Compare And Choose With The Best Table Tennis Table Reviews!
We aim to help you compare and choose the best table tennis table whether it is for your home, garage, church, youth club, school, indoor table tennis tables or outdoor tables. We cover all the most important, best-selling, highest quality and best value products at Best Table Tennis Tables, which will help you enjoy the fantastic game of table tennis for years to come..
From the best table tennis table Brands like Stiga to the top competition table tennis tables like the award-winning Butterfly and best-selling kids ping-pong tables like the Kettler and the Blue Knight, we really do cover the whole market!
We will review the best table tennis tables for beginners to the game, those who want to improve their game, and some of the best outdoor tables that will withstand any weather conditions. We also provide loads of articles, interviews, tips and tricks with guidance for improving your game, looking after your table tennis racket, tips for beginners and pro's and competition reviews.
In fact, we have everything you need to know about table tennis all in one place. We review the entire market of top-rated ping-pong tables to save you both time and money.
Expert Opinions
Our main contributor and editor, Mark Kemp evaluates the entire market of up-to date tables so that you don't have to! It is our goal to help you choose the very best table tennis table for your child, home, garage, church, school or club and at The Best Ping Pong Tables we provide all the important information you need to help you to easily compare and choose.
But enough about us, the real reason we do this is of course - it's all about you, the people who want to buy a great table tennis table!
Tables tennis tends to bring families together and gets really fun when you start to play really well together. This has the effect of promoting the best family environment for children and communities to thrive and enjoy table tennis for generations to come. If you develop your game you can even play for a club and get super-competitive by learning the rules of the governing body, the International Table Tennis Federation.
Benefits Of Playing Ping Pong
So here are some of the more serious benefits of playing table tennis, especially for kids: All games that rely on fast-motion and quick hand to eye coordination are especially good for a child's development. Each child has different needs so the reviews of the best kids table tennis tables offer a wide variety of tables depending on your childs height and the space in which you have to play.
Our reviews of ping-pong tables especially for kids in mini sizes will help you decide which one meets your child's needs at their own particular stage of development. Of course, safety is always paramount when considering to buy a table tennis table. Especially if it is your first table, as a beginner to the game you should be sure that your table meets all the best safety requirements to prevent injuries.
Scrapes can range from minor bumps and bruises to serious head injuries if a poorly designed ping pong table should collapse while you are playing a game. All of these things can be prevented by using the right table tennis equipment. There is no such thing as too safe when it comes to your child's physical protection and we are here to help you choose the right gear to enjoy your game in safety!
Guides And Articles
If you are looking for advice on how to choose the best table tennis bat, or a practical guide on how to replace the rubbers on your racket for a particular range of bat then the 'how to' articles on our table tennis news & articles pages can provide helpful guidelines on a range of subjects related to the top table tennis tables. Use the search bar above to find what you are looking for.
Depending on their particular need, the tables that we review here can help a child develop and improve in some or all of these areas: Co-ordination, Balance, Gross Motor Skills, Confidence, Happiness, Exercise and Sleep. We try to keep up with all the latest trends and review items that are classics, enduring or different to the mainstream somehow.
This approach often leads us to review tables that are perhaps not best-sellers or the most popular tables but higher quality instead or tables that suit a specific purpose, like all-weather outdoor or young children's table tennis training tables. So please do enjoy our site and use these resources to compare the best table tennis tables while you read the reviews of the best-selling and most popular products on the market!
Ping Pong at Home
Owning a table and playing with friends and family in your own environment is a no-brainer. Being a sport that can be played at any level makes ping pong a truly inclusive pastime. Grandparents can play with young grandchildren; Parents can play with teenagers. Friends can come over and enjoy the fun whether they are adults or kids.
The game is a social leveler and each individual can decide how competitive they want to be. Play hard or play soft, the game is still a lot of fun. Special needs? No problem. Table tennis can be played by people with a whole array of disabilities either as therapy or just for pure enjoyment.
A little space is needed, but any basement or garage will do. If you have a dining room, that can double up as a ping pong room by using a folding table that rolls away into storage after use.
If you have the climate for it, the outdoor table might be just the thing. Wind will not be your friend in this circumstance so pick a sheltered spot for the table. Bad weather however, will not be a problem as all outdoor tables are weatherproof. If you sensibly decide to purchase an all-weather cover for your outdoor table tennis table it will stay protected and pristine condition while outside during the winter months.
Ping Pong at The Office
Table tennis in the office is an entirely different matter to ping pong in the home. There is a joke going around at the moment, especially as employers struggle to gain the loyalty of the so-called Millennial generation. Apparently young people these days are not as motivated as the previous generation were by cool places of employment that have a ping pong table in the common room.
