If table football to you is just a spinning toy or game for very young children then you may not want to buy from us and/or pay more than £200 for a table, BUT, please read on, there are some important things to consider when shopping for any football table. With the popularity of football tables on the rise, and lots of manufacturers trying to get a share of the market, it is increasingly difficult to make a buying decision. With the demand for tables at a high, and supply being somewhat limited you will see the SAME brand/model of table vary in price by hundreds of pounds. Do a little research and make an informed buying decision. To that end, we hope this guide will help.
QUALITY: Nearly all tables found in pubs, bars and clubs in the UK are made in Italy with the most popular and well respected make being Garlando. Garlando have been making table football tables for over 50 years and there are still Garlando tables in use today which are nearly 50 years old. So if you want a quality table which will play and feel like pub, club and bar tables and potentially last a lifetime then you should stick to tables made in Europe rather than the mass of inferior quality Chinese made tables on the market.
SPINNING: Did you know that spinning of the rods is "illegal" in competitions. If you want to develop the "skill" of the game/sport then you will want to look for a football table that has a consistent roll or surface, a table that has a "round" ball that rolls true, a man/ball/surface combination that lets you stop, pin (trap) and manoeuvre the ball.
AGE OF PLAYERS: For the adults and small children, a table with adjustable height such as our G100 table can be a big plus. The professional table football tables are set at 35" in height which is a bit high for very short players! Although bear in mind that a lower table will not be good for taller adults - especially those with bad backs - so a good solution where both children and adults wiull be using the table is to buy a full height table football table and stand the children on a wooden box !
STURDINESS: Go for a table football table with steel or solid wood legs. Avoid hollow wooden legs at all costs. For heavyweight use look for a table which weighs over 65kgs. Lighter tables will tend to move or wobble when you throw your weight against them.
CABINET CONSTRUCTION: For heavy weight use you will definitely need to look for a high quality cabinet. There are table football tables that will stand up very well to high volume/abusive play. Key points to look for are a cabinet with side walls which are at least 25mm thick and made of MDF or plywood. Avoid tables made of chipboard - it simply is not strong enough. Also look for tables where the playing field is recessed into the sides of the cabinet and secured using metal brackets along its length.
RODS: If space is at a premium or children will be using (or even playing around) the table football table you need telescopic rods in order to avoid the risk of a nasty accident. The should be 16mm diameter and made of high resistance chromium plated steel. Good rods should also have bushes / bearing where they pass through the cabinet and into each other. This makes for smoother play and reduced wear. Also look for tables which use metal springs on either end to damp the impact against the cabinet. Poorer quality tables use rubber buffers which do not last as long and put more strain on the cabinet and players wrists.
ROOM LOCATION: Physical dimensions of the full size table football table are around 145cm long and 80cm wide. Do not forget that the handles stick out, and players need room. Minimum suggested playing area - 7 foot by 8 foot is good. That will give you a little over 1 foot at each end of the table and almost 3 feet on the sides for players to stand. For big kids a little more room would be recommended.
PLAYING SURFACE: Thicker is typically better in order to give a consistant and flat surface. Beware of thin surfaces which bow under pressure. Beware of tables with a clear glass pitch - it is too smooth and ball control will be difficult and is actually intended for play using 'one touch' rules. Also it will look a mess when you spill your beer on it and it gets under the glass ! Go instead for a table with a laminated finish or sand-blasted glass which gives good grip for control. The standard size of a full size table football table playing field is 120cm x 70cm.
OTHER USES: Put it in the laundry room, you can easily dry 8 items of clothing at a time by neatly hanging them on the rods. Turn it into a kitchen/work/play table - put a tabletop on it and bar stools around it for a nice card table. Take the legs off and use it as a coffee table - or our favorite - remove the rods too and you've got a dice table.
