Stiga Optimum 30: A Great Tournament Table To Be Reckoned With

One of the best indoor ping pong tables we have looked at, welcome to my review of the Stiga Optimum 30. My name is James Chapell, a semi-pro English Table Tennis player and I’ll be reviewing the Stiga Optimum 30 table tennis an excellent indoor ping pong table for people who want to learn about the details of this great table for home, community center or Table Tennis Bar like SPiN in New York or Bounce in the UK.

In this review, I will cover, the size of the table, the thickness, height, bounce, speed, durability, price and my own expert opinion on the table itself. I hope that you find this review helpful!

About Stiga: an original powerhouse brand

Stiga, is Swedish a household name in the table tennis world, their dedication and commitment to the sport, is proven by sponsoring the China A-team and producing top quality products. Sweden has also produced one of the world’s best ever players, Jan-Ove Waldner. Waldner is considered the Mozart of the game, and has been an inspiration to a generation of professional table tennis players all over the world. Check him out here:

Jan Ove Waldner - The Power of Block [Video]

Stiga was originally founded in 1934, however, it started making table tennis equipment in 1943. This means Stiga has had 74 years experience in perfecting their equipment, making them a very reliable table tennis table manufacturer. Alongside tables, they also sell quality tested blades, rubbers, clothing and table tennis balls. The Stiga Optimum 30 Table In Depth

At first look, this is a solid table with a deep blue tabletop and sturdy foldable frame with 4’’ caster wheels making it easy to a rollaway before or after your game. For the money, this is an awesome professional table tennis table, that will give you many years of practice, fun and prove to be a great investment overtime.

The Stiga Optimum 30 table has a 30mm thick top. The top of the table has been pre-treated multiple times and is then coated with a special varnish to give it the perfect amount of gloss. This gives it the ideal durability needed to play high-quality table tennis on as it will stand the test of time, with thousands of games being played on it, keeping the table-top in tack and looking crisp.

This table tennis table is approved by the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation). Also, this table comes with a top of the range Stiga VM net set, which is used in national and international competitions.

When the table arrives

Apart from the excitement of actually receiving this table, it would need to be put together using the instructions given, alongside some of your own tools. Instructions do come with the table, alongside an online tutorial available on YouTube. The table is assembled into two separate parts, which means it only needs one person to put the table together when it is going to be used. Making it easy to use and store away! Optimum 30 assembly instruction [video] Tips on putting the table away

It’s important to note, a few tips for care and attention with this table. When it is time for the table to be put away, the net first needs to be removed. After the net is removed, underneath the far end of the table is a small red bar that can be pulled towards you. Once you hear a small click, lift the table slowly to make sure the body of the table goes up, and you don’t lift the full table up (I did this before and it fell and banged my shins. Was very painful!). Once the table is up, put your foot on the bottom steel part, and push up until the red lever clicks into place. This secures the table, making sure it doesn’t fall.

The table comes in two independent halves, that provides a great storage solution as you can tightly put the two halves together to reduce the amount of storage needed when putting the table away.

Tips on Storing the table

The table needs to be stored in an environment that is dry. When the table is folded up, it doesn’t require a lot of space to be stored in, so a small cupboard of some sort would do the job. However, there is no storage available for bats or balls.

FAQ’s

What are the Dimensions of the table?

The width of the table is 152.5cm, the depth of the table is 66.5cm and the height of the table is 155cm. When the table is laid flat for playing on, it is 76cm in height, 274cm long and 152.5cm in width.

What Color does it come in?

The table-top is only available in Deep blue. Blue is the new Green!

What’s the Bounce like?

This table bounce is exceptional, because of the way the table-top has been treated and coupled with a 30mm top. The ball bounce is consistent on the table as well as the evenness of the table surface makes it a standout table for the home. The table-top has been treated with a varnish which helps keep the durability of the table, keeping the bounce regular and consistent over a long period. This is also known as a ‘’cleaner bounce’’. This is a term used in table tennis to describe a good bounce, with no irregularities when the ball is in play. This table is the first of its kind being a 30mm top, giving it a solid reputation of having the best bounce of all currently available table tennis tables.

Is the table durable?

The Stiga Optimum 30 is a very durable. If anything were to happen, it could sustain some damage, yet still be played at the same. On the sides, where the advertising is, there are some long metal sheets to help protect the sides of the table. The legs are solid, due to the fact they are made out of steel, alongside levelers for extra support. This means the legs can withstand some amount of pressure without giving in.

Is it a quality indoor table?

The table’s outline is coated in a white silk, as well as down the middle to separate the sides evenly (This is mainly used for service in doubles). This gives the table a very professional look.

The thicker the top of the table is, the better the bounce. The thickness makes the bounce more consistent, gives it a higher bounce and not skid. The leg design of the table helps keep the table balanced and prevent it from collapsing. The table is designed with four main legs: two at one end, and two at the other, with each leg being in the corner. There are also 8 wheels in the middle region of the table. This is so when the table is ready for putting away; it is very simple and effortless to do so. This helps keep the table in good condition. These wheels also provide support for the table when it is in use.

Is it good value for money?

For what you get, Yep! You get so much for your money with a great brand that you can trust and rely on providing a great table tennis table.

What’s the Speed of the table like?

The speed of the table is slightly quicker in comparison to other tables. The Stiga Optimum 30 has a slightly thicker table-top, meaning the ball comes through marginally faster when in play. It’s only a minor difference, however, at the top-level is favored due to its consistency of good bounces and reactions to spin.

Shipping

The table is shipped from the USA and is currently free to any address in mainland USA.

Who’s it for? A Home, a Club or Community Centre?

I recommend this table for a club with high-level semi-pro players or an experienced player who has the space to play at home. The price matches the quality of the table, and it would be a shame to waste this outstanding ping pong table on those who just play for leisure or a family who want a table in the garage. The table needs to be played on, completed on and battled out with the professional.

I would also recommend this for schools who are trying to aim for better players in table tennis club. This would give them an advantage over schools who don’t invest the money in high-quality equipment. However, for those who don’t play at this level, I would recommend something a little cheaper. This table requires constant cleaning and checking to make sure that it is in top condition. Under no circumstances should the table get wet and it should be cleaned with a surface cleaner. If you don’t treat the table-top with care and attention, it will affect the bounce and consistency of the table and can ruin the longevity of the table long term. Overall Opinion

Having played on this table a number of times, I have come to the conclusion of giving it a rating out of 5 in several areas. The box below will tell you the scores I gave the table in different areas! Ratings out of 5

• Quality: 4.5
• Space usage: 5
• Value for money: 4
• Suitability*: 3
• Overall performance: 4.5

Quality: The quality of the table is exceptional. The bounce was consistent, the surface smooth and steady and overall enjoyable to play on.

Space usage: When putting the table away, it used very minimal space. This will help those who don’t have a lot of storage space.

Value for money: For this table, you are paying for the brand-new 30mm top alongside a stable structure.

Suitability: By suitability, I mean to rate if it’s suitable for everyone, of all ages, of all abilities. Because of the price, I would not say this table is suitable for everyone. I would recommend this table to a local club player, semi-pro, higher level table tennis players, or those at home with kids that are budding table tennis player and will use it to its full potential and are willing to take care of the table.

Overall performance: In a word: incredible! With both training and conducting tests, we concluded that the table is fantastic to play on.

Thanks for reading, I hope you found it useful in your decision-making process for selecting an indoor table, we aim to be informative and provide an independent review of the table.

Stiga Optimum 30 Video