Do you enjoy an occasional game of table tennis or have friends who do, but don’t have the space to fit a regulations size table in your man cave or games room?
We have the solution. A ping pong conversion top.
A table tennis conversion top is typically a foldable surface, that converts your pool table or dining table into a full size ping pong table.
You can entertain your guests or have fun with your family for a spell, and then store the top away until you need it again.
With numerous options to choose from, we have compiled a list of our best table tennis conversions tops for you to review.
Contents show
Our Top 5 Table Tennis Conversion Tops Reviewed
JOOLA Conversion Table Tennis Top
Our top pick. If you are serious about table tennis tables, then you have probably heard of Joola.
If you haven’t, don’t worry. They are the ping pong table of choice for national and world tournaments.
They know how to build a table tennis conversion top.
The JOOLA conversion table tennis top is a 2-piece ping pong top that relies on the netting clamps to level the two halves.
The manufacturer recommends it for billiard tables that are up to 8 feet.
The top features non-slip EVA foam padding along the entire underneath, not just in the corners like some other brands, to prevent it from moving or scratching the support table.
The net is also specially designed so it will not come into contact with the pool or table that top sits on.
- The foam backing is substantial
- Ridiculously easy to set up
- Comes with corner protectors and full length foam protective padding
- The clamps could be wider to allow mounting on thicker support tables
- The top is sturdy but is quite heavy
- Size (inches) 108 x 60 x 0.6
Martin Kilpatrick Pool Conversion Table Top
The Martin Kilpatrick pool conversion table top is also 2-piece top.
The purchase includes the top itself, a set of protection rails, foam pads, as well as a complimentary net set.
You can choose to leave the rails for extra protection or take them off completely, in which case you’d receive a great ping pong conversion top for a 9 foot pool table.
- 3-year warranty
- 3 color finishes to choose from – Blue or Green
- Removable 1.5″” protection rails
- Well known tabletop brand
- Quite pricey, but the quality is excellent
- Size (inches) 108 x 60 x 2.25
EastPoint Sports Foldable Table Tennis Conversion Top
If you’re looking for an inexpensive table tennis conversion top for dining tables, you just might want to check out the EastPoint Sports Foldable Table Tennis Conversion Top.
The selling point of this top, besides the price tag, is its foldable 4-piece design with integrated hinges for easier installation and storage.
If you use it on a pool table you may need to prop up the joints underneath to stop it folding.
That’s why in our opinion, this works better on a completely flat surface.
- Includes a net set
- Comes with 8 foam pads for cushion
- Regulation tournament size, as lightweight as they come
- Folds into 4 pieces for easy storage
- Might cave in the middle without additional support on larger pool tables
- Size (inches) 108 x 60 x 0.5
Harvil Table Tennis Conversion Top
Harvil is a well-known name is games room tables and therefore are great at building quality products for home use.
The Harvil Table Tennis Conversion Top may be a little bit on the heavy side, but it should be manageable for two adults.
That said, it more than makes up for its bulkiness with the quality of craftsmanship.
The two dense fiber wood halves are complemented with sponge rubber strips and edge band on the sides, which goes a long way prolonging its life expectancy.
- 90-day warranty plus money-back guarantee
- Sturdy and solid, superb craftsmanship
- USA-designed (most components are made in China, though)
- EVA foam pads to protect surfaces from scratching
- Somewhat heavy
- Size (inches) 108 x 60 x 0.6
PureX Table Tennis Conversion Top
The PureX Table Tennis Conversion Top comes with an excellent package, as well as a matching price tag.
Then again, the quality of the craftsmanship is undeniably high, and you do get everything you need to set it up and start playing right out of the box.
The purchase includes not only the top itself, but also a competition clamp, a net set, couple of paddles, three balls, as well as foam padding in the shape of two support blocks.
The top fits any standard 8’ pool table, with a couple of inches to spare.
- Excellent craftsmanship
- Plenty of padding
- Comes with a 1-year warranty
- Expensive compared to other options above
- Very sturdy but heavy
- Size (inches) 108 x 60 x 0.6
Buying Guide: How to Choose a Table Tennis Conversion Top
If you’d like to know more about ping pong conversion tops, check out this comprehensive guide to choosing one.
Assembling
This refers to the way the top mounts and stores away.
Typically, it’ll be as a 2-piece set, with net clamps serving as levellers.
Some tops might be foldable, with integrated hinges, which is somewhat more convenient as it doesn’t require levelling.
Dimensions
When checking out the dimensions of your table tennis conversion top, you should be aiming for optimal compatibility, meaning you need to get something that will be able to fit a wide variety of flat surfaces.
Most conversion tops will have no problem being mounted on pool tables or dining tables, while some, such as the Stiga table tennis conversion top, can even fit some air hockey tables.
Typically, the longest a ping pong conversion top will run is 108 inches, which should fit a 9-foot pool table.
That said, even if your dining or pool table is longer than that, you shouldn’t have too many issues (assuming you’re using it just for fun).
Just keep in mind that the paddles may very well catch the table on the upswing, so be careful.
On that same note, the ball may bounce of the end of the table rather than the top, so make sure you have a rule for that eventuality beforehand.
It’s worth noting that a regulation size ping pong table is 9 x 5 feet (or 108 x 60 inches).
While we’re crunching numbers, we should also point out that you need to take the dimensions of the room into consideration – make sure it’s spacious enough to allow players enough room to maneuvering, serving and returning (about 12 x 8 feet should do it).
Padding
Padding is essential only as long as you care about what you put underneath your conversion top.
More often than not, it’ll be a billiard table, so you’ll definitely need some sort of protection to keep it safe from scratches and dents.
Usually, you can expect some sort of foam padding with your purchase, either integrated into the top (rarely) or coming in the shape of detachable pads/strips that you need to place before mounting the top.
On a similar note, you’ll need to consider the system you’ll be using to fix the conversion top to whatever you use as the base.
Some tops will rely on their own weight to remain fixed, but more often than not, they do come with convenient clamps to hold everything down firmly.
Be careful, however, when measuring everything, as the clamps will indeed damage your pool table if it’s wider than the conversion top.
Maintenance
The maintenance of a conversion top is rather minimal – all you need is a cleaning fluid of your choice (nothing too abrasive) and a cleaning cloth.
Also, you’ll need to find a dry and secluded area to store it, so as to avoid any damage.
That said, in case you’re mounting it on your pool table, you can just leave it on full-time and remove it when you want to shoot some balls.
Accessories
This refers to all the odds and ends that may or may not come with the top – typically, you can expect a net set (the net itself and posts for installing it) to come with the purchase, but some manufacturers sell it separately.
This is rare, fortunately.
Another rare occurrence would be getting paddles and balls with your purchase, so if you come across such a deal, don’t hesitate to grab it.
You can never have too many paddles and balls.
If you need any help choosing the best table tennis conversion top for your needs, or would like us to provide a review on a different conversion top, drop us a comment below and we will do our best to help.
