One of the advantage of sports is being able to play anytime and anywhere. This is why there are mini golf tournaments and football fantasy leagues at even the biggest offices.
As a matter of fact, ping pong was invented as an alternative to lawn tennis in the snow season. It first started as an indoor adaptation until it evolved to the wonderful sport which it is today.
In table tennis , there are 3 different types of table and the question of there being a difference needs to be answered for proper clarification. Otherwise, why not just get an indoor table and take it outside when you feel the need to, or buy a conversion top and use your center table as the pillar?.
Somehow, one of these options would seem off in a particular condition. This is why you need to understand the differences between them and adjust your purchase preferences.
Indoor Table:
As the name implies, it is specifically suited to an indoor setting. Indoor tables are not strong enough to withstand harsh weather conditions or even mild ones. Rain drizzling on your indoor table or a hot sun radiating the top could spoil its surface and make it uneven.
In fact, if you decided to play outside the house for a while you need to get it back into storage as quickly as possible. If you leave your indoor table in the sun for too long, contact with direct sunlight could warp it, while rain would definitely roughen the surface and drastically reduce its life time.
Compared to the outdoor tables, it is harder to store after use, because any change in the temperature of the room where it is being stored would affect its quality.
On the up side, they have better playing surfaces than the outdoor tables. More so, they are way cheaper and while playing indoors, you get to enjoy your game without any environmental interference.
Outdoor tables:
Outdoor tables are more durable than indoor tables and as a result quite expensive. Given that they would be constantly exposed to harsh weather conditions, outdoor tables are designed in such a way they wouldn’t easily degrade.
The top surface of some of the best outdoor ping pong tables is made of weatherproof materials and this is very much complemented by the support system which is mostly made of galvanized steel.
For decades now, galvanized steel has been significantly rated among the most weather enduring materials used for support systems and it has even been applied in commercial electrical conduit wiring. This same material is used for the nets, the posts and most importantly, the under carriage of the table itself.
The only downside is that if you don’t have a permanent space for it to be kept in your house; it would be a bit difficult to get it out of the way when you’re done playing.
Conversion tops :
The deal with conversion tops is that they are more adaptable to your lifestyle whether you have a large apartment with enough space to accommodate sport equipment or not. Technically, you don’t need an additional space for play. All you need is to set the top on your study table, your center table, or maybe even two tall stools right in the middle of your room and you’re all set.
However, the same condition for indoor table applies to the conversion tops, especially since the conversion top is actually a type of indoor ping pong tables. This means that you have to be sensitive when it comes to usage and even storage. For example, if you had a few friends over at your place and you decided to have a game outside, the same level of care you would give to a typical indoor table should be applied here.
More importantly, after use, you need to have it stored in an area with an average room temperature. Anything out of the ordinary could warp the surface and leave the board vulnerable to other kinds of damage.
How does this difference affect you as a user?
Given the pros and perks explained in the different categories above, you clearly know the type that most suits your style of living. To recap, if you don’t have enough space in your house for a permanent installation, you probably shouldn’t go for outdoor tables. You could get a conversion top, and set it up whenever you want to play. It’s easier to set up and just as easy when transporting from the storage before use and back to the storage after use.
The same logic applies to indoor tables. If you do not have enough space in the house to accommodate a permanent installation, it’s also probably best to get the conversion top which you could easily set up on the dining table whenever you want to play.
Basically, the conversion top is the best kind you could get. It is the most adaptable and definitely the cheapest of the pack.
Hey! , I am Roland Campbell , a recreational table tennis player for over 5 years and counting. I do a lot of research on table tennis (Ping Pong) and publish my findings here at Pingthatpong.
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