Several Factors Determine the Right Conference Table Shape
When it comes to choosing the right meeting room furniture there are various custom conference table shapes that are available to you. If you need to have a certain number of seats at your table, it’s important to know that rectangle, boat-shaped, and square conference tables provide the most seating for their size while racetrack and round tables provide the least. How you plan to run your meetings is also a driving factor in choosing the right table shape.
Videoconference tables are most efficient when all 4 sides are used but are much less efficient if the wide end is left empty. U-shaped and V-shaped conference room tables come in many proportions and can also be made to be modular, allowing the space to be used for more than a single purpose. The expert craftsmen at Paul Downs have compiled a guide to provide more detail for each of the standard custom conference table shapes. Our experts can build a custom table based on your specifications. We’re just a click or call away from discussing your needs with you so don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Click on a shape below to view a detailed chart:
Square and Rectangle Shaped Conference Tables
Square and rectangle conference tables have the most perimeter for a given length and width which will maximize the number of people you can fit in your room. Our rectangle charts assume one user will be seated at each end of the table. The square tables have multiple users at the shorter ends. In both cases, very large custom conference room tables can be made with an open center, or as a set of modular tables.
Rectangle Table Size and Seating Chart (Social Distancing & Traditional):
| # Users (Social Distance) | # Users (Traditional) | Size (feet) | Size (inches) | Min Room Size (feet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 3 x 5 | 36 x 60 | 10 x 12 |
| 4-6 | 6 | 3 x 6 | 36 x 72 | 10 x 13 |
| 6 | 8 | 4 x 8 | 48 x 96 | 11 x 17 |
| 8 | 10 | 4 x 12 | 48 x 144 | 11 x 19 |
| 10 | 12 | 4 x 14 | 48 x 168 | 11 x 21 |
| 10-12 | 14 | 4'6" x 16 | 54 x 192 | 11'6" x 23 |
| 12 | 16 | 4'6" x 18 | 54 x 216 | 12'6" x 26 |
| 14 | 18 | 5 x 20 | 60 x 240 | 13 x 28 |
| 16 | 20 | 5 x 22 | 60 x 264 | 15 x 32 |
| 16-18 | 22 | 5 x 24 | 60 x 288 | 15 x 34 |
| 18 | 24 | 5 x 26 | 60 x 312 | 15 x 36 |
| 18-20 | 26 | 5 x 28 | 60 x 336 | 15 x 38 |
| 20 | 28 | 5'6" x 30 | 66 x 360 | 15'6" x 40 |
| 22 | 30 | 6 x 32 | 72 x 384 | 16 x 42 |
Download a PDF of the Rectangle size and seating chart
Square Table Size and Seating Chart (Social Distancing & Traditional):
Note: For numbers of users not divisible by 4, the tables are not perfectly square:
| # of Users (Social Distancing) | # Users (Traditional) | Size (feet) | Size (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-3 | 4 | 3'6" x 3'6" | 42 x 42 |
| 4 | 6 | 5 x 5 | 60 x 60 |
| 5-6 | 8 | 5 x 5 | 60 x 60 |
| 6-8 | 10 | 6 x 6 | 72 x 72 |
| 8 | 12 | 8 x 8 | 96 x 96 |
| 10 | 14 | 9 x 9 | 108 x 108 |
| 12 | 16 | 10 x 10 | 120 x 120 |
| 14 | 18 | 11 x 11 | 132 x 132 |
| 16 | 20 | 12 x 12 | 144 x 144 |
| 16-18 | 22 | 13 x 13 | 156 x 156 |
| 18 | 24 | 16 x 16 | 180 x 180 |
| 20 | 26 | 16 x 16 | 192 x 192 |
| 24 | 28 | 18 x 18 | 216 x 216 |
| 24-26 | 30 | 20 x 20 | 240 x 240 |
Boat-Shaped Conference Tables
It’s commonly believed that the curved side of a boat-shaped conference table provides more seating room but that is actually not the case. Unless the curve is extreme, the amount of perimeter is almost identical to a rectangle of the same dimensions. The boat shape provides better sightlines, and the look is more graceful, however, the curve will put the users on the sides closer to the person on the ends, which is significant when practicing social distancing. Below you’ll find our updated chart showing seating capacity for our most common custom boat-shape conference table sizes:
Boat Table Size and Seating Chart (Social Distancing & Traditional):
| # Users (Social Distancing) | # Users (Traditional) | Size (feet) | Size (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-4 | 4 | 3'6" x 5 | 42 x 60 |
| 4 | 6 | 3'6" x 6 | 42 x 72 |
| 6 | 8 | 4 x 8 | 48 x 96 |
| 8 | 10 | 4'6" x 12 | 54 x 144 |
| 10 | 12 | 4'6" x 14 | 54 x 168 |
| 12 | 14 | 4'6" x 16 | 54 x 192 |
| 12-14 | 16 | 6 x 18 | 72 x 216 |
| 14 | 18 | 6 x 20 | 72 x 240 |
| 16 | 20 | 6 x 22 | 72 x 264 |
| 16-18 | 22 | 6 x 24 | 72 x 288 |
| 18 | 24 | 7 x 26 | 84 x 312 |
| 18-20 | 26 | 7 x 28 | 84 x 336 |
| 20 | 28 | 8 x 30 | 96 x 360 |
| 20-22 | 30 | 8 x 32'6" | 96 x 390 |
Racetrack Conference Tables
Racetrack conference tables consist of a rectangular center capped with two half-circle ends. They have less perimeter than a rectangle of comparable length and width and end up being a bit longer to seat the same number of people. Very large custom racetrack conference tables can be made with an open center or as a set of modular tables. These tables are not usually ideal for smaller room sizes as they do not maximize seating capacity within the room.
