The Sportcraft Anywhere Table Tennis set is a simple kit that will turn any table into a table tennis table. It is easy to use and a great way to keep your kids busy for hours.
The kits consists of two posts with integrated net, two paddles, 3 balls, and a nylon mesh bag to store the set up in. The kit is light weight, compact, and could easily fit into a suitcase for travel.
Set up is simple. The net is 63.5 inches, is spring loaded, and retracts between the two end posts. It has enough slack to easily fit on a five-foot wide table. The bottom of the posts can be hitched onto a table top with a thickness of up to two inches. Ideally, having a lip of 1 to 1 1/2 inches is ideal, but a 1/2 inch lip is good enough to hold the net stably. The part of the posts that grip the table are rubberized, but you still might want to have a cushion of paper or cloth between the table and the post to avoid scratching.
Once the net is set up, you can start playing. The game will be more authentic if your table is smooth, hard, and closer in size to a regulation table tennis table. Smaller tables may be more challenging and a rough or irregular surface may make the game less like real table tennis. But even though your table might not be up to the Olympic standards, this doesn't seem to take away any of the fun of the game. I initially set this up on our dining room table because it was the largest table in the house. I made the decision to leave a thin tablecloth on the table, to avoid damage from the posts and scratching from the bouncing of ping pong balls. The tablecloth slowed down the game just a bit, but did protect the table's surface and the kids didn't seem to mind. The slight cushioning from the tablecloth slowed down the game a bit. That might seem like a liability, but actually made the game more playable for my eight year old, who otherwise might not have been as competitive. I tried it on two smaller sized tables and the results were different in terms of play but had the same fun factor.
The posts and the net are solidly constructed. The paddles are decidedly mediocre: you could certainly purchase higher grade paddles if you were interested, but these were just fine for those of us who only casually play the game. The balls are somewhat thick walled, a little slower, and a little less bouncy than your usual ping pong ball. Even so, they were more than serviceable for the purposes of playing table tennis and the thickness made them a little more kid-friendly when it comes to breakage.
All in all, the kit worked better than I had imagined. I was pleasantly surprised and my kids were occupied for hours. I received this set through the Amazon Vine program, but the pricing looks appropriate. A great time was had by all--Recommended.