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Last updated: April 14, 2024
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One way to increase the performance of a pool table is to make sure you have the best playing surface possible. Not only does it influence speed and accuracy, but a high-quality material also lasts a long time without pilling, wrinkling, or shedding. This can add years to your table. Finding the best felt for pool table is essential to the quality of the game.
To help you find the right felt for you, we considered a few important features. First, think about the size of your pool table. Most of the materials on our list can be ordered to fit pool tables ranging from seven to nine feet which covers standard full-sized home or professional tables. The blend used in the material is important, too. Generally, a wool/nylon blend is preferred to get the right textured surface. Finally, consider the weight. Heavier material is usually thicker and more durable and lasts longer than lightweight felt.
To put together this review, we spent hours researching different products including manufacturers’ information and comments from professionals and the people who play on tables using these products in their own homes. The first thing you’ll find is a table comparing all of our top picks side by side. After that are detailed reviews of each product followed by an in-depth buying guide to help you find the best felt for pool table in your home.
The Simonis 860 Billiard Table Cloth is our editor’s choice. It’s a 90/10 worsted wool and nylon blend that’s available in 28 different colors, including red, camel, tournament green, and electric blue.
Although this is a slightly slower blend, it’s ideal for pool and 9-ball. It naturally repels stains which keeps it looking like new and the high thread count and wool content make a really durable surface. It can add years of better play to your pool table.
One important thing to mention is this material won’t pill or shed which is important for maintaining a smooth playing surface. Shedding and pilling cause grooves and tracks to form over time which affects the precision and speed of every shot.
People don’t have a lot of complaints about this cloth but be careful when installing. It’s available for tables from seven to nine feet but each size comes with just the right amount of fabric. There’s not a lot to spare if you make a mistake.
What do we love it for?
90/10 worsted wool and nylon blend
Available in 28 colors
Extremely durable
Doesn’t shed or pill
What were we disappointed with?
Slightly slower blend
Not a lot of excess fabric in case mistakes are made during installation
If you’re looking for the best pool table felt for professional games, we recommend the Proform High Speed Professional Pool Table Cloth. Professional tables use worsted material for playing surfaces to get the best results. This product is worsted and provides a smooth playing surface that’s durable and a great value.
This felt is a 70/30 wool and nylon blend that’s durable enough for home or commercial use. The tight weave not only helps make sure shots are accurate and fast, but it’s also resistant to spills which keeps it looking cleaner, longer. It prevents wrinkles, ball burns, and grooves to give you a great playing surface for years to come.
One really nice thing about this felt is that it’s shipped cut-to-size. You get pre-cut cloth for the table and rails which makes installation much easier. That’s not all, it comes in 14 different colors including tournament green, steel gray, navy, black, and tournament blue.
Next is the CPBA Competition felt. It’s a high-quality worsted blend of 80/20 wool and nylon that provides the ultimate playing surface for both speed and precision. It’s actually been used in many international tournaments since 1998.
The high thread count creates a tight weave that adds exceptional durability and keeps dirt and chalk from getting into the fabric. This blend uses 100% Australian wool that won’t shed, peel, or fluff to maintain an ideal playing surface for a long period of time. It’s great for commercial or home use and works well for professionals and beginners alike.
This product includes a pre-cut bed and six rail pieces for easy installation. Plus, you have the option of getting the profession CPBA logo printed on one of the rails. Users don’t have a lot of complaints about this felt. It’s fast and gives you a lot of control over the cue ball. That said, there’s not a lot of fabric to play with, so be careful when installing. Also, some people reported that the rail sections were cut unevenly.
What do we love it for?
80/20 wool and nylon blend
Great for speed and precision
High thread count with tight weave
Doesn’t shed, puff, or fluff
Good for home and commercial use
What were we disappointed with?
Not a lot of excess fabric in case mistakes are made during installation
The best pool felt for home use is this product from Imperial Leisure. It’s specifically designed for eight-foot tables and comes in 22 different colors so you can easily match it to your game room if you want. Choose from black, green, brown, gold, red, and many more.
This is another 80/20 blend of wool and nylon but this material is treated so it’s stain resistant, perfect for a busy household. It has a nice amount of stretch to keep it taut and avoid wrinkles.
Imperial Leisure felt comes with pre-cut cloth for the table and rails to make installation a little easier. Some users even commented that there was plenty of felt to work with so you have a little bit of wiggle room when installing. There were complaints that the material wrinkled after installation but this wasn’t a common experience. Also, we should mention that there were comments implying that customer service isn’t very responsive to addressing problems.
