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The Best Ping Pong Balls for Table Tennis

A young man holds a ball and a racket in his hands.
Goncharov_Artem/Shutterstock.com

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

A group of 60 yellow ping pong balls with blue lettering that are evenly aligned.
KEVENZ

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 Beginners

KEVENZ 60-Pack 3-Star 40+ Orange Table Tennis Balls,Advanced Ping Pong Ball

These durable, orange ping pong balls offer great spin and consistent bounce.

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

Pink and white packaging of three different ping pong packs.
Butterfly

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 for Professionals

Butterfly A40+ 3 Star Table Tennis Balls - 40mm - White - ITTF Approved - Poly 3 Star Ping Pong Balls - Official 2018 World Table Tennis Championships Ball

These ping pong balls are the official ball of World Table Tennis tournaments and come in a variety of packs.

Best Color Variety: KEVENZ 60-Pack Ping Pong Balls

A group of colorful ping pong balls.
KEVENZ

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 Color Variety

KEVENZ 60-Pack Ping Pong Balls, Assorted Color Table Tennis Balls, Multi-Color Pong Balls for Pong Games, Arts and Craft, Party Decoration and Pet Toy

If you are looking for some more color in your life, this bundle of colored balls will get you there.

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

A group of 60 white ping pong balls with blue lettering that are evenly aligned.
KEVENZ

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 Value Option

KEVENZ 3 Star Ping Pong Balls, 60,120 or 12 Pack Advanced Table Tennis Balls,Bulk Outdoor Ping-Pong Balls

These perfectly balanced and long-lasting ping pong balls are a great affordable option.

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

People playing ping pong in the dark with a glow-in-the-dark ping pong ball.
Franklin

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.

Best Glow-in-the-Dark

Franklin Sports Glow in The Dark Ping Pong Balls - Official Size + Weight 40mm Table Tennis Balls - One Star Glow in The Dark Ping Pong Balls - Durable High Performance Balls - Green - 6 Pack

These one-star ping pong balls have a seamless design and glow-in-the-dark material that provides players with fun all night long.

Omid Khanzadeh Omid Khanzadeh
Omid is a freelance writer for LifeSavvy. He studied psychology and creative writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, and his work has been featured in publications such as Allied Forces Press and various STEM textbooks. He enjoys playing soccer and watching old kung-fu movies. Read Full Bio »
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