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8 best outdoor table tennis tables that serve up hours of ping-pong fun

Want more room for your rallies? You’ll be able to smash your opponents with these outdoor options

Jon Axworthy
Monday 19 June 2023 12:06 BST
We’ve found table tennis tables for all budgets and abilities – including wheelchair-friendly and easy setup buys
We’ve found table tennis tables for all budgets and abilities – including wheelchair-friendly and easy setup buys (The Independent)
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Long summer days are here at last, and what better way to while away the evenings than playing outdoor table tennis with some friends.

The best outdoor table tennis tables are easy to set up and store, and, as well as being great fun for you and your family, they can add some extra value to your Airbnb listing, should you choose to make your home available to holidaying guests.

Obviously, if the table is going to last, it needs to be constructed from durable, corrosion-resistant materials, so it can not only weather the abuse of a year outdoors in the UK climate but also the battering it’s going to be subjected to when the ball is in play.

Some outdoor tables are totally weatherproof, so you can just leave them exposed without worrying, while others will have to be folded and covered when not in use.

We think rigid tables are great because they’re just ready to go when you are, while foldable ones require a bit more effort to set up – although, at least with one of these, you have the added advantage of keeping one half of the table raised to practise your shots when there’s no one else to play with.

No matter which you choose, the table needs to be built for performance with a playing surface that’s thick enough to provide a consistent and playable bounce. We found that the thicker the playing surface (most often made from a laminate material that’s seriously weather-resistant), the more bounce we got.

How we tested

For the purposes of this round-up, we were looking at how easy the table was to move around. We also wanted to find out what else was included in the package in terms of bats and balls, so we could serve up the best options for all budgets.

The best outdoor table tennis tables for 2023 are:

  • Best table tennis table overall – Cornilleau pro 510m outdoor table: £949, Cornilleau.com
  • Best value-for-money table tennis table – Butterfly elite outdoor table tennis table: £799.99, Costco.co.uk
  • Best table tennis table for easy setup – Cornilleau 100X sport outdoor: £449, Cornilleau.com
  • Best table tennis table for beginners – Joola nova outdoor table tennis table with waterproof net set: £570, U-buy.co.uk
  • Best table tennis table for fast rallies – Stiga performance outdoor 5mm blue table tennis table: £749.99, Just-rackets.co.uk

Cornilleau pro 510m outdoor table

510.jpg
  • Best: Table tennis table overall
  • Foldable: No
  • Material: Steel and solid laminate
  • Bats and balls included: No
  • Warranty: 10 years

Totally weatherproof, this 7mm resin laminate table gave us plenty of in-game bounce and it looks great, thanks to its corrosion-resistant zinc and aluminium alloy frame, fixed steel net and rounded base, which also means you’ll spend less time scrabbling around trying to catch your ball when it disappears under the table.

The playing surface didn’t mark or scratch, even when some misfired shots meant the bat connected with the table rather than the ball.

There are buffers at each corner to keep the table kid-friendly and we loved the built-in storage for four bats and the very handy ball dispensers, which ensured we were never far from a replacement. Bats and balls aren’t supplied with the table, so you’ll need to make room in your budget for them, but the table does come with an astonishing 10-year outdoor table guarantee from Cornilleau.

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Kettler outdoor 3 table tennis table

Kettler 3.jpg
  • Best: Table tennis table for gameplay
  • Foldable: Yes
  • Material: Melamine resin
  • Bats and balls included: No
  • Warranty: Three years

This tournament-sized playing surface is covered in a 4mm melamine resin layer that gave us some of the best gameplay we had while testing. Rallies and smashes were fast and furious and we got plenty of bounce, allowing for subtle shots and plenty of spin.

The four robust double wheels meant we had no problem rolling the table to where we needed it, and the powder-coated steel frame means you can leave the table exposed to the elements without having to worry about the table degrading.

There are side-mounted bat and ball holders, but you’ll have to buy these separately.

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Butterfly elite outdoor table tennis table

Butterfly Elite.jpg
  • Best: Value-for-money table tennis table
  • Foldable: No
  • Material: Melamine resin
  • Bats and balls included: Yes
  • Warranty: Three years

We enjoyed our time with this table from one of the most well-known brands in tournament table tennis because it provided plenty of bounce on its 4mm melamine playing surface. The table comes ready assembled – to get up and running, all you have to do is add some wheel brackets. It also comes supplied with two quality bats and three balls.

