How to choose a table football table: the complete guide
Few games bring people together quite like table football. It feels just as at home in the living room as it does on the patio, in a hotel, a holiday let or the break-out area of an office. That said, there is a world of difference between a tabletop model for the kids, a family table, a coin-op pub table and a top-of-the-range outdoor one, in terms of quality, use and price alike. This guide walks you through it, one criterion at a time, so you can buy with confidence.
Contents
- At a glance: which table football table should you choose?
- Indoor or outdoor table football: what are the differences?
- The 7 criteria for choosing the right table football table
- Table football for the home: sociable fun for everyone
- Table football for professionals: hotels, holiday rentals, businesses and public spaces
- How much does a table football table cost?
- The Cornilleau selection: stylish outdoor table football tables
- Technical specifications of Cornilleau table football tables
- Essential accessories for your table football table
- Care and durability: making your table football table last
- Create your complete games area
- FAQ: your questions about choosing a table football table
At a glance: which table football is right for you?
Before you buy, get clear on a handful of things:
- Where it will live: indoors or outdoors
- Who will be playing: the family, a group of adults... or serious, competitive players?
- How often: the odd game with friends at home, proper practice, or day-in-day-out use in a business?
- Playing quality: rods, handles, how well the players are counterbalanced, and how the materials hold up
- The space you have: how much room is there to play with?
- Origin, warranty and durability: what really matters the day a part needs replacing
- Worth knowing: a good outdoor table works just as happily indoors.
Across this guide, we explain why each of these matters: an indoor-versus-outdoor comparison, the seven criteria that genuinely make the difference, the technical specifications in detail, home and professional use, the price brackets, and finally Cornilleau's own range of designer tables and the accessories that go with them.
Indoor or outdoor table football: what's the difference?
In a nutshell: it comes down to the materials. An indoor table, usually made of wood, doesn't take kindly to damp, temperature swings or sunlight. An outdoor table is built from treated materials that shrug off the weather and resist corrosion. The upshot? An outdoor model is perfectly happy indoors too, whereas an indoor-only table won't survive being left out in the elements for long.
The indoor table is the version most of us picture. In the UK, table football is part of the furniture in the pub, the students' union and the youth club, and has brought generations together around its rods; in France, that same cult status belongs to bistro models such as the Bonzini B60 and B90. These solid-wood tables are made for dry, sheltered spaces: a games room, a living room or a venue. Left outside, in the rain, sun or frost, the wood swells and warps and the mechanism starts to seize up.
The outdoor table, on the other hand, relies on composite materials and surface treatments that take damp, UV and temperature swings in their stride. It's the obvious choice for a patio, a garden, a poolside, a partly covered area or any busy, high-traffic spot. And because it's built tougher than most, it's every bit as at home indoors: you gain in versatility without giving anything up on the playing side.
| Criterion | Indoor table | Outdoor table |
| Location | Living room, games room, sheltered venue | Patio, garden, poolside, and indoors too |
| Materials | Wood and wood-based boards, sensitive to damp | Treated, UV- and corrosion-resistant materials, weatherproof |
| Standing up to the outdoors | Limited, prone to warping | High, built to be left outside |
| Upkeep | Keep it away from damp | Easy to wipe down, protective cover recommended |
| Versatility | Indoor use only | Indoors and outdoors |
The 7 criteria for choosing the right table football
Beyond where it will stand, seven criteria separate a table you'll tire of within months from one that lasts for years and brings the whole family together.
1. Playing quality
This is what really counts, and it lives in the technical detail. Four things are worth a close look:
- The rods: it's worth telling through rods, which stick out the far side of the cabinet, apart from telescopic rods, which stay within the table's footprint. The latter save space and cut the risk of knocks, which is a real plus with children around. The diameter (typically 13 to 16 mm) and the material (chromed steel, stainless steel) set the stiffness and how well they resist corrosion.
- The players: moulded plastic on entry-level tables, aluminium or cast metal on the better ones. The material shapes the feel of the ball, the precision and how long they last. Check how well the players are counterbalanced, too: set up properly, a player you let go sits level, which makes for clean passing.
- The playing surface: toughened glass, melamine, laminate or a softer covering such as Gerflex. The glide, the bounce and even the noise all follow from it. Too fast a surface makes the game unplayable; too slow and it feels sluggish.
- The cabinet detailing: angled side rails let you play lob shots, whereas straight ones leave the ball dead in the corners. Stainless-steel goals give that unmistakable sound when you score, and the abacus scorer keeps track of the game.
In Cornilleau's case, the Origin tables pair 15 mm stainless-steel telescopic rods with aluminium players in black and white, a Gerflex playing surface on an HPL laminate base, angled side rails and stainless-steel goals.
