Casual Kotatsu (75cm Square) Black ESK-751(B)

I got it in my mind that I needed a kotatsu, so I obsessively researched how to get one and oh boy, they're not cheap to get in the US. This one looked overpriced and I was afraid of breaking it, and I was worried I wouldn't be tall enough since I'm a bigger woman (it's actually fine). I looked everywhere. I considered the IKEA coffee table hack even, but I really wanted the peace of mind of fire safety and quality of life features of the real thing (like a topper the extends the full width of the table!) You can find cheap and used ones on Japanese auction sites, but the buying services charge hundreds to ship anything remotely heavy. So I was really left with the choice of spending $200 or $400+. Just get this one. Installation could not be easier. Very straightforward. It's plastic, but it's the sturdy kind. I still don't put all of my weight on it when standing up however. The topper is double sided and, I dunno, it's just nice to have one that's made for this. It's satisfying when it's completely flush with the table. The heater cord has a hook to loop through so it's never in the way. The heater really heats up, I had to turn it down. The switch is in Japanese, but the little "walking man" symbol is "on." You do need the converter everyone mentions, however everyone recommends the 1000W one. You do not need 1000W. The heater only draws 300W, just read the description. Save money and get the 500W. On the back there will be a switch between 100V and 120V. It was set to 120V by default, but I had to switch it to 100V to get the heater to power on. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PC4JL4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 As for its warmth and coziness, that might depend on which comforter you buy, but I have taken so many accidental naps in this thing. If you're curious which futon I bought, it's this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076D647KX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Expensive but worth it if you can afford it. Feel free to shop around, but I have a feeling you'll be back to buy this one if you're in the US.

I bought this on a whim because Bitcoin was high and I suddenly was rich. Probably my favorite thing to have bought in that state of mind. I’m gonna explain everything about this kotatsu in this review. I got free shipping via Amazon, and then the Japanese company that sells this said it would arrive in three weeks or so. Then, it arrived in six days. Looking through the other reviews, this is pretty common so props to this company for going above and beyond. The size is about three feet by three feet, and about one and a half feet tall. Of course, you need about five feet by five feet of space to put it in so that people can sit around it. There are things you need to buy with this. One is a power step up converter, as this kotatsu comes with a Japanese cord on the end of it, and is set up for 220 power. Here in the USA we use 110. (Some people don’t know). I only got a 500 watt converter. Keep in mind that you need both the physical converter and the power converter, so make sure whatever you get has both. You don’t need a specialized kotatsu blanket to go with this. Since I got my kotatsu table so early before the other stuff arrived, I ended up just throwing a few blankets I already had onto it. It worked fine. Maybe not pretty, but all you’d need is a king sized blanket to work with this, and that can look nice if you wanted it to. Anyway, you don’t need to spend 120 dollars or whatever for the kotatsu blanket. The last thing you absolutely need with this is either a carpet or something soft to sit on. You sit directly on the floor, and I have wood floors, so i ended up putting camping mats underneath it. The Japanese are more cultrually used to that than us Americans. Just be aware of this. As for the actual functionality of the kotatsu, everything is in Japanese. The instructions are easy to figure out with just the pictures and I had it all assembled in 15 minutes (they even give you a screwdriver so I didn’t have to look for one). To turn the unit on, there’s an on and off switch on the cord. Its in Japanese, but the side of the switch with the 1 etched into the plastic on it is the on side (something that took me almost a month to find, seriously just found it while trying to write this review). Looking at the other reviews, other people also miss the dial heat control on the inside underneath the table. Lastly, watch out for falling asleep under this thing. Its not dangerous, but there have been about seven times where I sat down with my laptop trying to do homework and I woke up four hours later. Edit: 2 years later This has survived two moves into new houses and I am still falling asleep under this thing at times when I am supposed to be doing more important things. I have replaced my camping mats with a cheap segmented mattress and it's bliss. In the summer, I just remove the blanket and it's my working desk in my room. I also plugged it into a smart wifi plug so sometimes when I'm on my way home from work I turn it on remotely about ten minutes before I get home so I can just jump under it when it is cold. Edit: 2026 is here, and this thing is still going strong. No hint of any problems whatsoever. For nine years. I dented the internal cover a bit during another move and it is still fine. I'm gonna end up leaving this to my kids in my will

