The KCT Large Black Tortoise Table is the overall pick if you want a true open indoor tortoise table with a hide, a run and a lamp arm. The PawHut Dual Main Houses Tortoise Table is the alternative when you want a taller unit with two hides, a storage shelf and a fixed tray. Both suit hatchlings and small juveniles; an adult needs a much larger custom table.
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These tortoise tables were chosen from the makers’ published specifications and live UK retail listings, checked October 2026. We did not test the tables ourselves. Floor area, hide layout, tray type and lamp-arm details come from those listings, then we checked them against UK welfare guidance on space, heat and ultraviolet light.
How Large Should a Tortoise Table Be?
An adult Mediterranean tortoise needs far more floor than most ready-made tables provide, so treat catalogue sizes as a starting point and measure the animal first. The RSPCA’s guidance for spur-thighed, Hermann’s, marginated and Horsfield’s tortoises asks for an indoor enclosure of at least 180 x 120 cm for one animal, with an outdoor run as well in summer. A hatchling can use a smaller indoor tortoise table while you plan that larger build, but the table still needs solid sides, an open top and enough length for a warm end and a cool end. Measure the plastron (the flat underside of the shell) in centimetres, then look for a table several times that length; a 20 cm Hermann’s tortoise already needs about 160 x 80 cm on published good-practice figures. Side walls should be high enough that the tortoise cannot climb out, and a small inward lip on the top edge helps stop escapes. If the listing gives only overall outer size, subtract the hide walls and any ramp before you judge usable walking space.
What Materials and Trays Keep a Table Safe?
Sealed timber with a leak-proof plastic tray is easier to keep dry than bare chipboard, which swells and harbours waste. Fir or pine tables on this page use water-resistant paint and either a fixed tray or a pull-out tray; wipe spills before they reach the wood. Mesh lids let air and daylight through, which helps on mild days, but they also let heat escape, so you still need a guarded basking lamp and a UVB lamp over the open run. Acrylic viewing panels are useful for checks without lifting the lid all day. Avoid wire floors. Line the walking area with a mixed loam compost and soft play sand at least 50 mm deep, as the RSPCA lists gravel, wood shavings, alfalfa pellets, calci-sand and cat litter as unsuitable. Seal any raw cut edges with an animal-safe waterproof sealant before the first fill of substrate. Keep food, water and heat inside the enclosure; this page is indoor housing, not garden feeding furniture.
How Should You Heat and Light the Table?
Heat and UVB must come from above, because a tortoise warms through the shell and cannot make vitamin D3 from a mat alone. Place a reflector lamp at one end so the basking surface reads about 35°C, keep the cool end around 20 to 25°C by day, and allow a night drop toward 15°C if the room stays frost-free. The RSPCA asks for a full-spectrum UVB source less than 30 cm from the tortoise, with no glass or plastic between the lamp and the shell. Use a UVB lamp on a timer that follows the season (about 12 hours in winter, 13 in spring and autumn, 14 in summer). A heat mat can sit on a side wall behind a guard for gentle night background warmth, never under deep substrate where a tortoise would dig to cool down. Fit every lamp with a wire guard. Check both ends each day with a thermometer, not by guessing from the room. Put an opaque hide at the cool end and another near the warm end so the tortoise can withdraw without leaving the gradient.
How Do These Tortoise Tables Compare?
| Table | Outer size | Layout | Tray | Lamp fitting | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCT Large Black Tortoise Table | 110 x 50 x 20 cm | Hide plus open run | Not stated | Side lamp arm, 35.5 cm high | Wood, black finish |
| PawHut Dual Main Houses Tortoise Table | 122 x 56.5 x 93 cm | Two houses plus run | Fixed plastic tray 120 x 50 cm | Adjustable holder 80 to 100 cm | Fir wood, steel, acrylic |
| KCT Medium Wooden Tortoise Table | 82 x 41 x 20 cm | Hide plus open run | Not stated | Side lamp arm, 35.5 cm high | Wood, black or natural |
| PawHut Two-Room Tortoise House Light Grey | 108 x 55 x 35.5 cm | House plus L-shaped basking area | Built-in tray 55 x 54 cm | Lamp stand included | Fir wood, galvanised steel, PMMA |
| PawHut Two Layer Tortoise House | 102 x 56 x 104 cm | Upper house, lower run, ramp | Fixed tray 99 x 52.5 cm | Adjustable holder 80 to 100 cm | Fir wood, steel, acrylic |
| PawHut Wooden Tortoise House with Storage Shelf | 84.5 x 47.5 x 90 cm | House, basking area, lower shelf | Built-in tray | Lamp holder included | Fir wood, windows |
| PawHut Wooden Tortoise Table Dark Grey | 86 x 54 x 43 cm | Hide box plus mesh run | Plastic tray 85 x 50 cm | Not stated | Fir wood, galvanised mesh |
| HiCaptain Wooden Tortoise House | 91.5 x 61 x 33 cm | Dark room plus open run | Removable plastic tray | Basking lamp frame | Fir wood |
| X-ZONE PET Large Tortoise House | Not stated in metric | Sleeping room plus viewing run | Sealed plastic bottom | Open top for overhead lamps | Wood, acrylic, wire lid |
| PawHut Tortoise Table with Pull-Out Trays | 81 x 48 x 31.5 cm | Hide box plus run | Two pull-out trays | Adjustable holder 80 to 100 cm | Fir wood, steel, acrylic |
How Should You Set Up a New Table?
