So long story short, I'm looking for a big hefty folding table to play Armada and other board games on to supplement another table that is just a tad too short to set up a game on. The main problem is that most folding tables are only about 30" across, so finding one that can hold a 36" deep mat has proven troublesome, and ideally I'd like a 6 feet wide by 4 feet deep table so each player has half a foot of personal space to set up all their cards, tokens, etc.

I've come across the following 3 tables and was wondering if anyone had experience with any of them:

https://www.gamemat.eu/our-products/folding-board/6-x4-g-board-portable-gaming-area-sold-out/ (as indicated in the URL, it's sold out for now but should be available again in April)

https://www.urbanmatz.com/p/237/6-x4-folding-table

https://firmerterra.com/purchase-now/

Additionally, if anyone has alternatives beyond these, I'm all ears.

Before anyone recommends making a table, that is a cool idea but I'd prefer a folding table for the time being. It allows our den to be used more flexibly and it's something I could bring to our FLGS for weekend events if we need more space to play.

I just use the kitchen table and a 6x4 piece of chipboard that stores in the garage.

I thought about three 4x2 tables that could be put together but the ones I saw each had a lip so I would still need the chipboard on top.

We just use 2x 3×4ft boards (so get a 6×4 and cut in half) that sit ontop on a table at our gameshop. The table can just be the average $20-40 folding table you can pick up anywhere.

We have a few types. The worst ones are literally just the boards, the best have fabric covering and lines :).

I have one of the alpha tables (won it at the Stele Open). It's decent, not as steady as I'd like, but they claim it's a design feature. It does fold up nicely.

Prior to that I just had an Ikea counterparts from the scratch and dent section that I threw over folding saw horses. It was 3x8 and only $10...

I believe @Darth Sanguis has an Armada sized folding table on order.

If you're willing to top a table, pine plywood in 3/4" makes a sturdy yet light topper. Cut it into 2-3 parts and it's even manageable.

2 hours ago, Formynder4 said:

I have one of the alpha tables (won it at the Stele Open). It's decent, not as steady as I'd like, but they claim it's a design feature. It does fold up nicely.

I have one of the Alpha tables as well, and I agree with this. It's very lightweight, so you don't want to bump it. But it's sturdy enough to get the job done, it's easy to fold and move, and it's big enough for Armada and most other tabletop games.

@Snipafist yeah like @cynanbloodbane said I have one of the alpha gaming tables shipping out to me as we speak, I can give you more information once it’s gere.

15 minutes ago, Darth Sanguis said:

@Snipafist yeah like @cynanbloodbane said I have one of the alpha gaming tables shipping out to me as we speak, I can give you more information once it’s gere.

I'd be very interested in hearing your take on it once it arrives. I'm considering it, but the raised joint areas have me a bit concerned. Thank you!

Those aren't really noticeable under a mat. I do think it's a flaw in a table specifically designed for gaming though. Also, if you store it vertically it starts to throw off the latches on the outside for locking the entire table into its folded aspect.

Before I got my permanant gaming table, I just had three 2'x3' particle board planks that I laid on the dining room table. Throw a black cloth over them and you have outer space.

It may be a bit OCD of me, but I don't like those folding tables because they have rounded corners - meaning they aren't really the full 4x6 play area.

1 minute ago, Democratus said:

It may be a bit OCD of me, but I don't like those folding tables because they have rounded corners - meaning they aren't really the full 4x6 play area.

I don't mind the rounded corners because Armada only requires the 3*6 play area; the rounded corner space is only taking a small amount of room out of the half-foot strip each player gets for their stuff. With an infant son who one day will be toddling around the house, having less sharp corners for him to bash his head into seems like a smart idea to me.

6 minutes ago, Snipafist said:

I don't mind the rounded corners because Armada only requires the 3*6 play area; the rounded corner space is only taking a small amount of room out of the half-foot strip each player gets for their stuff. With an infant son who one day will be toddling around the house, having less sharp corners for him to bash his head into seems like a smart idea to me.

10 hours ago, Snipafist said:

With an infant son who one day will be toddling around the house, having less sharp corners for him to bash his head into seems like a smart idea to me.

Pain is a very fast teacher. Mine, for example, learned very quickly why we don't dip our crackers in daddy's ghost pepper salsa.

2 hours ago, Ardaedhel said:

Pain is a very fast teacher. Mine, for example, learned very quickly why we don't dip our crackers in daddy's ghost pepper salsa.

