The most complete guide to buy a billiard table

Are you thinking of buying a billiard table? Here's a complete guide with the 10 keys to keep in mind before you buy it. This way it will be easier for you to choose the one that best fits your needs. And enjoy it, of course.

1 - What are you going to use it for?

The first important question is to be clear with what purpose you will use the table: to start in the world of billiards? To play with family or friends? To decorate an area of ??the house? To train and prepare championships?

Depending on the use, a type of design or certain dimensions is appropriate. For example, if you are starting or you would use it to do some games from time to time, better look at a 7-feet table (like the recreational ones or the ones usually found in bars). If you already dominate the game, train and compete, you will enjoy more the 9 feet.

2- How much space do you have?

The second key point are precisely the feet, the dimensions of the table. How much physical space do you have to place the table? Depending on the available space you can place a larger or smaller table. The three standard dimensions are:

• 7 feet: 2,13m long x 1,07m wide x 0,78m high
• 8 feet: 2,37m long x 1,17m wide x 0,81m high
• 9 feet: 2,54m long x 1,27m wide x 0,85m high

To know how much space you need, you must add 3m approx. (Twice what a normal cue measures) to each side of the table. Thus, the space to place each table would be:

• 7 feet: 20m2 approximately.
• 8 feet: 24m2 approximately.
• 9 feet: 28 m2 approximately.

3- Choose a good brand of billiard tables

There are many brands and many models, the key is to choose tables of recognized quality and prestige. In this sense, Dynamic, Prostar and Longoni offer good options of competition tables and also billiard tables designed for the home:

Dynamic III 9ft: the official Eurotours and the European Pool Championships.

Prostar Club Tour Edition 8ft: comtetition table made of Mahogany wood

Prostar Club Tour Edition 9ft: competition table designed in Italy, 24 levelers for the slate.

Mónaco 8ft LED: amazing design table with LED lights inside the legs and pockets.

Longoni P40 (design): ideal for a home table, multifunctional and unique for its esthetic.

4- If it's nice, better, right?

Design is also important on pool tables. There are classic, modern, retro style ... It is best to take a look at the catalog to see all the available offer. 

5- Do you want "easier" or "more difficult" pockets?

7- and 8-feet tables often have more open pockets, "easier" pockets. So when the ball touches first in the band, it usually sticks to the same. On the other hand, the 9-feet are, in general, more demanding. In any case, you can ask the person responsible for setting the table to adjust the holes so that they are more or less open, more or less easy. To give you an idea, it would be easy to have enough space to fit 2 balls at a time; Normal, one and a half ball; And difficult, just a ball.

6- Without good cloth there is no good billiards

The table you buy already includes the cloth, but you have to know that there are different types and qualities. According to the manipulation of the material, there are two types: those made of woolen cloth and those made of worsted wool. The first, thicker, heavier and slower, are the ones we usually see on recreational tables; While the second, thiner, faster and also more expensive, are those used in competition. In this second type of cloth, it is crucial that the interlacing or braiding of the fabric is perfect so that in the long run no knots that alter the direction of the balls are created. In this article you have more details about the best pool cloths.

7- And without balls, either.

What does not include the pool table is the game of balls. And here it is important that you invest in one of quality. You will enjoy more games and, above all, will last a lot. Among all the brands of billiard balls, the most recognized are Aramith, Brunswick or Cyclop. Here is an article in which we explain what they are made of and here another one in which we recommend the best billiard balls on the market.

8- Can I assemble it?

When you buy the pool table it will be dismantled by pieces: the slate (sometimes it is a single piece or several blocks), the bands, the legs, the rug ... If you have no experience setting up pool tables, it is best that an expert moves it and assembles it for you. The table supplier will facilitate the assembly, you just have to check the conditions.

9- How long will the billiard table last?

It depends on the use you give and how you care. The structure of the table is very durable, will be in good condition for years.

What you will have to do from time to time is to check that it is still leveled. If you use it intensively you will have to change the cloth more often: every six months or every year, for example. The key is to take good care of it.

10. How to keep it in good condition

And to close the guide, some tricks that will help you keep the pool table as new for a long time:

• Cover it with a table cover when you do not use it
• Brush the cloth before and after playing
• Avoid sitting or leaning on the band
• Punish anyone who leaves a glass on the table. 

We hope that this guide has solved the doubts and that you can already buy a good pool table. If you have more questions, leave them in the comments or write us to info@poolmania.es and we will answer you.