My china cabinet has legs…doesn’t go to the floor. But we have cats, so the pad is always on the table.
I keep my pads on the table covered with a table cloth. Our dining room tends to be used for projects and so the pads do year round protecting.
I have an unusual curved table shape in my dining room and I had custom pads made at the time I bought the table, twenty-odd years ago. I just consider having a custom table pad part of having an unusual shaped table.
My grandmother had custom pads for her table. She used to pull them out every time we used the table which was a lot. Those things last forever. I know she got them before I was born so they are now over 50 years old. My uncle still has them. So IMO custom pads are worth the money.
Another vote for custom pads. Mine are textured vinyl on one side and felt on the other - four sections and each piece is hinged. Thy’ve handled many wine spills, but I wouldn’t place a very hot dish on them. Aside from protecting the table, they help the tablecloth lay smoothly. They’re 20 years old, but I expect that they’ll last as long as the table.
Like @alwaysamom, I have custom made pads for my dining table from Ethan Allen. I don’t even remember getting them, but I guess we did when we got the table about 23 years ago! They are in four pieces, which include pieces for the extra leaves of the table. I tend not to keep them on regularly, as I like to see my table. But I use them under tablecloths when serving dinner. They have held up very well.
“Do any of you ever take the pads off or do you keep them on most of the year? I’ve had them off most of this year so I could enjoy seeing the table, but they’ve often stayed on (with a table cloth) for a year at a time with people using the table for various projects.”
My dining room table is empty / bare all of the time, except for the rare occasions in which I’m having a holiday dinner (such as this Thanksgiving). So no, the pads are stored away and only come out when I’m setting the table. But then again, I’m not using my dining room table for everyday activities / projects. It would be different if I were.
Custom pads–they are worth the extra money, especially if you have a nice table.