Racket Insight's Guide To The Ultimate Home Table Tennis Setup
Having a complete table tennis setup at home is an incredible luxury for any player, whether you’re just playing casually with friends or training up to become professional.
We’re experts in testing table tennis equipment, as well as being players and coaches for 10+ years. This article lets us point you in the direction of equipment by the most trusted table tennis brands and get you the most bang for your buck.
I’m going to split my recommendations into 3 sections:
- The ‘Luxury’ Indoor Setup
- The ‘Budget’ Indoor Setup
- The Outdoor Home Setup
In each section, I’ll recommend the best table, net, rackets, balls, as well as any accessories that will level up your at-home experience.
Luxury
Budget
Outdoor
The Indoor setups will be perfect for anyone who’s using a spare room, garage, outhouse, or any otherwise covered space. If your table has to live outdoors, I’d highly recommend skipping straight to that section.
Before you start dreaming of having your own setup, first check whether you have the space needed. That’s an unobstructed space of 22’ x 11’ feet. If you prefer metric, that’s equivalent to roughly 6.7 x 3.4 metres.
If you don’t have the space, don’t think you’ll miss out completely. You can also opt for a mini table suitable for smaller spaces.
From now on, we’ll assume you have a space big enough for a full-sized table, whether that’s indoors or outdoors.
The ‘Luxury’ Indoor Table Tennis Room
Butterfly Amicus Prime
Killerspin JET800
JOOLA WM
Butterfly Centrefold 25
DHS DJ40+
My Ping Pong Buddy
Butterfly Lezoline Rifones
- Top Color: Blue
- Surface Thickness: 25mm
- Weight: 280lbs
- Warranty: 5 Years
This is comfortably the highest quality tournament-standard table you can buy, used regularly at the US National & Open championships. The 25mm surface delivers a perfectly consistent bounce and predictable reaction to spin, as well as being scratch-proof. Underneath, the supports are sturdy yet relatively lightweight and easy to move. It’s everything you’d want in a table, which is why it’s coveted by clubs across the world.
RRP - $2,700
As a player, I’m bound to prioritize the most aspirational table, which has always been the Butterfly Centrefold 25. I even gave the Centrefold 25 a detailed glowing review. However, it’s fair to say it’s not the most luxury table you can buy so in the spirit of this section, here are some crazy luxury alternatives:
- Ridiculously aesthetic wooden tables available in black or white.
- RRP around $7,000.
- Stunning black tables that allow design customization near the net.
- RRP around $4,500
- Type: Clamp and Screw
- Max Table Thickness: 1.5 Inches
- Weight: 1.4kg
- Height Adjuster: Yes
This is a hardcore net that will withstand virtually anything you can throw at it. The cotton-iron net material is resistant to any rips, and easily adjusts to a consistent height across the table with the tightening beads. The post and clamp are solid and won’t move a millimetre once screwed onto the table. Sure, the design looks a bit ‘bulky’ but it makes up for that by having the word ‘Ultra’ stamped on the side. Why wouldn’t you want your ping pong net to be ULTRA?.
RRP - $95
If you’re looking for an alternative, or specifically want your net to match the Butterfly Centrefold 25 table, opt for the Butterfly Europa (Amazon link).
If you’re a serious player who’s getting coaching and playing in tournaments, I highly recommend purchasing a custom racket by selecting the blade and rubbers separately. We have two guides worth reading:
However, not everyone wants to spend hours researching the right combinations or worrying about whether it perfectly suits their playing style. If that sounds like you, and you just want a brilliant racket for casual games, I have the right recommendation for you.
- Weight : 178g
- Manufacturers Speed: Very High
- Manufacturers Spin: Very High
- Manufacturers Control: Medium High
- Sponge: 1.8mm
- Blade: 7-Ply Wood
- ITTF Approved: Yes
I firmly recommend the Killerspin JET400 for any beginners looking to develop their technique. It’s a great value racket with a really balanced configuration of speed, spin, and control. However, if you’re looking for a premade racket that’s got a bit more of a kick to it, look no further than the upgraded JET800. It’s a quick racket so you’ll need to adjust your technique to make it work for you, but you’ll enjoy it once you get that technique right.
RRP - $100 (each)
HUGE CAVEAT: Selecting the right racket for YOU is a highly individual decision. It’s impossible for me to make a generic recommendation that suits all players. For example, if you’re a defender I definitely wouldn’t recommend the Killerspin JET800!
