Every time I think of foosball tables, I think of episodes of Friends at Joey and Chandler’s apartment. Chandler would give a “good game” at the end of a play against his roommate. The actors make playing the game look so easy and I’ve wanted a foosball table since their first game. However, have you ever tried to play a game of foosball?
Once I was in a friend’s rec room and he had a nice foosball table. My only friend and I pretended to be Joey and Chandler playing foosball. Since I had never played before, I had no idea how difficult it was. Seeing the small ball, move the players to the side and have them kick forward and also act as goalkeepers.
There are multiple factors in buying a table, including:
Budget: If you’re not going to play that much, you shouldn’t spend close to $1,000 or more. Personally, I wouldn’t spend more than a few hundred. Casual players like myself can get away with a cheaper quality table, and that was one of the determining factors for me. As a casual foosball player at parties, a $100-$500 table might suffice.
Who is it for?: When I bought my foosball table, I bought it for myself and my college friends. Knowing the people he was going to play with, he didn’t want to buy something too expensive. If you’re also a college student, I wouldn’t recommend shelling out $1,000 unless you’re going to build a competitive, professional team. Always make sure you buy for the people who will be using it the most and keep in mind if they are rough or soft.
Table Material: My friends and I are a bit rougher, so I opted for the durable plastic. I was afraid that a wooden table would scratch too easily and something made of particle board would break easily. There are products on this list that have particle board as the main material.
Players: The total number of men at the foosball table should be 11. While there may only be a few bars, we have been able to have a 2v2 game of foosball. It’s not always about playing 1v1.
Size – There are many different sizes available for foosball tables as they are not all the same height. If you are like me, a standard foosball table will be the only one that is the perfect height for you. Standard and full foosball tables are approximately 2 ½ feet wide with a length of 5 feet. For a regulation table, the measurements are about 30″ wide x 56″ long x 36″ high. Please keep this in mind during your search.
Goalkeepers: For the goalkeeper settings, there are two options. The first is a one-man goalie system and a 3-man goalie system. Every time he played, he noticed that the ball bounced and hit the two outside men, but it was nowhere near the goal. Then I realized that these two men serve as players to keep the ball moving rather than goalkeepers.
Before making the big decision, I asked myself these questions:
1. How small is my space?
Since I didn’t have much room to spare, a large table wasn’t in my sights. That’s why I bought a tabletop version.
2. Do I need a 1-man or 3-man goalkeeper setup?
Depending on your casual versus serious needs, you may prefer one over the other. Always make sure to check the options for the gatekeeper settings. I chose a three goalkeeper setup to make it more fun to keep the ball in play, rather than being too competitive and not fun.
The quality features I looked for in my search were the size of the foosball table, the overall design of this table, the assembly, and of course the reviews. Thanks to verified reviews, I was able to determine which foosball table is best for my lifestyle. The photos were also a big deciding factor in whether I enjoyed the foosball table aesthetic. Individual reviews of each foosball table also helped me determine the quality of the game.
Customers often look for a new foosball table because theirs has broken or hasn’t stood the test of time. While shopping for a foosball table for the first time, I understood the frustration of being overwhelmed by options. By reviewing the highest quality foosball tables on the modern market, I hope to help you make a decision that will last you for years to come.
While searching for the different types of foosball tables, I came across the two types of grades for foosball tables. These grades are known as home models and professional models, although some of the “home models” are built to professional grade standards. Tables like this are available at the consumer level, but they are a bit pricey, something I wasn’t really interested in, but was willing to try.
Higher quality pro tables will come with more features, like the levelers and scoring units I mentioned earlier. Accuracy is a key factor in playing foosball successfully. Any floor that is not flat will take a heavy toll on tables without levelers. If you’re someone who doesn’t like to lose easily like I do, you’ll want to keep the playing field as fair as possible.
Since I live in an apartment near my university campus, it is an old house. Since it’s older, I definitely needed to look for a table with some sort of leveling mechanism. Levelers play a very important role in the success of a table at home. By paying the extra to get more, I was able to ensure that everyone had a fair chance to win.
One main difference between all the tables other than the measurements is the number of men they have on the field. As I mentioned, there is a confusion between a single goalie system and a 3-man goalie system. This is what made the difference between “sold” and “no thanks” for me.
For those who won’t be using the foosball table much, but want to have one for family parties or college parties as we have mentioned, I would suggest buying one that is more compact and less professional. If you’re buying it for the younger kids at your family parties, a compact foosball table will suffice.
If your parties are anything like mine and consist mostly of fun and adventurous adults who love foosball, I suggest buying a larger table. In this situation, the table could be placed in the basement, garage, or backyard so it’s out of the way, but easily accessible.
Choose the best for your lifestyle
For those on a lower budget who don’t have a height preference, the best foosball table for you may be the compact Sport Squad FX40. For a limited time, it’s on the cheaper end. This is compared to the taller one I have mentioned and allows you versatility in height.
If you are looking to play on a professional level table and are on a tight budget, the best foosball table for your needs is the Tornado Sport Foosball Table. This table may be on the higher end of the price spectrum, but the rich mahogany will last you for years and allow you to choose your height.
I hope you have enjoyed reading and learning more about foosball tables and that you are ready to buy one.