For whoever is lost in the 18mm-thickness table category, this Stiga Advantage Pro Vs Joola Inside 18 Review can help you make a wise purchase.
If you love the idea of a top-quality ping-pong table for professional practices yet are still budget-friendlier than the 25mm thickness tables, Stiga Advantage Pro will satisfy you like no others.
On the other hand, Inside 18 well earns its runner-up title with its strong frame and undercarriage and a solid performance in all aspects.
Keep scrolling to learn why I consider Stiga Advantage Pro a better investment than Joola Inside 18.
Stiga Advantage Pro Vs Joola Inside 18: Comparison Chart
Stiga Advantage Pro Vs Joola Inside 18: Differences
The winner: Stiga Advantage Pro (3-0)
Advantage Pro’s win is persuasive considering its 4in caster wheels and 2in leg levelers. On the other hand, Inside 18 is marvellous with its sturdy frame and undercarriage.
Steel table legs & leg levelers
The winner: Stiga Advantage Pro
For some unknown reason, Advantage Pro has slightly bigger table legs (1,58’’) than Inside 18, which doesn’t make much difference to me. If I stop right here, you will not know why I chose Advantage Pro to be the winner.
What makes the table legs design of Advantage Pro unique is its leg levelers, which are 2’’ instead of 1.5’’ like Inside 18’s. That means Advantage Pro is more adaptive to players of different heights than the latter.
And for an indoor/household ping-pong table, being compatible with all family members is undoubtedly a critical point. I’m having a Advantage Pro in my living room right now. Apart from guests and friends, the table also welcomes my kids as keen players. That the 2 in-leg levelers make it possible for both adults and my kids to play sports inside is fantastic.
Steel aprons
The winner: Stiga Advantage Pro
It is a mystery to me why Advantage Pro chose to make its aprons 1.58in, different from the common 1.5in aprons of 18mm thickness tables. Nonetheless, I appreciate this feature.
Steel tube aprons may appear trivial, but as someone who has laid hands on quite a few tables so far, I suggest you not underestimate this feature. My family had stuck with a $200 table for a while before Advantage Pro came around. That table’s aprons were purely decorative, and not long after purchasing, the surface became warped up horribly, and its playability became intolerable.
So what appeared to be a good deal at first ended up being a waste of money, and I told myself to be wiser next time. Thankfully, Advantage Pro did me justice.
That’s why I’m telling you to pay close attention to steel aprons as they are what make your purchase a sustainable one.
Weight
The winner: Tie
Inside 18 is 7kg heavier than Advantage Pro, which could be both advantageous and disadvantageous.
Judging from Advantage Pro’s thicker surface, the reason for Inside 18’s heavier weight could be the materials used to make its undercarriage, or its frame is heavier.
Could it be that Inside 18’s materials are sturdier than Advantage Pro? If the answer is yes, you can also expect a more robust frame and foldability (Although I hardly spot any differences).
Besides, the sturdier materials might suggest better preservation; then again, material is also a factor that decides the preservation, and we don’t know for sure what materials were chosen to make both tables.
On the other hand, the downside of heavyweight will prevail during transportation.
Regarding assembly, it won’t be problematic thanks to the design-wise 95% pre-assembled parts of both Advantage Pro and Inside 18.
However, moving them, especially Inside 18, maybe tricky if not for their caster wheels – which leads us to the next point.
Locking caster wheels
The winner: Stiga Advantage Pro
May I repeat myself, Advantage Pro is 7kg lighter than inside 18, and theoretically, Inside 18 should be the one with larger wheels. Yet it seems like Advantage Pro is ahead in this game with its 4in wheels.
To be fair, I don’t have any problem with moving Inside 18 around. But honestly, it’s definitely more satisfying gliding Advantage Pro on its fabulous 4in caster wheels.
On a side note, both Joola and Stiga did a fantastic job of ensuring safety during playing and storage by adding a locking system on each caster wheel of Advantage Pro and Inside 18.