In fact, if you search articles on Linkedin.com you will find that several recruiters and HR managers have written at length about this problem. The ping pong table is the symbol of the older generation of executives, who saw that having a ping pong table, like many West-coast start-ups did, wowed prospective and incoming team members. Not so anymore, the Millennials demands more. They demand flexibility and will not offer their loyalty as their parents might have.
So as table tennis at the office has become the giveaway clue that a company has a lazy HR department, it has acquired a bad name with young people who don’t see that as a perk anymore. It’s a cliché. “Oh, you have a ping pong table (do they think I’m impressed by that?)” The young demand more. Material things are of little consequence to them (unless they have a designer label, can be worn, and shared on Instagram easily).
So, what do I think about a table tennis table at the office? Make it part of your package. Don’t acquire one and expect young people to think you are a cool company because of it. You need more than that. You need great management and to offer career progression. Then your ping pong table will mean something, and employees will be happy to use it and have fun.
Ping Pong at The Community Club
The community club, whether it be attached to a Church, School or other Community Centre is the environment in which most people are introduced to ping pong. The Church has long held a reputation for being a place that prospective table tennis champions are discovered.
Much like ping pong at home, the community club is an ideal spot for a table tennis table. The game is a competitive but non-contact sport that can be played indoors or outdoors by people of varying age and ability. What more do you need to promote a sense of community while sharpening the senses of the participants? What’s not to like?
If you manage a community club and do not own at least a couple of ping pong tables then you are simply letting your members down. Provide a couple of tables, nets and rackets and see what happens. The experience of your club members will be enhanced. You may gain new members because of the ping pong, but it doesn’t matter why they come, right?
It goes without saying that a thriving community club will have ping pong tables. Go and see for yourself and let me know if you find otherwise. I bet you don’t.
Competitive Table Tennis
As well as being a fun game for people to play in community environments, there is of course the rather large subject of professional and competitive table tennis. A whole industry revolves around this sport.
There are the table manufacturers and the racket brands that make new and innovative table for the market. There are the sports equipment suppliers who sell products all over the world. And there are the table tennis coaches who make a living training adults and kids to a high level in the sport. For example, professional coach Eli Baraty has helped us make some of the best table tennis instructional videos available which you can see on our Youtube channel.
The professional industry tends to refer to the game as Table Tennis rather than Ping Pong, but hey, they have a bunch of rules that the rest of us don’t follow and an international federation that governs the sport. Most of us casual players will never subscribe to these rules or even witness pro level table tennis in action.
However, watching this fast-paced sport is an incredible thing. The reflexes and sheers skill of the top international competitive players is astonishing. There are thousands of videos of pro table tennis on Youtube.com. Go and enjoy these videos and be amazed at their level of skill.
There is a good reason that Table Tennis is such a popular Olympic Sport. It’s fast, super competitive and one of the largest populations in the world hails ping pong as their national sport. You guessed it, it’s China. It’s clear why the Chinese dominate the world of pro-level table tennis. They love the sport and play it from an incredibly young age.
Interestingly, the game itself has British roots going back over 100 years but like that other British sport, Soccer it has been adopted all over the world.
Local Table Tennis Clubs
Most towns have dedicated table tennis clubs where the competitive fraternity congregate. People who play table tennis are a rather dedicated bunch. Many are totally obsessed with it.
If you like the game and want to progress and improve your skills, then find out where your local table tennis club meets. You will be greeted by like-minded people who can help you develop. Table tennis coaches will no-doubt attend the club to train their members. The club will likely be part of a regional league and compete with other clubs. This is where you can begin your journey of more-serious table tennis. These clubs are not to be taken lightly.
All Olympic champions started playing in a local table tennis club at one time or another. Often these champions and ex-champions still attend their local clubs to coach members and help propel the club up through their competitive leagues. If you find that you love playing ping pong, then go and check out your local table tennis club. Don’t be intimidated by the good local players. Everybody has to start somewhere.
Equipment Needed to Play Table Tennis
The type of kit you need to play ping pong will depend on your level of competitiveness and commitment to the sport. First of all you need a good table to play one, hopefully that will be provided by your family, church, Community Club or School.
Next you need a good racket. A good racket need not be too expensive, you can pick one up for less than $20 if you look around.
The final piece of the ping pong puzzle for the casual player is the ball. Ping pong balls are relatively inexpensive. Make sure you buy professional balls that have a good bounce and you’re up and having fun without needing any more equipment.
If you want to take your game to the next level, then you will need special clothing. Special table tennis shorts and t-shirts will allow for the movement required when playing the game hard. Anybody can play at home in jeans, but you can’t really play at a competition in jeans.
