Ping Pong Table Surface Material – What Makes The Top Option And Why?

What a ping pong table surface material is has a strong connection with the quality of your game, and knowing them all is the key to the product of your dream.

There seems to be no boundary for ping pong table surface material these days. One quick tour around the market and you will come across a huge number of them with no two alike. But which one among them all actually stands out as the most qualified choice for professional ping pong tables? Our guide today will take you to the answer you have long been searching for.

MDF (Medium Density Fiberglass)

The strong reputation of providing such a smooth and consistent texture MDF has among the construction field explains why ping pong manufacturers see it as their trusty ally. Ever since its use was popularized, this material has guided ping pong to a turn for the better, creating a reliable table generation with not only outstanding playability but also robust build quality we see nowadays. 

Prepared for a little surprise? A great many ITTF-approved ping pong tables suitable for professional championship have their entire body made out of MDF. As a result, it is safe to say that getting a table like this is the simplest and most effective way to experience all the important elements of a real match, especially the bounce, in the most realistic way.

The smoothness you can have when experiencing an MDF ping pong top is quite something else as well. Running your fingers along the surface and you can tell that in this aspect alone, it triumphs over most substances you can find out there. There are no little bumps, grains or any sort of imperfection that can get in your way at all.

But despite all the excellent traits making it the top choice for players and ping pong manufacturers, MDF has been complained by several for the disappointing toughness. All ping pong tables from this material cannot last long without good support as that can increase the risk of losing their original shapes.

Pros

• Smooth and sturdy structure
• Create great bounces across the playing surface
• Inexpensive
• Consistent quality

Cons

• Softer than expected
• Heavy build

Plywood

Similar to MDF top, any table made entirely out of high-quality plywood has the possibility to ensure an experience closest to perfection for all players. 

Their special construction is the key to all of this. Against popular belief, plywood does not come from a tree whose name it takes after, but a great many wood veneers pieced together until they form a ply with desired thickness. As long as the resilience alongside solidity is good enough, there is barely any restriction to what wood might be included, fir, pine or spruce all work out in this case.

This material has the advantage of strength simply because of that. Many combining their ability together is always better than leaving the job to one, after all. Anyone who has tried out plywood ping pong tables before can all confirm that it never ceases to amaze them when it comes to withstanding force, allowing simpler transportation since any impact halfway is less likely to damage the surface. 

The material can also generate a rather impressive bounce all across the surface thanks to its density and consistency in texture.

However, this one is not without flaw. If you are thinking of finding an outdoor ping pong table for some backyard fun, you might want to cross this material off the list since it never holds out well against high humidity and temperature.

Pros

• Excellent strength and density
• Create powerful bounces
• Suitable for practicing purposes
• Not susceptible to multiple kinds of damages

Con

• Not waterproof
• Shorter lifespan than MDF

Aluminum

Using aluminum or anything metallic as the core material for a ping pong table might sound like an odd idea to you. But once you think about how well it does in an outdoor environment where most materials’ arch enemy, direct sunlight and intense downpour can come crashing down at any moment, the existence of aluminum tops will begin to make sense.

Belonging to the metal family, aluminum is either soft, resilient, or having a complex and delicate texture in any way. This is no doubt a major plus point for something on display all day long underneath the effects of multiple factors that can spell doom for other materials. Neither the sudden change in weather nor the accumulation of dust on the playing surface might do any harm to it. In case you are wondering, since aluminum is not prone to rust, products made out of it inherits this useful feature as well. You can leave the table out all weeks long and hardly anything can go wrong, even when you do not have any time for frequent maintenance.

Like the metal itself, most aluminum ping pong tables share commendable traits of strength and flexibility. This allows the product to last against both the impact of time and all the strong hits that will certainly occur during your time delivering the ball across its surface. 

Despite all the aforementioned benefits, aluminum tables are not approved by ITTF for professional championship. This is explained by the fact that the material only manages to create acceptable bounces, making it quite a bad fit for anyone intending to get a ping pong table for practicing purposes.

Pros

• Long-standing material
• Waterproof and weatherproof
• Affordable price
• Dents and warps are not likely to show up

Cons

• Unsuitable for training purposes

Conclusion

I think when looking for ping pong table surface material, you are really looking forward to serious practice of this sport. Brixton Johansson is a semi-professional player, he has an affiliate website and he has helped a lot of other table tennis players for the past 2 years

You do not need to pay too much money for a high-end table tennis table to practice. The ping pong table of standard size and bounce ensures that you still feel like you’re playing professionally. He has an article Best ping pong table about the difference between a ping pong table for practice and a high-end ping pong table for competition.

An outdoor table tennis table has extra high table leg requirements. They need to be guaranteed not to rust from the weather. The paint on the table surface also needs to be more special than the paint on the indoor table tennis table. Check what features to consider when purchasing an outdoor ping pong table: Best outdoor ping pong table

Whether it’s outdoor or indoor table tennis tables, remember to fold them when not in use. Use a cover to not damage the paint. Good table tennis table maintenance makes your table tennis table last long.