Six Months With Boxking Gaming Project Ironside 2.0
You know from previous posts we’ve made two things: Boxking Gaming did send us a table for review and to promote our various board game articles, and we love the table. There aren’t a ton of affordable board game tables out there, but Project Ironside is one of them, and we have been thrilled to own it. Now that we are six months into ownership, do we still love the table? Let’s take a look.
There are things we really enjoy about the Boxking Gaming Project Ironside 2.0 table. It’s incredibly sturdy, and since it’s made of lightweight steel I don’t have to worry about the table shrinking and expanding, a problem that is plaguing wooden tables. With little to no maintenance as well, this was a project where we simply built the table, and let it be. The Project Ironside 2.0 is modular as well – we did receive an extension kit to make the table a few feet longer, but since we don’t have the mat for the extension, we haven’t tried that out yet. Safe to say, though, that more space is probably not a bad thing.
We also got the wooden table top, and a stand to hold the pieces. The topper has actually held up a lot better than I would have thought, especially when you think about the abuse we put it through on a monthly basis. Taking it on and off the table, we’ve definitely clunked them against walls, each other, and the corners of board game shelves. We’ve eaten on the topper, the kids have played LEGO on the topper, and of course we’ve played games on the topper as well. While there are some nicks in the edges, and the top does have a few nice scratches in it, it still serves its purpose well. I think if this was a central focus of your house – it actually did double as a dinning room table – perhaps you might want to rethink the topper, or get a custom one made that is more durable. But our board game table lives in a basement room, and so we aren’t as particular about how it looks when all setup. That said, even with the nicks and scrapes, it still looks impressive, and it is SUPER functional.
We’ve enjoyed the lightweight design of the toppers as well. Ours comes apart in 5 pieces, and these are easily picked up by a single person and stored in the storage racks we were also provided. Rubber underpads keep the topper in place when on the table, and we found it is actually quite hard to move the topper once it is in place. The tops go together with just a notch and groove system, so you will need to do a little bit of lining up yourself if you want it to look perfect. We generally don’t care.
The accessories have been great for the most part as well. We use the cupholders the most – those almost never get detached – and the token and card holders depending on the game we are playing, or how many people we have around the 3×5 table. Storing all of these accessories when not in use has become a challenge – We have so many accessories, even a black bin on our kallax shelves wouldn’t be big enough to hold these items, so we have had to resort to a Rubbermaid container in the basement. It’s a bit annoying to dig out the accessories we need, but it could be worse. I think if you consistently played with fewer players than we do – we generally are always between 4 and 6 – you could probably leave most of the attachments on the table itself.
There is one accessory that just hasn’t worked out for us, but thankfully it’s not one I even think you need to spend money on. Boxking Gaming provided us with nice memory foam arm rests that magnetically stick to the table’s edge. They were great when we first used them, but overtime they began to mold out of shape as people leaned on them to reach pieces, or do something on the other end of the table. We have had a few of them split at the seam as well, leaking out sticky gel substances that were pretty difficult to get off the board game mat! While these accessories were a bit disappointing, it’s actually not uncomfortable to rest your arms on the steel. I thought it would really bother me, but we got used to it within one or two games, and it’s not even a point of contention for anyone who comes to play.
At the price being offered, we think that a table from Boxking Gaming is bordering on becoming a regular accessory to your gaming habit, as opposed to a luxurious want. The price is fantastic, and even without the topper, you can get a fabulous product at an amazing price. We love our Boxking Gaming Project Ironside 2.0, and cannot wait for what’s coming next from this company!
Article By Adam