There are also much more expensive rackets, but none would be suitable for beginners or casual players. I’m only considering a suitable racket for a variety of different player styles as part of a luxury home setup!
You can check out our 10 top recommended paddles for beginners or casual players for some additional recommendations.
- Color: White
- Size: 40+
- Material: ABS Plastic
Don’t settle for basic training balls. Buy top of the range 3-star match balls that are used in major international competitions around the world. You’ll enjoy the benefits of their higher quality, consistent roundness, and durability. Just try not to step on them if you want to save your wallet.
RRP - $13 (for 6)
- Controller: Android Table (Included) or Amicus App
- Wireless Remote: Yes
- Programmable: Yes, up to 10 shots.
- Frequency: 5 - 120 balls per minute.
- Weight: 20.2lb
This is the ultimate luxury expense for any home table tennis setup. The Amicus Prime robot from Butterfly is the most sophisticated and feature-filled robot money can buy. It’ll deliver anything from serves to pre-programmed training routines via the included tablet controller. One of the most ridiculous features is “service detection” that delivers a ball based on hearing your own serve, allowing you to practice that all-important third ball attack. The net even recycles balls back into the robot for unlimited rallies.
RRP - $2,400
In a luxury world, it just wouldn’t be right bending over and manually collecting any balls. That’s where the Ping Pong Buddy comes in. A simple extendable mesh ‘racket’ that extends to pick up balls and easily allows you to empty them out (for example, back into your Amicus Prime robot!). Think of the amount of effort this saves you!
RRP - $57
- Sole Material: Rubber / EVA
- Upper Material: Synthetic Fiber
- Recommended Fit: True to Size
It wouldn’t make sense to spend thousands of dollars on a top-end table tennis setup, just to play in your converse (or worse, bare feet!). Butterfly’s Lizeoline Rifones range of shoes are incredibly supportive, breathable, and durable. Everything you need in a shoe when playing table tennis.
RRP - $174
'Luxury' Home Setup - Total Costs
If you wanted to take things even further, you might want to consider suitable flooring, storage cupboards, and a fridge for sports drinks. Heck, why not install a bar while you’re at it. There’s little better than playing table tennis with your racket in one hand and a beer in the other.
If you want to achieve an awesome home setup without spending over $5,000 that’s what I’m going show you next.
The ‘Budget’ Indoor Table Tennis Room
For most of us who are lucky enough to have a space big enough to fit a table tennis table, we don’t have an unlimited budget to equip the room. So, it makes sense to find a way of fitting out the room without breaking the bank.
However, I won’t be recommending the cheapest equipment. You still want quality equipment that’s going to last you a long time and be fun to play with. None of those crappy paddles or balls from big box retailers.
This setup would be perfect for a majority of table tennis enthusiasts.
- Top Color: Blue
- Surface Thickness: 15mm
- Weight: 130lbs
- Warranty: 1 Year
JOOLA are well known for their high quality tables, with their ‘Tour’ range a great mid-price offering. Since this is a budget setup, I'm recommending their Inside 15 table. The table itself is lightweight and easily folds away in two separate halves to save space during storage. A 15mm table top is a little thinner than I'd prefer, but you're often looking at $800+ for the thicker, high-quality tables. At 15mm the bounce won't be quite as pure but recreational players wouldn't notice the difference.
RRP - $450
I would highly recommend avoiding any indoor table with a surface that’s under 15mm thick. That’s when the uneven bounce starts to get noticeable, making it worth spending the extra money for a high quality table.
If you want to upgrade to a table that’s a bit more robust with a competition-grade surface, you might want to consider these options:
JOOLA United Pro 18 / Tour 1800
- Take your pick between the JOOLA Tour 1800 and the United Pro 18, the only differences being that the United Pro 18 is grey, has hollow corners for ball storage, and comes with an attachable score counter.
- RRP is around $850.
Butterfly Active 19 Home Rollaway
- Very similar to the JOOLA tables, though with a very thin/lightweight undercarriage. That’s a blessing and a curse as the table becomes very easy to move around (good!) but isn’t as durable (bad!) so you need to be careful with it.
- RRP is around $950.
