Choose a mahjong set in this order: the ruleset you actually play, then tile size, then material. Ruleset decides how many tiles you need and which extras must be in the box, and getting it wrong is the one mistake you cannot fix with a cloth and some patience. Everything after that, from bakelite to bamboo cases, is comfort and taste.
Step one: match the set to the rules your table plays
A mahjong set is not a universal object. A Japanese riichi set handed to an American mahjong group is missing the jokers the group needs; a 144-tile Chinese set handed to a Singapore table is missing the animals. Confirm the ruleset before you look at a single photograph of a tile.
| Style of play | Tiles in a standard set | What must be in the box | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese (Hong Kong old style, MCR) | 144 | Suits, winds, dragons, plus 8 flowers and seasons | Cheap sets sometimes short the bonus tiles |
| Taiwanese | 144 | Same tiles as a Chinese set | Racks are usually bought separately |
| Japanese riichi | 136 | No flowers or seasons; point sticks for scoring and a marker for the dealer and round | Some sets are sold as 144 tiles, with the extra tiles simply left in the box |
| American (National Mah Jongg League) | 152 | 144 plus 8 jokers, usually with blanks and racks with pushers | Chinese sets come without jokers |
| Singapore | 148 | 144 plus 4 animals: cat, mouse, rooster, centipede | Animals are rarely included outside Southeast Asian sets |
One of those rows is set by an organisation rather than by custom: American play is built around the annual card published by the National Mah Jongg League, so the kit an American group expects follows that card rather than local habit. If competition play is the goal, the European Mahjong Association publishes the rules its championships are run under, so the ruleset you are buying for is worth confirming with your club first.
Riichi is the row buyers most often get wrong, and the arguments are almost always about extras rather than the tiles themselves. Wikipedia’s overview of Japanese mahjong is worth ten minutes before you order, and the group you are joining is the authority on what its table expects, so ask them what they use. The one thing a generic Chinese set does not come with is a set of point sticks, and riichi players reach for those all evening.
If you are still deciding which version to learn, our comparison of Chinese and Western mahjong is a faster way to settle it than buying twice.
Step two: tile size, the number that most buyers ignore
Chinese and Southeast Asian sets are advertised by a size number, and sellers use it as shorthand for the height of the tile face in millimetres. Treat it as a trade convention rather than a published standard: it is not defined by any rulebook, and the same number can vary by a millimetre or two between factories.
So never buy on the number alone. A listing worth trusting states the actual dimensions, height by width by depth in millimetres, and if it does not, ask before ordering.
With that caveat, the numbers you will see advertised sort roughly like this.
- Around 30 to 34. Travel and small-apartment sets. Light, quiet, cheap to post, and fiddly for large hands.
- Around 36 to 38. The comfortable middle. Fine for a dining table where four people also need room for drinks.
- Around 40. The usual choice for social and club play, and the size we hire out. Big enough to read at arm’s length across a full table, heavy enough to shuffle with a satisfying wash.
- Around 42 to 44. Best for older players and anyone with reduced vision or grip strength, and genuinely heavy in a case.
Two checks before you buy: measure your table, because a four-sided wall of 144 tiles needs more surface than people expect, and handle the tile if you can, because comfort at the fingertips beats any aesthetic argument by hour three.
Step three: material, and what each one really costs you
Almost every set sold new today is a moulded plastic of some kind. The differences that matter in play are weight, sound and how the engraving is finished.
- Melamine and ABS. The modern default. Hard-wearing, consistent in weight, unbothered by a spilled drink wiped up promptly, and available in every size. Nothing in this list belongs in a dishwasher, whatever the material. The best of them have deep engraving with paint filled into the recess rather than printed on the surface.
- Urea and acrylic. Denser, with a deeper clack when tiles knock together. Popular with players who care about the sound of the shuffle.
- Bakelite. Mostly a vintage market now, prized for weight and feel. Genuine bakelite sets are collectors’ items and priced accordingly.
- Bone and bamboo. Antique construction, with a carved face laminated to a bamboo back. Beautiful, fragile, sensitive to humidity, and not what you want on a table with red wine.
- Wood and resin novelty sets. Attractive on a shelf. Often inconsistent in thickness, which makes a wall unstable.
The test that separates a good set from a bad one is not the material name on the listing but the engraving. Run a thumbnail across the face: if the paint sits proud of the surface, it will wear off, and a set with faded circles is a set nobody wants to play with. Our guide to keeping a set in playable condition covers cleaning without stripping that paint.
