So you just caught the table tennis frenzy. You just realized the numerous physical, health and psychological benefits of the sport and you are off to getting a ping pong table. Then you decided to take a look at the available options in the market but you were greeted with a plethora of options. Now you are confused and you don’t know what to look out for. If that sounds like you, then you need to take a deep breath and relax. We’ve got you!
This is why we have taken it upon ourselves to cover some of the most important factors to consider before making a choice. We have highlighted some of the characteristics of the best ping pong tables. Likewise, so you know what the right table tennis table looks like, we have also covered some of the common high quality ping pong tables in the market today. When you are done reading this guide, you should be well on your way to making the right choice of ping pong tables. Let’s begin with some of the characteristics of the best ping pong tables.
Characteristics of the Best Ping Pong Tables
To fully experience the feel and benefits of playing table tennis, you need to realize that the table tennis table goes way beyond just any platform or board you can slam a ball on. There’s a lot of detail that has to go into the production of the table. Likewise, before we can talk about the “best ping pong tables”, the question of “For who?” and “For what purposes?” need to be answered before making a choice. This is because, apparently “What is good for the goose is NOT good for the gander”.
Nonetheless, the following are characteristics possessed by the best ping pong tables:
- Playing area
- Size
- Table thickness
- Undercarriage and storage
Playing Area
The playing area where the table tennis table of your choice fits is very important. You need to ascertain if it fits indoors or outdoors. Generally, playing table tennis outdoors raises weather concerns and playing indoors does raise the issues of space. You need to properly consider both these factors to know which one fits what you need. Also, tables built for outdoor play are often made from a combination of metals and wood. They are also often sturdier than those built for indoor play.
Size
The standard table size as required by the International table tennis federation (ITTF) is 9 ft (2.74 m) long, 5 ft (1.525 m) wide, and 2.5 ft (76 cm) high. Of course, the best tables have this required size, however, one can get decent tables whose sizes are lesser than this. Whichever size your table of choice might be, the other important to consider is the space around the table. There must be enough size around the table for the players to move around and maneuver.
Table thickness
Simply, the thicker the table, the higher the quality. When looking to get a table tennis table, ensure to have it at the back of your mind that the best tables have very high thickness. Thickness is very important because it helps to confer a better bounce on the ball. The standard thickness of ping pong tables as required by ITTF ranges from 22mm to 25mm. For recreational play however, a thickness between the ranges of 16mm and 19mm is still quite ideal.
Undercarriage and storage
This feature determines how easily the table can be stored and moved from one place to another. The common types include Rollaway, solid and separate pieces. Tables with rollaway undercarriages have wheels, tables and legs that can be folded and stored as one compact unit. Those with solid undercarriages on the other hand are static and are built to remain at a spot. They are best suited for competitions instead of home use. Lastly, tables with separate pieces can be assembled from two separate halves. They can be assembled and disassembled upon need.
Common High Quality Ping Pong Tables
We’ve talked about some of the most important features to look for in the best table tennis tables. To see what we mean exactly, please take a look at some actual examples of the best tables. They include the following:
- STIGA Advantage table tennis table
- Cornilleau 500 indoor table tennis table
- Butterfly centerfold 25 table tennis table
- Joola Rally TL table tennis table
- Viper portable table tennis table
Closure
Sport equipment is very crucial to the gameplay of any sport. They help to create the perfect experiences with every action and reaction. For a sport like table tennis, the ping pong table is where all the action goes down. Therefore, anyone serious about catching the full experience needs to ensure that the right table is used. Having gone through this guide, we believe you now know some of the things to look out for in the best ping pong tables. If you are still having a hard time putting it all together, then you should check out actual examples of some of the best ping pong tables in the market right now. Good luck getting the right ping pong table for yourself!
