The Best Mahjong Travel Sets

The Mahjong Atelier Nomad is the travel set to get. It's the one set that brings a whole table: engraved mini tiles, four racks long enough for a full hand, and a neoprene mat, all in one case for about $279.

For less, the My Fair mini set has all 166 American tiles in 0.8-inch size, with two sets of racks, for about $101. And if you're flying with a carry-on only, a deck of mahjong playing cards costs about $25.

Our picks

Best overallMahjong Atelier Nomad American Mahjong Travel Set

Engraved travel tiles, 11-inch racks and a neoprene mat, packed in one case.

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Best mini tilesMy Fair Mahjong Mini American Mahjong Set, Special Edition

A full 166-tile American set in 0.8-inch tiles, with two sets of racks.

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Best under $50John N. Hansen Travel Mah Jong

A light plastic American set with 166 tiles, racks, dice and chips.

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Lightest to packHootenanny Games American Mahjong Playing Card Set

160 cards, one for each tile, in a magnetic box.

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Mini tiles or cards?

A regular American tile is about 1.2 inches tall. A travel set shrinks it to between 0.8 and 0.95 inch, keeps every tile and joker, and comes with shorter racks to match. You still build the wall, pass the Charleston and expose your pungs on the rack, just on a smaller table.

Cards go further. Each tile is printed on a playing card, so the set weighs almost nothing, but you hold your hand in a fan and lay exposures face up on the table. On a plane or in a hotel room, take cards. With a real table, take tiles.

The best mahjong travel sets, ranked

11 · Best overall

Mahjong Atelier Nomad American Mahjong Travel Set

Engraved travel tiles, 11-inch racks and a neoprene mat, packed in one case.

$279.00as of 6:12 AM ET

Check price on Amazon

Buy it if

You host games on trips, at a lake house or a mahjong retreat, and want one case with everything, mat included.

Skip it if

You're packing light. At 4 pounds, it's no carry-on set.

The Nomad is the only set here that brings its own playing surface: a 20-inch square neoprene mat with double-stitched edges. The tiles are engraved in four layers and stand about 0.94 inch tall, a little bigger than the My Fair mini.

The racks are where it pulls ahead of the cheaper sets. They're 11-inch ivory acrylic racks, long enough for a full hand with room for your exposures. The tiles and racks have their own bags inside an aubergine vegan leather case.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• About $279, the priciest set here.
• The mat is 20 inches square: a playing area, not a cover for the whole table.

Weight

4 pounds for the whole kit: tiles, four racks, mat, dice and case.

20-inch mat11-inch racks4 lb in all

2

Best mini tiles

My Fair Mahjong Mini American Mahjong Set, Special Edition

A full 166-tile American set in 0.8-inch tiles, with two sets of racks.

$101.00as of 6:12 AM ETCheck price on Amazon

Buy it if

You want real tiles on your trips for about $100, and you'll find a table when you get there.

Skip it if

Your eyes struggle with small print. At 0.8 inch, these tiles are smaller than most mini sets.

+−Read the full write-upHide the full write-up

This is My Fair Mahjong's American set at its smallest. Every tile is here: 36 dots, 36 bams, 36 craks, 12 dragons, 16 winds, 16 flowers, 10 jokers and 4 blanks, so nothing about the game changes. The tiles measure 0.8 by 0.5 by 0.4 inch.

The Special Edition is the one to buy: it comes with clear plastic racks and also four blue-green acrylic racks, 10 inches long. You also get two dice, a reference card, three how-to-play cards and a large "Crack Bam Dot" bag.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• Small tiles take a game or two to get used to, especially in dim light.
• No mat in the box. A small square of felt or neoprene keeps the tiles from skating on a hotel table.

Tile size

0.8 x 0.5 x 0.4 inch, about two thirds the height of a regular American tile. The acrylic racks are 10 inches long.

166 tiles10 jokersTwo sets of racks

3

Best under $50

John N. Hansen Travel Mah Jong

A light plastic American set with 166 tiles, racks, dice and chips.

$42.99as of 6:12 AM ETCheck price on Amazon

Buy it if

You want a spare set to keep in the car or take to the beach, where you won't worry about a lost tile.

Skip it if

You want tiles with some weight to them. These are light plastic.

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This is a plain plastic travel set, and the cheapest complete American set here. It has 166 tiles in the American version, four color racks, two dice, betting chips and instructions, all for about $43.

What owners report

Owners say the racks are the weak point: they hold 13 tiles, and East's 14th tile hangs over the edge. They're also too short to push out a 19-tile wall. The plastic keeps it light, and it's a good set for teaching a new player or keeping in the car.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• Short racks, so you build the wall on the table instead.
• Plastic tiles feel light in the hand.

166 tilesColor racksBetting chips

4

Lightest to pack

Hootenanny Games American Mahjong Playing Card Set

160 cards, one for each tile, in a magnetic box.

$24.99as of 6:12 AM ETCheck price on Amazon

Buy it if

You're flying, playing in a hotel room, or want mahjong in your purse.

Skip it if

You want the click of tiles.

+−Read the full write-upHide the full write-up

These are 160 linen-finish playing cards, one for each tile, jokers included, with original art by Nashville artist Amanda Norman. They come with two pearlescent dice in a magnetic box.

The hands and the strategy are the same as with tiles. You'll still need this year's card from the National Mah Jongg League, sold separately.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• No racks: you hold your hand in a fan, and exposures go face up on the table.
• Cards need a flat, dry table.

160 cardsLinen finishMagnetic box

Who this is for

This guide is for players who already have a set at home and want a second one for trips, cruises, girls' weekends and game nights at someone else's house. If you don't own a set yet, start with a full-size American mahjong set: the tiles are easier to read while you're learning, and a travel set makes a better second set than a first one.

How to choose

What I'd skip

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