- Assemble the table on a level floor away from radiators, draughts and direct midday sun, then seal any raw wood before adding substrate.
- Fit the lamp arm or holder and hang the guarded basking lamp and UVB lamp over the open run, leaving the hide end shaded.
- Add at least 50 mm of loam and play sand, a shallow heavy water bowl, and a second hide if the built-in house faces the lamp.
- Run the lamps for a full day and record warm-end and cool-end temperatures before the tortoise goes in.
- Place the tortoise in the hide end, leave food in the open run, and keep handling to a minimum for the first week.
- Spot-clean the tray each day and empty pull-out trays before waste soaks into the timber.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Hatchling Stay in a Shop-Size Table for Life?
No. A compact table is only a short-term indoor tortoise table. Once the shell is heading toward adult length you need a custom top of at least 180 x 120 cm, plus supervised outdoor time in summer.
Is a Two-Storey House Better than a Flat Table?
A ramp and balcony add interest but they cut the flat walking area. Tortoises need width more than height, so a single-level open top is usually the more useful shape if you have the floor space.
Do I Still Need an Outdoor Run?
Yes, in mild weather. The RSPCA wants both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure, with a barrier at least 45 cm high and buried 15 cm so the tortoise cannot dig out.
Where Should the Water Bowl Sit?
Put a shallow, heavy bowl at the cool end so it does not cook under the lamp. Change the water daily and after any soiling.
Can I Use a Closed Vivarium Instead?
A wooden box with a solid lid traps humidity and stale air. Mediterranean species do better on an open tortoise table; save enclosed cabinets for species that need that climate, covered in the vivarium guide.
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026.
Tortoise Tables to Compare
KCT Large Black Tortoise Table
An open indoor tortoise table with a removable hide roof, a long run and a side lamp arm, suited to keepers who want a true table rather than a tall hutch.
PawHut Dual Main Houses Tortoise Table
A tall grey fir unit with two indoor houses, a mesh run, a fixed tray and a lower shelf, aimed at keepers who want built-in hides and storage in one frame.
KCT Medium Wooden Tortoise Table
A shorter open table with the same hide-and-run layout and lamp arm as the large KCT, useful while a hatchling is still small enough for 82 cm of length.
PawHut Two-Room Tortoise House Light Grey
A low light-grey two-room table with clear side panels, an L-shaped basking zone and a lamp stand, built for indoor viewing without a tall cage.
PawHut Two Layer Tortoise House
A two-level grey house with a ramp, a removable upper hut, a long lower run and a bottom shelf, for keepers who will accept height in place of a wider floor.
PawHut Wooden Tortoise House with Storage Shelf
A mid-height grey enclosure with front and side windows, a lamp holder and a shelf under the table, suited to indoor rooms where kit needs to live under the habitat.
PawHut Wooden Tortoise Table Dark Grey
A dark-grey hide-and-run table with a lockable openable roof, galvanised mesh and a single plastic tray, useful as a simple indoor or sheltered outdoor day house.
HiCaptain Wooden Tortoise House
A grey fir house with a dark sleeping room, an open run, a removable tray and a basking lamp frame, built as a low double-room indoor or outdoor day cage.
X-ZONE PET Large Tortoise House
A two-room wooden house with acrylic side windows, a sealed plastic base and a dense wire lid, made so overhead lamps can sit above a leak-proof floor.
PawHut Tortoise Table with Pull-Out Trays
A compact grey table with a built-in hide, a mesh run, two pull-out trays and an adjustable lamp holder, aimed at daily cleaning in a small indoor footprint.