Though it’s an easy component to overlook, no one who’s serious about pool should underestimate what a tremendous difference the best pool table felt can make to your game.
A good quality pool table cloth can help both beginners and advanced players alike to take better, faster, and more accurate shots, not to mention significantly increase the lifespan of your table, protecting it against everything from spilled cue chalk to ball burns and lasting wear and tear.
Still, for the average pool table owner, even knowing what to look for when choosing a new table felt can be a challenge.
That’s where we come in.
For this guide, we tested over 20 top pool table felts to find the top 5 very best around. In the end, it was the Accuplay Worsted Pre-Cut Pool Table Cloth that earned our Editor’s Choice award because of its light weight design and gave us the best overall performance.
If that’s not the one for you, don’t worry, we’ll also show you four other best-selling options that might be the perfect fit for your table.
- Top 5 Best Pool Table Felts in 2021
- 1. Editor’s Choice – Accuplay Worsted Pre-Cut Pool Table Cloth
- 2. Best Tournament-Grade Pool Felt – Simonis 860
- 3. Best for Pro Players – CPBA Competition Worsted Professional Pool Table Cloth
- 4. Best Pool Felt for Commercial Use – Championship Saturn II Billiards Cloth
- 5. Best Budget-Friendly Pool Table Felt – Iszy Billiards’ Performance Grade Pool Table Felt
- How to Choose the Best Pool Table Felt: A Buyer’s Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions About Pool Table Felt
- Final Thought: What is the Best Pool Table Felt to Buy in 2021?
Related: How to clean Pool Table balls
Top 5 Best Pool Table Felts in 2024
AT A GLANCE (SEE AMAZON)
To the untrained eye, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between pool table felts. Look a little closer, however, and you’ll find that replacement felts come in a number of different material blends which can affect the speed and accuracy of your shot. There’s a big difference in the weight too, with lighter pool table cloths better for faster shots and heavier materials improving durability.
Below, you’ll find out how our top 5 picks fared in these two key categories as well as several others (such as size, color options, and installation) in our in-depth reviews, but if you don’t have time for that right now, you can take a quick look at our picks in our comparison table.
Finally, we’ll finish up with a comprehensive buyer’s guide and answers to your most frequently asked questions to help you find a pool table felt that’s right for you.
1. Editor’s Choice – Accuplay Worsted Pre-Cut Pool Table Cloth
Specifications:
Material: 70% wool, 30% polyamide
Weight: 20 oz per linear yard
Size: 7ft – 9ft tables.
The first thing you notice about the Accuplay Worsted Pre-Cut Pool Table Cloth is its lightweight design. At 20 oz per linear yard, it’s one of the lightest felt on this list which means it’s ideal for anyone with a need for speed.
Indeed, while the lighter fabric and 70/25 wool/polyamide blend does mean you lose a little in terms of toughness, this is great for getting those speedy shots in when playing a casual game of 8 ball pool, competing to see who can finish the fastest during a Friday night game of cutthroat pool, or simply trying to practice those trick shots.
Speaking of speeding things up, the whole thing comes pre-cut to perfectly fit your table, and although we would’ve liked Accuplay to leave us with a little extra fabric, we have to say that this was one of the easiest pool table felts to apply, making it a worthwhile investment if you’re looking to save money on installation by doing it yourself.
What We Like:
- Worsted material prevents napping, shedding, and peeling.
- Available in six different color options
- Very easy to apply.
What We Don’t Like:
- The lightweight nature means you do sacrifice a little durability, though this shouldn’t be a problem for casual players.
2. Best Tournament-Grade Pool Felt – Simonis 860
Specifications:
Material: 90% worsted wool 10% nylon
Weight: 22 oz. per linear yard
Sizes: 7 ft – 9ft
Ask anyone who knows anything about pool to tell you about what makes a top quality pool table, and it won’t be long before the name Simonis enters into the equation.
The brand have a reputation as one of the leading purveyors of superior quality table felt, and it’s the Simonis 860 that serves as their flagship product.
Made from 90% worstest wool blended with 10% nylon, this high-caliber felt boasts the optimum thread count to ensure accurate, powerful shots time and time again.
Add to that a high level of durability and multiple color options, and this one looked to be a shoe-in for the top spot on our list. Ultimately though, we had to knock it down a step because it can be a little finickity to install and doesn’t come with much extra fabric in case something goes awry. With that in mind, you might be better off hiring a professional to install the Simonis 860 which will definitely add to the already expensive price tag.
