How to Buy a Conference Table: 7 Things to Decide First

The short answer: how to choose a conference table comes down to seven decisions: the shape, the budget, how soon you need it, whether it needs built-in power, the finish, how it is delivered and put together, and the warranty. Measure the room before any of them; our size calculator turns your room into a table length. At OfficeSimpli, the ready-to-ship table ships in 2-3 business days, and freight typically takes 3-10 business days after it ships. Our made-to-order tables are built in about 2 to 4 weeks before they ship, and freight typically takes 3-10 business days after they ship; plan for both.

Room size comes before all seven. Every step in this conference table buying guide assumes you know how big a table your room can take, so start there: our conference table size calculator works out the table length from your room, and our conference table size guide and conference table seating guide show what fits each group.

What should you look for in a conference table?

Which shape suits how your team meets?

Pick the shape by how the room gets used. A rectangle is the easiest to plan and seats the most people for its length. A tapered top narrows from the head to the foot, so everyone along the sides can see the person presenting. A boat shape curves gently along both long sides for a softer look. A D-shape puts its flat side at the screen for video calls, and a round table has no head seat, which suits a small group.

Our guide to conference table shapes compares each one. Want a shape you do not see in our conference table collection? Boat, racetrack and bow-end tops are made to order. Our conference table builder prices one online as you design it. For any other shape, ask us and we will tell you what can be built.

Which kind of table fits your budget?

Conference tables come in four kinds. Here they are from the lowest price to the highest, with what each one asks of you:

• Flat-pack you assemble: ships in boxes of loose boards and hardware, and you put it together yourself. It asks for your time.
• Ready-to-ship commercial: made ahead for offices, so it ships soon after you order, but only in the sizes and finish the seller has on hand. It asks you to choose from what is ready.
• Made to order: built after you order, so you choose the size and finish. It asks for a longer wait.
• Custom boardroom: built to your own plan and quoted before you order. On our tables, custom sizes (a length or depth we do not list) are final sale, so it asks for a firm decision.

On our tables, the price moves with the size, the base and extras. The base is the legs or panels that hold up the top, and a matching credenza is a low cabinet that stands along the wall. Having the table carried inside costs extra too. The price on our product pages already includes freight to the continental US (the lower 48 states). The price ranges of the four kinds overlap, so compare the same size with the same extras, and check whether freight is in the price.

Our guide to conference table costs puts prices on each kind.

How long does a conference table take to arrive?

Ask two questions, not one: when does it ship, and how long does freight take after that? The wait before a table ships is its lead time. A made-to-order table has to be built first, and a ready-to-ship table is already made.

Our made-to-order tables are built in about 2 to 4 weeks before they ship, and freight typically takes 3-10 business days after they ship. Plan for both, one after the other. Once a made-to-order table goes into production, the order cannot be canceled, so settle the size and finish first. You can choose them online. Our step-by-step guide to designing your own table shows how. Have a date to hit, like a move-in? Tell us before you order so we can confirm it.

Do you need power built into the table?

If people plug in laptops at the table, yes. Built-in power puts outlets and USB ports in the top, so the team plugs in at the table instead of running cords to the wall. On our tables, power goes in when the table is built, not into a finished top, so decide before you order.

Our ready-to-ship table has two flip-up power units on every length, each with 3 outlets, 2 USB-A ports (the older, rectangle plug) and 2 USB-C ports (the small oval plug on newer phones and laptops): 6 outlets and 8 USB ports in all. They have no HDMI port (the plug that connects a laptop to a TV or screen) and no network jack (a wired internet port). Each power unit has its own cord that plugs into a regular outlet, so plan the table near an outlet or a floor box (an outlet set into the floor).

Weighing built-in power against a power hub (a box of outlets that sits on the table or clamps to its edge), or planning where the cords go? Our guide to conference table power options covers both.

Which finish should you pick?

Choose the color by the room. Product photos show one finish, and screens shift color a little, so compare the swatch photos on our laminate colors page in good light, and ask us before you order if you are unsure. Do not go by the name, either: Iconic Maple, for example, is a gray-silver woodgrain, not a blonde maple.