The height adjusters on the legs make it easy to find a level playing surface, even on an uneven patio, and each half of the table has four wheels, so portability was never a problem for us.

We found that the quality cover provided makes for an effective barrier against the elements.

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RS Barcelona you and me ping-pong table

RS Barcelona.jpg
  • Best: Table tennis table for design
  • Foldable: No
  • Material: Wood
  • Bats and balls included: Yes
  • Warranty: Unspecified

This steel table was created by a Barcelona-based design studio to be practical and playable. It’s dual-purpose, so you can play on the laminate surface or pack the net, paddles and balls away into a discreet drop-down drawer and eat dinner on a minimalist outdoor dining table.

We found the laminate surface to be suitably hardwearing, offering good bounce and speed when the balls were flying across even the small and medium-sized table options.

Available in black and white versions, the manufacturer warns that the black table needs to be covered to prevent colour fade over time, but we thought the white table with the iroko wood legs looked stunning. If you still don’t think you’re getting your money’s worth – you’ll also get two bats and six balls with your order.

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Cornilleau 100X sport outdoor

100X.jpg
  • Best: Table tennis table for easy setup
  • Foldable: Yes
  • Material: Resin laminate
  • Bats and balls included: No
  • Warranty: 10 years

The 100X has a frame made from a corrosion-resistant alloy that looks stylish while clearly standing up to any inclement weather, so you can leave the table out year-round. If you do have some outside storage available, the table folds quickly, thanks to Cornilleau’s push-and-lock system. Plus, the fixed tensible net makes it easy to transition from storage to playing mode in no time.

We found it easy to move about, because of the large double wheels, which let us roll the table over steps and raised areas of our outdoor space. The adjustable feet also worked well when levelling out the table.

The 4mm laminate playing surface, available in grey or blue, gave us good rebound, and we liked the soft finish that’s applied, which successfully reduced glare when playing in direct sunlight.

Bats and balls aren’t included but there is built-in storage on the outside of the 100X’s centre panels, so you won’t have to waste valuable playing time looking around for the right equipment, and this is all backed up by the manufacturer’s 10-year product guarantee.

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Joola nova outdoor table tennis table with waterproof net set

Joola Nova.jpeg.jpg
  • Best: Table tennis table for beginners
  • Foldable: Yes
  • Material: Aluminium plastic
  • Bats and balls included: No
  • Warranty: Unspecified

We got lots of playability from the 6mm aluminium plastic surface, which had lots of spring and released plenty of energy when the ball hit the table, making this a good option for beginners and children who might need a bit of help connecting with their shots. We found that the surface was also durable and took a lot of punishment, without getting scratched or marked.

Underneath is a rust-resistant, powder-coated frame, which means you can keep the table up year-round – although, the folding mechanism was effective, if you have some storage. You also have the option of folding up half of the table for single-player practice – which, again, can really benefit those who are picking up a bat and ball for the first time.

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Stiga performance outdoor 5mm blue table tennis table

Stiga.jpg
  • Best: Table tennis table for fast rallies
  • Foldable: Yes
  • Material: Melamine resin
  • Bats and balls included: No
  • Warranty: Two years

The 5mm melamine, hardwearing playing surface on this table ensured good bounce and high ball speed for faster shots. Stiga’s compact system means the table is quick to fold up, and you leave one side up for some solo training. Stable and robust, the table also comes with the net included but you’ll have to buy bats and balls separately. The four sets of double wheels ensure the table can be moved easily, too.

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Butterfly ultimate outdoor table tennis table

Butterfly Ultimate.jpg
  • Best: Table tennis table for schools and parks
  • Foldable: No
  • Material: Melamine resin
  • Bats and balls included: No
  • Warranty: Five years

If you’re looking to invest in a hardwearing outdoor table that anyone can just pitch up and play on, then this heavy-duty option from Butterfly has an 18mm anti-glare resin and ply playing surface that gives the kind of playback professional players are used to. The polyurethane paint that coats the surface is totally weather-resistant and we found that the table is also wheelchair-friendly, meeting paralympic standards.

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The verdict: Outdoor table tennis tables

With an unbeatable combination of durability, performance and playability, we think the Cornilleau Pro 510M is a superior table. It’s got a quality playing surface that suits recreational players who just want to have some fun outdoors, as well as those who want to get serious and start playing at a higher level.

To keep track of your table tennis exercise, check out our pick of the best fitbits to help improve your health and fitness

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