This is not a comprehensive list of everything we’ve tested, just what is still available.
The low-price Kaizen Casa Wooden Coasters arrived with rings and scratches. And, worse, the brown dye rubbed off when I wiped them down.
The resin Kim Seybert Tortoise Drink Coasters in Brown have an appealing tortoise-shell design, plus a handy caddy. But for coasters that cost almost $70, they underperformed, as they too easily scratched, picked up fingerprints, and stuck to glasses.
MoMA Design Store’s Geo Stacking Coasters had a cool look, and I liked that they were stackable, but they were too small to fit standard-size drinking glasses.
The PrettiCool Coasters have a slightly polished look since they’re made of concrete and glass, and they are available in three color options. However, at about $70 for a set of four, these coasters are a splurge — and I didn’t love these as much as our other pricier picks.
We loved the look of the Sophie Lou Jacobsen Spiral Coasters, but their 3.375-inch diameter and slightly textured sand-cast aluminum surface (with no base) made securely balancing a standard drinking glass difficult. And the artful gaps between the lines of the swirl gave condensation a direct path to my table.
This article was edited by Dorie Chevlen and Daniela Gorny.