What stands out?
Comes in 22 colors
80/20 blend of wool and nylon
Stain-resistant
Nice amount of stretch
Pre-cut for easy installation
Adequate material included
What cons did we manage to find?
Some users experienced wrinkles after installation
The ProLine Classic Teflon is a great choice for anyone looking for a good product while sticking to a budget. It’s available in 30 colors, including brights like red and orange and more muted options like charcoal, olive, and academy blue.
The 80/20 wool-nylon blend is comparable to other brands though it’s not worsted so the texture is a little different. That said, it still has the felt-like feel that you’re used to when playing pool. It provides a smooth playing surface that allows for speed and control and also comes with an optional Teflon coating for stain prevention.
Installation is easy, too. It arrives pre-cut and includes a piece for the playing surface, six pieces for the rails, and a rack spot. That said, one downside is that this material only comes in one size, so if you don’t have an 8-foot table, you’re out of luck.
Why is it special?
Budget-friendly
80/20 blend of wool and nylon
Optional Teflon coating for stain prevention
Pre-cut for easy installation
What are the flaws?
Only available for 8-foot tables
Not worsted so has a slightly different texture than other options
Things to Consider
Believe it or not, the right felt on your pool table can really improve the game and extend the life of the table itself. Here’s why it matters so much and how to find the best product for you.
Best pool felt for the best billiard games
The game of pool is all about physics. Angles and speed are so important for accuracy. But no matter how carefully you aim – determining exactly how hard and where to hit the cue ball to get the results you’re looking for – if you’re playing on a low-quality surface, you won’t get the results you want.
High-quality cloth is smooth and allows pool balls to roll quickly and easily in the direction you shoot them. Plus, it holds up over time. That means no pilling, shedding, or wrinkling getting in the way of the game years down the line.
Billiard table cloth maintenance tips
Getting the right material in the first place is important but proper maintenance is the only way to make it last as long as possible. First of all, keep your table out of direct sunlight. The colors fade pretty easily and too much sunlight can cause the felt to lift away from the surface due to changing moisture levels in the air. If your room is dim or lit unevenly, we recommend you acquire some pool table lights.
The more pool you play, the faster the surface wears, but there are a few things you can do. Use a pool brush to clean any excessive chalk left on the felt after every game. Clean the balls with a microfiber cloth to get rid of any leftover chalk dust, too. These things prevent too much chalk buildup which can weaken the material.
Buy a cover for your pool table to keep it protected when not in use. Unless you have your pool table set up in the basement, it’s not always possible to avoid all sunlight. A cover helps block UV light and protects the surface from any moisture damage.
No matter how much you take care of your pool table, the felt will still need replacing eventually but high quality felt with proper care and maintenance can last as many as ten years.
What’s the price?
The price of pool table felt depends on a few different factors, including quality of the material, color, size, and whether or not there are any surface treatments. That said, the prices for our top picks range from about $125 to $375.
Features to consider while buying the best felt for pool table
Now that you know why the quality of your pool table felt is so important, let’s take a look at the key features you should keep in mind while shopping.
Material
There are a few materials to choose from. It’s so important to understand what makes each one different so you can choose the best possible option.
Most pool table felt is made of either a blend of wool and polyester or of wool and nylon. The weave and thickness of these two materials are a little different. We recommend a wool and nylon blend. It’s better quality and gives a much better playing experience.
Another difference you’ll see is worsted and woolen felt. Woolen felt is cheaper and prone to pilling. It won’t last as long and slows the game down a bit but it’s ultimately a little more affordable. For example, our budget pick, the ProLine Classic Teflon, is not worsted.
We recommend worsted wool felt. This is the kind of felt used on professional tables. Balls travel quickly and smoothly because the underside of the fabric is smooth. Worsted wool provides consistent speed and accuracy which makes it much more fun to play on.
Surface for speed
While woolen felt is nappy on the surface, worsted is completely smooth. As we mentioned, it’s less likely to pill or develop fuzz which means there won’t be anything to cause friction and slow down the ball.
Size needed
Most material used for pool tables is cut into standard sizes. That means that if you have a seven, eight, or nine-foot pool table, it should be pretty easy to find the right fabric. When you choose the material you want, the retailer usually sends it to you pre-cut with a piece for the table itself as well as the rails. Some products come with a little extra fabric but most give you just what you need so be careful during installation.
Durability
The wool content is a really important factor when it comes to how durable the felt is. For example, one of the most durable products we found is the Simonis 860 which is a 90/10 worsted wool and nylon blend.
