Ping Pong Tables

Ping pong tables can add a dash of fun and frivolity to an otherwise restrained and modest design scheme. While they're ideal for children's playrooms and rec rooms, kids by no means have a monopoly on them. Ping pong is an all-ages game that is so widely popular that it's become an Olympic event.

One of the most commonly asked questions is whether there's a real difference between ping pong and table tennis--and the answer is a resounding maybe. Depending on whom you ask, ping pong and table tennis are either differing terms for the same game or designations that correspond to a pastime and a sport, respectively. Table tennis, which has boasted World Championships since 1926, qualifies as a sport, while table tennis, at least to nit-pickers, merely describes the neighborhood game that so many children play at barbecues and on snow days.

Types of Ping Pong Tables

Semantics aside, the two "activities" are more or less the same, so the term "ping pong tables" covers all possible permutations. A quality ping pong table is marked by several standard features including a heavy-duty chassis, protection pads for sharp corners, and steel support profiles to ensure a level playing surface. Any table you find at your local sporting goods shop should come with each of these safety features, which is important since tables can run upwards of 250 pounds.

Stiga makes arguably the best all-around table and offers more models than all the company's competitors combined. Prince, one of the world's leading tennis racquet manufacturers, also makes a high-quality table that conforms to ITTF standards. If you've already purchased Go Karts, swing sets, and every other diversion you can think of, a ping pong table is an absolute must.