As long as you have a little hand-eye coordination and a paddle, you can handle a game of table tennis. As two-time table-tennis Olympian Sean O’Neill says, “Table tennis is ubiquitous. Everyone is playing it. Everyone is having fun.” The other must-have for a good game of table tennis is, well, the table. And not all tables are created equal. Some tables are lighter than others and are designed to be easily stored or to withstand the weather outside. Then there are tables that look so good you’ll want them to be on permanent display.
To find the best table-tennis tables for every type of player and space, we spoke to eight experts for their recommendations for all types of players and budgets. (We have recommendations for table-tennis paddles as well.) If you don’t want to scroll through all the options, you can click any of the links below to jump straight to the table-tennis table that sounds right for you.
Best overall | Best less expensive | Best for beginners | Best midrange | Best professional quality | Best outdoor | Most stylish | Best portable table-tennis set | Best portable table-tennis net
What we’re looking for
Most table-tennis tables have a similarly constructed tabletop: pressed wood, particle board, or MDF board (medium-density fiberboard) with a metal frame, bottom (to prevent warping), and top sheet with a paint finish. The surface type won’t be a big deciding factor for someone that’s shopping for a table — unless you plan on shopping for an outdoor table. In that case, outdoor tables will generally have some type of weather-resistant tabletop coating.
Table thickness: The thickness of the top of a table will be one of the first things you look for when shopping. The playing surface should be at least three-fourths of an inch or 20 millimeters thick. When you play with tables less than 25 millimeters thick, “the bounce is lower and not as consistent,” says Yanjun Gao, a former National Collegiate Table Tennis Association champ and the head coach of NYU’s table-tennis team. “It’s not high enough for quality playing.” Recreational players should invest in thicker, professional-quality tables that are approved by the International Table Tennis Federation, or ITTF. According to O’Neill, “The thicker table reduces vibration, which you want to get rid of” in order to achieve that consistent high bounce. “Remember, the ball is only two ounces, so you don’t want that vibration transferring to it,” he says.
The thicker the table is, the more bounce you get, but also the more expensive the table is. “The bounce of the ball is usually lower on a cheaper table,” says Sameh Awadallah, a former United States National Coach and owner of SATTA Table Tennis Academy. “You’re probably not going to see a 25-millimeter table for $300,” he explains.
Storage: Certain features such as wheels will make your table easy to transport and store, while other tables need to be kept in one spot. Folding allows tables to be stored compactly when you’re not playing. Personal playback, which gives users a chance to practice on their own, is sometimes an added feature with folding tables that have automatic anti-tilting locks.
Assembly: If you order online, you’ll likely receive a flat-packed table that will require assembly once it arrives at your location. Some are easier to assemble than others — and may not even require tools — while others could probably use the buddy system (or several) to build. We make note of the assembly requirements for each table so you can pick the one that’s right for you.
Best overall table-tennis table
25 mm. | Foldaway with 4 heavy-duty wheels | Preassembled
Maryland Table Tennis Center, one of the premier tennis-table clubs in the United States, uses the ITTF-approved official-competition Joola 3000 SC tables. John Hsu, a coach at Maryland Table Tennis Center, says they’re “as good as any other tables in the world. We like them at our club because of their very high quality.” Along with providing consistent ball bounce, the thicker wood is “more even and straighter,” Hsu says. “With thinner tables, you can have a bend in the table that will create an inconsistent bounce.” This model folds up easily and has “heavy-duty, durable wheels with brakes on two of the four wheel,” he adds. Gao likes the 3000 SC, too, calling it “the best table.” Of the ten tables the NYU team uses, eight are 3000 SCs. If you need a further endorsement: It’s the table Gao uses at home. Nison Aronov, the founder of Brooklyn Table Tennis Club, recommends Joola tables as well and uses them at his club.
Best (less expensive) table-tennis table
25-mm. top | Two-piece foldaway design with playback mode | 10-minute assembly with tools provided
For long-term, multiuse durability, Hsu also recommends the Joola Nova Pro Plus, which has “an aluminum coating that makes it more durable to withstand weather.” Some of his students own this table and are happy with it — and it’s a third less expensive than our best overall pick (and the cheapest ping-pong table on our list).
Best beginner table-tennis table
23-mm. top | Two-piece foldaway design | Easy assembly
For novices who want something lightweight for recreational use — or for kids to play on — Westchester Table Tennis Center owner Will Shortz says Kettler Tables are budget friendly and reliable. Although “they aren’t as sturdy and don’t last as long as higher-quality tables,” a Kettler table such as the Indoor 11 is ready to play out of the box and makes for a good option if you just “want something to hit on in your basement.”
