Choosing pool table covers is like choosing pool tables.
It comes down to personal preference, budget, and how much use it’s likely to get. If you’ve got kids who are likely to spill drinks all over the pool table then you’ll want a pool table cover that protects against liquid spills.
If your pool table lives in a garage, pool hall, or pool room then you’ll want a pool table cover that’s strong and durable.
Also, if your pool table is only going to be covered when it’s not in use, then you may find it more economical to buy pool table covers on sale and replace them with new ones every few years (this also makes better sense than having an expensive pool table felt replaced because of spills and rough play).
What size pool table cover do I need?
In general pool tables have been getting bigger over the last few decades so you’re likely looking at needing a 7ft pool table cover for a modern eight footer or a 9ft pool table cover for an octagonal 10ft pool table. Don’t worry if you don’t know how big your pool table is because pool table covers are universal so you can use the same pool table cover if you’ve got an 8ft pool table or a 9ft pool table.
What colour pool table cover should I buy?
This depends on whether your pool room is light or dark. If it’s mostly light, then pick a pool table cover that contrasts with the wall colour to make your pool game stand out.
For example, white pool table covers work well as do black pool tables as they contrast nicely with grey walls and wooden floorboards.
In a room that’s quite dark though, such as one with red carpeting, you’ll want to pick a pool table felt that picks up some of those colours from the surrounding area. A red pool table cover can do this nicely and go well with the pool cloth underneath it.
What pool table felt should I buy?
Here’s where pool tables vary most from one another. Pool tables come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; octagonal, nine foot, eight foot pool tables, six foot pool tables, etc. The best way to choose a pool cloth is to measure your pool table and pick a pool fabric according to your measurements.
There are guides on how to measure pool table size online so you can get the right size of pool table cloth for your pool table. You may also want to look at what other people think about the quality of certain kinds of pool cloth before buying yours just in case there is a batch that doesn’t meet pool table felt standards.
Why buy pool table covers?
Pool tables are expensive investments that are too easily damaged. Picked the right pool table cover and you’ll protect your pool playing surface from dust, liquid spills, and damage that can occur if it isn’t used every day. One pool table cover lasts for hundreds of hours of pool play so it’s a very cheap way to keep your pool game in top shape and looking its best.
How long does the pool table feel last?
Even if you get replacement pool cloth when buying new pool tables, they will wear out after 10-20 years depending on how much use they get and whether or not people spill drinks on them regularly. If you’ve got kids who might be tempted to play pool without pool table covers then you’ll want to replace the pool cloth every 5 years or so just to be on the safe side.
How do I clean the pool table felt?
If your pool table is kept dry, this means no spills and therefore pool table felt won’t get dirty too quickly. When a spill does occur it can be cleaned with a damp cloth and a little bit of detergent. If it happens regularly, however, then some products can help you lift pool cloth off its surface by pushing it down onto the place where the pool fabric has been lifted by the pool chemicals in the water making it easier for cleaning products to penetrate between tile and pool fabric.
Conclusion:
A pool table felt can be a great investment to protect your pool playing surface from dust and other kinds of damage, but make sure you make the right measurements before buying a pool table cloth. Keep pool tables covered when not in use and clean up spills after pool games by making sure your pool table has the right kind of pool table felt laid over its surface. Follow our guidelines above to help you pick out both pool table covers and pool table cloths for a range of different kinds of pool tables.
