An outdoor table tennis table is one of the best investments you can make if you’re looking for some extra entertainment to add to your backyard, deck, or other outdoor space. However, with so many options available on the market, it can be daunting as to what you should pick.
That’s why we’ve decided to review one of the best tables on the market for you. The Cornilleau Crossover 500M is one of, if not the best outdoor ping pong tables, and we will show you what makes it such an amazing bestseller.
Specifications
Before we take a deeper dive into what makes the Cornilleau 500M Crossover such a high-end outdoor table, we will first take a look at all of the specifications of the table to show you what you’ll be getting at a glance. For starters, this is a full-sized ping pong table so its dimension measures out to be 9 feet long by 5 feet wide. It stands at 2.5 feet high when fully assembled. This is a pretty hefty table and it comes in weighing about 158 pounds.
As for the playing surface itself, it is one of the thicker options when it comes to outdoor ping pong tables at 7mm thick. The tabletop is also made using an ultra-durable resin-laminate. This table has a pretty long assembly time and it took us about 90 minutes to put it together completely.
The legs and undercarriage are very durable and made from galvanized steel, while the frame is made from an aluminum/zinc alloy. The legs also come with adjustable leg pads and the feet are reinforced with steel crosspieces. The Cornilleau 500M sports four, huge 200mm double wheels, among other accessories.
This table has a central release handle on the underside with the undercarriage, which allows for easy folding and deploying. Additionally, this table comes with ball dispensers, a retractable net, playback mode, and a racket and ball holder.
Cornilleau 500M Overview
Now that you’ve gotten a look at all of the important parts of this most stellar outdoor ping pong table, we will now take a closer look at all of its features and specs. You will certainly see why it is one of the best outdoor tables on the market at the moment.
Tabletop and Playing Surface
We will start this review off by looking at what is perhaps the most important part of the table, the playing surface itself. First, we have to make note of how thick this table is compared to others on the market. The tabletop of this table is 7mm.
This is thicker than other outdoor tabletops. In fact, this is one of the thicker tables you can get. But why is thickness such an important factor, you might ask? Well, the thickness of the table is directly responsible for the quality of the bounces of the ping pong balls.
Something we have to keep in mind when looking at outdoor tables is that they will not be as thick as indoor tables that are made for competitions. The best indoor tables are 1-inch thick, while the 7mm surface of the Cornilleau 500M is a little over a quarter of that thickness.
This means that you will not be getting the tournament-quality bounce that you might be looking for. We found this table a joy to play on, it’s an excellent surface for people who are looking for the highest-quality outdoor table tennis tables.
The reason that outdoor tables are not as thick as indoor ones is because of the material they are made of. Outdoor tables need to be made out of sturdier, heavier materials in order to stand up to nature’s wrath, so to speak. Thus, they are usually made from some sort of aluminum mixed with something else. Meanwhile, indoor tables are made from some sort of wood, usually MDF.
Moving back to our review, thicker tables provide the best, most consistent bounces and the 500M by Cornilleau is one of the thickest outdoor tables on the market. This makes this table excellent for consistent play across the board and is an excellent choice for those who are looking for an outdoor table that closely resembles an indoor table’s bounces as much as possible.
The tabletop of the 500M is made HPL which stands for High-Pressure Laminate. It is a weather-resistant material that was made to withstand anything nature can throw at it from rain, snow, or frost. What’s more, is that this material is extremely durable and is quite resistant to physical damage as well.
Unless you’re taking a sledgehammer to your table for some reason, you’ll find it won’t break easily. Additionally, the tabletop’s material makes it resistant to color fading caused by UV rays. To add to the durability of this tabletop, it is also reinforced with a non-corrosive aluminum/zinc alloy frame.
Between this and the material, the tabletop itself is made out of, you can leave this table outside all year and probably wouldn’t see much if any damage at all to your table. The only thing that could really put a dent in it is if a big tree branch fell right on top of it.
Also, if you’re worried about children harming themselves on the sharp corners of this table, you need not worry. The Cornilleau 500M comes with rubber corner protectors for each of the four corners so that children and others won’t be harmed by the corners
Frame, Undercarriage, and Legs
Obviously, the tabletop is an extremely important part of the 500M. But, if the tabletop doesn’t have anything strong to support it, then why even bother? Thankfully, this is not a concern with this table. The 500M has one of the strongest frames we’ve seen on an outdoor table allowing it to stand up to the fiercest of competitions and harshest of weather conditions.
The legs of this table are wider and thicker compared to the legs of other outdoor tables, making them more durable than competitors. Most tables have simple steel legs that are pretty thick but don’t offer anything near the amount of protection seen with the 500M. Additionally, the feet of these legs are reinforced with steel crosspieces and wider than normal for extra support. It would take a lot to knock this table over.
A feature that comes standard with all great outdoor tables, this one also has leg levelers. They’re a bit different from normal ones. Rather than pulling on a cumbersome piece at the end of the leg, the wide feet of the Cornilleau 500M can simply be twisted to their desired height.
Wheels
Another extremely important thing to look for in an outdoor ping pong table is the wheels. All high-quality tables, be they indoor or outdoor, will have some sort of wheels for easy transportation the best outdoor tables will have larger wheels so they don’t get stuck easily on uneven terrain.
The Cornilleau 500M excels in the area of wheels because of its oversized twin wheels on each side of the table. These wheels measure a whopping 200mm in diameter. These are some of the largest wheels you can get on an outdoor table and they offer a lot in the way of flexibility and mobility. We found it super easy to move the table around in the grass and dirt.