2. Materials and durability
A wooden table has undeniable charm, but it's strictly an indoor affair. For outdoor or heavy use, go for treated materials that stand up to water and UV, with rods protected against corrosion. The busier the setting, the more robustness matters over looks alone.
Three parts make all the difference: the cabinet (MDF or solid wood indoors, compact HPL-type laminate outdoors), the legs (treated wood, powder-coated metal) and the fixings, which are easy to overlook and yet the first thing to rust outside. On the Origin tables, the cabinet is solid HPL laminate, the legs are treated Moabi wood and the fixings are stainless steel. The four legs sit on adjustable feet with 5 cm of travel, a must for levelling out an uneven patio or a garden that's slightly off-true.
3. Size and the space it takes up
There's a format for every situation:
- The tabletop table (which sits on a piece of furniture) and the mini table suit children and small rooms
- The folding table is easy to tuck away
- The giant table is a hit at events and parties
- There's also the 4-in-1 multi games table (table football, pool, table tennis, air hockey): handy for keeping the kids busy, though each function is a pared-down version. For genuine playability, a dedicated table wins every time.
- The classic, full-size 8-rod table remains the benchmark for the game as it's meant to be played.
- The 2-player, 4-rod table: for a quick, head-to-head duel.
A full-size adult table usually measures somewhere between 140 and 160 cm long, 90 to 115 cm wide and around 90 cm high. The measurement not to forget, though, is the rod overhang: with a through-rod table you need to allow up to 30 to 40 cm of clear space on each side. With telescopic rods, the rods don't stick out, so all you need is the footprint of the table plus room to move as you play. That's the case with both Cornilleau tables, which makes them a natural fit for tight spaces.
In practical terms, the Origin Outdoor measures 156 x 111 x 97 cm, with a 121.2 x 73 cm playing surface, while the Origin Duo Outdoor, made for two-player games, comes in at 90 x 111 x 97 cm with a 55 x 73 cm surface. The Duo frees up 66 cm in length, about the width of an armchair, without changing the width or the playing height.
4. Who's going to play
A children's table puts the emphasis on light weight and safety; a table for adults or the whole family on sturdiness and comfort; and a competition-focused one meets precise requirements around dimensions, player weight and ITSF approval. Work out who'll play most before you decide. Player numbers count too: a full-size table seats four, whereas a compact format like the Origin Duo is built for one-on-one, with faster games in which the ball never stops shuttling from goal to goal.
5. The coin mechanism, for the hospitality trade
A table football with a coin mechanism makes sense where play is charged for and shared (a pub, an arcade, a club). For the home, a hotel, a holiday let or an office break-out room, a model without one, with a free ball return, is more practical and more sociable. That's the thinking behind the Cornilleau tables, designed for places where the game is on offer, not on the meter.
6. Design
Once purely functional, the table football has become a genuine design piece. Colours (black, white), timeless lines and a careful finish mean a designer table sits happily in a modern home or a smart professional space, and becomes a talking point rather than the game that ends up banished to the garage. The Origin tables come with a black or white body, warmed by legs in brown-pink-toned Moabi wood, and a clean silhouette that sets them apart from traditional tables. On the Duo, the wooden legs are built into the cabinet for an even sleeker line.
7. Warranty, durability and origin
A long warranty and the availability of spare parts tell you a great deal about how long a table will last. European manufacture, several years of warranty and an after-sales team you can actually reach all protect your investment, especially where use is heavy. They're also the surest sign a table can be repaired, and so kept going for the long haul.
The Origin tables come with a 5-year warranty and are repairable for 20 years: spare parts stay available for at least 20 years from purchase, through Cornilleau Services. They're designed by Cornilleau and made in France, and put through their paces in the lab and in real-world, sometimes extreme conditions, very much in the spirit of the brand's sustainable by nature approach and its French know-how.
Table football at home: bringing everyone together
For family use, go for a sturdy table in the right size for your space, matched to whoever will play the most. If you've got a patio or a garden, an outdoor model gives you the freedom to play indoors and out without a second thought for the table.
At home, table football brings every generation together. In a living room or games room it becomes a natural gathering point; on a patio or by the pool, it stretches out those long summer evenings. Families sometimes waver between a multi-games table and a dedicated one: if playability and longevity are what you're after, a proper table football wins hands down. And don't forget colour and design, because this is a table you'll see every single day.
Hotels
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Offices
Table football for professionals: hotels, holiday lets, offices and public venues
For professional use, sturdiness, safety and easy upkeep come first. A table in a busy, high-traffic spot has to take heavy use in its stride, cope with the conditions on site (indoors or out) and reflect the image of the venue.
