Franklin Sports Table Tennis To Go

Any table up to six feet long can turn into a ping pong table in the time it takes to clamp on a net. Franklin’s Table Tennis To Go packs a retractable net, two paddles and two balls into a drawstring mesh bag, and the net stretches out to fit the table, then pulls back in when the game is over.

Sturdy clamps hold the net on the table edges, so the kitchen table, a dining table or a folding table in the garage all work. The whole kit comes in a package about 11 by 8 by 4 inches and weighs 1.4 pounds, which makes it easy to bring to a friend’s house, a rental cabin or a rec room. It also works as a replacement when a real table’s net tears or its paddles go missing.

It suits a teen who wants something active to do indoors and a family that has a big table but no room for a dedicated ping pong table. Two players and a flat surface are all it asks for, and setup is quick enough that a game can start during a commercial break.

The catch: it fits tables only up to six feet long, so rallies are tighter than on a full-size table, and the set includes just two balls. Ping pong balls disappear under furniture, so pick up a spare pack.