The Best Guide for Buying a Foosball Table

Foosball is one of the most popular and widely played games around the world. The game is pleasurable both for children and adults. Getting a foosball table is a great addition to your home and it’s a fantastic way to enjoy a friendly competition with your friends and relatives.

However, before making a purchase of a foosball table you should consider the reasons why you need it. So, below you will find the best guide for buying a foosball table.

Decide on the Type

The first thing you need to do when purchasing a foosball table is to find out where your table will be used, by whom, and how frequently. These questions will provide answers and help in deciding the type of foosball table. The 4 popular types of foosball tables are:

1. Standard
2. Combination
3. Tabletop
4. Coin-operated.

Standard tables are regular full-sized, stand-alone tables. Combination game tables are considered a great option for those who either have a problem with space or want to enjoy multiple games without wanting to become professional in none of them. These tables have the feature of becoming converted into lots of games such as table tennis, chess, air hockey, shuffleboard, and so on.

Tabletop tables are considered a non-costly variant and are mostly used by children or beginners. They can be placed on the floor, table or any other hard surface one can imagine. Finally, if you are purchasing a table for commercial use and decide to make an income on that you should opt for coin-operated tables.

Construction Material

Construction material is one of the most crucial things that should be paid attention to when deciding on the purchase of a foosball table. The most commonly used materials are solid wood, composite, and participle board.

Usually, solid wood tables are the highest-priced ones because they have exceptional quality. The only disadvantage solid wood tables have is that they are vulnerable to expansion due to humidity. So, you should avoid buying them if you are planning to put your table outdoors.

Tables made of composite materials are neither considered low quality nor high-quality ones. However, compared with solid wood tables composite models are resistant to moisture. It should be kept in mind that a durable composite table should at least have a thickness of one inch.

Particleboard tables are considered low-quality tables and weigh under 70 pounds. Particleboard isn’t a sturdy material and it usually weakens and breaks down considerably early. 

Goalie Configuration

An important feature worth paying attention to when purchasing a foosball table is the goalie configuration. There exist one-person and three-person goalies. A single goalie setup usually requires more skills and is harder to control. You should consider purchasing it if you are more or less experienced and it isn’t too difficult for you to block your opponent from scoring.

The three-person goalie setup provides a more fast-paced and interactive game. This setup is recommended for first-time players and children as it doesn’t require profound skills. Also, a very interesting fact is that majority of tables in the United States are three-person setups, while in the United Kingdom single goalie setups are more popular.

If you want to have a table and enjoy both configurations it is recommended to purchase a high-end table as most of them can be easily converted to the setup you prefer.