Matching furniture you already own? Send us a photo and we will send you images of the closest swatches to compare.

The ready-to-ship table is engineered wood (wood particles bonded with resin into a flat panel) with a thermally fused laminate surface: the color is fused onto the panel, and it resists scratches, repels water and wipes clean. It comes in California Walnut only, and another color makes it a made-to-order build. Our made-to-order tables come in 15 laminate colors: name the one you want before you order, and we confirm it on that table.

How does a conference table get delivered and put together?

A conference table is too big for a parcel service, so it comes by freight truck. Before you order, find out where the driver will leave it and who will put it together.

Our standard delivery is free curbside and dock freight to the continental US (the lower 48 states). The carrier (the trucking company that delivers it) calls ahead to set a delivery window, and the driver brings the table to your curb, driveway, front door or loading dock, but does not carry it inside or upstairs. A liftgate (a lift on the back of the truck that lowers the table to the ground) is included for home deliveries. If your building has no loading dock, tell us before you order. For an added fee, White Glove Delivery carries it inside to the room you choose. Assembly is not included with either option, so if you want it put together for you, ask us before you order.

The ready-to-ship table arrives mostly assembled on one pallet (a wooden platform that freight ships on): 5 pieces for the 8 ft size and 7 for the 10 and 12 ft sizes, and the top is two pieces at every size. By our estimate, it goes together in about 10 minutes once unpacked, with a screwdriver. Plan on two people to carry the pieces in. Made-to-order tables ship mostly assembled too, with illustrated instructions.

Before you sign for the delivery, check the boxes for damage and write any on the bill of lading (the freight receipt the driver hands you). Take photos and send them to us within 3 days; we file the freight claim with the carrier, so you do not have to. Our shipping page has the full steps.

If the table does not work out, our freight-shipped furniture has a 30-day return window for fit, sizing or a change of mind: it has to come back in its original condition and packaging, you pay the return freight, and there is no restocking fee.

Worth knowing: our standard delivery ends outside, at your curb, driveway, front door or loading dock. The driver does not carry the table inside or upstairs, and assembly is not included with either delivery option.

What warranty should a conference table come with?

Look past the headline number: check the term for each part and what is excluded.

Ours is a 15-Year Warranty with tiered coverage by component, and our warranty page lists the term for each part. Warranty excludes normal wear and tear, accidental damage including water damage, and surface scratches.

More conference table guides

• Conference table size guide: which table length fits your room and your group.
• Conference table seating guide: how many people each table size seats.
• The best conference tables of 2026: our picks, by seats and shape.
• Ready-to-ship conference tables: tables that ship soon, compared on power and assembly.
• Conference table power options: built-in power vs a power hub.
• How to set up a conference room: a step-by-step checklist.
• Modern conference room ideas: nine ideas, from slat walls to living walls.
• Conference table size calculator: enter your room, get a table length.

Buying a conference table, questions answered

What is the difference between a ready-to-ship and a made-to-order conference table?

A ready-to-ship table is already made, in set lengths and one finish; ours ships in 2-3 business days, and freight typically takes 3-10 business days after it ships. A made-to-order table is built after you order, in the size and finish you choose; ours are built in about 2 to 4 weeks before they ship, and freight typically takes 3-10 business days after that.

What arrives when a ready-to-ship conference table is delivered?

Ours comes on one pallet, mostly assembled: 5 pieces for the 8 ft size and 7 for the 10 and 12 ft sizes, with a top in two pieces. By our estimate, it goes together in about 10 minutes once unpacked, with a screwdriver.

Can you add power to a conference table later?

Not to ours: on our tables, the power goes in when the table is built, so decide before you order. For a table you already own, a power hub that sits on the top or clamps to the edge is the fix; our power options guide compares them.

Can I order a conference table in a different color?

On a made-to-order table, yes: pick one of our 15 laminate colors, name it before you order, and we confirm it on that table. Our ready-to-ship table comes in California Walnut only; in another color, it becomes a made-to-order build.

Do you deliver outside the continental US?

Yes, with a separate freight quote: standard freight covers the lower 48 states only.