Buying guide: The right choice of table tennis table
Buying an indoor or outdoor table tennis table?
In most cases, an outdoor table tennis table is the right choice. They offer several advantages over indoor table tennis tables:
- Outdoor table tennis tables can be left outside all year round. They are robust against heat, cold, snow and rain.
- The melamine resin table top is also much more resistant to impacts than the chipboard of indoor tables.
- Ping pong tables for outdoor use can also be left in damp garages or cellars for a long time. Indoor table tennis tables should be stored in dry places.
- Most playing surfaces of outdoor ping pong tables have a coating that protects against glare from the sun.
Which outdoor table tennis table should I buy?
It doesn't always have to be the best table tennis table - but also be careful with the very cheap products that are sometimes offered in shops. Buy a table that meets your requirements:
- Are you a beginner and only play irregularly? Then a good beginner's table from our comparison will do.
- Advanced and regular players are better off buying a table in the mid-price segment.
- For families, we recommend easy-to-use and robust table tennis tables in the advanced and premium categories.
- Ambitious players, or if only the best is good enough, look for a table tennis table in the premium category. These tables are also the ultimate in terms of playing quality when it comes to outdoor tables.
We tested the table tennis tables in our comparison according to the following criteria: Playing characteristics, safety aspects, operation, design, stability, wheels, brakes, height adjustability, support and value for money. The tables are divided into the categories beginner, advanced and premium. You will also find a winner in the categories price-performance, best outdoor table and best beginner table.
Overview of table tennis table brands (Sponeta, Kettler, Cornilleau, Decathlon etc.)
Sponeta: The German manufacturer has established itself as a high-quality brand for outdoor table tennis tables in recent years. This includes the Sponeta SDL, which is currently the best outdoor table tennis table on the market thanks to its 10 mm thick melamine resin top and extremely robust base. In addition to the high-end product, Sponeta also offers high-quality tables with a good price-performance ratio for beginners.
Sponeta also manufactures tables for many other table tennis brands. These include Donic, Stiga, Andro, Thieme and Gubler.
Cornilleau: Until recently, the French manufacturer had two very popular and high-quality table tennis tables on offer in Switzerland, the 500M and 700M. With the successor models, however, the French failed to give the tables a new look (they still use a lot of plastic). Read here why the new outdoor table tennis table models can't keep up with their predecessors. Nevertheless, the Cornilleau table tennis tables still offer a very good playing experience - especially thanks to the strong melamine resin tops of the more expensive top models. The manufacturer produces its tables at its headquarters in northern France.
Kettler: The German brand is particularly well known in German-speaking Switzerland (Kettler is Europe's No. 1 for home fitness). With the Outdoor 10, KETTLER has our winner in the price-performance category and offers a good entry-level table with the Outdoor 5.
Tibhar: The German manufacturer is primarily known as a renowned manufacturer of table tennis equipment in the competition sector. In addition to competition tables, Tibhar has also recently started offering high-quality outdoor table tennis tables.
Decathlon: The sporting goods giant from France has also been selling table tennis tables in Switzerland since 2018. Initially only via online retailers, but since the takeover of the Athleticum shops, in shops too. The Pongori table tennis tables are convincing in the entry-level segment and are attractively priced.
Donic Schildkröt: Donic Schildkröt has its outdoor table tennis tables produced by the German manufacturer Sponeta.
Joola and Stiga: These two brands mainly produce top competition tables and currently have no competitive models in the outdoor sector. The JOOLA J500A outdoor table tennis table produced in China does not have a melamine resin top, but an inferior aluminium composite material top.
Sportgrupa: With the "Camping Table Tennis" table, the Poles are regarded as pioneers of non-folding outdoor table tennis tables with a playing surface made of melamine resin. At the time, they offered a real alternative to concrete table tennis tables with vulnerable concrete playing surfaces. In 2019, the Poles launched the ultra-robust Pingo outdoor ping pong table, which became the new standard for schools, parks and sports facilities.
Table tennis tables: Dimensions & minimum court size
Thanks to the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation), all table tennis tables have the same set-up dimensions. The table top is 274cm long, 152.5cm wide and 76cm high. The net must be 15.25cm high and should protrude 15.25cm above the table top on both sides.
The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (bfu) recommends a minimum free area of 3.5 × 7 metres for a table tennis table. Despite the possibility of adapting the tables to an uneven surface to a certain extent, the table should be placed on a reasonably level and firm surface (tarmac, paving slabs, flagstones, firm grass, etc.).