If you are weighing an inherited or auction set against something new, the trade-offs are laid out in more detail in our piece on vintage versus modern sets.
What else belongs in the box
The tiles are only part of the kit, and the accessories are where budget sets cut corners.
- Dice. Two are standard, three in some house rules. They get lost first, so buy spares.
- Racks. Standard in American play and a real help with 16-tile Taiwanese hands. Pushers, which are racks with an attached bar for shoving the wall forward, save a lot of reaching.
- Wind indicator or dealer marker. A small thing that prevents a lot of arguments about whose round it is.
- Point sticks or chips. Standard in riichi. Anything countable works elsewhere.
- Case. A hard aluminium or vinyl case protects tiles better than a soft bag, and matters if the set travels to a friend’s place regularly.
- Mat. A felt or rubber mat quietens the table and stops tiles chipping. It is the cheapest upgrade in the hobby.
If the symbols on the tiles themselves are unfamiliar, our explanation of what the suits, winds and dragons represent will make the buying decision easier, because you will know which engraving styles you can actually read at speed.
Buying versus hiring: run the numbers first
A quality full-size set is a real purchase, and a table is a bigger one. An automatic shuffling table costs far more again and needs permanent storage space.
That maths turns on frequency. If your table meets weekly, buy. If mahjong appears three or four times a year at birthdays, Lunar New Year and the occasional long weekend, hiring is cheaper and takes up no storage.
| Hire option | Price range (A$) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mahjong tile set, Size 40 Green Chinese, 144 tiles | 20.00 – 43.75 | You already have a dining table and just need tiles |
| Mahjong table | 40.00 – 81.25 | Groups who own tiles but not a proper playing surface |
| Mahjong table and stools | 50.00 – 112.50 | Apartments with nowhere to seat four comfortably |
| Mahjong table and tile set | 50.00 – 112.50 | The standard home game night package |
| Mahjong table, stools and tile set | 70.00 – 125.00 | Everything delivered, nothing borrowed from the kitchen |
Each range moves with weekday versus weekend timing and how long you keep the kit. Bookings run by email, delivery covers Greater Sydney, collection is from Brodie Spark Drive in Wolli Creek, and every set is cleaned between bookings.
Borrowing a size 40 set for one night is also the cheapest possible product test — you find out what your group can actually read across a table before you spend anything. Check dates and prices.
Five mistakes worth avoiding
- Buying a 136-tile riichi set for a group that plays flowers, or a Chinese set for an American card group.
- Choosing size by price. The cheapest listing is usually the smallest tile, and small tiles are why sets stop getting used.
- Ignoring the case weight. A size 40 set in an aluminium case is closer to carrying groceries than a board game, which matters if you plan to bring it to friends.
- Accepting printed faces instead of engraved ones because the photo looked crisp.
- Buying a table before you know whether the group will keep meeting.
Once the set itself is settled, the only thing left to kit out is the people around it, which is what our made-to-order mahjong merchandise is for.
Questions buyers ask us
How many tiles should a mahjong set have?
144 for Chinese and Taiwanese play, 136 for Japanese riichi, 148 for Singapore rules with animal tiles, and 152 for American mahjong including eight jokers. Count the tiles on arrival, because short sets do turn up.
What does the size number on a mahjong set mean?
Sellers use it as shorthand for the height of the tile face in millimetres, so a set advertised as size 40 has tiles about 40 mm tall. It is a trade convention rather than a standard, so check the listed millimetre dimensions before ordering.
What tile size is best for a home game?
Around size 40 suits most adult social play: readable across a full table and heavy enough to shuffle properly. Drop to the mid-30s if the set has to travel, and go larger for players with reduced vision or grip.
Are expensive mahjong sets actually better?
Up to a point. Paying more usually buys deeper engraving, more consistent tile weight and a better case, and those things affect play. Past that, you are paying for rarity and materials, which affect display.
Can I use a Chinese set for American mahjong?
Not on its own, because American play needs jokers and usually racks with pushers. Some players add a joker set, but a purpose-built American set is simpler.
Do I need a special mahjong table?
No, a dining table with a mat works well. A dedicated table helps when the group is playing regularly, because the recessed surface and the right height reduce reaching and noise.
Should I hire a set before buying one?
It is the cheapest way to test sizes and formats. Hiring a full kit for one night tells you whether your group wants a permanent set, and what size they were comfortable handling.
Looking for a set of your own? See our mahjong merchandise, or rent a full setup to try one first.
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