Hotels, holiday lets, B&Bs, holiday parks, restaurants, businesses, start-ups, coworking spaces, residential developments, clubs and associations, youth clubs, cultural venues or sports centres: table football is a brilliant way to spark a bit of camaraderie and pull people in. In these settings, what matters most is how it stands up to heavy use, whether it can weather being left in a courtyard, how simple it is to maintain, the warranty and spare-parts backup, and, of course, the design, which feeds into both the customer experience and the brand image.
Two technical points are worth planning for early on: the weight (77 kg for the Origin, 58 kg for the Duo, and 160 kg and 112 kg respectively on delivery, boxed) and the telescopic rods, which keep anything from sticking out into a walkway and cut the risk of knocks in a busy space.
Cornilleau supports projects like these with a dedicated offer for professionals and showcases real-world installations by venue type in the Projects & Inspirations section. This is where an outdoor table really comes into its own: sited indoors or out, it takes the footfall and smartens up the space at the same time.
How much does a table football cost?
Prices run from around a hundred pounds for a children's toy to over 3,000 for a high-end outdoor model. Roughly speaking: under 200 for entry level, 200 to 800 for a good family table, and 800 to over 3,000 for the semi-professional, designer and hard-wearing outdoor end of things.
| Tier | Guide budget | Who it's for |
| Entry level (toy, tabletop) | €100 to €200 | Children, occasional use, small spaces |
| Mid-range | €200 to €800 | Families, regular indoor use |
| High-end, semi-pro, designer and outdoor | €800 to over €3,000 | Heavy use, outdoors, professionals, demanding players |
The pull of a cheap table is understandable, but a bargain price soon shows its limits: imprecise play, flimsy materials and spare parts you simply can't find. Over time, a hard-wearing, repairable table with several years of warranty often works out cheaper than something you have to replace after a couple of seasons. That's all the more true outdoors and in shared use, where the demands are far higher.
The Cornilleau range: outdoor tables with a contemporary design
Cornilleau designs outdoor tables in the Origin collection, made in France and backed by a 5-year warranty. They weather the elements and play just as well outdoors as in, with a clean design that sets them apart from the usual utilitarian models.
The range comes in two formats, each available in black and white. The Origin Outdoor table football keeps the full-size 8-rod format for the complete game, while the Origin Duo Outdoor table football, more compact, is built for two-player games and tighter spaces. See the whole range on the table football page.
| Model | Base price | Strengths |
| Origin Outdoor table football | €2,990 | Full-size 8-rod format, outdoor, contemporary design, made in France, 5-year warranty. Black or white. |
| Origin Duo Outdoor table football | €1,990 | Compact two-player format, outdoor, small footprint, made in France, 5-year warranty. Black or white. |
The technical specifications of the Cornilleau tables
For a side-by-side comparison, here are the full technical specifications of the two Origin models, in both the black and the white finish.
| Feature | Origin Outdoor | Origin Duo Outdoor |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Full-size, 8 rods, up to 4 players | Compact, two-player (1 v 1), 4 rods |
| Dimensions (L × W × H) | 156 × 111 × 97 cm | 90 × 111 × 97 cm |
| Playing surface | 121.2 × 73 cm | 55 × 73 cm |
| Weight | 77 kg | 58 kg |
| Weight (boxed) | 160 kg | 112 kg |
| Cabinet material | Solid HPL laminate | Solid HPL laminate |
| Body colour | Black or white | Black or white |
| Playing surface (covering) | Grey Gerflex on HPL base | Grey Gerflex on HPL base |
| Leg material | Treated Moabi wood, brown-pink | Treated Moabi wood, brown-pink, built into the cabinet |
| Players | Aluminium, black and white | Aluminium, black and white |
| Goals and rods | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Rod type | Telescopic | Telescopic |
| Rod diameter | 15 mm | 15 mm |
| Handles | Plastic | Plastic |
| Abacus scorer | Plastic | Plastic |
| Fixings | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Adjustable feet | 4 feet, 5 cm of travel | 4 feet, 5 cm of travel |
| Side rails | Angled (lob shots) | Angled (lob shots) |
| Included accessories | 5 natural cork balls (13 g), 5 plastic (20 g) | 5 natural cork balls (13 g), 5 plastic (20 g) |
| Warranty | 5 years, repairable for 20 years | 5 years, repairable for 20 years |
| Origin | Designed by Cornilleau, made in France | Designed by Cornilleau, made in France |
| Base price | €2,990 | €1,990 |
On each product page you'll find the assembly tutorial, the instructions, the technical sheet and the 3D files.
