STIGA STS 420 Review

The STIGA STS 420 is a high-end indoor table with a full 1-inch thick table top. This table is right in between the mid-tier and premium price point and offers an excellent tournament quality playing experience at a decent price. The thick playing surface, high quality components and nice selection of convenience features make this table a top choice for intermediate to expert players who are looking for an indoor-only table.

Specifications

• Includes a 2½” powder-coated steel apron
• Integrated ball storage
• Corner protectors
• Tournament-Grade Table with QuickPlay Chassis for Easy Assembly
• 1” Thick Table Top with Silk-Screened Striping
• 2.5” Legs with Leg Levelers and 5” Mag Wheels with Locks
• 72” Premium Clipper Net and Post System Included
• wheel locks
• self-opening legs
• additional H-style cross-brace support
• For Indoor Use Only

STIGA is a market leader in table tennis equipment, has been in business for more than seventy years, and is sponsored by the national table tennis teams of both China and Sweden.

Table Construction

The STIGA STS 420 is constructed out of high-quality wood that has been sanded and treated with ultraviolet filling, then covered with several coats of specialty paint to ensure that it will last a long time. The thick 1-inch playing surface meets the ITTF regulations for tournament-quality performance. The surface is striped with silk screen printing to make it smoother and thus easier for players to play on. Weighing in at over 300 pounds, the table is extremely solid. The frame, undercarriage and legs are made a of heavy-duty steel construction giving the table tournament-quality stability.

Playing experience

Playing ping pong with the STIGA STS 420 is sure to be much smoother and more consistent than it is with other table tennis tables. It is certainly easier to control the direction of the ball since it bounces off a smooth and consistent 1-inch thick surface. The materials and quality of workmaship of this table are apparent the first time you play on it. The table eliminates all issues with areas that have an inconsistent and non-standard bounce, often called “dead areas”, that are common in tables made with cheaper materials. It’s clear that it’s a table for serious and competitive table tennis players.

Convenience features

STIGA has added many attractive features to this ping pong table, some of them to make playing more convenient, others for the sake of safety. The powder-coated steel apron, which is coated for a long-lasting finish, keeps the table sturdy and stable during play. The four corner protectors keep people from bumping into and hurting themselves on the sharp corners, a danger that is especially important in families that have young children who can bang their heads there. The legs, equipped with heavy-gauge steel levelers that can be used to keep the STIGA STS 420 level no matter how uneven the floor is, are designed to deploy automatically when the table is being opened and closed. These levelers can be screwed and unscrewed to various heights.

A set of safety leg clips locks the table in place when it is folded. The table tennis table also has five ball-bearing mag wheels with sport tread, allowing the table to roll smoothly over a floor of any surface type. These wheels can be locked when the table is fixed in place.

At each end of the table is an apron for the balls that runs the entire table width. There is room for up to around forty table tennis balls. STIGA has devised a novel method of printing the ink onto the surface to prevent it from interfering with play.

Assembly process

Another feature that makes the STIGA STS 420 so convenient is the way the QuickPlay chassis is pre-assembled in the package, thus minimizing the amount of assembly work that you have to do yourself. Basically, all you really need to do is to attach the legs to the table top and set up the net, and you are ready to start playing ping pong with your friends. According to one buyer, assembly required only four bolts and sliding the table top halves into the base of the table’s frame. After screwing in the leg levelers, they were ready to play.

Potential downsides

The biggest downside with the STIGA STS 420 is the shipping process. Many customers have complained of parts coming broken or bent, usually due to issues during shipment. With a shipping weight of of nearly 370 pounds, this table could potentially be crushed under it’s own weight. This is definitely something potential buyers should keep mind and always remember that you can refuse to sign for a product that was damanged during shipment. Additionally, STIGA has a great track record of handling quality assurance and customers issues having to do with broken components during the shipping process.

Conclusion

The STIGA STS 420 is a premium, tournament quality, indoor-only table from one of the biggest, most recognized brands in table tennis. It is built with extremely high-quality materials and designed specifically for competitive play by aggressive, forceful players. This table allows players to practice and compete with one another at a very high level. We highly recommend this table for serious ping pong players.