Finally saved up to buy this! I live in the US and wanted a kotatsu for a long time. The shipping makes these so expensive. So I was waiting to get one from Japan directly, but the opportunity has yet to arrive. So... This kotatsu is great. It's made with some lower priced materials. Some kotatsus are made of solid wood, this one is not. I was a little surprised to find the legs are made of plastic. But, it's quite sturdy. I have a 3 year old who has already tried using is as a jumping platform and it held up to that craziness. It's warm! I normally keep it on lowest or just above lowest setting. Our thermostat is set to 68°, though. If it was colder in the house, we might turn the kotatsu heater up. I really like how the top is reversable. I can change the look of the room and I have a kid friendly side (which has been crayoned, stickered, and water colored) and a clean side. The surface cleans easily, also. I've so far been able to get all the stickers and paint and crayon off when I feel like it. I would love to be able to afford a proper kotatsu futon set, but it will require months of saving. Until then, I found an inexprensive, lightweight, queen sized down-alternative quilt/comforter thing and it is perfect. Not too heavy and easy to wash (kids). Queen sized is a nice size for this table. I did purchase the step up/down converter on Amazon and it's been fine for us and using this kotatsu. Overall, we are pleased with this. One of my children might be obsessed, she turns it on first thing and practically lives under it. She's fallen asleep countless times. My cat likes it. Our dining table is jealous, because we've started eating at the kotatsu (sometimes). Oh, and there is a decent amount of space. I am 5'11" and I am comfortable. Maybe 4 people at 6' would not be as comfortable...But for us it is good :)

As the title says, mine came slightly damaged—there was a small crack on the black side of the tabletop. However, it’s fairly minor and inconspicuous. Other than that, it’s exactly as described. Construction seems decent, and it’s easy to put together—comes with all the tools you’ll need for that. You’ll need a power converter if you live in the us, but once you get it set up it’s nice and warm. It is a little small if you plan to eat at it and have more than two people, but dimensions are exactly as advertised.

Wonderful...absolutely wonderful. Such a simplistic idea that really lives up to the hype. The table and converter ARE ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE COST. I originally purchased this as a Christmas gift for my brother, but this quickly became the go-to spot in our house. Since it can get very cold where I live during the winter, this table sort of became a lifesaver (I use the term loosely). The table was a quick set-up (<5 minutes to connect the power converter, install the legs of the table, grab a large/comfy blanket and turn on to heat up!), sturdy and easy to clean. Perfect for napping, doing homework, watching TV, playing games on or just wanting to stay warm. My only initial reservation about the product was it's size, but this quikcly became a non-factor. Although it can probably fit 3 adults comfortably and 4 if you sit cross-legged, we were able to fit 6 with our legs sprawled on one another (assuming you're okay being that close). The adjustable heat knob and the protective heat cage are excellent features. And don't worry about purchasing an expensive kotatsu blanket online; any large (queen-size) comfy blanket will do (that should help offset the costs of the converter). The best part was how quick this company was able to get this product to me. While the converter is a quick-buy, I thought it would take 1-2 months for the table to get to me since it's from Japan and that's how long it took other large, international products I've purchased in the past. I was frustrated since I wanted it before Christmas to present to my brother. So when I ordered it on 12/10, the estimated TOA was late January/early February. I was ecstatic and pleasantly surprised when it arrived only 10 days later (12/21/16), right before Christmas!!! To summarize it all, ridiculously quick delivery, easy assembly, safe, heavenly warmth, and crowd pleaser.

