Air Hockey Table

Air hockey is an extremely fun game to play and is pretty straightforward in how it’s played. However, due to the size of the table, it’s not an overly common game that people have in their homes. Usually people seem to lean towards the “cooler” game of pool, or more popular table tennis (ping-pong) if they are buying a game table for their home.

Air hockey is an easier game for younger children to play, and it can get quite competitive and quite fun as well. Even though the other tables (pool and table tennis) are more popular, that shouldn’t stop you from buying an air hockey table if you’d prefer it - for many it will be the right choice.

Go to the arcade and try it

If you’re not sure that you’ll actually play air hockey, I’d recommend that you go to the local arcade and try out the air hockey table they have there. Not every arcade has air hockey in it, so make sure you call ahead and make sure they have one. You may also find them at other entertainment locations that aren’t arcades but focus on things like bowling or laser tag.

Make sure to bring your kids and family to try it - you’ll obviously need at least one other person to play with. Give everyone a chance to play and make sure it’s something you’ll enjoy. All too often, we go into large purchases not really knowing for sure that it will be worth the money to get one. Air hockey is pretty easy to enjoy, but it’s still always better to make sure that the family enjoys it.

Figure out your space availability

Air hockey, along with pool and ping-pong, usually requires a pretty large amount of space for a decent table. There are smaller portable options as well which work fine, but are generally not as fun, especially for adults. If you’ve decided that you actually want an air hockey table, you’re going to need to make sure you have enough space for one.

A decent size air hockey table is going to be about 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. You’ll need a foot or so on each end to be able to stand as well. You can go with a larger table than this as well, and you can also go smaller. To find the right table though, you need to figure out if you have enough room for the biggest of tables or not. It will help to cut down your selection if you don’t have that much space available.

Determine your budget

As with any large purchase, you need to determine how much you’re able to spend before purchasing an air hockey table. The simplest of tables can be had for as little as $60 while the much higher end tables can go for over $2000. You’ll find all kinds of tables in between those.

The cheaper tables are generally going to be smaller, and will break more easily while the more expensive tables will usually be larger and more sturdy. Setting a firm budget for your purchase will help you to narrow down the options much quicker than just going in without a number in mind.

Buy an air hockey table

Once you’ve narrowed down what size table you can fit in your home, and how much you’re willing to spend, it’s time to buy your table. Below are a few ideas of what you can get:

• Table top air hockey table. This is a great option if you don’t have a lot of space for a table or if you don’t have a large budget. This can be set up and off to the side when not in use. We had a table exactly like this when I was younger and it definitely got good use.
• Mid-range air hockey table. This is a great option if you don’t have enough room or budget for a full size air hockey table. This gets you up off of the ground, but doesn’t take up nearly the same amount of space as a larger table. These tables are still a lot of fun to play as well.

• 3-in-1 air hockey table. If you’re looking to include more than a single game in your purchase, then a 3-in-1 table is an extremely economical option from both a space perspective and a price perspective. These are similar to your mid-range air hockey tables (maybe a bit bigger), but you obviously get both pool and ping-pong along with them. The two downsides to a table like this are that they are extremely heavy, and the games aren’t quite as nice as buying them separately. However, most people don’t have room for 3 separate tables in their home, so this is a decent compromise.
• Full size air hockey table. These are the most fun to play on for adults, and they are generally the most well made. They take up the most room and are usually the most expensive option. If you’ve ever played on a nice air hockey table like this though, you know that it makes a big difference.

Conclusion

Whatever you decide in terms of an air hockey table, make sure you put in the effort up front to make the best decision for you and your family. Air hockey can be a fun and exciting family activity.