Racetrack Table Size and Seating Chart (Social Distancing & Traditional):
| # Users (Social Distancing) | # Users (Traditional) | Size (inches) | Min Room Size (feet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 36 x 44 | 10 x 11 |
| 4 | 6 | 42 x 74 | 10'6" x 13'6" |
| 6-8 | 8 | 48 x 102 | 11 x 15'6" |
| 8 | 10 | 54 x 130 | 11'6" x 18 |
| 10 | 12 | 54 x 162 | 11'6" x 20'6" |
| 12 | 14 | 54 x 194 | 11'6" x 23'6" |
| 14 | 16 | 72 x 216 | 14 x 26 |
| 14-16 | 18 | 72 x 248 | 14 x 29 |
| 16 | 20 | 72 x 280 | 14 x 31'6" |
| 16-18 | 22 | 72 x 312 | 16 x 36 |
| 18 | 24 | 84 x 338 | 17 x 38'6" |
| 18-20 | 26 | 84 x 370 | 17 x 41 |
| 20 | 28 | 96 x 394 | 18 x 43 |
| 20-24 | 30 | 96 x 426 | 18 x 45'6" |
Round and Oval Conference Tables
Oval or round conference tables look really nice in almost any space but they are actually fairly inefficient. They have only 78.5% of the perimeter of a square of the same dimensions which limits the number of seats with comfortable spacing. A social distancing capacity calculation is very simple: perimeter/42″. This will put user’s heads about 54″ apart from those sitting next to them, and much further going straight across. Large round conference room tables are usually made with an open center. If your space isn’t square, we can make an oval table with custom dimensions to match the same perimeter of the room.
Round Table Size and Seating Chart (Social Distancing & Traditional):
| Diameter (feet) | # Users (Social Distancing) | # Users (Traditional) | Diameter (inches) | Min Room Size (feet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 5 | 48 | 11 x 11 |
| 6 | 6 | 8 | 72 | 13 x 13 |
| 8 | 8 | 10 | 96 | 15 x 15 |
| 10 | 9-10 | 12 | 120 | 17 x 17 |
| 12 | 11 | 15 | 144 | 19 x 19 |
| 14 | 13 | 17 | 168 | 21 x 21 |
| 16 | 15 | 19 | 192 | 24 x 24 |
| 18 | 17 | 22 | 216 | 26 x 26 |
| 20 | 18 | 24 | 240 | 28 x 28 |
| 22 | 20 | 26-27 | 264 | 32 x 32 |
| 24 | 22 | 29 | 288 | 34 x 34 |
| 26 | 24 | 31 | 312 | 36 x 36 |
| 28 | 25 | 34 | 336 | 38 x 38 |
| 30 | 27 | 36 | 360 | 40 x 40 |
Keystone and Videoconference Conference Tables
The keystone shape is becoming a standard for videoconferencing tables. Commonly called VTC tables, the wide end of the office conference table faces the cameras and screen and is not used for seating. The capacity is identical to rectangles, but with one person removed. Our chart shows the minimum recommended width at the wide end. It can be customized for better viewing angles as needed. Very large and wide keystone conference tables are usually built with an open center to allow for power, data, and media access. The open center will put your table in the U- or V-Shaped category in the section below.
