Hathaway Playoff Foosball Table Review

Are you looking for a foosball table for your kids? Or are you someone that wants to get into foosball without a big investment? If yes then Hathaway Playoff Foosball Table is the right one for you.

A few months ago I was looking for a foosball table for myself and my buddies. I didn’t want to invest $500-$1k on a tournament-style table as me and most of my friends are amateurs.

That is when I came across this table and I have to say that for its price being <$150 I am pretty impressed with it so far.

Hathaway Playoff Foosball table with its brilliant design, solid steel rods, comfortable handles, convenient abacus scoring system, sturdy legs with end panel supports, integrated leg levelers, and much more is the perfect addition to your game room.

My first thought when buying this table was that it would probably break in a month or two but I was proven wrong! It is made with compressed particle board and is pretty sturdy.

The assembly is not very difficult but if you’re working on it on your own it might take 2-3 hours so better be prepared for that. This is not a tournament-style regulation table and that is why is smaller in size but its compatibility is great as it fits in my drawing too easily without taking up too much space.

The playfield is super realistic with screaming and cheering fans on the side. The players are world-class and look super realistic they are however too close to the table, I will talk more about that later in the article.

The abacus scoring method is pretty convenient as we need not jot down every match’s score on a notepad. The soccer-style balls provide us with a very immersive experience as well.

Dimensions of this compact foosball table:

LxWxH	48x24x32 inches
Weight	23 kg

PROS and CONS of this sturdy foosball table:

PROS	CONS
1. Beautiful construction	1. Players too close to the table
2. A sturdy but lightweight cabinet	2. Pretty small size
3. Comfortable grip	3. Ball tends to bounce off
4. Leg levelers	4. Steel rods are pretty thin
5. Perfect for families	5. Ball returns are too small for adult hands
6. Money-back guarantee

Let us take a deeper dive into the PROS and CONS of our foosball table:

Pros:

Lightweight cabinet:

Our table is made out of a compressed particle board. It has a pretty low tolerance capacity and can break under heavy load plus it can expand due to moisture which is understandable as this is not a tournament or professional-style table.

It is lightweight which is practical for most people including me as it can easily be moved to any part of our home. The table is also surprisingly solid and sturdy at a weight of only 23 kg.

In my opinion, this is an amazing feature at a price so low. However, if you want a foosball table that would last you for years, I would recommend investing $500k-$1k on a professional level table.

Sturdy legs with leg levelers:

The table is not heavy-duty however it is sturdy. The legs are reinforced with leg panel supports which make it almost impossible for it to fall over. This is a great safety feature for when our matches get too heated.

The integrated leg levelers making playing on an uneven surface so much easier by ensuring a level playfield.

Realistic construction:

I was very surprised by the design of this table. It is very realistic with glossy graphics, mimicking an actual football field. The football stadium is filled with excited fans cheering on the very realistic ABS foosball players.

This is not an amazing or revolutionizing feature for me and my friends but my nephews who are 4 and 6 love it. It provides them with an overall immersive gameplay experience.

Abacus scoring method:

Don’t you just hate it when you have to write down the score after every single foosball match? Me too. But thankfully that won’t be a problem with this table. Its abacus scoring method helps keep score without us having to jot it down after every single match.

Hats off to the creators of this table for thinking of almost every feature needed to speed up gameplay.

Convenient grip:

The ergonomic handles provide for a very comfortable grip but one problem with them might be that they may be too small for adult hands.

Also, I found that the handles slip off during intense matches. But again, this is understandable as this is a starter table, not a tournament-level table.

Realistic ABS players:

The players are molded onto the steel rods and are made with ABS which makes them unbreakable and also they cannot be displaced.

A downside of these players is that they are too close to the table and their heads block the ball when they are turned upside down. I prefer a one-man goalie system instead of a 3-man one but it doesn’t make that big of a difference.

Cons:

We’ve talked about the table’s PROS, now it’s time to talk about some of the cons of our table. This is obviously not a tournament-style table as we’ve already mentioned but this means that it is very compact making it difficult for 4-adult to play on it.

Two-player matches are much easier. The steel rods are chrome plated, they are marketed as “sleek” but in my opinion, they are just very thin and will most likely bend over time which will hinder our gameplay.

The goal and the ball receiver are in front of each other and therefore if the ball travels too fast through the goal it might go through the ball receiver and off the table, this is a little annoying when it happens but this table isn’t made for professional-level games anyway so this isn’t something that takes place very often.

The ball returns are also too small for most adult hands but they are perfect for kids. But this isn’t that big of a deal because retrieving the ball is a little uncomfortable not super difficult.

FAQs:

Does the packaging come with a ball?

Yes, the table arrives with two balls that mimic an actual soccer ball. This shows us that a lot of attention was paid to the small details.

Is it too small?

The table can be big or small depending on who plays on it. It can be very small for 4 adults but the perfect size for 4 kids. It is smaller than regular foosball tables as it is a starter table.

Can you remove one of the three goalies?

No, you’d have to install all of the three goalies as they sem attached. However, the 3-goalie system prevents the ball from halting so it isn’t all that bad!

Would I recommend the Hathaway Playoff Foosball Table?

This is a starter foosball table great for both kids and adults. And it is perfect for families. The top-notch quality that it provides for such a low price is fantastic. My friends, nephews, and I have had an amazing experience with it so far and would recommend it to everyone.

However, as I already said this is a beginners’ table and won’t serve us in the way that professional style tables do. So if you want a table that is professional and will last for years on end I would recommend the Garlando F-200 Evolution, Garlando G-500, or the Garlando G-5000 Wenge Foosball Tables.

They also have telescopic rods which means that you won’t have to worry about your kids’ safety.

Conclusion:

In this article, we reviewed the Hathaway Playoff Foosball Table. Writing this review took me a lot of time and money so I would appreciate it a lot if you could share it with your friends and family. Feel free to comment any of your doubts or queries down below. Thank you!