I think it really depends on what you are looking for and how your family will be using them. If you intend to put very hot items on them at some point, you could at a layer of insulbrite in addition to the cotton batting. If you think they will need to be washed all of the time because of spills, you could use something sturdier, maybe foam. Also, consider how you would like to quilt them or if you really would prefer to keep quilting to a minimum.