Best midrange table-tennis table
25-mm. top | Foldaway with 4 wheels, playback mode | Assembly required
Professional-grade tables like this one are hassle free and much more durable than budget tables. “When you put a table like the Waldner Classic 25 up and down, it folds smoothly. It’s easy to put away,” says Judy Hoarfrost, a USA Table Tennis Hall of Famer and the owner of Paddle Palace. A “really solid table can withstand running into it as a player,” O’Neill adds. “Or if you are playing doubles and someone gets bumped into the table, it is not moving six inches.” Awadallah uses Donic Delhi tables at his three SATTA locations in New York and likes them for their good quality and the fact that they’re made in Germany — a place where, he (and Aronov) notes, one can expect reliable table-tennis tables to be constructed.
Best professional-quality table-tennis table
25-mm. top | Foldaway with 4 wheels | No assembly required
“As a former professional player, I have used many different brands in different tournaments. The Butterfly table is the best I have ever used,” says California Table Tennis Club head coach Gao Jun. This durable table is what she uses at her own club. Wang Chen, a former Olympian and the founder of Wang Chen Table Tennis Club, concurs, calling Butterfly “the best brand for professionals … They’re quality, used by world champions.” Aronov has three Butterfly tables in his club facility and he swears by them. “Butterfly makes the best-quality tables,” he says.
Best outdoor table-tennis table
19-mm. top with weather-resistant coating | Foldaway with 4 wheels | Assembly required
Butterfly is also good for folks who want to play recreationally — and at a very amateur level — and O’Neill likes this one for “outdoor, beach, pool, backyard, and garage play.” There is a challenge, however: To protect the wood from warping, these tables have a protective coat made to withstand rain, heat, and humidity. If you’re a pro, you might notice the difference, but the rest of us won’t be able to tell.
Most stylish table-tennis table
25-mm. top | Static design, not foldable | Difficult assembly, video included
At his facility outside of New York City, Shortz uses Double Happiness Rainbow Tables from the Chinese brand DHS. While Shortz also likes Joola (Germany) and Stag (India), he prefers DHS for its unique, colorful, “gorgeous” designs. And he’s not alone. O’Neill calls these tables “pieces of art.” One thing to note before you buy, however: “You can’t fold this up,” Shortz says. “It’s pretty permanent. It’s not easy to take apart and put together again.” O’Neill compares it to a jigsaw puzzle and says “it takes four people to put together.” But the design is top notch. A huge benefit to the rainbow-leg design is the fluidity of movement it allows for players. There are no corner posts to block movement under and around the table, allowing for a more physical game.
Best portable table-tennis set
Whatever surface you choose | Retractable net with stuff sack | Portable and easy to install
If you’re looking for a less permanent table-tennis setup (and if things like thickness and ITTF-approved measurements aren’t a concern of yours), consider this set from Franklin Sports, which comes highly rated on Amazon. This combo allows you to convert any surface into a proper tabletop, thanks to two adjustable clamps and a retractable net.
Best portable table-tennis net
Whatever surface you choose | Retractable net with stuff sack | Portable and easy to install
If you have paddles already and plan to use them with a portable table-tennis net, this simple retractable net from Pro-Spin is your best bet. Like the Franklin Sports set, it features two posts that prop up the net, which retract inside the handles and can stretch to 72 inches. The posts clamp onto any table, desk, or flat surface less than two inches thick. (If you need paddles, Pro-Spin sells a two-person set and a four-person set.)
Some table tennis rackets we've written about
Our experts
• Nison Aronov, founder of Brooklyn Table Tennis Club
• Sameh Awadallah, former United States National Coach and owner of SATTA Table Tennis Academy
• Wang Chen, a former Olympian and the founder of Wang Chen Table Tennis Club
• Yanjun Gao, a former National Collegiate Table Tennis Association champ and the head coach of NYU’s table-tennis team
• Judy Hoarfrost, a USA Table Tennis Hall of Famer and the owner of Paddle Palace
• John Hsu, a coach at Maryland Table Tennis Center
• Gao Jun, the head coach of California Table Tennis Club
• Sean O’Neill, a two-time table-tennis Olympian and NBC Universal color analyst
• Mitchell Seidenfeld, a former Paralympian and the CEO of Minnesota Table Tennis Club
• Will Shortz, the owner of Westchester Table Tennis Center
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