I’ll never make the mistake of buying pretty—but totally impractical—furniture ever again. Life is too short for stuff that falls apart on you in less than a year! Especially since I have two rambunctious dogs, I’m extra diligent about making wiser home purchases and making sure they’re as pet-friendly as possible. Case in point: I swapped out my beloved velvet couch for an easy-to-clean (yet durable) leather sectional (big enough for the entire family to cuddle!), only purchase dark rugs (easier to conceal puppy accidents), and finally, got a dining room table that can handle drooly dogs and large family parties.

Luckily, I didn’t have to sacrifice style with any of said swaps, and especially not with the latter. My Levity The Butterfly Leaf Dining Table ($1,199) is a “life-proof” table that’s just as gorgeous as it is functional—a good thing since it’s also the one piece of furniture I use the absolute most.

Levity, The Butterfly Leaf Dining Table — $1,199.00

Dimensions: 64 1/8” x 29 5/8” (closed), 82 1/8” x 29 5/8” (extended)

Weight: 97 lbs

Wood type: solid ashwood, oak veneer, MDF

Weight capacity: 250 lbs

Pros:

• Easy to extend
• Fits 6-8 people
• Actually heat- and water-resistant
• Gorgeous design
• Quick assembly
• Partially made of wood, so it looks really natural

Cons:

• Not scratch-resistant
• Expensive
• Is only partially constructed with authentic wood, so it does have that vinyl feel to it

I’ve been testing it for an entire year: That’s approximately 1,095 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and three major parties (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and my dad’s birthday). Here’s what it looks like a full year later:

My honest review of the Levity Butterfly Leaf Dining Table

Assembly

After waiting about 2-4 weeks for the table to get delivered, assembly wasn’t too complicated—I basically just had to attach the legs. My husband did help me, but only because I wanted to get it set up as quickly as possible (and we were able to put it together in under 10 minutes). I think a one-person assembly team is totally reasonable with this table.

Instructions were more simple than Ikea’s and involved very minimal steps. You can watch a YouTube video here for a visual idea of how easy assembly will be, but coming from someone who actively fears complicated furniture builds, I can confirm this is on the low-lift side.

After owning the Butterfly Leaf dining table for a year, I can honestly say this is the most durable piece of furniture I have in my home—and the most chic. It’s the kind of table that doesn’t even require a tablecloth for company—it looks that elegant on its own. And the midcentury modern design feels very “West Elm”-esque!

The brand calls it “life-proof” because of its three key features: extendability, water resistance, and heat resistance. Here’s what I think about each feature after extensive testing:

The extending feature

I love that the extra piece of wood is inside the table. You just simply pull the ends of the table until you create a gap in the middle. Swivel out the extra piece of table, that is already attached, click it into place, and boom! You have a longer table. It really does take about eight seconds (like Levity advertises on its site), max. (However, it’s certainly easier with two people being able to pull at each end.)

Its water-resistance

I’ve spilled liquid on this table countless times—the wood does not warp. I’ve even accidentally left puddles of water, coffee, tea, and juice overnight—and there has been no lasting visual damage. The surface behaves more like a plastic material than wood, which is why it’s harder to wreck it versus traditional wood tables.

Its heat resistance

As scary as it was setting down a casserole dish straight from the oven the first time, I knew I had to do it to put the table’s true durability to the test. And it passed with flying colors—this table really can handle hot plates without even needing a trivet.

Who the Levity Butterfly Leaf Dining Table is best for

The table is great for families who use the kitchen table a lot. When extended, you can easily fit 6-8 people, so it’s also ideal for larger families. Anything bigger, and you’ll probably need another table (I ended up doing this when I had 15 guests over for Thanksgiving), but as-is it accommodates a lot of people and provides a lot of space for food.

I’d say if you’re looking for a table you can “beat up” with lots of hot plates, and messy kids (or grownups and pets), I’ve never seen a tougher piece of furniture.

Is the Levity Butterfly Leaf Dining Table worth it?

Admittedly, $1,199 is a lot for a table. To compare, this extendable table from Ikea is $299 (but doesn’t have the same “life-proof” features). Unless you find a table with a non-wooden top like this one from Amazon (that retails for $470), it’s actually harder than you’d think to find an all-wood, natural-looking table that’s heat- and water-resistant (and extendable).

So, because this table is pretty unique, I’d say it’s well worth the cash. Considering it looks nearly as good as when I first got it (and that was a year ago), I anticipate this table will last decades. It’s got some minor nicks and scratches (it’s not scratch-proof!), but nothing noticeable.