What We Like:
- Superior quality worsted fabric ensures exceptional durability.
- Nap-free, shed-free, and peel-free to help maintain accuracy and speed.
- Rails come pre-cut to size.
What We Don’t Like:
- Doesn’t offer much extra fabric meaning installation may be something best left to the experts.
3. Best for Pro Players – CPBA Competition Worsted Professional Pool Table Cloth
![CPBA Competition Worsted Professional Pool Table Cloth – Fast Speed High Accuracy Pre-Cut Bed and Rails [Competition Grade]](https://groupgames101.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/21PZQt3QnZL._SL500_.webp)
Specifications:
Material: 80% pure Australian wool, 20% nylon
Weight: 24 oz. per linear yard
Sizes: 7 ft – 9ft
As the name implies, the CPBA Competition Worsted Professional Pool Table Cloth is a competition-worthy felt that has been the cloth of choice for numerous tournaments both in the USA and abroad.
To that end, it’s a great choice if you’re looking to get your table ready to host a competition of your own, or even if you’re just playing solo pool games to prepare for the next league season.
Don’t just take our word for it though. This one more than ticks all of the right boxes. The worsted felt is made from an 80/20 wool and nylon blend. The wool itself is worsted, ensuring you won’t have any of the fluffing, napping, or shedding. As it that wasn’t enough, the table can also be enhanced with a teflon coat to protect against stains, ball burns, and other blemishes.
We’re also big fans of the high thread count which provides lasting durability and prevents rogue pool chalk from embedding into the felt.
Finally, we should mention that CPBA upgraded their pool table felts last year to provide more fabric than needed, so if you make a mistake you’ll still have some extra fabric to make things right. Not that mistakes are likely, of course. Most people who buy this one remark that it’s incredibly easy to install which only helps cement its status as one of the best pool table felt currently on the market.
What We Like:
- Worsted blend prevents fluffing, napping, shedding, and peeling
- Optional teflon coat for adding durability and stain protection.
- Comes in lots of colors including traditional green, blue and red options to compliment the decor of your game room.
- Comes in a variety of sizes to fit most standard-sized pool tables.
What We Don’t Like:
- Billiard balls move somewhat slower on this felt compared to other options.
- Expensive compared to other options.
4. Best Pool Felt for Commercial Use – Championship Saturn II Billiards Cloth
Specifications:
Materials: 75% worsted wool, 25% nylon
Weight: 22 oz
Sizes: 7ft – 8ft
If you’re looking to refit the table in a commercial venue such as a bar, leisure center, or gaming venue then you’ll likely have some unique needs when it comes to choosing the best pool table felt for the job.
On the one hand, the amount of use your table gets means you generally need a more durable and damage-resistant felt than those typically reserved for occasional home use. On the other, you don’t quite need the kind of professional-grade felts used in top-class international competitions, nor the lofty price tag that often comes with them.
The Championship Saturn II Billiards Cloth provides the perfect middle ground, taking a 75% worsted wool/ 25% nylon blend and combining it with an impressive 22 oz weight that helps ensure your table remains at its best no matter how over-excited your patrons tend to get.
Though it plays slower than some table felts we’ve tested, that’s a small price to pay for its level of resistance to dirt and damage. It also offers a handy teflon coating, ensuring micro burns, Drink spills, loose cue chalk, and general dust and grime aren’t going to completely ruin your table with this one, which is always a good thing.
Finally, we should say that the colors on this one are very rich and vibrant, adding the kind of aesthetic appeal that is often so important in a commercial environment.
What We Like:
- Comes with 7 pieces (1 x table felt + 6 x rail cloth pieces for easy installation)
- Damage and dirt resistant
- Rich, attractive colors.
What We Don’t Like:
- Not suitable for 9-foot tables.
5. Best Budget-Friendly Pool Table Felt – Iszy Billiards’ Performance Grade Pool Table Felt
Specifications:
Materials: 70% wool, 30% nylon
Weight: 19 0z per linear yard
Size: 7ft – 9ft
Start looking into refitting your pool table with a replacement felt and it soon becomes apparent what a costly process it can be. Of course, the expense is often worth it to ensure a professional-quality experience for tournaments, competitions, or even just practicing for such events at home.
Yet if your only ambition is to get some friends round for a couple of games of 9-ball pool, the high price tag of some felts (not to mention professional installation fees) can quickly make you forget the whole idea.