Keystone & Videoconference Table Size and Seating Chart (Social Distancing & Traditional):
| # Users (Social Distancing) | # Users (Traditional Spacing) | Size (feet) | Size (inches, width at wide end) | Min Room Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3-5 | 4 x 5 | 48 x 60 | 11 x 12 |
| 3-5 | 5 | 4'6" x 6 | 54 x 72 | 11'6" x 13 |
| 5 | 5-7 | 5 x 8 | 60 x 96 | 12 x 15 |
| 7 | 9 | 5 x 10 | 60 x 120 | 12 x 17 |
| 9 | 11-13 | 5 x 14 | 60 x 168 | 12 x 21 |
| 9-11 | 13 | 5'6" x 16 | 66 x 192 | 12'6" x 23 |
| 11 | 15 | 6 x 18 | 72 x 216 | 14 x 26 |
| 11-13 | 17 | 6 x 20 | 72 x 240 | 14 x 28 |
| 13 | 19 | 6 x 22 | 72 x 264 | 14 x 30 |
| 13-15 | 19-21 | 6 x 24 | 72 x 288 | 16 x 34 |
| 15 | 21 | 7 x 26 | 84 x 312 | 17 x 36 |
| 17 | 23 | 7 x 28 | 84 x 336 | 17 x 38 |
| 17-19 | 25 | 8 x 30 | 96 x 360 | 18 x 40 |
| 19 | 27 | 8 x 32'6" | 96 x 390 | 18 x 42'6" |
U-Shaped, V-Shaped, and Committee (or Head) Tables
Each of these custom conference table shapes seats people along their outer edges. Our chart shows the overall length required to seat people at three different spacings: 32″ for situations where maximum capacity is required; 36″ where some space between users is wanted; and 48″ where a lot of space is needed (like legislative and judicial tables.) For social distancing, use the 48″ numbers. The total length shown will be the sum of the length of the outside edges. These custom conference room tables can come in a variety of shapes and the proportions of these tables must always be designed specifically for the room size, shape, and the desired use. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure it out.
U, V, and Committee Table Size and Seating Chart (Social Distancing & Traditional):
| # of Users | Length (Inches) at 32" per person Traditional Tight Spacing | Length (inches) at 36" per person Traditional normal spacing | Length (Inches) at 48" per person Best for Social Distancing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 128 | 144 | 192 |
| 6 | 192 | 216 | 288 |
| 8 | 256 | 288 | 384 |
| 10 | 320 | 360 | 480 |
| 12 | 384 | 432 | 576 |
| 14 | 448 | 504 | 672 |
| 16 | 512 | 576 | 768 |
| 18 | 576 | 648 | 864 |
| 20 | 640 | 720 | 960 |
| 22 | 704 | 792 | 1056 |
| 24 | 768 | 864 | 1152 |
| 26 | 832 | 936 | 1248 |
| 28 | 896 | 1008 | 1344 |
| 30 | 960 | 1080 | 1440 |
Modular Conference Tables
There’s no universal rule regarding modular table size and seating capacity as they are designed to be versatile, but here are the most common sizes of square and rectangle modular conference table shapes:
- 4′ x 4′ (48″ x 48″)
- 4.5′ x 4.5′ (54″ x 54″)
- 5′ x 5′ (60″ x 60″)
- 2.5′ x 5′ (30″ x 60″)
- 3′ x 6′ (32″ x 72″)
- 4′ x 8′ (48″ x 96″)
Your seating capacity will be determined by how the conference tables are assembled. When social distancing is required, modular tables provide unmatched flexibility. Note: Any conference table shape can be built using modular tables. We have prepared a comprehensive guide to modular tables, including sizing, choice of shapes, and the many ways they can be built to suit your needs. Contact us and we’ll help you work out the best size for your room.
Download a PDF of the Modular size and seating chart
Paul Downs Creates Custom Conference Tables in a Variety of Shapes
When you are deciding on the right shape conference table for your meeting room and needs, there are always several factors to consider. At Paul Downs, we design and build any custom conference table shapes for any size room. We relish the opportunity to provide a solution for each of our customers. Regardless of your room shape, size, and number of seats needed we’re sure to come up with the perfect custom conference table for you.
We can incorporate power and data integration to help your meeting participants communicate as efficiently as possible. Because we don’t mass-produce any of the tables we design, each custom conference table shape will be built to your exact specifications. Contact us with any questions you may have to get started on building your new conference table.
Room Size Guide Number of Seats Conference Table Pricing
