6 Best Train Tables From Small to Large

by Joost Nusselder Updated on: October 22, 2023

Train tables are specially designed play tables for toy trains. They often have a smooth surface for comfortable play with trains and other toys. The height is usually adjusted to children for easy access. Traditionally, they are made of sturdy material such as pine, which makes them durable for long-term use.

A good train table should have room for different types of track pieces and scenery, and extra features, such as under-table storage for toys and accessories, are a bonus.

Not every train table is the same, so in this article I will help you choose with extensive comparisons. Choose below which information you are specifically looking for.

The Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad is the cheapest product with a price of €40,50 ($39,99). It has, just like the Deco patent Kiddie Play Children's table (€73,95 / $37,89) a price-quality score of 7,5, but is cheaper because it is smaller, really intended for taking with you or for the coffee table.

The Costzon Train Table with Large Rolling Storage La costs €94,59 ($99,98) has 100 parts and a value for money score of 8,4. More than the 7,9 of the Bigjigs Rail Wooden City (€171,18 / $264,99). The Bigjigs has 59 parts but is made from sustainably produced wood. Bigjigs has also won numerous product awards.

The Hape Foldable Train Furniture costs €200,88 ($123,34) and has a value for money score of 8,1. It only has 29 parts but does have many interactive buttons near the bench you can sit on. The Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table on the other hand, it is €212,99 ($182,52) with a lot of parts (120).

The Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad is ideal for the youngest children from 2 years old. It is made of non-toxic material, which makes it safe for little ones. The best age for this product is between 2 and 4 years, although it can be used up to 5 years.

Similar to the Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad, the Costzon Train Table with Large Rolling Storage also suitable for children from 2 years. The difference is in the rounded corners that provide extra safety. The best age for this product is between 3 and 5 years, with a maximum age of 6 years.

Just like the Costzon Train Table, the Bigjigs Rail Wooden City also designed for children from 2 years. It is made of non-toxic material, just like the Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad. The best age for this product is between 3 and 5 years, and it can be used up to 6 years.

The Deco patent Kiddie Play Children's table is another option for children aged 2 and up. It has the same features as the Bigjigs Rail Wooden City, with non-toxic material and a best age between 3 and 5 years. It can also be used up to 6 years.

The Hape Foldable Train Furniture is comparable to the Costzon Train Table, with an age from 2 years and rounded corners for safety. The best age for this product is between 3 and 5 years, but it can be used up to 5 years.

For slightly older children from 3 years old, the Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table a good option. It has rounded corners for safety, just like the Costzon Train Table and the Hape Foldable Train Furniture. The best age for this product is between 3 and 5 years, and it can be used up to 6 years.

The Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table en Hape Foldable Train Furniture provide the longest playing time, more than 30 minutes. The Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table, with its 120 pieces and high scores for social interaction and versatility, offers a wide range of play options. This stimulates the imagination and promotes cooperative play. The Hape Foldable Train Furniture, although it has fewer parts, scores high on imagination and interactivity due to the interactive buttons on the seat.

The Costzon Train Table with Large Rolling Storage La, Bigjigs Rail Wooden City en Deco patent Kiddie Play Children's table offer a playing time of 10 to 30 minutes. The Costzon Train Table, with 100 pieces and high scores for open-ended and social interaction, promotes creative and cooperative play. The Bigjigs Rail Wooden City, with its 59 parts, scores highest on imagination and open-endedness due to the figures and beautiful background, which contributes to the playing time. The Decopatent Kiddie Play Children's Table, although it only has 4 parts, scores high on ease of use and versatility because it can also be used for LEGO blocks.

The Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad offers the shortest playing time, less than 10 minutes. Despite its high scores for ease of use and imagination, it has fewer components and lower scores for social interaction and versatility, which limits play time. However, it is still an attractive choice for solo play.

The Bigjigs Rail Wooden City en Hape Foldable Train Furniture are the most sustainable options with a score of 8.5. Both are made of MDF wood and have sustainable production processes. Bigjigs uses rubberwood, a byproduct of latex production, and reduces plastic parts. Hape, one of the world's largest producers of sustainable toys, uses renewable materials and has full control over the production process.

The Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad follows with a score of 8.2. The brand is committed to 100% carbon neutral operations and planting 10 million trees by 2030. The brand is also aiming for FSC® certification for all its paper products and more than half of its wood products by 2025.

The Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table en Costzon Train Table with Large Rolling Storage La both have a sustainability score of 7.5. Kidkraft minimizes the use of plastic and maximizes fun with sturdy wooden constructions. Costzon has no specific sustainability initiatives, but is made of MDF wood, which makes it more sustainable than plastic alternatives.