This is why we love the Performance Grade Pool Table Felt from Iszy Billiards. While it’s not the cheapest pool table cloth we’ve seen, nobody actually wants “cheap.” What you want is a decent quality felt at a decent, entry-level price, and that’s exactly where this one delivers.
At 19 oz per linear yard, you’re undoubtedly giving a little something away in terms of strength and damage resistance here, but again, if you’re only using your table for casual play, that’s unlikely to be a big problem.
Besides, as long as you pull the table tight enough when you apply it, that lightweight material can result in pretty speedy shots. Speaking of shots, fans of this Performance Grade Pool Table Felt say that it offers excellent play and, let’s be honest, isn’t that what anyone really wants from a felt?
What We Like:
- Affordable, entry-level pricing
- Easy to install so that you can do the work yourself, saving you even more money
- 9 different color options.
What We Don’t Like:
- Doesn’t come with extra fabric leaving minimal room for error.
- Quality of material makes it unsuitable for professional-level play.
How to Choose the Best Pool Table Felt: A Buyer’s Guide
If you’ve read our reviews above, you’ll see why we picked these five particular products as the best five pool table felts around, but if you’re still not sure which one you should use to refit your pool table, here’s a few things you might want to keep in mind.
Pool Table Size
Most standard pool tables average between 7 and 9 feet, with some smaller tables designed for home use coming in around 6 feet. All but one of our top 5 picks (the Championship Saturn II Billiards Cloth) are available to 7ft, 8ft, and 9ft tables, meaning you’re likely to find one to fit your table.
Keep in mind though, that when it comes to size, not all is at it seems. The best pool table felts are those that are actually a little bigger than the table size (so a 7ft table felt may be 7’5” for example) which makes it easier to install and means you can always correct course if you make a mistake.
Material
The best pool table felts are made from a blend of wool and nylon which tend to be of a superior quality to those made from a wool/polyester but also more expensive.
Where possible, you want to look out for those using worsted wool. This not only offers plenty of strength to ensure your table won’t be damaged when racking the pool balls and won’t be permanently marked with ball burns, but also creates the smoothest possible surface and allows for greater speed, accuracy and consistency.
Durability
Two factors impact how tough and damage-resistant your table felt is.
The first is the ratio of the materials. Those with higher worsted wool content (Say a 75/25) tend to be the most durable.
Weight also plays a factor. The heavier the fabric, the stronger it is, though this often means compromising on speed.
As a general rule, you want a table felt that is at least 19 ounces, though preferably 22 ounces or higher.
Though not all felts offer an optional teflon coating, this is always worth investing in where you can as it can be invaluable in protecting against stains and the kind of wear caused by those heavy billiard balls.
Ease of Installation
While you can always pay a professional to install your replacement felt for you, this can get pretty expensive pretty quickly. It’s for this reason that many table owners prefer the DIY approach, making ease of use all the more important
For our guide, we included those felts that consistently received positive reviews for their ease of installation, though some will naturally be a little trickier than others.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pool Table Felt
How often should you change pool table felt?
Experts recommend replacing your pool table felt every 3-5 years, though this largely depends on how much you use your table.
If you play every day for hours at a time, you’ll find your felt starts to wear down much sooner than a table that only gets played once a week, for example.
How easy is it to refelt a pool table?
Replacing pool table felt isn’t that difficult, though it can be a time consuming process. Tackling the rails usually takes the most amount of time, but providing you have enough felt it’s fairly straight forward and even easier if you have an extra set of hands to help you.
What is worsted pool table felt?
Worsted pool table felt generally has a higher thread count and a tighter weave than your average woolen felt. Though this does make it more expensive, it also provides greater resistance against lasting wear and tear while helping you take faster, more accurate shots during your game of pool.
Final Thought: What is the Best Pool Table Felt to Buy in 2024?
Having weighed up the pros and cons of over 20 different pool table felts, we remain convinced that the Accuplay Worsted Pre-Cut Pool Table Cloth is the best around.
If you’re looking to save as much money as possible and don’t mind compromising a little on quality, then our budget choice, the Performance Grade Pool Table Felt from Iszy Billiards may be the way to go.
Alternatively, if you can afford to spend a little more, the Simonis 860 is another stellar option that offers decent durability and enjoyable play, and which was only kept from the top spot on the grounds that the Acuuplay offer was much easier to install.