Bumps and inclines were no problem, thanks to these amazing wheels. On top of all of this, these wheels come with very strong locks on them to prevent your table from jostling around during play. We found that unless you’re intentionally trying to shake the table a lot, this table barely moves from the little bumps and stuff that occur from normal play.
Foldability and Playback Mode
Another important aspect of any good ping pong table is the ability for the table to fold up for ease of storage or for playback mode. This table is simply amazing when it comes to folding, much like the rest of this table’s features. The Cornilleau 500M comes with something that is known as an Integrated Double Security (DSI).
What this means is that this table has an easy release and lock handle on the underside which allows the table to effortlessly fold and unfold. There’s nothing complicated that needs to be done to get this table stored or ready for play. We found this feature to be a very excellent addition as we didn’t have to fumble around with the legs or any other parts while trying to set up the table once it was assembled.
This also means the playback mode of this table can be easily accessed. Because the overall foldability of this table is so seamless, it’s very easy to get playback mode ready in a few seconds. Also, for those wondering what a playback mode is, it is basically the ability of the table to fold one half up so you can practice by bouncing shots off of the folded up part of the table.
Net and Post Set
The net on the Cornilleau 500M is the definition of ease and convenience. With many ping pong tables, the net and post set must be installed and removed separately every time you want to play, but with the 500m, you have access to an integrated net and post system that, once assembled on the table, is retractable.
Essentially, when you close the table, the net and post set will easily and automatically swivel in-between the two halves of the tables. This keeps the net safe and stored for its next use. We found this feature to be extremely convenient as we didn’t have to worry about finding a place to store the net separately from the rest of the table. Nor did we have to worry about constantly taking the net on and off of the table when we were finished playing.
Other Accessories
With the Cornilleau 500M being such a premium table, it should be no surprise that it comes with a myriad of excellent extra features and accessories. For instance, this table comes with convenient ball holders and dispensers. The ball holders are located on either side of the middle of the table and hold up to 4 balls on each side.
The ball dispensers are located at each end of the table and while they can only hold one ball at a time, they’re an excellent little touch that adds a lot of conveniences. The 500m also comes with paddle holders! This is a feature that’s uncommon in ping pong tables. In fact, it’s the first time we’ve ever seen a table with this feature among the ones we’ve reviewed.
Right next to the ball holders on each side of the middle of the table, there are spaces to hold two ping pong paddles each. This is a cool little feature that is not really seen on other tables but be wary if you’re storing this table outside. Ping pong paddles are generally not weatherproof or waterproof at all.
10 Year Warranty
Because of how expensive this table is, it makes sense to be on the lookout for a warranty. Thankfully, Cornilleau backs up this model of outdoor ping pong table with a 10-year warranty. This guarantees that this table is of high quality and if you aren’t satisfied or find that certain parts are broken, you can talk to their fantastic customer service about getting replacements.
Final Thoughts on the Cornilleau 500M
This table is one of the most, if not the most high-quality outdoor ping pong table we have had the pleasure of using. Everything about this table is amazing, the thick laminate playing surface provides excellent bounces that can only be beaten by a professionally made indoor tabletop, the frame and undercarriage are very sturdy, extremely durable, and resistant to corrosion.
The easy foldability, the mobility from the oversized wheel, and all of the little extra features and accessories make this table a must-have for people that are serious about buying an outdoor ping pong table. There are so many things about this table that just ooze quality and convenience. It offers a lot and therefore is an excellent investment. The only real problem you might find with this table is its price point.
It is one of the more expensive outdoor ping pong tables on the market, especially when compared to some of the more affordable options made by brands like Stiga and Joola. That being said, if your budget allows it, this is the perfect outdoor table tennis table.
The History of Cornilleau
We’ll end this review with some backstory on the Cornilleau table tennis brand. The company was founded all the way back in 1946 in the town of Oise in Northern France by Emile Cornilleau. Originally, the company was a joinery workshop that produced things like stairs, doors, and door and window frames. This is a far cry from what we know the brand for today.
It wasn’t until the year of 1969 that the company would begin creating ping pong products. During this year the leisure market was absolutely booming and one of the biggest department stores in Paris wanted to capitalize on this by distributing ping pong tables.
It was then that this department store, the Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville, also known more simply as the BHV sent a request to the Cornilleau company to make ping pong tables for them. The company seized this opportunity and sent over three prototype tables to the BHV.
They were thrilled with them and asked the Cornilleau company to make three hundred of these tables by Christmas. This news they received in May and since they were still a relatively small joinery workshop, this was a challenge for them. Emile Cornilleau, the founder of the company, listened to his son’s advice and ended up spending all of his savings on machines made to help manufacture ping pong tables.
This ended up being an excellent decision and helped solidify the company as an excellent ping pong table manufacturer. However, they didn’t want to be just a manufacturer and now had every intention of becoming a brand name for ping pong. Cut to 1982, the ambition to become a brand was strong and Pierre Cornilleau, Emile’s son, needed a way to develop a high-quality, professional image for his brand.
To that end, Pierre managed to make Jacque Secretin, a European champion in 1976, sign a partnership with his brand. With his expertise, the Cornilleau sports brand would be able to design amazing competition tables. In 1988 people all over France had fallen in love with outdoor sports and, therefore, the demand for outdoor ping pong tables had grown high. However, there weren’t many affordable options for normal people.
That’s when Cornilleau invested in new technology: solid laminate. This would revolutionize the way outdoor ping pong tables were made and solidify Cornilleau’s place as a great brand along with their popular competitive tables. Cornilleau continued to create innovative ping pong products and they still do to this day!
