Table, Desk & Cabinet Tops
Protect a wood desk or dining table, replace a broken glass top, or set a clear or frosted panel into a cabinet door. Acrylic cut to the size you order, with the edge polished so it reads as a finished top rather than a cut sheet.
Overlay, protector or insert
The sheet lies on a solid surface, or sits in a cabinet-door frame, and only has to take the wear: 1/8″ for most desks and tables, 3/16″ for a large one so the corners stay down. Wipe the acrylic and the surface under it before setting it down — grit between the two is what scratches both.
A top on its own frame or base
The sheet spans between supports, so it needs stiffness of its own: 1/4″ with support under every edge, 3/8″ for a coffee table on a base, 1/2″ for a dining or desk top. Thicker also means a deeper polished edge, which is most of what makes an acrylic top look like one. How far a sheet spans depends on the frame under it as much as on the sheet, so when in doubt go up one thickness.
The edge is the product
Every link on this page opens with a flame-polished edge already selected: a clear, glass-like edge that is the whole difference between a finished top and a cut sheet. Switch to diamond polishing for a machined, flat edge on thick stock or crisp square corners, or back to the included saw-cut finish where the edge will not be seen — inside a cabinet-door rabbet or under a lip. Our edge finishes guide shows the three side by side.
Weight, and living with it
Acrylic weighs about half what glass does at the same thickness, which is why a 1/2″ acrylic top is practical where a glass one is a two-person lift. It is still a slab: enter your size above and the page works out the weight at every thickness, using the same figure the cart ships by, and each card lists pounds per square foot. Plan the base, and the doorway, before ordering a 1/2″ or 3/4″ top.
Clean it with mild soap and water and a soft cloth — never an ammonia glass cleaner or a solvent, which cloud acrylic — and use coasters and pads as you would on wood. Fine scratches polish out; our cleaning guide covers how. Leave the protective film on until the top is in place.
Which thickness
- 1/8" — Overlays and desk protectors. The furniture carries the weight; the acrylic takes the wear. Also cabinet-door inserts.
- 3/16" — A stiffer overlay for a large desk or dining table, where 1/8″ would lift at the corners.
- 1/4" — The lightest stand-alone top: side tables, shelves on brackets, tops on a frame that supports all four edges.
- 3/8" — Coffee and end tables on a base, wider shelves. Less flex across the span and a deeper polished edge.
- 1/2" — Dining and desk tops on a base, and the thickness most people picture when they say acrylic table. Heavy — read the weight below.
- 3/4" — A slab. Offered in the sizes that still ship as a parcel; above those, it is a quote.
Clear
The default: the top disappears and the furniture shows through. A flame-polished edge on clear stock looks like water, which is why it is pre-selected on every link below.
Frosted
One matte face, one gloss. Frosted clear hides fingerprints and softens what is underneath; translucent white matte reads as a solid pale top in daylight and glows if there is light behind it — the cabinet-door insert of choice. Set the matte face up for a desk, or inward on a door so the gloss face is the one that gets wiped.
White Matte
acrylic · #2447M
Solid white and black
Opaque tops for a frame or base that should not show through: a white or black slab with a polished edge on a metal or wood base.
Questions we get
What thickness for a desk overlay versus a table top?
An overlay lies on a solid surface, so it only has to take the wear: 1/8″ for most desks and tables, 3/16″ for a large one so the corners stay down. A top that spans between supports needs stiffness of its own: 1/4″ for a small table or shelf with support under every edge, 3/8″ for a coffee table on a base, 1/2″ for a dining or desk top on a base. How far a sheet can span depends on the frame under it as much as on the sheet, so when in doubt go up one thickness.
Will it scratch?
Acrylic is harder than most clear plastics but softer than glass, so a dragged plate or a grain of grit will mark it. Wipe both the acrylic and the surface under it before setting an overlay down, use coasters and pads as you would on wood, and clean with mild soap and water and a soft cloth — never a glass cleaner with ammonia or any solvent, which cloud it. Fine scratches polish out; our guide to cleaning acrylic covers how.
Polished or plain edges?
Polished, if the edge will be seen. Flame polishing gives a clear, glass-like edge on clear and most colors and is pre-selected on this page. Diamond polishing is a machined, flat polish that suits thick stock and crisp corners. The included saw-cut edge is fine where the edge is hidden — inside a cabinet-door rabbet or under a lip.
What is the biggest top you ship?
Up to 48″ on the long side ships as a parcel, to the contiguous US. A dining table longer than that is outside parcel shipping: look at full-size sheets, or send us the dimensions and we will price the cut and the freight. Rounded corners, cutouts and shapes also go through the quote form rather than the calculator.
How heavy is a 1/2″ top?
Enter your size above and the page works it out for every thickness, using the same figure the cart ships by. As a rule, acrylic weighs about half what glass does at the same thickness, and a 1/2″ top is the one people underestimate — plan the base, and how it comes in the door, before you order.
Bigger than 48″, or not a rectangle?
Everything on this page ships as a parcel to the contiguous US at up to 48″ on the long side. A larger piece is a full-size sheet or a quote; rounded corners, holes, cutouts and shapes go through the quote form with a sketch, and we price the work.