Deals, Reveiws, and Resources on Ping Pong Tables!

Ping Pong Tables

Welcome to the number one review, resource, and deals website about indoor ping pong tables! If this is your first table tennis table purchase, be sure to read through the whole website before pulling out your wallet. You'll be glad you did.

Is this your first ping pong table purchase? Generally speaking, if you're new to ping pong and not sure if this is the right sport for you, purchase a cheaper practice table first. It's quite easy for new, beginning players to scratch and nick the tabletops with their paddles or blades. Therefore, buy a practice table to beat up. Only when you become better at the game or decide to be more serious, buy a more expensive, professional ping pong table. By the way, if the table was intended for use outdoors, there are "outdoor table tennis tables" made of aluminum and other weather resistant materials marketed specifically for rough weather conditions. An indoor table will damage easily if left outdoors.

Regardless of whether you're getting a practice or professional ping pong table, you should always take into consideration a table's tabletop thickness & coating, portability & sturdiness, and brand & pricing. This website is not endorsed by any company, manufacturer, player, or brand, my reviews, tips, and advice are based on my experiences with the table or research I have conducted.

If you're looking for a reliable source for ping pong tables with useful customer reviews, a good source is Amazon.com. On the most part, they will offer free shipping and discounts on high priced items such as ping pong tables. If you're truly in the market for one, I highly recommend checking them out.

Tabletop Thickness & Coating

Tabletops of indoor ping pong tables are made from either wood or high-density (including medium-density) composite wood fiberboard between 1/2" to 1" thick. You'll find that thicker tabletops, while more expensive, will offer better game play and consistent ball bounces throughout. For leisure or less frequent players, a 1/2" tabletop will do just fine. Ping ping balls only weigh several grams, it really doesn't take much to support its bounce. However, for a little extra money, I high recommend buying at least a 3/4" tabletop which offers the best of both worlds. I've played on 1/2" tables, 3/4" tables, and 1" tables, and while you can feel the difference in quality between them, it's relatively minor.

In what circumstances should you buy a professional 1" tabletop 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 at home so you're accustomed to the feel and bounce of competition level tables in sports or recreation clubs. An added advantage of 1" tables is that they are very durable. Thinner tabletops will warp in shape after several years of use especially tables left in basements where there are higher extremes in temperature and humidity.

The coating on the surface of the tabletop will also affect the playability of a ping pong table. Applying incorrect paints, rougher surfaces, and uneven coatings (especially for home-made tables) will alter ball speed and spin. I suggest staying with buying branded tables as there is no way to testing this. 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.