The item arrived much quicker than expected (like, a whole month before when it was estimated to arrive. My glee has not yet subsided). The product itself is fairly light, and it's super easy to assemble. You don't need any tools to get it working. It's a bit shorter than the standard coffee table, so if you were trying to double up its use (like I was) this is your heads up. Assembly took maybe ten minutes, tops, and despite being in Japanese, it's very easy to understand what to do. Please be advised that you do need a power converter to change this from Japanese 100V to USA 120V if you're using it in the states. It's about 300W power, so you'll want a converter rated at ~1000W to be on the safe side. Additional: The converter I bought is: VCT VT-1000J - Japanese Step Up/Down Voltage Transformer Converts Japan 100 Volts To 120Volts OR Vice Versa -1000 Watt and I of course keep it turned off if I'm not using the kotatsu. As for the comfort/etc. It's all plastic, but the top looks really nice and feels like a high quality surface. Size wise, it should fit four average sized people under it comfortably, but I've now crammed six people under it without problem (other than tangled limbs, but it was still quite cozy). I would definitely say it's worth the price. The heater has a felt cage so you don't burn yourself, and there's an adjustable temperature knob. I'm using just a comforter for my futon/blanket piece, and it works really well. Be forewarned: once you have entered the warmth of the kotatsu, there is no escape. You will be trapped forever. FOREVER.

Update: I’ve had it for 6 years now and it’s still working well, looks great, nothing has broken and it still works like new, few marks from wear and tear but have still been enjoying it and use it year round. Update: I’ve had this for about three years now and it’s still going strong and is used all year round either as the heater or just a table. This is amazing. I was looking for one that would not be too pricey and would fit in my small room. It fits perfectly in here and fits board games and at least 3 people comfortably. I just use a regular comforter. All my friends come over now to play games and sit under it. It's great for a laptop or to eat on as well. It has a storage compartment for the wire and it just the right size to fit my floor chair under with me sitting on it. I didn't get a transformer for it but plugged it into the wall and it is working just fine and it turns off when it's warm enough as to not overheat anything. Also I have fallen asleep under it and did not burn myself due to the felt cage or get caught in the wire due to it being able to be hung on the bottom side of the table. It also has a dial to adjust the heat temperature.

I am originally from Japan and have been missing Kotatsu for years. It hasn’t been easy to find to purchase online until Amazon came along. But even then, when I did find Kotatsu Sets (includes a mat and comforter), they were all overpriced (approx $800 ~ $1200). So I was so happy to find this one selling just the Kotatsu Table for under $300. I think mine was $275 but I’ve seen it on sale for under $250!!! Please note that this Kotatsu is made to be used in Japan which would only be plugged into 100v outlets. So if you’re going to use it in the U.S. which common household power outlet outputs 120v, you will need a transformer voltage converter. Otherwise you could fry your Kotatsu heating element. Also it is recommended to leave at least a 100% margin for power surges/spike when buying a transformer. For heating appliances like Kotatsu, it is recommended to leave a power spike margin of 4 times. Since this product runs on 300 watts, I recommend this 1000 watts converter (approx $80) if you’re planning to leave it on for hours. https://a.co/d/aip8m9l You will also need this adapter plug (approx $8) https://a.co/d/esDpnU5 You don’t need a special Kotatsu comforter, you can use any full/queen comforter. This one is perfect for Kotatsu since it’s a 88” x 88” square. (Approx $22) https://a.co/d/cuecXql I’m using a full size comforter that I already had that’s not square but using the long side on where I sit and like the extra coverage length. :) If you’re over 50 like me, you’re going to want to invest in buying a floor chair. I like to sit in Kotatsu and knit while I watch Japanese TV, so definitely wanted something comfortable with armrest for long time sitting (Approx $120). https://a.co/d/hgBnq7M BUT you can find something for half of the price or less if you don’t need the armrest. ;) My grand total was still much less than buying the whole Kotatsu set. Hope this info helps someone else to invest in Kotatsu in the near future. :)