As a nesting enthusiast who made it through most of my adult life with a collection of passed-down and thrifted furniture, protecting wood surfaces has never really been my top concern. But now that I’m in my 40th year on Earth — and the owner of a brand new coffee table — I’m happy to say that while some parts of my personality have mellowed, others have been sharpened to a fine point, chief among them being my instinct to make sure there’s a coaster under every glass.
Now, I’m following my party guests around, coasters in hand, just daring them to set down a sweaty glass for more than a second, lest I tank the value of my newly acquired table. It follows, then, that I would spend hours of my time exhaustively researching coasters that not only fulfilled their duty to the wooden tabletop but provided the perfect adornment to my well-curated tablescape too. My goal was to find coasters that protected surfaces, released easily from the glass, were easy to clean, and looked fabulous. I discovered stellar examples in materials that ranged from felt to terracotta to tumbled marble. The cute, stylish, and practical coasters I found combine form and function to keep your coffee table or any surface ring-free while looking absolutely charming.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Ceramic coasters like these are a great choice because they’re durable, easy to clean, and slightly absorbent, keeping your surfaces as dry as possible. The cork base keeps the coasters from sliding around while providing an extra level of protection for your tabletops, and the terrazzo patterns make these circular coasters look more expensive than they are.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Made from woven polyester fabric with a waterproof coating, these cheery, lightweight coasters feature embroidered wavy edges in six different colors (purple, blue, orange, pink, red, and green). The sweet, soft coasters are both quietly sophisticated and literally quiet, muffling the sound of a glass being set down, if that’s a concern you’ve developed in addition to blemished wood.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
With swirling checkerboards, smiley faces, and evil eye designs, these quirky mix-and-match coasters from Etsy’s CyberGalStudio feel very of the moment — a good way to balance the practical and the whimsical. Choose just one coaster if you plan on drinking alone, or customize your own set of up to 12 with the patterns you like best.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Four heavy-duty coasters make up this customizable map-themed set, an excellent gift for a recent transplant to a new city or first-time home (or coffee table) buyer. Just enter your zip code of choice, and then drag the map around to zero in on your favorite location. The four coasters will come together to create one complete map. Add the optional iron holder to give these coasters a home of their own.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
I was delighted by the understated refinement of this coaster set from Walmart. The felt material has a surprisingly luxe texture, and the sleek coaster holder keeps them all nice and tidy. And for less than $2, they are a bona fide steal. I also love that this set includes 10 coasters, so there’s one for every dinner party guest.
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Green Felt Olive-Shaped Coasters
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Nothing says ‘Tini Time like four bright green olive-shaped coasters. Martini glasses aren’t even huge culprits when it comes to leaving rings on tables because the stem keeps the sweaty part from the surface, but you’ll want to tuck one of these cutie olives underneath your dirty martini anyway.
