Air hockey was a big hit in the arcades when it was introduced and has since gone on to become a firm favourite with gamers around the world. Recent advances in technology and the increasing rate with which homeowners are choosing to convert their existing free space into home recreation and gamerooms has lead to good quality air hockey machines becoming more widely available for the home gamer and what a great addition to your home game room one of these machines will make!

Air hockey is a fast paced, addictive game for two players, with very simple rules (at its hobbyist level) which makes it easy to just pick up and play for people of all ages and abilities from kids through to pensioners. Lightning reflexes and a ‘good eye’ are all that’s required here for your air hockey table to provide hours of fun.

But which air hockey machine to choose? As soon as you start shopping for an air hockey game table you will find there are a huge variety of machines to choose from all with their different pros and cons. The biggest difference you’ll notice immediately is the guide price which may range from £50 to £1000+ from one machine to the next. Which air hockey table is best for you? Read on, for some tips…

Air Hockey Table Dimensions

Your first consideration has to be to figure out how much space you can afford to give over to your new air hockey machine. The dimensions of a full sized air hockey table are around 90 inches long and 50 inches wide and can be bigger depending on the manufacturer…then you have to add a few extra feet either side for safe and comfortable play as both player will be moving around a bit and will not want to be whacking their elbows on other equipment.

Fortunately, there are other well made, smaller air hockey tables out there which means you can still enjoy playing air hockey without sacrificing your entire gameroom. In addition, there are many multiplay game tables which combined air hockey with other games such as snooker, pool and more into one table.

Who Is The Table For…?

The next question to ask yourself is “who will be using this table game?”. Perhaps you only want the table for your younger children…maybe for your teenager, or perhaps for yourself. Either way, you need to consider who will be using the table as this is a major factor in your purchasing decision. For younger children a more basic table might be preferable as indeed, they may not even be able to comfortably play on a full size air hockey machine!

For yourself and your older children a mid-range or arcade quality air hockey table might be the better choice, which you choose depends upon your standard of play and whether you think you might outgrow the lower level table before long. As your skill and usage increases you might find you want a regulation size arcade quality hocky table and if you think that is likely to be the case, it might be worth heading straight for one of these rather than wasting money on something you will outgrow.

Basic Level Air Hockey Tables

A basic air hockey table is pretty much only aimed at younger children and for light play. Adults are unlikely to get much enjoyment out of a table costing less than £100. These basic level hockey tables often have bolt-on or folding legs so they can be stored under a child’s bed or safely in a closet when not in use and some may only consist of the table top itself without any legs.

Most budget level air hockey tables air not really designed to be a permanent feature of any room (except maybe a child’s bedroom) as they are typically plasticy, not particularly robost and somewhat unattractive to look at.

For younger children, a basic hockey table might well be the ideal introduction to the game of air hockey but bear in mind, they will probably outgrow this pretty soon and a poor quality budget air hockey table at this stage might make them lose interest permanently.

Mid Range Air Hockey Tables

The mid priced air hockey tables are aimed at the hobby player who wants a little more quality from his/her machine but isn’t ready to go the whole hog for a full priced machine. These are great air hockey tables for the beginner to get acquainted with the game and many share at least some of the features of the arcade quality machines.

Air hockey machines priced around the medium price range may be top quality machines in smaller sizes, or full size average quality machines. At this level they typically have more powerful motors to ensure good air flow under the puck, more resilient playing surfaces to avoid scratches and dents which may hinder play and generally be of a better quality all round. These mid-level machines are typically more attractive to look at and can be used as a permanent feature of your game room rather than being designed to be hidden away when not in use.

High Quality Air Hockey Tables

When you get to the upper range of air hockey tables you are looking at some rather hefty looking price tags but you get the machine you are paying for.

These are typically aimed at big fans of the arcade tables, gameroom enthusiasts, professional and amateur players or anyone who wants to most from their home air hockey table.

An arcade quality air hockey table usually has a price tag to match its reputation but also guarantees years of fast paced, frenetic gameplay on a top quality arcade hockey table. If you can afford the price and have the room for a fullsize air hockey table then a top quality arcade hockey machine will give you the best airflow, hardest wearing playing surface, best cabinet build quality and regular defelctions from the side bumpers.

Most of the top quality machines also feature all the bells and whistles you’d expect which include electronic scoring, voice commentary, overhead lighting and other little add-ons to enhance your playing experience.