Give Your Projects a Place of Their Own With the Best Worktables
If you’ve ever used your dining table as a work area, you’re probably familiar with the frustrations of not having a designated space for art or hobbies like sewing or crafting. Keeping your materials and unfinished projects in their own spot will help reduce clutter around the house while reducing the chance of losing your favorite tool—or having someone accidentally throw out your work. Whether you’re a carpenter, an architect, or a wiz with fabrics, our favorite tables below will help you improve your workflow.
Brought to you by the oldest and most widely circulated art magazine in the world, ARTnews Recommends helps you make the choice that suits you best from products in hundreds of art and craft supply categories. Our offerings are based on intensive research, interviews with artists and craftspeople, and the accumulated experience of the site’s editors and writers. We provide trustworthy and helpful advice about materials to artists ranging from beginner to professional.
More from ARTnews.com
1. Seville Classics Workbench
This mobile, wood-topped table offers both style and functionality. Built to withstand weight, pressure from hammering, and similar stresses, it features a powder-coated steel frame on solid, lockable casters so you can easily wheel it around your studio. It also has a single drawer with adjustable interior dividers to help you store and organize your tools and materials. The drawer can hold up to 60 pounds, and the table can support a load of 500 pounds. It measures 4 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and 37.5 inches tall.
Buy: Seville Classics Workbench
2. Studio Designs Graphix II Workstation
If you seek a worktable with an angled surface, this is a great adjustable option that’s built for multitasking. It features two separate tops—one narrow, one super-wide—that can both be adjusted from flat to a maximum angle of 30 degrees, allowing you to work on different projects at once. The height is adjustable as well, so you can sit or stand in comfort. Although it looks light and airy, thanks to the bright, minimal, white-gray finish, the build is reliably sturdy, thanks to its heavy-gauge steel construction. It is available in three widths: 36 inches, 42 inches, and 53.75 inches.
Buy: Studio Designs Graphix II Workstation
3. Sew Ready Eclipse Table
Looking specifically for a sewing table? Consider this thoughtfully designed one, which has a designated drop-down shelf where you can park your machine, three drawers for your materials, and plenty of space to lay out fabrics and tools. The sewing platform is adjustable so you can situate your machine just where you like it, or raise the platform to sit flush with the rest of the table. And an extra shelf below the table is angled to accommodate artists with longer legs. Although it tends to vibrate slightly when you’re sewing at high speeds, this is a dependable worktable, and it should help you keep all your things organized and close at hand.
4. Iceberg IndustrucTable
Straightforward but versatile, this is an economical pick that can be used for individual work sessions or classroom activities. It features crossbar steel legs that collapse flat for easy storage or transport but securely lock into place once opened. You can choose two different heights (25 or 28 inches). The molded polyethylene surface is smooth and very easy to clean with just soap and water. Note that the table is quite light, at 11 pounds, and can hold just up to 25 pounds of evenly distributed weight—perfect for crafting, but not for working with heavy materials.
5. Arrow Gidget II Folding Table
This 35-pound table is a great solution for those who need a professional-looking work station that packs up easily. Made of engineered wood and steel legs, it is solid when set up, yet it collapses into a nearly flat unit, complete with two wheels and a handle, when you’re ready to roll. You can use it as a regular table or easily lower the drop-down platform at its center to rest your sewing machine. Its surface measures about 40 inches by 20 inches and rises 28.5 inches tall.
Buy: Arrow Gidget II Folding Table
Best of ARTnews.com
Why Thomas Gainsborough’s Iconic 'Blue Boy' Was Once the Most Famous Painting in the World
5 Works to Know by Barbara Kruger: Pasteups, Voyeurism, Surveillance, and More
