Foosball Table Buyer's Guide II

Ask About The Warranty on Your Foosball Table
Foosball tables should be durable, and built with strong materials for a long life span. If you buy a quality foosball table, it may well last you for the rest of your life. Most foosball tables come with some sort of warranty. One year of coverage is pretty standard for the industry, the only exception is with furniture style tables. Because these tables are more decorative, they tend to carry shorter warranties, but are still built just as tough.

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Steel Rods
Make sure your foosball table has steel rod construction. They come in two types, hollow and solid. If you're buying a mid-model foosball table, solid steel rods are a better option. If you're buying a high end brand, like the one of our Tornado foosball tables, hollow rods are an advantage. The lighter rods will speed up your game play by reducing the weight. Tornado foosball tables have machine-trued hollow steel rods for lightning fast shots...

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Composite or Wood Construction
Foosball tables are made out of one of two things; solid wood or composite. Cheap wood tables can warp over time, because they tend to absorb moisture. Composite doesn't absorb moisture as easily, so as long as it's at least an inch thick, composite will be durable, dent-resistant and not nearly as subject to humidity. Most of the tables on this site are composite, and they are as solid as they come!

Particle Board
Some very cheap tables use a very thin particle board, which is cheaper than quality composite. Over time, particle board can weaken. The material dries out and crumbles, causing screws to work loose and break out, until the table literally falls apart (see image). You'll know your table is made of particle board if it weighs less than 70lbs, or has less than a 1/2 inch thickness. Avoid these tables like the plague!

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Laminated Foosball Tables
When you buy your table, be sure that any patterns on the table are actually imbedded in the laminate. Some foosball table manufacturers make cheap tables with stick-on designs. These low-quality "sticker" designs often peel, making your table look old and worn out. A high quality laminated composite foosball table will not fade like the cheaper models, so your foosball table will stay looking like new.

Foosball Table Markings
The field markings on your foosball table help you line up the ball during play and are an important part of your table's appearance. Just like other patterns, some foosball table manufacturers use a low-quality stick-on process to apply the field markings to their tables. These markings often wear off, making your foosball table look old and beat up. High quality tables will have permanently dyed laminates, with the design built right in. Make sure you have durable laminated designs on your foosball table.

Foosball In Slow Motion?
Foosball tables have various "speeds", depending on the surface that the ball rolls over. The smoother and harder the table's surface is, the faster the ball will travel. For the most part, foosball tables in the US have hard finishes that are quite fast. Some European tables that are made with wood tend to have slower play. The best players in America play only on extremely "fast" tables, like the models from Tornado foosball tables, so the best way to improve is to play on this type of table. Almost all of the models on this site have a "fast" finish.

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