Travel Sets - Plastic vs. Wood

Posted by J Myers on 21st Apr 2015

Travel sets are a practical choice for not only taking on a trip or vacation but the larger ones can be used for your every day chess game. Travel sets come in two basic materials, wood and plastic. The question is; which ones best or is there a best? Let me layout the pros and cons of each and then I'll give you my final thoughts on it.

Wood just seem better from the standpoint that it's a natural material that has always been used for making travel chess sets. It seems more rich, more solid, and generally speaking, looks better. A beautiful rosewood chess case looks nice. Most high quality wood travel sets are made in India by the same companies that make high quality Staunton wood chessmen. Many travel sets come from China and the quality is noticeably inferior to the India sets. Practically speaking, all plastic travel sets are make in China.