The Deco patent Kiddie Play Children's table also has a score of 7.5, but is made of plastic, which is less durable than wood. The brand has no specific sustainability initiatives.

The Costzon Train Table with Large Rolling Storage La scores highest on gender inclusivity with an 8.5, truly breaking stereotypes. However, the product is not culturally inclusive as there are no people of color among the figures.

both the Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad, Deco patent Kiddie Play Children's table as the Hape Foldable Train Furniture score a 7.0 on both gender inclusivity and cultural representation. This indicates a gender-neutral and culturally neutral product, which means they score higher on inclusivity than the Costzon Train Table.

The Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table and the Bigjigs Rail Wooden City score lowest on inclusivity. Both products feature characters depicted only in their traditional gender roles and do not feature people of color.

Below are the detailed reviews of the 6 best train tables where we rank according to our “Toy score”. This is based on the play value, price/quality, replayability, safety, durability and the materials used. The playing value, together with the price-quality ratio, is the most important thing. After all, the train track should be fun to play with and if it is too expensive, no one can afford it.

When coming up with train table track designs, start with a basic plan first. Decide what type of track you want to build and draw the design on paper. Take the length of the track and the turns into account. Add scenery and other elements to make the game even more fun.

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1. Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table

Overall best large wooden train set table

Kidkraft Adventure Town Train Table

8.7

Toy score

Play value

4.7

Price/quality

4.1

Replayability

4.4

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Best for

• Very large set with nice decor
• The table is a handy addition

Less good

• Difficult to expand or combine due to space or table

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• From: 3 years
• Best: 3 – 5 years
• Up to: 6 years

The Table With Waterfall And Mountain Train is a great gaming table with a huge landscape with a train track running through it.

Along the way, the train will encounter a waterfall, but also mountains, forests, a bridge, a police station and much more ... This solid 120-piece train set lets your child experience great adventures!

A large yellow crane lifts the load from the train, a helicopter flies overhead, there is so much to do! A red speedboat is waiting in the lake to go sailing.

Here you can see how to assemble it and what is included:

Is it dinner time yet? Then your child has to tidy up, and preferably quickly.

The whole set fits in the practical, extendable storage bins under the table. The table is empty in an instant.

The accessories have beautiful, bright colors and the game table is solid and large enough to play with all friends.

This set is perfect for kids aged 3 to 6, but they do need help setting up the table.

Attention Parents: Please follow the detailed step-by-step assembly instructions for the console.

Setting up the track and also cleaning up can be done by the child himself, because of the large bins under the table.

2. Costzon Train Table with Large Rolling Storage Drawer

Train table with best storage compartment

Costzon Train Table with Large Rolling Storage Drawer

8.5

Toy score

Play value

4.5

Price/quality

4.2

Replayability

4.2

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Best for

• Large storage drawer that slides out easily
• Lots of parts for fun

Less good

• The track can really only be set up one way

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• From: 2 years
• Best: 3 – 5 years
• Up to: 6 years

The Costzon train table is a sturdy wooden construction with a large storage drawer. This drawer can easily be slid out from under the table on wheels so that the playing pieces can be stored in it. With a total of 100 parts, it is a large play set.

The versatility is somewhat less than other sets. You can actually only make one track that rests on the pillars. There are some figures and cars included for a slightly more open-ended game. It is also very easy to use due to the safe edges and large storage space. This makes the play value quite good.

The replayability is slightly less because it is not easy to carry and is also less easy to combine. Still, the price-quality ratio is excellent. The materials used are good, but not very durable and the construction is sturdy.

3. Bigjigs Rail Wooden City

Best modern train table

Bigjigs Rail Wooden City

8.5

Toy score

Play value

4.5

Price/quality

4.0

Replayability

4.4

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Best for

• Durable and sturdy wooden construction
• Many different play elements

Less good

• No storage compartments

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• From: 2 years
• Best: 3 – 5 years
• Up to: 6 years

The Bigjigs Rail Wooden City is a modern city with elements such as a helicopter, modern bridges and skyscrapers. With 59 parts there is plenty to play with.

There are fewer parts than some other sets, but they are well chosen for versatile play. That is why the play value is very high. It really appeals to the imagination and social interaction is also possible with the different figures and cars.

The wooden construction is sturdy and made from sustainable wood production. That is what makes the Bigjigs brand strong.

