What Pool Table Cloth Is Right For You?
There’s a lot more than meets the eye to the cloth on your pool table. There are many types, and you can feel the difference between them. Whether it’s a pool table, pool dining table, bespoke pool table or a snooker table. We’re here to help you find the perfect pool table cloth for you and your game.
Types of Pool Table Cloths: American Vs. English
English Cloth
The cloth on English pool tables is very different from the cloth on American pool tables. It makes sense since the games are so different. English or British pool is typically played on a smaller table, with smaller balls. It’s a slower game with a few things that give it more tactical depth. American pool is bigger. The tables, the balls, the pockets, the cues.
If you want to learn more about the differences, read this!
American Cloth
Despite the extra space on an American pool table, it’s a much faster game. This is due to the different cloths. English pool tables typically use a napped cloth. American pool tables normally use a worsted or speed cloth.
Napped Cloth
Worsted Cloth
Napped vs. Worsted
Napped
The cloth traditionally used on English pool tables is napped. At a glace you’ll see it has a fuzzy, velvet-esque look. It is woollen, or at least a very high wool content, and the wool fibres are all napped in the same direction. This creates a lot of friction on the ball if it is not travelling that direction (from the top of the table to the bottom). If you run your hand with and against that grain, you’ll immediately feel it.
Napped cloth is also used on snooker tables. It makes the game slower and allows an experienced player to put a lot more spin and control on the cue ball. It requires more maintenance than a worsted cloth. It collects dust and fingerprints much easier. But you also must maintain the nap. It’s not difficult but must be brushed in one direction to keep the nap uniformly directional and blocked or ironed down.
Worsted
Worsted cloth is used on American pool tables – and increasingly elsewhere also. It is woven rather than napped. American cloths normally have a higher nylon content. You can immediately see how smooth they look and can even see the weave. There’s no directional friction on a worsted cloth. This makes the ball and game move much faster – this is why worsted cloth is often called ‘speed cloth’.
Worsted cloths were used on American pool tables since they were larger, and the ball needed to move faster and further. However, it is becoming more and more popular on English pool tables and in pubs. The faster speed of the game alongside it being simpler to maintain make it great for a pool table that will get a lot of traffic from people at a range of skill levels.
Cloth Weight
Cloth weights are measured in gsm. Generally, the heavier the cloth the more durable it will be. That’s why a cloth on a pool table in a pub will often be very thick!
Pool Table Cloth Types
Hainsworth
Elite Pro Speed Cloth
High quality worsted speed cloth in a wide range of colours.
A popular low maintenance, durable cloth with a very fast playing surface, predominantly fitted on American pool tables.
Smart Wool Cloth
High quality fully napped traditional wool cloth available in a wide range of colours.
Durable with a fine, fast playing surface, predominantly fitted on English pool tables.
Match Cloth
A tournament standard very fine napped wool cloth that delivers the professional playing experience by providing spectacular speed and cue ball control.
The cloth of ACBS, Match Room Snooker, SPA, BAPTO, EUKPF, the World Pool Championships, French Grand National, British Open and many other tournaments.
Simonis
Simonis cloth is more commonly fitted on American Pool Tables. This hybrid cloth is made from both traditional wool and nylon to combine the benefits of both speed and durability. The choice of players in the modern era is leading towards napless, worsted cloths and Simonis is used in over 90% of the World’s pool tournaments, including the Mosconi Cup, World Cup of Pool, World Pool Masters, and World Pool Championships.
Strachan
861
Strachan 861 is a non-directional worsted (speed) cloth to achieve constant speed in all directions. It has a smooth, precise surface which has been specially developed by Simonis in Belgium for the IPA professional tournaments.
861 is known for its durability (as the surface is Teflon Coated making it spill resistant) and speed but also requires no ironing. The Strachan 861 Cloth gives you a flat, flawless playing surface.
Used exclusively on the IPA Pool Tour and exclusively available in the iconic powder blue.
6811
The world’s most popular snooker cloth. Fast, accurate, high control. Used exclusively at the IBSF World Championships, the Asian and European snooker Championships.
Others
These are most of the pool table cloths you will see available on our various pool tables, snooker tables and billiards tables. However, a few brands will offer exclusive options for their line of tables. For example, Brunswick. Don’t worry! There’s plenty of information on their product pages.
Pool Table Recloth & Recover
A small tear or rip in your pool table cloth can make a table unusable. At Home Pool Tables we have an experienced team of pool and snooker table maintenance professionals who can recover your table of any style.
Your Choice Of Cloth Affects The Aesthetics Of Your Pool Table & Room
We’ve explained at length the technical differences between the various types of clothes. How they affect your play. Which one you should choose. But, lets not forget about an important factor. How it looks.
Pictured above are some of the table/room/cloth combinations we feel are most striking and beautiful. Just click the image to arrive at that table’s page and see if you can make something as nice – or nicer!
We Hope This Helped You Choose The Right Pool Table Cloth For You
As you can see choosing your cloth is an important decision. We hope we’ve made it easier for you. Whether you’re buying an American pool table, an English pool table, a pool dining table or a snooker table – we’re sure we have the right table and cloth for you. If you’d like some help feel free to reach out to us or pop into our showroom and we’re more than happy to help.
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