The basket underneath is what makes this table worth choosing over any other 17.7 in square side table. It measures 15.6 in square and 7.1 in deep, which is the size for magazines, knitting, a tablet, or the accumulated small objects that otherwise live on the floor beside a chair, and because it lifts out entirely it can be carried to wherever the contents are actually wanted. That is the difference between a basket and a drawer. A drawer holds things in one place a basket moves. Take it to the sofa, empty it onto a bed while sorting, or lift it out to clean underneath. A fixed shelf does none of that, and at this size a drawer would add weight and cost without adding usefulness. The tabletop carries up to 77 lb, which is well beyond a lamp and a book, and the table stands 19.7 in tall on a 17.7 in square footprint, the right height beside a sofa arm or a bed. Particleboard and steel with a polyester fabric basket keep the whole thing to 9 lb, light enough to move with one hand..