As a new player, you may have played a lot of table tennis at your friend’s place and noticed various different types of ping pong balls. Some may be orange, some may be white, and some of them may break easier than others. But, what are the best ping pong balls?
The first thing to look out for?
The feature you should first lookout for is the number of stars on the ball. Each ball will have a certain number of stars on them. These stars range from 1 to 3 stars and rank in the following order:
- 1 Star Balls: These stand for the lesser quality balls. These balls will break easily and will definitely be the cheaper option at a store. These balls can be useful when it comes to training, and a lot of balls are needed to work on strokes.
- 2 Star Balls: These balls are better quality and will be comfortably more durable. They will provide more consistent bounce and you’ll pay slightly more for them.
- 3 Star Balls: If you’re looking to play a high quality game of ping pong, these are the balls you should be looking to buy. They provide epic bounce and are hard and durable. Polyester balls are used in official competitions with ABS plastic starting to come into the fray. For obvious reasons, these are the more pricey balls on the market, and you’ll probably get them in packs of 3 or 6. These balls are most commonly ITTF approved, unless they’re made of celluloid.
If interested, we’ve written a piece comparing the different star ratings, as well as many other determinants of the quality of a ping pong ball.
Seeing as though we’re focusing on the best ping pong balls. We’ve made a table ranking our top 8 favorite 3 star ping pong balls – for each, we will provide a brief summary below the table.
| Ball | Type | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Butterfly G40+ Poly | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
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Nittaku 3-Star Premium 40+ Poly | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
 |
Killerspin Hardball 4-Star ABS 40+ | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
 |
JOOLA Prime 3-Star ABS | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
 |
GEWO Ultra SLP 40+ Poly | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
 |
Butterfly 3-Star Ball R40+ | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
 |
JOOLA Super-P Poly Ball | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
 |
XIOM Bravo 40+ ABS | 3 Star – Competition | Check Price |
Competition Requirements for Ping Pong Balls
For official tournaments, there are certain requirements for the physical aspects of a ping pong ball. Because of this, table tennis ball manufacturers have started only making balls to fit these properties – meaning most balls out there today fit the criteria. The following properties are required for a ping pong ball to be used in competitions:
- 40mm in Diameter: Ping pong balls should have a diameter of 40mm if they are to be used in competition play.
- 2.7 grams in weight: Ping pong balls should weigh between 2.67 grams and 2.77 grams to be ITTF approved.
- Balls must be perfectly round: Ping pong balls should be perfectly round as this helps with consistent bounce.
- Polyester balls are used: Most tournaments use polyester balls, but other materials can be accepted in different regional requirements. ABS is a material which is becoming more popular.
- Color depends on the table color: The most commonly used ball colors are white and orange.
Ping pong brands are coming closer than ever to manufacturing the perfect ball, and there is still a lot of experimentation happening when it comes to testing which material performs the best. A lot of ping pong ball selection comes down to personal preference when it comes to material.
Best Material for a Ping Pong Ball?
Different ping pong balls are made from various materials, with polyester being the material used most in tournament play. ABS is becoming a more popular material as it is easier to manufacture and shows similar attributes to polyester.
Celluloid is also a commonly used material. These balls are cheaper to make and also show seriously good performance in terms of bounce and durability. A lot people still miss the celluloid ball as it showed arguably the best bounce out of all the materials – while being really hard to break. Celluloid is however the most harmful towards the environment and is becoming unfavored because of that.
Different regions accept different kinds of materials for tournament play, but when it comes to large-scale events – you’ll find polyester being used the most.
Ball Reviews
We’ve provided a summary of each of our ranked balls, giving you an idea of the performance of each. These balls all vary in quality and performance, but each is an elite ball that is ITTF approved and is legal for competitive play.
1. Butterfly G40+
| Material | Polyester |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition (used in official tournaments) |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $$$ |
Butterfly’s G40+ is a new plastic ITTF approved ball which is perfectly round and has the same thickness at all points. The bounce closely represents that of a celluloid ball and is often used in official tournaments. This is our favorite ping pong ball on the market right now. This is one of the more expensive balls on the market.
2. Nittaku 3-Star Premium 40+
| Material | Polyester |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $$$ |
Nittaku’s Premium 3 Star has been a hugely successful competition ball and has become one of the most popular balls on the market. The Chinese polyester ball displays exactly what you’re looking for in terms of durability, bounce, and roundness, and is also used in official tournaments – especially in Asia. This ball is a close second in our rankings.
3. Killerspin Hardball 4-Star 40+
| Material | ABS |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $$ |
Killerspin’s Hardball 4-Star 40+ is an ABS ball that follows the innovation of the new generation of ping pong balls. This ball shows the bounce of an old-school celluloid ball, and the durable ABS helps with this. We wouldn’t be surprised to see more balls like this being used in competitions. The Hardball comes in at our number 3.
4. JOOLA Prime
| Material | ABS |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $$ |
We’re a huge fan of JOOLA as a brand and their Prime balls show the ideal characteristics in a ping pong ball. The ABS material produces great bounce as well as solid durability. This is an affordable, high-class ball that should definitely be considered when looking at your next batch of balls.
GEWO Ultra SLP 40+
| Material | Polyester |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $$ |
This is one of the newer ping pong balls on the market, and it is made by the German brand GEWO. The affordable polyester ball has used the latest technology to enhance durability, bounce, and consistent roundness. It is definitely worth having a look at our number 5.
Butterfly 3-Star Ball R40+
| Material | Polyester |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $$ |
A guaranteed performer, the Butterfly R40+ is a more affordable option than the G40+ mentioned above. This polyester ball isn’t used in official events like the G40+ is, but it still possesses the required properties of a ping pong ball.
JOOLA Super-P
| Material | Polyester |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $$ |
JOOLA’s Super P is one of their polyester balls that display great durability and perfect roundness. The Super P would be a perfect option if you’re looking for an affordable 3 star polyester ball.
XIOM Bravo 40+
| Material | ABS |
| Stars | 3 |
| Type | Competition |
| ITTF Approved | Yes |
| Price | $ |
Another new ball model is XIOM’s Bravo 40+. The ABS ITTF approved competition ball has used the latest technology in ping pong ball manufacturing to create a ball that is nearly perfectly round (no ball is 100%). This leads to superior consistency and great bounce. The Bravo comes in at the final number 8 but is still a seriously impressive ball.
Conclusion
Finding the best ping pong ball is always going to be a tough one, as it often comes down to personal preference. Many people have different tastes when it comes to the material used, but with modern manufacturing, brands are coming closer than ever to the perfect ball.
This list of eight balls are our personal favorites and they’re guaranteed to improve the state of your games!
