables with extendable designs too: each leaf adds 20 inches of length and seats two more people, and they’ll also sell you a matching bench sized specifically to slide beneath the table when not in use.

Because most of their tables are made with reclaimed wood (with a few exceptions — double check the product descriptions), expect some variations in the form of knots, splits, nail holes, weathering. It’s part of the character! Custom sizes are available on request, though lead times will vary based on when you order.

Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed Old-Growth Wood, Hand-Welded Steel, VOC-Free Finish, Handcrafted in Chicago

Price Range: $1,125 (bar table) – $5,185 (solid walnut trestle dining table)
Shipping: Ships within U.S.

Best for a Zero Waste Cofee Table: Avocado

Founded as a non-toxic mattress brand, Avocado has now expanded into a variety of sustainable and non-toxic furniture like beds, dressers, and of course tables.

Their collection of eco-friendly tables includes accent tables, side tables, benches & stools, and a beautiful zero waste coffee table. Every table is made to order in the company’s Los Angeles woodshop from either reclaimed wood, FSC-Certified solid wood, or even 100% upcycled wood (which is not particleboard or fiberboard).

The Sustainable Furnishings Council member also uses non-toxic finishes and glues, like zero-VOC stain and safe odorless glues. And, Avocado offsets more than 100% of their emissions and has several product- factory- and company-level certifications of note.

Conscious Qualities: Made-To-Order In Avocado’s Own LA Woodshop; Uses Reclaimed and Sustainably-Sourced Materials; Non-Toxic Finishes; Renewable Energy-Powered Operations

Price Range: $699 – $1,299 for coffee tables
Shipping: Ships furniture within the contiguous U.S.

Best Locally Sourced Coffee Table: Sylvan Craft

Perhaps you’ve heard of slow fashion or slow food — well Sylvan Craft is the epitome of slow furniture with their “Forest to Table” approach.

Sylvan Craft’s heirloom-quality tables (and other furniture) are all crafted with care from solid wood by their Amish business partner. And it’s not just any wood — this is wood that was sourced from Sylvan Craft’s own sustainably managed forest. Since their entire process from harvest to finished furniture takes place within a 5 mile radius, this “hyper-local” business also boasts a small carbon footprint and impressive average 8-10 week lead times on delivery. Blanket-wrapped shipping also minimizes packaging waste.

On a mission to preserve and restore forests through sustainable forestry and land management, Sylvan Craft has a meticulous forest management plan that centers on forest health. They employ selective harvesting (i.e. prioritizing damaged or dead trees for their wood), plant a variety of tree species to promote forest biodiversity, and use low-impact timber removal practices instead of heavy machinery.

Sylvan Craft’s selection of sustainably-crafted tables includes end tables, sofa tables, coffee tables, dining tables, and benches.

Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Forestry Management, Hyper-Local, Traceable Supply Chain, Heirloom Quality, VOC-Free Finish Option

Price Range: $975 – $1350 for coffee tables

Best For Extendable Dining Tables: Copeland

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly dining table with a bit more flexibility, Copeland is going to be your best bet. The sustainable furniture company has solid wood tables in walnut, oak, and cherry wood available with leafs. Some table styles even have a double leaf extension for accommodating extra large dinner parties.

Copeland’s furniture is made-to-order in Bradford, Vermont and the company sources most of their wood within 500 miles of the factory. Speaking of Copeland’s factory, the brand doesn’t stop at sourcing sustainable materials but also has a solar array installed on the factory’s property and uses wood waste to heat the building. And the tables are low-toxic with a GREENGUARD certified finish.

Conscious Qualities: Domestically Sourced Hardwood, Made in the US, Made-to-Order, Durable, GREENGUARD Certified Finishes

Price Range: $1,126 (dining table without extension) – $5,056 (double leaf extension table)
Shipping: Ships within contiguous U.S. (contact for quotes to ship elsewhere)

Best Non-Toxic Coffee Table: Savvy Rest

Non-toxic furniture brand Savvy Rest has a simple timeless coffee table made in Central Virginia from solid wood. Each table is made with responsibly-sourced maple — a durable yet lightweight hardwood — and is available unfinished or in a variety of zero-VOC finishes: linseed oil, walnut, cedar, or mahogany.

Conscious Qualities: Zero-VOC Finishes, Local Production, Sustainably-Sourced Wood

Price Range: $799 – $874 for coffee table (Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off)
Shipping: Free White Glove delivery within continental U.S.; contact for quotes outside 48 contiguous states

Best Affordable Coffee Table: Sabai

Sabai is a leader in sustainable furniture with their use of eco-conscious materials, ethical production practices, and low-waste shipping. Not to mention they’re committed to circularity with both a repair program and a resale program, called Sabai Revive.

Their City Table is so exception. This eco-friendly coffee table is made using recycled steel, wood sourced from urban fallen trees in Baltimore and a non-toxic, zero VOC water-based finish. Did we mention the brand is also a certified B-Corporation?

Conscious Qualities: Recycled & Natural Materials, Zero VOC Finish, Circularity Program

Price: $625
Shipping: Ships to U.S. and Canada

We hope you enjoyed this guide to sustainable tables! Looking for more furniture & home furnishings?

Check Out These Sustainable Home Guides:

15 Ethical Home Decor Brands for Your Conscious Space

The Best Places to Find Eco-Friendly Furniture

Sustainable Non-Toxic Sofas for Truly Restful Relaxation

The post 7 Sustainable Solid Wood Dining and Coffee Tables Built to Last appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.

7 Sustainable Solid Wood Dining and Coffee Tables Built to Last