Why are Table Tennis Rubbers so expensive?

This is a question that deters most of Table Tennis fans to actually commit to experiencing Table Tennis to it's maximum. Hence, the general public prefers cheaper premade rackets that don't really emulate the speed and spin of custom professional rackets.

But, it IS a genuine question as to why these rubbers are so expensive. You might have come across TT rubber during your shopping and might be amazed at the price tag because it's just.........rubber. right?

In this article, I will try to cover various reasons why rubbers and Table Tennis equipments in general are so damn expensive.

1. The Table Tennis market

If you're into Table Tennis, chances are you might have come across Butterfly rubbers. It should be obvious that Butterfly is one of the major manufacturers of TT rubber in the world. Along with Butterfly, ESN companies Joola, Stiga also make rubbers and are sold worldwide.

These rubbers are "mainly" used around the world except......you might've guessed it - China.

Chinese players mostly use rubber from Chinese companies like DHS, 729, Yinhe. You might be surprised to find that Chinese rubbers are significantly cheaper than Butterfly and ESN rubbers. 

Now you might see the dilemma. China represents one of the biggest economic market for Table Tennis equipment. And yet, many of the players there utilize Chinese equipment and rubbers. Now since the biggest Table Tennis market isn't buying from these brands, naturally the costs of Butterfly and ESN rubbers rise and make it more expensive.

In essence, the lower demand leads to increased prices so that the companies can maintain their profits.

2. Costs for Research and Development

Table Tennis has developed a lot of over the years; speed and spin plays a huge role in Table Tennis matches and all of this is determined by the rubber used.

Rubbers are usually composed of sponges and the rubber sheet combined which determine the speed and spin of the rubber.

These researches have lead to various rubber variations such as Pips-Out, Anti-spin, Defensive, Offensive, which contribute heavily to the playing style of the player.

Manufacturers, hence, have to pay for the labs, machinery and the scientists. These costs are factored into the prices of the rubber, especially newer ones.

3. Manufacturing costs

Manufacturers have to pay for the man-power and then machinery that is involved in the making of the rubber.

Since these aren't used to make everyday rubber, these machine are very expensive to buy and maintain. 

One of the major problems arise because of workers salaries. Most of the appliance like TV, phones are manufactured in China where the salaries for workers are relatively low.  

On the other hand, Butterfly and ESN rubbers are manufactured in Japan and Germany respectively. These countries have higher salaries compared to China. Hence, this just adds to the rubber's overall costs.

4. Commissions and marketing costs

Marketing costs are involved in every product in the world and it's no different here.

Brands sponsor many top players around the world and hence they are seen using their products. Now, if a Table Tennis enthusiast sees his favorite player e.g. Fan Zhendong using a specific product e.g. Butterfly, this might lead him to buy that specific product hence improving sales.

Commissions also play a big part too, especially for ESN rubbers. What happens is, ESN rubber manufactured in German factories known as ElaStomer-Neuheit.

Companies like Nittaku, Donic outsource their rubber to be manufactured in ESN which completes the whole R&D for the rubber and then present the companies with prototypes. The companies then chooses the best one, brands them and then ESN starts producing them. Butterfly and Chinese rubbers produce their rubbers in house, so they don't have to got through all this hassle.

Then, the brands sell these rubbers to retailers like Megaspin and TableTennis11, which in turn sell it to consumers, exception being Butterfly.

So, as you can figure it out, brands have take their cut, have to pay the cut to NHS and also pay the retailer's fee, which adds up to the total cost of the rubber.

So, these were a few reasons why TT rubbers can be so expensive!

As a player, you have to realize that you don't need the best of the best and top equipments to play good Table Tennis. Rubbers are very subjective and top ones don't have to suite to your gameplay. 

So, before buying one, do some good research and see what rubber suits your game.

Happy Hunting and Good Luck!!