- Type: Clamp and Screw
- Max Table Thickness: 1.5 Inches
- Weight: 0.74kg
- Height Adjuster: Yes
Cheaper nets are often poor investments because they have unstable clip-on mechanisms or low quality nets that sag quickly. JOOLA’s Avanti is the cheapest net you’ll find that’s good enough quality to last more than a couple of years. It may not be as durable as their ‘WM’ model but at less than half the price it’s a fantastic budget option. Treat it responsibly and these Avanti nets will still last years and years.
RRP - $40
- Weight: 173g
- Manufacturers Speed: Medium
- Manufacturers Spin: High
- Manufacturers Control: Medium-High
- Sponge: 1.8mm
- Blade: 5-ply Wood
- ITTF Approved: Yes
I’m nothing if not consistent with my recommendations. Killerspin’s JET400 is the best beginners racket available anywhere - I recommend reading my review of the JET400 for more in-depth details. To summarize that review, this is an extremely comfortable racket with a great balance of speed, spin, and control that allows beginners to play advanced shots without forcing you to have perfect technique.
More advanced players, or players who have a specific style (e.g long pimples!) won’t find this to be their perfect racket. However, it’s an incredible all-rounder and anyone will enjoy playing with it as soon as they pick it up.
RRP - $55 (each)
- Color: White
- Size: 40+
- Material: ABS Plastic
For a budget home setup, you only need to have training balls. Much cheaper than 3-star match balls, training balls aren’t subject to the same quality control mechanisms. However, don’t mistake that for these being ‘bad’ table tennis balls. Quite the opposite. Most players wouldn’t be able to spot the difference between a 3-star match balls and most Nittaku J-Top Training balls (except for the logo, obviously).
You might find the occasional ball that bounces a little funny, but considering the price difference this isn’t really a problem.
RRP - $5 (for 6)
The J-Top training balls can be a bit tricky to get hold of, or sometimes they’re only available in large 120-ball boxes. Here are two alternatives that might be more suitable:
- If you want to play with 3-star match balls at a reasonable price, I highly recommend the D40+ balls from DHS.
- If you’re just looking for alternative training balls to the J-Top, you can’t go too far wrong with JOOLA’s training balls. I hate that they claim to be ‘3-star’ when they’re definitely not, but that doesn’t prevent them being great training and practice balls.
- Controller: Remote
- Wireless Remote: Yes
- Programmable: No
- Frequency: 5 - 70 balls per minute.
- Weight: 2.75 lb
This is a cheap robot and it’s fair to say that you “get what you pay for” in comparison to the Amicus Prime I recommended earlier. However, I’ve used the IPONG extensively in the past and it’s still a very useful solo training partner. The Trainer Motion can impart both topspin and backspin at varying strengths, as well as deliver balls at different speeds and oscillations between each ball. It’s quick and easy to set up and take down, with a simple remote that gets you playing without any effort.
The Trainer Motion and V300 are almost identical models of iPong robot.
RRP - $250
If you’re really serious about your practice, there are a few options to explore that are priced in between the IPONG and Amicus Prime options.
- Despite the old-school controller, this is a fantastic robot that represents a serious upgrade on the IPONG. Expect more realistic spin, speed, and angles with much more customisable drill options.
- RRP around $450.
- Closer to the Amicus Prime, the PowerPong Alpha is the budget option in their range. Even so, the Alpha robot is incredibly powerful and can handle pretty much any training exercise you’d ever want. It can be used for drills up to 6 different balls, a massive upgrade on the ‘1’ from the IPONG!
- RRP around $1600
'Budget' Home Setup - Total Costs
$1,000 is very, very reasonable for a table tennis setup!
I would highly recommend avoiding trying to get cheaper equipment than recommended here. At lower prices, you’ll start to hit problems with usability and durability.
The Outdoor Home Setup
Not everyone has indoor space to fit a table, but maybe you have a garden, outhouse, barn, or otherwise open space that isn’t fully protected.
Outdoor table tennis equipment is more durable so it can withstand being left out in the elements, and ultimately allowing you to use it for more than just table tennis (beer pong, anyone?).
- Top Color: Blue
- Surface Thickness: 5mm outdoor laminate
- Weight: 123 lbs
- Warranty: 10 Years
Cornilleau are the masters of outdoor tables. You can’t go wrong with anything in their range. This is the base model which comes with adjustable legs, a 5mm laminate surface, and a folding net included. The 400X and 500X mostly add a bulkier underframe and a thicker surface to make the table a bit hardier. Honestly, I think most people will get by with the 300x without any problems.