My son, now with 4 kids of his own had a similar learning moment when he was about a year old. I like to eat whole jalapenos with my fried chicken. Seems he wanted what dad had and would not take no as an answer. The look on his face was priceless.

I was looking at those exact same table options. In the end though, I didn't need a portable folding table, I just needed a table big enough to play armada on at my house.

So I built my own. Bought a sheet of plywood, cut off 2 foot to make it 6x4. Cut that in half, hinged it, attached some window locks to the bottom to secure it to a spare dining table I had. Then I cut the 2 foot section in half and found some restaurant table hinges so it would fold under. So now it's a 6x4 table with a wing that can fold out making it 6x5 (which makes a nice place to store movement tools, dice, etc). Then I coated the entire thing with plasti-dip giving it a nice textured rubber surface so nothing slides around. I hand painted lines for the 6x3 play area, and used a bristle brush with some paint to create a star field. The entire thing can be removed and folded down to a 3'x4'x2.5" area for easy storage.

1 minute ago, kmanweiss said:

I was looking at those exact same table options. In the end though, I didn't need a portable folding table, I just needed a table big enough to play armada on at my house.

So I built my own. Bought a sheet of plywood, cut off 2 foot to make it 6x4. Cut that in half, hinged it, attached some window locks to the bottom to secure it to a spare dining table I had. Then I cut the 2 foot section in half and found some restaurant table hinges so it would fold under. So now it's a 6x4 table with a wing that can fold out making it 6x5 (which makes a nice place to store movement tools, dice, etc). Then I coated the entire thing with plasti-dip giving it a nice textured rubber surface so nothing slides around. I hand painted lines for the 6x3 play area, and used a bristle brush with some paint to create a star field. The entire thing can be removed and folded down to a 3'x4'x2.5" area for easy storage.

If it was only for the den/gaming area, I'd be more amenable to table-topper options. It will be used for that purpose most of the time, but being able to bring it to a friend's place or to my FLGS when we're doing events would be pretty sweet, so hence the fixation on a table. Thank you, though!

Hey Snip, it arrived yesterday (I was sick as a dog, didn't get a chance to check it out), I'm gonna set it up in my living room tonight and I'll snap some pictures for you and add 'em to this post tomorrow morning. Your biggest concern is the "bump" at each joint correct?

5 minutes ago, Darth Sanguis said:

Hey Snip, it arrived yesterday (I was sick as a dog, didn't get a chance to check it out), I'm gonna set it up in my living room tonight and I'll snap some pictures for you and add 'em to this post tomorrow morning. Your biggest concern is the "bump" at each joint correct?

Correct, yes. I've had a few reports that they're not so bad, hopefully that's the case for you as well.

And thanks!

Slightly related topic - has anyone had any success with magnetising the play area?

I'm tempted to try sticking some adhesive ferrous sheets to the back of my play mat and then fixing small magnets to the bottom of squads and ships.

Here's a link to one possible solution: https://www.amazon.co.uk/adhesive-plain-flexible-ferrous-sheet/dp/B00753M2F6/ref=sr_1_26?srs=3188410031&ie=UTF8&qid=1516967612&sr=8-26

Don't know why my images are turning out potato quality today. but basically very easy to carry, very easy to unfold. You will need a second person for set up and tear down to avoid damaging it (it's not heavy just awkward). It's sturdy on carpet. That bump you were concerned with is tiny,1/16'-3/32" at most. With the mat down I don't foresee an issue.

4 minutes ago, Darth Sanguis said:

Don't know why my images are turning out potato quality today. but basically very easy to carry, very easy to unfold. You will need a second person for set up and tear down to avoid damaging it (it's not heavy just awkward). It's sturdy on carpet. That bump you were concerned with is tiny,1/16'-3/32" at most. With the mat down I don't foresee an issue.

Thanks for the pictures and your input! Sounds like I'll be pulling the trigger on this thing sometime this weekend, probably.

6 hours ago, Darth Sanguis said:

Don't know why my images are turning out potato quality today. but basically very easy to carry, very easy to unfold. You will need a second person for set up and tear down to avoid damaging it (it's not heavy just awkward). It's sturdy on carpet. That bump you were concerned with is tiny,1/16'-3/32" at most. With the mat down I don't foresee an issue.

Huh that looks awesome, where did you order it?

Thank you for your help everyone, I went with the Alpha Gaming Table as recommended by others.

Any size, any material