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There has been lots of debate about the best table tennis table under $400. Which is the best one? Which one should you choose? In this article, I hope to clear things up and help you decide. It’s Joola Inside vs Stiga Advantage time!

Both Joola and Stiga are known for the quality of their equipment. The Stiga Advantage and Joola Inside were designed to be great value for money. Which one is the better value for money buy? Let us compare.

[Read more…] about Joola Inside vs Stiga Advantage – The Best Table Tennis Table Under $400

The Stiga Carbonado 245 came out together with the Carbonado 290. The 290 has a long trajectory and low arc for the ball flight while the 245 has a long trajectory with a higher arc for the ball flight.

Stiga Carbonado 245 Review

Aesthetics and Construction

The Carbonado 245 has good quality construction with a metal logo on the side and bottom of the blade’s handle. According to Stiga, the Carbonado 290 and 245 differ mainly in the arrangement of the carbon fiber layers. The alignment of the Carbonado 290 is vertical while that of the 245 is diagonal and angled at 45 degrees.

Playability

The speed of the Carbonado 245 is off+. Although the Carbonado 290 is faster than the 245, the 245 is still a very fast blade. It is comparable to the Primorac Carbon’s speed when you are driving the ball, smashing the ball or blocking attacks.

It is as stiff as the Primorac Carbon also but it has more feel compared to the said blade. At least the textreme carbon is not as stiff as the carbon used in the Primorac because the said blade’s feel is very small. The 245 is blade excels mid-distance and away from the table because of its speed and trajectory.

The 290 was no problem for me adjusting even with the low arc but the Carbonado 245 made me adjust to the arc which took a few minutes. The arc was really high with the 245 wherein if you do even just basic forehand-forehand or backhand-backhand drives, the ball passes the net by about 3-4 inches.

I had to adjust my bat angle for it but it does not pose as a problem for me or to other players who have tried it. Smashing is very good. The Carbonado 245’s  speed coupled with the high arc helps in making the shots accurate because you are assured it could clear the net instead of hitting it due to the arc.  Blocking is also very good because the blade is very stable to block with using the Mantra H and M rubbers.

Looping

In terms of looping in all 3 aspects (on the rise, peak and late contact), the Carbonado 245 is excellent as a looping blade. I might like the 290’s low throw more because of the sharpness of the angle once the ball crosses over the net but the 245’s high throw helps a lot in lifting heavy backspin wherein it adds accuracy and helps you lift the underspin ball easily.

If you compare it with the 290, the 245 is easier to loop and you do not need to open your bat angle as much as the 290 because the arc is high. Players who like to brush the ball a lot or loops heavy backspin at a late timing would appreciate Carbonado 245’s capabilities because in my opinion it was designed more as a looping blade that emphasizes on spin and accuracy while the 290 was designed for speed and sharpness of the ball’s arc when looping.

Conclusion

I would compare the 245 to the Butterfly Innerforce blades but it feels stiffer and way faster. Players who loop a lot and want to have control can use a Chinese rubber like Hurricane or Globe 999 National as it will balance the speed of the Carbonado 245 and you can maintain control with it.

If you would go for non-Chinese rubbers then they can choose a softer rubber like a Yasaka Rakza 7 soft or Stiga Calibra LT Sound which are very good soft rubbers for the Carbonado 245.

We find it a great looping blade that offers speed and accuracy to those who can yield it correctly.

BUY THE BLADE

You can buy the Stiga Carbonado 245 on TableTennis11.com. They have great prices and offer free shipping worldwide on orders over €70.

• Buy from TableTennis11.com for €166.58

Have you used Stiga Carbonado 245 yourself? What did you think of it? Please share your experiences and leave a review below in the comments.