RRP - $1,250
It’s not always possible to get the Cornilleau tables everywhere around the world, so I wanted to share a few more options. The Kettler table is a direct replacement for the Cornilleau, whilst the JOOLA table is very much more budget-conscious:
- If you don’t have over $1,000 to spend on a table, this is a solid option from JOOLA. It’s a bit more tricky to move around (two halves!) but the 6mm outdoor surface is solid and it has everything you need for an outdoor table.
- RRP is around $750
- Like Cornilleau, Kettler are well known for their excellent outdoor tables. This one comes with a solid weatherproof top and large wheels for transporting outdoors. It’s more durable than the 300X recommended above, being more similar to the 500X Cornilleau table.
- RRP around $1,600
- Size: 110" W x 60" D x 30" H
- Material: Water-resistant 300D stock-dyed polyester
- Upright / Flat: Upright
- Indoor / Outdoor: Outdoor
- Warranty: 3 Years
Even most outdoor tables won’t last forever in extreme heat, strong direct sunlight, storms, or hail. These tables exist but they are made of concrete and cost $5,000+. That’s not great for a home setup.
Instead, I’d highly recommend getting a Covermates table cover and using it to store your table whenever the weather takes a turn for the worst.
RRP - $110
The Rackets, Robots, and Balls - Same As Indoor!
Don’t buy special ‘outdoor’ paddles and balls. Please. Life’s too short.
The solution is simple.
Purchase whichever rackets and balls you’d buy for an indoor table, and just store them indoors when they’re not being used. Here’s a reminder of the recommendations we’ve made so far:
Budget | Luxury | |
Racket | Killerspin JET400 | Killerspin JET800 |
Balls | Nittaku J-Top Training | DHS DJ40+ |
Robot | IPong Trainer Motion | Butterfly Amicus Prime |
Be wary of the fact every Robot needs to be plugged into a power socket, so you’ll likely need an outdoor extension cable to use your robot outdoors. The other factor to consider is whether your robot has a ‘clamp’ mechanism to attach itself to the table, and whether this has enough width to clamp onto the table.
In this outdoor setup, I’m actually going to assume it’s more likely that you don’t need a robot.
'Outdoor' Setup - Total Costs
Additional Factors To Consider
Lighting
It’s important to consider the lighting available in your room simply because you’ll need enough light to easily see a fast-moving, small, white ball. If your only source of light is a small lamp situated behind you, it’s pretty much useless.
You’ll likely need at least 2-3 sources of light, with at least one of those situated above the table. The ideal source is a fluorescent tube as these offer a good spread of light instead of being sourced from a sharp point.
I’m not an expert in this space, so I’d highly recommend reading some information from Newgy which includes some illuminating diagrams.
Storage
I’ve recommended tables that fold up in two separate halves, so they can be easily placed upright together and placed against a wall to give you the entire room back for the rare occasions you don’t want to play table tennis.
That means you’ll also want space to store all your other equipment, including any rackets, table cover, balls, pick up nets etc. so having some cupboard space available will help keep your table tennis room nice and tidy.
Should You Get a Robot?
Any robot is going to be a downgrade on playing against a human (with some vague table tennis ability). However, if you’re wanting to practice ping pong alone it’s really the only good long-term option.
You’ll be able to practice drills based on technique, footwork, and matchplay without leaving your house. It’s a great way to work on advice you’ve received and build your skills quickly. As with any sport, repeating the same action 1,000 times in a practice session will result in match improvements.
Just be careful you’re practicing good technique rather than embedding bad habits. I’m always reminded of the phrase “practice makes permanent, not perfect”. Pair your robot usage with regular coaching sessions.
For anyone wondering, playing against a wall will only make you worse due to the unrealistic spin and speed expectations it sets.
David's been playing Table Tennis since he was 12, earning his first coaching license in 2012. He's played in national team & individual competitions, although he prefers the more relaxed nature of a local league match! After earning his umpiring qualification in England, David moved to Australia and started Racket Insight to share information about the sport he loves.
Blade: Stiga WRB Offensive Classic | Forehand: Calibra LT | Backhand: Xiom Musa
Playstyle: The All-Rounder