The Best Ping Pong Balls for Table Tennis

Ping pong is a fun sport to play. Watching professionals play can be intimidating if you are starting out for the first time and thinking of going pro, but don’t panic. Like anything in life, you must practice to succeed, and when learning to play table tennis, there can be nothing more important than acquiring the right paddles and the right balls. Of course, balls used in this sport are round, they have a certain diameter to them, and they should have a quality bounce, but surprisingly there’s a little bit more to that. Here, we have collected some of our favorite balls, from the ones that professionals use to others that are colorful and fun.

Purchasing Ping Pong Balls

When shopping for a set of ping pong balls for your next table tennis game, consider these factors:

• Veer & Diameter: The ball should be spherical and 40mm in diameter. The ball shouldn’t veer as well. Veer is another measure of roundness but also measures the difference in thickness. You can test this by rolling the ball down an incline and seeing whether it rolls straight down or diverges left or right.
• Material & Color: Most ping pong balls are made of celluloid or other similar plastic material. For professional use, they should be either white or orange in color, so they can be highly visible. If you are looking to just buy some balls for your basement game room, then most of these rules aren’t too important to obey. There are balls that can be found in multiple colors, and there are others that glow in the dark.

Best for Beginners: KEVENZ 60-Pack 3 Star Ping Pong Balls

For beginners, we like this 60-pack three-star ping pong ball from the company KEVENZ. It’s suitable for training, and the balls are durable, non-wobbly to create a reliable hit every time. They offer great bounce and superior spin control. There’s plenty of balls to go around, so you can use some for your ping pong robot or in your next beer pong tournament.

Best for Professionals: Butterfly A40+ 3 Star Table Tennis Balls 

Butterfly is a reliable brand that is consistently a sponsored ball used in World Table Tennis Championships by professionals. The perfectly round balls are regulation size at 40mm and are the same thickness on all sides, creating a very consistent bounce. These three-star balls closely resemble the bounce of traditional celluloid ping pong balls, and you can purchase this pack in a set of three, six, or twelve.

Best Color Variety: KEVENZ 60-Pack Ping Pong Balls

Another entry from the company Kevenz, this 60-pack is not ITTF approved and cannot be used professionally but is a fun choice for group home games. There are seven assorted colors, including rose red, pink, light blue, yellow, orange, purple, and blue-gray. This large pack provides you with plenty enough ping pong balls to have for party favors, beer pong games, or recreational game nights.

Best Value Option: KEVENZ 60-Pack 3 Star Ping Pong Balls

For the best bang for your buck, we recommend this 60-pack of three-star ping pong balls. This bulk option comes in all white and has an accurate weight, standard thickness, and the hardness of the ball is relatively high. The left and right hemisphere thickness of each ball is the same, creating a balanced design This is a great option if you are on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice quality.

Best Glow-in-the-Dark: Franklin Sports Table Tennis Balls

If you don’t want the fun and games to end when the sun goes down, then you will love these glow-in-the-dark balls from Franklin Sports. They are tournament size, are easier to see during fast play, and provide better control. They offer the perfect flight and a killer spin with every hit that will land your ball right where you want every time. These table tennis balls are another fun choice for any ping pong player regardless of your age.