Warning: this article breaks preconceived ideas!
Why choose a solid wood football table?
"A football table made of solid wood, it's an authentic, old-school football table, built to last with real, genuine materials!" That's what any purist who loves old-fashioned café foosball tables would answer. It's true that the first foosball tables in history were made from solid wood (pine, oak, beech, etc.) for the simple reason that the first manufacturers were all joiners, cabinetmakers, or carpenters.
Today, in France, we still see a strong attachment to this traditional, ancestral style. Manufacturers like Bonzini maintain this commitment to working with top-quality solid wood, a guarantee of quality and expertise.
A solid wood foosball table is a high-end product! A solid wood foosball table is an aesthetically pleasing product, appreciated for its "raw" feel and the unique design of its grain. It's a decorative asset in an interior that designers are constantly reinventing. Wood spans eras and fashions without ever losing its nobility. It's a luxury material that some manufacturers, like Sulpie table football, have mastered to perfection!
While the table football in solid wood are very beautiful specimens, full of authenticity and tradition, they are not without reproach either. Solid wood is heavy! Difficult to transport, this material requires maximum care in its transport and shaping. It requires special care when it comes to maintenance, but that's the case with all quality foosball tables! But other than solid wood, what other options do we have?
The advantages of an MDF plywood foosball table
On many recent table football tables, we are seeing a trend towards melamine-coated MDF wood. Composed of thin layers of plastic slats, this type of material offers many advantages, including lighter weight, increased resistance (especially to warping), easier production, and a wider choice of colors, all for a much more attractive price... it's hard to remain indifferent!
You might ask: yes, but what about aesthetics? The advantage of modern materials is that you can make them do anything! Want an oak-colored foosball table? Beech? Or pine? MDF wood foosball tables come in every color imaginable. And the wood imitations are so high-quality that you'd be fooled. But then, should we prefer them to solid wood foosball tables?
The true strength of a foosball table doesn't come solely from its materials...
Only those who play the ball several hours a week can understand: a quality foosball table is, first and foremost, a well-built foosball table! All the big names in table football have their preferred materials, solid wood for some, multi-ply for others, and all produce high-quality kickers recognized worldwide. There are even some that combine the two, as is the case with many Bonzini table football (plywood body, solid wood legs, etc.). What explains the craze for this or that material is the individual's tastes, expectations, and budget. There is no consensus on this. The real strength of a table football is, above all, the know-how it contains...
