It’s easy to make an expensive mistake when buying a pool table for your home. Some tables are designed to look professional but are disappointing to play on. Here we’ll guide you through exactly what you need to look out for so you can buy the best pool table for your home with confidence.
Best Pool Table 2018: Buying Guide
Slate or wood?
This is the most important feature to consider when buying a pool table. If you want the best pool table then you need to make sure the bed is made from slate. This can’t be stressed enough. Professional tables, like you’d find in pool halls or pubs/bars, all have slate playing surfaces. This is not an area in which you can cut corners.
Cheaper tables come with wood playing surfaces (often MDF). This will affect the roll of the ball. It’s a good, cheap, alternative if you’re looking to buy one for children to play on.
See also: Best Golf GPS Watch 2017.
The Cloth
Once you have a slate playing surface, the cloth you choose is less important. As long as you buy a woollen or worsted cloth, the roll will be fine. Here are the differences between the two main types of pool table cloth.
Worsted cloth: This is what you’ll find in most pool halls and bars. It’s made from sheep’s wool and it has no detectable nap, meaning it’s non-directional (so you won’t see hand prints on the table after resting your hand). Worsted cloth is known for being fast, strong, smooth and fine.
Woollen cloth: This cloth is what you’re used to seeing on TV. Unliked worsted cloth, this is directional meaning it will slightly affect the ball’s roll. This cloth will show hand marks after a shot is played (just like on TV). Woollen cloth also requires a little more brushing and maintenance than a worsted cloth.
Which is better for home? Both. It’s personal preference really. Because your table is kept at home (and providing you show it a little care) it will be used far less than commercial pool tables, meaning durability shouldn’t be much of a concern. However, look for a cloth with a high-wool count if you want the most durable.
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Cushion/Rail
You don’t need to worry too much about the cushion. As a general rule, if the table you’re buying is has a slate bed, then you can safely assume that it will also have a quality rubber cushion/rail too.
One thing you might want to look out for is cushion height and angle. The varies from one billard game to next. A quick Google search will tell you the height and angle recommended for your sport.
Extras
The rest is personal preference. But here are three things you might want to consider.
- Do you want netted pockets or auto-returning pockets?
- Do you want a real oak finish or will is plastic ok?
- Do you have queues and balls, or do you want to buy a set?
The 5 BEST Slate Pool Tables For Home 2018
1. 7ft Speedster Slate Bed Pool Table
RRP: £1,102
Size: L 210cm x W 118cm x H 830cmm
Accessories: 2″ set of tournament pool balls, triangle, chalk, 2x full-size cues and dustcover
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2. Mightymast 7ft Astral Outdoor Slate Pool Table
RRP: £1,299
Size: L 213cm x W 120cm x H 80cm
Accessories: 2″ set of competition balls; Triangle; Chalk; 2 Quality Cues; Dust cover; And adjustable height feet
3. Billiard-Royal 7ft Olivia Slate Pool Table
RRP: £2,600
Size: L 233 cm x W 137 cm x H 80cm
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4. Billiard-Royal 9ft Gladiator Black Wood, Slate Pool Table
RRP: £3,200
Size: L 260 cm x W 145 cm x H 80 cm
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5. Mightymast Cube 8ft Slate Bed Pool Diner Table
RRP: £4,500
Size: L 230cm x W 130cm x H 50cm
Accessories: 4 x Cues, 1 set of balls; Triangle; Brush; Chalk
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The 4 BEST Wood Pool Tables For Home 2018
1. 7Ft Graphica Pool Table
RRP: £699
Size: L 220xm x W 128cm x H 23cm
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2. FS-6 Riley Vertical Folding Pool Table (with Dartboard)
RRP: £349
Size: L 183cm x W 96cm x H 79cm
3. Viavito PT200 6ft Pool Table
RRP: £399
Size: Unknown
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4. Mightymast Leisure Callisto Pool Table
RRP: £499
Size: L 213cm x W 118cm x H 79cm
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