Stiga Advantage Pro Vs Joola Inside 18: Similarities
Thickness
Both offer MDF-quality consistency and evenness like Stiga and Joola claim their products, hence the bounciness is marvelous.
This fantastic playability is thanks to the high-quality wood chosen for tabletop making, hence the multi-layered roller coat (Stiga)/silkscreen(Joola) on top.
Keep in mind, 18mm tables can lack certain sturdiness that is signature to the 25mm tables. However, I see the Stiga Advantage Pro as the balance point between the purely-leisure 15mm and the professional-level 25mm.
If you’re not ready to pay a sum for 25mm tables, landing with a 18mm one is certainly a safe choice.
Net and post set and self-opening legs
Both Joola and Stiga are loyal to the clamp-style net, it seems. The most significant benefit of this design is that you go through zero hassle setting them up, unlike fixed or screw-on models.
But if you think clamp-styled offers ultimate convenience, think again. There were complaints from customers in the past about the tension instability of clamp-styled net – the complaints are minor, but once you decide to go for it, you ought to accept both the good and the bad.
Convenience continues to be the priority for Advantage Pro and Inside 18 as they both possess self-opening legs. Some glides in and out, and your tables are perfectly ready to serve or nest in half for storage.
Play-back mode
Both Advantage Pro and Inside 18 have solo-player mode, meaning you can fold half in a fixed position to practice alone. This mode is enabled by the safety latch system, so don’t worry about flinching or gliding as there will be none.
We all know that the bouncing of play-back mode is not the same as when playing with another competent player, but again, if you want your table to be a household one, don’t skip the play-back mode that would work wonders for your children.
Quick Rundown of Stiga Advantage Pro
- TOURNAMENT-QUALITY INDOOR TABLE TENNIS TABLE DESIGNED FOR PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL PLAY – Features a 10-minute QuickPlay design that comes 95 percent preassembled out of the box for quick and easy setup.
- EASY AND CONVENIENT TRANSPORTABILITY – Effortlessly roll and transport table halves using 4” premium lockable casters for convenient storage and setup.
- PRO FEATURES PROVIDE EXCELLENT PLAYABILITY – Excellent playability with ¾”-thick table top with multiple roller coat finish and silk-screen striping.
- ATTACH AND REMOVE THE TOURNAMENT-GRADE NET WITH EASE – Easily attach and remove the tournament-grade 72’ clamp-style net and post set that includes tension and height adjustments.
Quick Rundown of Joola Inside 18
- TOURNAMENT-QUALITY INDOOR TABLE TENNIS TABLE DESIGNED FOR PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL PLAY – Features a 10-minute QuickPlay design that comes 95 percent preassembled out of the box for quick and easy setup.
- EASY AND CONVENIENT TRANSPORTABILITY – Effortlessly roll and transport table halves using 4” premium lockable casters for convenient storage and setup.
- PRO FEATURES PROVIDE EXCELLENT PLAYABILITY – Excellent playability with ¾”-thick table top with multiple roller coat finish and silk-screen striping.
- ATTACH AND REMOVE THE TOURNAMENT-GRADE NET WITH EASE – Easily attach and remove the tournament-grade 72’ clamp-style net and post set that includes tension and height adjustments.
Product Videos
Related Articles to Stiga Advantage Pro
- Stiga Advantage Pro Review: Stiga’s Indoor Tennis Table For Both Entry-Level And Intermediate Players
- Stiga Advantage Lite vs Pro: Compare The Differences And Similarities
- Stiga Advantage vs Advantage Pro Review: Which One Is the Better STIGA For Your Household?
Related Articles to Joola Inside 18
- Joola Signature vs Joola Inside Review: Inside 25 Is The Best Of All
- Joola Inside 15 vs 18: Which One Is The Better Version Of Joola Inside?
References:
- Stiga Advantage Pro from STIGA US: fromhttps://www.stigaus.com/products/stiga-advantage-pro-table-tennis-table
- Joola Inside 18 from JOOLA USA: https://joolausa.com/inside-18-table-tennis-table/
Ping Pong Start is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small Affiliate Commission. As Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.