Kettler Top Star XL Outdoor Review

The Kettler Top Star XL Outdoor is an outdoor ping pong table built with high quality materials that offers a very good quality of play. It features a completely waterproof sealed aluminum composite top that is the standard ITTF 9ft x 5ft dimensions. The top is anti-reflective and specifically engineered to have a true tournament quality bounce and to stand up to humidity and moisture changes.

The top is also extremely durable. It’s made of a precision engineered sealed aluminum structure with layers of treated resin for strength. The Kettler Top Star is an especially high quality outdoor table for a mid-tier price that is very reasonable. A nice added bonus is that this table ships with an accessory bundle that includes paddles, balls and an outdoor cover.

Specifications

• DLS Dual Lock Safety mechanism prevents accidental opening and closing
• Ultra smooth, anti-reflective and certified TRUE BOUNCE tournament top
• SPACE SAVER TECHNOLOGY with toght profile and low center of gravity for compact storage
• 7/8” patented, weatherproof ALU-TEC top with Climate-Control technology
• Large 5 1/2” dual wheel casters for easy and safe mobility. Two with integrated locking system.

The Playing Surface

The Kettler Top Star XL Outdoor is clearly a German-made table. It’s made with a high level of craftsmanship and precision. The highlight of this table is aluminum sealed composite table top specifically designed from the ground up by Kettler with climate control technology. It’s 7/8” thick, which for an outdoor table in the price range is very good.

The ALU-TEC indentations underneath the table are patented by Kettler as a way to control the expansion and contraction of the table due to temperature and humidity changes. Above the ALU-TEC aluminum underside is a layer of resin treated MDF, an aluminum sheet and then multiple layers of water-based coating that are UV and scratch resistant. This is a playing surface that can pretty much withstand anything and continue looking great and providing a good playing experience with a nice consistent bounce.

Convenience Features

Although the highlight of this table is the weatherproof top, the table also includes some helpful features that add value to the product. The DSL Dual Lock technology allows the table to be easily folded and unfolded without fear of the table coming crashing down. It does not require two people to fold or unfold this table which, unlike many other tables, is a great feature.

The table also features four 3 inch double wheel casters that allow the table to be easily moved into place with one person. The table feels very stable with both sides folded up and it also looks impressive exposing the indented aluminum underside. The table also features playback mode to allow you to easily warm up or practice against a wall for solo play.

Assembly

Very much like other tables by Kettler, buyers of this table have reported that it can definitely take some time to assemble. Unfortunately, the instructions are not the greatest. I would recommend checking online for a similar table by kettler to see the step-by-step video instructions. They are much easier to follow and will insure that you don’t put the table together incorrectly.

Potential Downsides

Probably the biggest downside with this table is the assembly process. The table ships with many different parts and putting it all together can be difficult for some. If you are not very handy, or stuggle to follow instructions, it might be a big challenge to correctly assemble this table. Other complaints about the table are related to the low quality rackets that ship with it. This should be expected when you buy a table with bundled rackets, but some people are surprised that they are low quality.

Conclusion

The Kettler Top Star XL Outdoor is an outdoor table built with high quality materials and precision german engineering. It’s a solid table that, despite it’s drawbacks, delivers an exceptional playing experience and a level of durability that is pretty hard to match. Kettler has really discovered how to built a quality outdoor ping pong table and this is a perfect example of why they are a market leader in this space.