Deals, Reveiws, and Resources on Table Tennis Tables!

Table Tennis Tables

Welcome to the #1 resource, review, and deals website on indoor table tennis tables! If this is your first ping pong table purchase, I encourage you to read through our entire website before pulling out your credit card.

Which table tennis table should I buy? The general rule is, if you're new to the game, purchase a cheaper practice table first. New players tend to scratch and nick the table tops with their paddles quite frequently, which means, practice tables get beat up on pretty heavily. Buy a more expensive, professional table tennis table only when you become better or more serious. If you plan on leaving the table outdoors, make sure you purchase an outdoor table tennis table made usually of aluminum.

Whether you're buying a practice ping pong table, or a professional one, consider its tabletop thickness & coating, portability & sturdiness, along with brand & pricing. This website is not endorsed by any company or brand, my advice and reviews are based on actual experiences with the table or research I have conducted.

Besides researching indoor table tennis tables on this website, a good source for customer reviews is Amazon.com. They offer free shipping and discounts once in a while, if you're truly in the market for a ping pong table, keep an eye on them.

Tabletop Thickness & Coating

Indoor table tennis table tops are made from wood or high density composite wood fiberboard usually between 1/2 inch to 1 inch in thickness. While thicker, more expensive tables do offer slightly better game play and consistency in bounce, a 3/4 inch tabletop is usually more than sufficient for leisure players. For those that are tight on cash, there's a good chance you will not notice much difference in the thinner 1/2 inch tables. Ping ping balls only weigh several grams, it really doesn't take much to support its bounce. I've played on 1/2" tables, 3/4" tables, and 1" tables, is there a difference in game play? Slightly.

If there's only slight increases in game play, the logical questions now is, why buy a thicker table? First, for more serious players looking to compete in tournaments, you'll want to purchase a professional 1" thick table to practice on at home. It's always a good idea to practice on a similar scale table so you don't feel awkward during competitions in sports or recreation clubs. An added advantage of 1" tables is that they are more durable. Thinner tables tend to warp in shape after several years of use. This is especially true for tables left in garages or basements where there are higher extremes in humidity and temperature.

Another aspect which effects game-play is the coating or surface of the tabletop. The usage of incorrect paints, rougher surfaces, and uneven coatings will reduce the action of the ball. As there is no way to testing this, I suggest sticking with purchasing a branded table. I will go over some well-known brands below.

Portability & Sturdiness Of Your Table

Table tennis tables are heavy and take up lots of room. Regulation sized tables are 9 ft. (2.74 m) long, by 5 ft. (1.525 m) wide, by 2.5 ft (.76 m) high and weigh a couple hundred pounds. I personally do not have a room dedicated my table tennis table which means it spends most of the time folded-up and covered. Therefore, when buying a ping pong table, it is important to consider its ease of folding, unfolding, and maneuverability. It should be easy enough for one person to handle and have high quality, large wheels for move-ability.

Even if you have a dedicated table tennis room, you never really know when you'll need to fold and store the table. Sturdiness of a table refers to the thickness of frame, its apron, and its legs. Cheaper tables will have thinner, lighter frames and legs. While this will not affect overall game play, you'll notice cheaper tables to be less durable and easily damaged from folding, unfolding, moving around, and storage.

Ping Pong Table Brand & Pricing

Stick with purchasing tables from Stiga, Joola, Kettler, Cornilleau, Butterfly, Sportcraft, Double Happiness, and Killerspin. These are reputable table tennis table manufacturers and you really can't go wrong. Although the cheaper tables have thinner tabletops and a lighter frame, they still offer excellent game play and value.

So how much do table tennis tables cost? Here's my breakdown of costs and quality:

• $500 or Less: Practice table for beginners or occasional players.
• $500 - $1,000: Professional, medium quality table for more serious, frequent players.
• $1,000 or More: Professional, high quality table for experts or for placement in sports clubs and places where extreme frequent use is eminent.