"Taller table" Topic

So finally completing the move to the new house and while I now have a dedicated gaming room I've lost some of the storage area I had. So as I get ready to build my gaming table I started thinking about making it taller to add more storage space. While most table heights are in the 30's I'm thinking of doing mine about 42-48 inches high. I'd like to know if anyone else has theirs that high and if so what they like/don't like about it. Aside from the added storage I'm thinking that putting the table more at eye level (much like model train layouts) might give a better "commander's view" of the battlefield and less "god view" but I'm afraid it might make it harder to reach the middle of the table (still planning on it being 6ft wide).

Thoughts?

As long as your players can reach the middle without issue. I tried to make mine "counter height" so bar stools would fit

I am thinking the same as you but I find that players like to sit to the table especially as the night goes on.

Let us know what you eventually decide and maybe post some photographs.

Regards

The above comments are spot on.

Also, rather than build a table you may wish to consider six foot folding tables (approx 32" width). The height is just right for those of us to need to sit from time to time and still see the table top to observe what develops. Moreover, there is so much flexibility with these tables that fold in half and store away…use only the requisite number of tables for each battle.

You can usually find them on sale frequently at building/DIY stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. I now have enough tables for a six by twenty five foot gaming table. Good luck.

I currently have three 6 foot folding tables but I want something more permanent and the braces under the tables make storing stuff under them a pain.

A height much over 30" would really create more problems I think than you would realize. I assume you have no women, kids or short men playing games? I recently had a class of middle schoolers play LoTR on my 31" table and it was a problem for some of them to see/reach.

Have you considered a baker's rack style storage unit? You could put it next to the table when not in use, then roll it somewhere else for game time? You may not have room to do it but it's worth considering. You can buy steel shelving with wheels fairly cheap online (I like the Seville Classics brand).

Reaching the middle will be tough. My table is also 6' wide and players can just reach at 30. At 42" – no way. You could provide step stools and maybe alleviate that.

Finally, a game at eye level may enhance realism but would seriously detract from the reason I like the hobby – the "spectacle." Not being able to see everything would also detract from the story aspect. If I don't see what's going on on the right flank, I won't "get" the cheers and stories being developed there.

Stick to 30" and look for more storage elsewhere….

Having noodled on this same question for some time, and considering the input above – particularly Crispy's – I'm wondering if it comes down to how you play. The reality for me and my group is that we stand around, regardless of table height. And when I sit, I'm not really playing but waiting for the other players to complete their actions.

For me, I'd be strongly inclined to a tall table with ample storage.

Good luck!

Try using Bed lifts and if you don't like it then just take them out
link

I build mine to bar hight and use bar stools for seating works a treat . That way I can store my complete terrain collection below the gaming surface

For any game where the table is 4' wide or more I prefer they be around 4' high as well, since sitting down and reaching across the table is a non-starter for me, being 6'2" having to bend down to reach across a normal table causes back pain in a normal gaming session. No munchkins in my house any longer (kids are taller than I am now) so smaller people is not a problem for me.

What Bamdit said; strong enough to hold the tables, and removeable so it can be modifiable.

The higher the table, the narrower it will be. At 42" high, you will probably be limited to a 48" wide table. A 6' deep table should be set lower, not higher, for the reasons others have pointed out. Kitchen counters are built about 32" tall and 24" deep based on decades of experience with what is most comfortable for the cook. Stand about a foot back from your kitchen counter and see if you would feel comfortable moving figures at the back of the counter top. If so, building a table is easy: pick up some of the ready-made lower kitchen cabinets from the local home improvement store, add some small locking caster wheels to the bottom and attach your table top. That is exactly how I plan to build my new table when (if) we find a new house.

I have a 6x10 gaming table. The four corners are bookcases. The table sits on the bookcases. Plenty of storage under the table.

Phil

At 6'6" I much prefer taller tables

I like to sit for boardgames, but anything that requires leaning across tables (moving figures) standing at a 40" high tablets a blessed relief for anyone with a bad back.

I'm an average 5' 10" and my table is the same height as the top of my hip bone.

I can't provide an accurate height as I'm 4000 miles from home.

It is robustly built so that you can lean against it to reach over. It is 12 foot by 4 foot.

My table is seven feet wide and sixteen feet long, and 42 inches high. Counter top height eases back pain from having to bend over for hours. I store my collection under the table.

I use captain's chairs, bar stools, for seating. We use small folding step stools is someone needs to reach the center of the table and can't without a little more height.

It's been in place for 25 years and gamers as young as six and as old as really old have used it with no problem.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

My game table is approx. 36" high. A standard dinner table or folding table is around 29 or 30" high. I prefer the extra height so as not to need to bend down to play. I am 5'9" and prefer to stand while playing.

Sitting at a 30" high table such as at a convention is fine for comfort and reaching across the width of the table. However, reaching right of left while sitting may be a problem on an 8' or 10' long table.

I keep wheeled storage containers underneath to make use of the space. This also allows me to pull them out to use as an off-table surface for rule books, charts and whatever. I do have chairs available to sit if needed. You can always get bar stools for seating at a higher table.

My table is 42 inches high and four feet across and seems to work fine.

link

Seating is in the form of bar stools. I encourage you to build your own table, it's fun and you can customize it to your needs. Plus it's a great excuse to get new tools!

I built mine at about a 36" tabletop height. I use bar stools for my chairs. It works really well and is comfortable when standing also. My table is 7' x 5'.