The must-have accessories for your table football
Every Origin table comes with 10 balls (5 natural cork and 5 plastic). A few accessories make the game better and help protect your investment. You'll find the lot on the foosball accessories page.
- Protective cover: a must outdoors. Made from black PPMFY, it straps on underneath the table and features pop-ups for better water run-off. There are two versions, the cover for the Origin (2 pop-ups) and the one for the Origin Duo (1 pop-up).
- Balls: switch the ball and you change the feel of the game. The cork balls (natural cork, 13 g) give a classic, quiet touch; the plastic balls (20 g) a quick glide and easy upkeep; and the semi-pro balls (20 g) tighter control, for players who want precision.
- Replacement handles: the round black handles (set of 8), 4.3 x 4.6 cm, refresh the grip or replace worn ones so the table feels as good as new.
Duo table football play-style outdoor white
Play-style Origin medium outdoor table - black
Play-style outdoor table - White
Duo table football play-style outdoor black
Play-Style additional drawer kit - Medium
Composite cue
Table football play-style outdoor - black
Billiard Origin outdoor - black
Upkeep and durability: how to make your table last
A little upkeep is all it takes to keep a table in fine fettle: clean the playing surface and the players regularly, throw a cover over it when it's outdoors and not in use, and replace wear parts as and when. A repairable model with parts on hand will keep going for many years.
For more, have a look at the product care tips and the detail of the guarantees. Spare parts stay available for at least 20 years through Cornilleau Services, which extends the life of your table and lightens its footprint. Just starting out? Our game tips cover the rules and a few tricks to help you raise your game.
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Build your complete games area
Table football pairs beautifully with the other games in the range. To carry on the sociable mood of a living room, a garden or a professional space, take a look at Cornilleau's pool tables and table tennis tables, in the same spirit of durable design. The whole Origin collection shares this design language. Ready to choose? Browse all the Cornilleau tables.
FAQ: your questions about choosing a table football
Can a table football be left outside all year round?
Yes, but only if it's a table designed for the outdoors, with materials treated against damp, UV and corrosion. An indoor wooden model would warp. Even so, on an outdoor model it's still wise to use a protective cover when it isn't in play.
Can an outdoor table football be used indoors?
Yes, with no restrictions at all. An outdoor table is tougher than an indoor one: it plays just as well in a living room or a hall as it does on a patio. It doesn't work the other way round, though, as an indoor model can't cope with the weather.
What size is a table football?
A full-size adult table usually measures 140 to 160 cm long, 90 to 115 cm wide and around 90 cm high. The Origin Outdoor measures 156 x 111 x 97 cm, with a 121.2 x 73 cm playing surface. The compact Origin Duo Outdoor measures 90 x 111 x 97 cm, with a 55 x 73 cm surface.
How much space do you need around a table football?
It depends on the rods. With through rods, allow 30 to 40 cm of clear space on each side. With telescopic rods, as on the Origin models, the rods don't stick out: the footprint of the table plus room to move as you play is all you need.
How much does a table football weigh?
A quality table is heavy, which is what gives it its stability. The Origin Outdoor weighs 77 kg and the Origin Duo Outdoor 58 kg. On delivery, boxed, that's 160 kg and 112 kg respectively, something to plan for in terms of access and handling.
What is Gerflex on a table football?
Gerflex is a playing-surface covering that gives an even glide and a quieter game than a hard surface. On the Origin tables it sits on an HPL laminate base, combining the playing comfort of the covering with the resilience of an outdoor-ready base.
What's the difference between a leisure and a professional table football?
A leisure table puts fun and sociability first, in a family format. A professional or semi-professional table is built for heavy use and higher playing quality (rods, counterbalanced players, robustness), sometimes with a coin mechanism for paid, shared use.
Which table football should you choose for a family with children?
Go for a sturdy, stable model in the right size for your space. If you've got outdoor space, an outdoor table brings welcome versatility. Telescopic rods are a real plus with children, as they don't stick out of the cabinet. Also keep an eye on rod quality and spare-parts availability so it lasts.
Do you need a table football with a coin mechanism?
A coin mechanism only pays off in paid, shared use, such as in a pub or an arcade. For the home, a hotel, a holiday let or a break-out room, a model without one, with a free ball return, is more practical and more sociable.
What budget should you set aside for a good table football?
Reckon on 200 to 800 for a good family table, and 800 to over 3,000 for a premium, designer or hard-wearing outdoor one. A model with several years of warranty that can be repaired usually offers the best value over the long run.
Folding or fixed table football: which should you choose?
A folding table is easy to store and suits small spaces or occasional use. A fixed model, sturdier and more rigid, offers better playing quality and a longer life, ideal for regular or heavy use.