Material with tight weave matters, too, because it doesn’t wear down quite as fast as thin materials. One way to tell how durable the fabric is is by looking at the weight per ounce. Anything over 19 ounces is pretty good but 22 or 23 ounces is better.
One thing to keep in mind is that it’s hard to predict how long the material will last, even if it’s high-end. How much use the table gets as well as the quality of the installation both factor in as well.
Color variations
Color doesn’t affect how well the felt performs but it’s important to consider none-the-less. If you’re setting up a pool table in your home, you probably want it to match the rest of your decor.
Most of the products we chose are available in a range of different colors. In fact, the Imperial Leisure felt comes in 22 different colors so you can definitely find something for your home.
Consider the weight
We touched on weight a bit already but it is one of the biggest contributing factors to durability so it’s worth another mention. Remember, heavier cloth lasts longer and is more reliable. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that thinner cloths are faster because there isn’t as much resistance on the surface.
Warranty
Warranties vary from one product to the next but a lot of these products don’t share a lot of warranty information. Most of the companies are happy to help if you have any problems and provide contact information on their websites.
Pool felt installation guide
If you’ve never installed pool felt before and are a little apprehensive, here’s a general how-to guide to get you started.
First, make sure you get the right size. Measure across the rails from one long side of the table to the other. Seven-foot tables should be 39 inches across, eight-foot tables 44 inches across, and nine-foot tables 50 inches across. There are eight-foot oversized tables, too, that are 46 inches across.
When preparing for installation, all you need is a wrench, a stapler, and maybe some glue. Remember, when placing the material, the smooth side is up and the fuzzy side is down.
Most material comes pre-cut which makes the process much easier because you don’t need to worry about measurements and cutting the material yourself.
Lay the bed cloth over the slate tabletop, right side up. Leave a small amount of cloth at the left side and head end for stapling and stretching with the majority of the fabric hanging off the foot and right side. Staple the fabric at the left side a few inches from the head using four staples about an inch or so apart. Stretch the fabric taut and staple in place directly across on the right side.
Stretch the fabric from the first stapling point on the left side toward the foot and staple in place. Then, move to the other side of the table which at this point should be the only corner not stapled down. Pull the material taut from all sides and staple in place.
When the corners are taken care of, staple the material on the both sides of the middle pockets, being sure to keep the material straight.
The pockets and rails can be a bit tricky but they’re much easier when the material comes pre-cut. As you can see in the following video, the key to getting it right is to apply the felt as smoothly and tightly as possible:
The texture, weave, and blend of the material is so important when it comes to pool cloth. Most materials are too thin, too thick, too rough, or too soft to be effective. Felt, especially worsted felt, has all of the right characteristics to promote speed and accuracy.
It depends on a few factors. High-quality material lasts longer but that still isn’t a guarantee that it will last as long as a decade. Heavy daily use will take its toll. If you use your table four hours a day or more, the felt usually lasts about three years or so. If you don’t use it quite that much and you take the time to clean off the chalk dust and keep the table covered when it’s not in use, you can get a lot more years out of it. Most people who are passionate about pool choose to change the felt long before it wears out completely if only to choose a new color.
Wrapping It Up
Our Editor’s Choice is Simonis 860, a 90/10 blend of wool and nylon that creates a smooth, durable playing surface. This one has a higher wool content so it’s a bit slower than other surfaces but it resists shedding and pilling and can add years to your table.
Proform High Speed Professional Pool Table Cloth is a great choice if you’re looking for professional-level felt. The 70/30 wool and nylon blend has a worsted surface that’s accurate and fast. Plus, it’s spill-resistant and won’t wrinkle. It’s available in 14 different colors and is shipped cut-to-size.
Finally, we recommend CPBA Competition pool table felt. It has an 80/20 wool and nylon blend that uses 100% Australian wool that won’t shed, peel, or fluff and lasts a long time. This is the best felt for pool table that’s versatile enough for home or commercial use by beginners or professionals.
The game of pool is all about physics. Angles and speed are so important for accuracy. But no matter how carefully you aim – determining exactly how hard and where to hit the cue ball to get the results you’re looking for – if you’re playing on a low-quality surface, you won’t get the results you want.
There are a few materials to choose from. It’s so important to understand what makes each one different so you can choose the best possible option.
Color doesn’t affect how well the felt performs but it’s important to consider none-the-less. If you’re setting up a pool table in your home, you probably want it to match the rest of your decor.