4. Deco patent Kiddie Play Children's table

Best reversible Lego activity train table

Deco patent Kiddie Play Children's table

8.1

Toy score

Play value

4.3

Price/quality

3.8

Replayability

4.3

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Best for

• Large storage capacity under the top
• Suitable for building blocks and a flat side

Less good

• Plastic is not of the best quality

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• From: 2 years
• Best: 3 – 5 years
• Up to: 6 years

The Decopatent Kiddie Play is an activity table with a reversible top. This way you can play with building blocks (different studs for both Duplo and LEGO) and use it as a flat table for drawing or building train tracks, for example.

This versatility and the ease of combining it in multiple ways ensures a very high replayability. The ease of use is also very high, so that it has a high play value, even though there are no toys included.

The material is not great. The plastic is sturdy and will last a long time, but it is not very environmentally friendly. However, it is easy to clean.

5. Hape Foldable Train Furniture

Best folding train table

Hape Foldable Train Furniture

8.4

Toy score

Play value

4.4

Price/quality

4.1

Replayability

4.3

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Best for

• Easy to fold to save space
• Both a train set and a real working locomotive

Less good

• Playing area is quite small

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• From: 2 years
• Best: 3 – 5 years
• Up to: 5 years

The Hape Foldable Train Furniture is a locomotive with buttons that emit light and sound, plus a game table with train set. So it is an extremely versatile set for train fans.

The play value is high because it really appeals to the imagination, even though the ease of use could have been a little higher. It is huge and immovable and there is no room for your child's legs under the play table, so they have to play on their knees next to it.

The replayability is high because the sturdy materials make this a set that will remain beautiful for a long time. You can also use the train track to connect to those of other brands. The gaming table is quite small, so building an extensive train set will not be possible.

The strength of the set is that it is easy to fold. This way you have more space in the nursery when you are not using it.

6. Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad

Best mini portable train set for coffee table

Melissa & Doug Take-Along Railroad

8.1

Toy score

Play value

4.8

Price/quality

3.8

Replayability

4.0

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Best for

• Easy to carry
• Small but still a lot of pretend play

Less good

• Not really building anything
• Not a traditional train set with track

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• From: 2 years
• Best: 2 – 4 years
• Up to: 5 years

A very nice one, this Melissa & Doug wooden train track.

A simple and solid wooden platform with preformed rails that your little one - from 3 to 6 years - can play with independently.

Simply fold the set - it becomes a portable briefcase - and take it with you to your boyfriend or girlfriend.

That also makes it a very fun game to take with you to a sleepover!

Experience all kinds of beautiful adventures with the trains, houses and animals.

Of course this track does not fit on the other sets because it is a closed system in a take-away box.

How do you choose the best wooden train sets?

Wooden train tracks withstand a lot of rough and intense play, often from a whole host of siblings to last for years and years.

When ranking the toys on this list, we use our “Toy score”. It's based on the following components, each with its own weight.

1. Play value (30%)
2. Price/ quality (30%)
3. Replayability (20%)
4. Safety (10%)
5. Sustainability (5%)
6. Materials (5%)

The playing value, together with the price-quality ratio, is the most important thing. After all, the train track should be fun to play with and if it is too expensive, no one can afford it.

The play value assesses the product on the features that make it fun to play with. These are ease of use, degree of open-endedness, imagination, social interaction, interactivity, versatility and aesthetics. When a toy is easy to use and understand, is attractive to the child and there are many opportunities to make up your own play with it with open end and imagination, it will be played longer with a higher quality of play.

The value for money is a score based on the ratio of the quality of the toy to the price of the item. This ratio determines how much value you get for your money, in play value and in the intrinsic quality of the item such as the materials used.

Replayability rates the product on features that ensure it will be used again and again. These are ability to combine, portability, longevity, durability and versatility. The best wooden train sets can also be used together with other toys and last a long time.

How do you come up with train table track designs?

To come up with train table track designs, you first need to make a plan. Consider the available space and measure it carefully. Determine the size and shape of the table you want to build. You can choose a ready-made table or a custom-made table.

When designing the track, you must take into account the type of train and the length of the track. There are different types of track sections available, such as straights, curves, switches and intersections. Select the pieces based on your design.

What is a good under the bed train table idea?

A good idea for an under-bed train table is a specially designed piece of furniture that fits easily under the bed. These tables save space and provide a special place for toy trains.

Make one with hard drawers to keep toys organized. Move the table more easily by installing wheels underneath. Choose a top with chalkboard paint so that children can draw on it. Stick a poster with train tracks and houses in the background for an existing play world. This makes playing with toy trains even more fun.

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.