Finally, there are special table tennis shoes that are designed to offer support for the different types of footwork required when playing a fast. Competitive game. Regular sneakers are a great for fun games, but once you progress and join a table tennis club you will find that they don’t help your game.
The beauty of ping pong is that you can start playing right now and don’t need all this special clothing. There aren’t many sports that you can say that about.
Types of Ping Pong Table
I touched on this earlier without going into detail so here is a quick guide to the types of tables that are available.
Ping Pong Tables for Young Children
First up are kids ping pong tables. These are half or three-quarter sized ping pong tables that are lower in height than a regular table. Small kids can learn to play without having to worry about hitting the ball too hard to reach over to the other side of the table. They are most suitable for very young children.
By the age of 7 or 8 then a child would likely be ready to start playing on a full-sized table. Kids tables have a couple of advantages. They are small, so don’t need much space to set up and play. They are relatively cheap, so you don’t need to make a huge investment to find out if they take to the game.
Ping Pong Tables for Teenagers
Sometimes, when they are growing up, young teenagers show an interest in something that their peers might be into and often this includes sports. Outdoor contact sports are not for everyone and so Ping Pong is a great choice for an active teen who doesn;t want to get knocked about on the football or rugby field!
So you might be thinking of encouraging your teenagers interests by buying a table tennis table for the basement or garage, but you don't want to spend a bunch on a high-end table just in case the moody teen decides not to pursue the interest. No problem. We have compiled a list of the best mid and low priced yet full-sized and fully functional ping pong tables.
Some might call them entry-level, but what is for sure is that you can boost your teenager's confidence by entering the market at a great price without having to spend too much.
Indoor Table Tennis Tables
All competitive table tennis matches are held indoors so there are lots of tables available from several manufacturers. Not all tables are approved by the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) for competition playing, but that is not an important consideration for a home, church or community club table.
Most full-sized tables can be folded for storage, some have wheels to make stowing them away easier. Some table have racket and ball storage pouches, some don’t. Research and compare ping pong tables carefully before you buy to be sure that you have all the features you need.
You should also consider buying a dust cover for your folded and stored indoor table to keep it in tip-top condition for when you decide to unfold it and play.
Outdoor Ping Pong Tables
I call all outdoor table “ping pong” tables because they are at the most casual end of the market. Often an outdoor table will be situated next to a pool, deck or barbeque area. You might even find them on a beach. Although this is the fun end of the market, outdoor tables are generally more expensive because of the weather proofing required.
Special anti-glare paint will often be used to coat the playing surface along with some form of ultra-violet protection to stop the surface fading in the sun.
The undercarriage will usually be waterproof and rustproof, and the playing surface will be made of materials that do not warp in wet, humid, dry, hot or cold conditions.
All of this technology can be protected by using a weatherproof cover for your outdoor table to keep it looking like new. Although most outdoor ping pong tables can be folded, often there is no need as they can stay set up and in place throughout the year in the yard or pool area.
Luxury Ping Pong Tables
There are ping pong tables and then there are "Ping Pong Tables"! We have curated a list of the top luxury or designer table tennis tables because some people simply want to go high end. Considering that a quality table will last a lifetime, if you have the extra cash to buy an expensive table with all the features and aesthetics then you should be asking yourself "why not?".
If you are an interior designer then beautiful things are important to you. Most modern interior design takes into account some form of games room, and table tennis is fast becoming the past-time of choice for the up-scale apartment dweller. Have you recently renovated your basement? If you like to choose the best things in life and need a designer ping pong table to complement your new basement then we can help.
Perhaps you are someone who has just moved into a luxury apartment or need an upscale ping pong table to complement your newly-designed games room? There are several premium table tennis tables on the market now, each with their own distinctive design. Killerspin are the premium brand of choice, but there are others like Cornilleau and even Venture who make a beautiful Rock Maple and Walnut Dining Table/Ping Pong table.
Whatever your reason for searching for a high-end ping pong table, we have more detailed comparisons to help you choose so read our best high-end ping pong table reviews and feel the luxury.
Most table tennis Brands have tables that are so good in terms of construction and features that they charge a premium price for them. They are the top of the range and will look amazing forever if they are looked after properly.
When buying at the high end, you get one of two different styles. There are the tables that are functional as ping pong tables, but really, they are a piece of furniture designed to grace a high-end games room, and then there are the high-end tables made specifically for table tennis and these are the luxury tables offered by the known table tennis brands. One exception to this rule would be the Stiga Conference table, which is both an Office Boardroom Table, with the conference table features that you would expect, but made by a top table tennis Brand.
So as well as keeping in mind which type of table tennis table that you need, it is also worth remembering that this is generally a one-time purchase. There is no reason that a good ping pong table that has been well looked after cannot last several generations of players. Buy a ping pong table once and have fun for many years to come. Go for it!