Have you ever played pool at a bar and thought “If only I could do this at home”. Well we can help make that happen. All you need to play pool at home is a one off purchase for all the goods, and enough room in your home or garage.
Of course pool tables can be expensive, so you’ll want to ensure you get good value for money. That’s where we come in. We’ve been checking out the best pool tables that are out on the market today, and we’ve carefully handpicked our Top 5 to show you.
And after that we’ve got a handy buying guide for you which runs through everything you might want to think about before you part with your hard earned cash.
Our featured product reviews include the more traditional pool tables along with some more space saver varieties, such as ones with fold down legs, for those readers who may not have as much space at home.
So, if you’re concerned about not having enough room for a pool table, please read on as a solution that suits you should present itself.
OUR TOP PICK
Measuring just 6-ft 5 this pool table is only slightly smaller than the 7 foot ones you would find in bars. The amount of space you would need to house it is 16.5 feet by 13.25 feet. But it's considerably smaller than the standard 8 foot pool table, so it really is a space saver.
It's a good solid sturdy table, with leg levelers to ensure an even playing surface. And it features durable green nylon cloth for that classic pool table look. There are also cross supports between the table legs to prevent the table from wobbling.
The edges of the table have a smart bamboo laminate exterior and the rubber cushions around the play-bed provide excellent rebound. The play-bed itself underneath the cloth is constructed from double sealed MDF to ensure consistent roll of the balls and is resistant to warping.
The black corner posts and caps also help compliment the classic pool table design.
It's fanciest feature is the ball return system which makes it quick and easy to reset for another game. And we also like that it has dots along the table’s edge to help you to line up your shots.
The table comes with everything you need to play including billiard balls, a cue ball, 2 cues, triangle, chalk and even a brush for the table’s cloth.
Pros:
- Classic billiard table design
- Space saving size
- Solid, sturdy and good quality
- Even surface with no wobbling
- Consistent role and rebound
- Has a ball return system
- dots along the table’s edge
- Comes with everything you need
Cons:
- Some customers have had trouble with the ball return
EDITORS CHOICE
This 6 foot pool table from Fat Cat would make a great addition to a family rec room.
At 6 foot long, it has a length which is double the width, just like a regulation size pool table, but obviously is a tad smaller. So to have enough space to fit and play it you will need 16 foot by 13 foot space in total.
This smaller size makes it a great option for younger players who’ve not yet grown enough to play on the 7 foot tables you normally find in the bars.
And there’s a couple of other features that can help you practice your game, like large pockets and dots along the table’s edge to help you to line up your shots.
And better yet, the table legs can fold away, so you can get your space back whenever you want. Then you can lean it against the wall. So compact. And when you want to put it back up again, the legs will lock safely in place.
If you ask us, it looks far more contemporary than a traditional pool table, with it’s sleek black tabletop and legs and silver look corners.
There are levelers featured on the legs, which can be handy if the floor of the room isn’t flat.
You get everything you need when the package arrives, including the billiard balls and pool cues.
It has good quality components, such as durable scratch resistant cloth, and strong shock absorbing netting.
We think the price is good to fair for a smaller folding pool table.
It’s proved quite popular at Amazon, seeing well over 100 individual customer ratings, and better yet more than half of them rated it at a full five stars out of 5.
Pros:
- Folds away!
- Sleek black design
- Great for youngsters
- Complete package
- Good quality components
- Fair reasonable price
- Great customer feedback
Cons:
- Perhaps not durable enough for the more heavy handed youngsters
BEST VALUE
This 84 inch (7 foot) classic pool table is the same size that you find in the bars and arcades. And it has that classic and authentic arcade look too, with it’s pedestal wood legs and burgundy cloth.
It's also available in other sizes and styles, including the regulation standard 8 foot pool table, and the regulation standard 9 foot pool table.
The sizes start at 7 ft, and to fit that you will need 17 ft of space by 13.5 ft. For the 100 inch size on the other hand you will need considerably more space. For a more in-depth guide, please see our FAQ section.
They are all professional-grade pool tables, each with a classy rich wood-tone finish.
The deck of the play-bed is composed of a 3/4” reinforced particle board playfield, which together with the polyester velvet felt surface, makes for a smooth, consistent ball roll.
Although there is no ball return system, you can simply retrieve the balls from the nets with your hands.
The pool table comes with everything you need to play, including a complete set of billiard balls, 2 cue sticks, a triangle rack, two chalks and a special brush for the cloth.
Customer feedback on these pool tables from Barrington has been largely positive with over 50% of Amazon customers rating out of full five stars out of five.
It also comes with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, and if you're not happy with it for whatever reason, you can claim your money back in full.
Pros:
- Variety of sizes and styles
- Good quality materials
- Smooth, consistent ball roll
- Comes with everything you need
- Positive customer feedback
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Cons:
- No ball return system
- Premium product at a premium price
RUNNER UP
Measuring just 55 inches long, this pool table is a great way of introducing kids to the game.
It would make a great addition to a kids rec room, and enable them to practice their skills and techniques until they’re ready to hit the arcade and knock ‘em dead.
And at the same time it’s not too small for the grown ups to enjoy too - fun for the whole family.
Despite its relatively small size, you’ll still need a fair amount of space to play it, and we suggest that you check out our FAQ section for more detail and advice on that.
Better yet however, this is a pool table that folds away when you’re not using it. How convenient is that.
It’s available in stylish blue or classic green (they both look great if you ask us).
It offers a decent compromise between being lightweight enough to fold away after use, yet at the same time it’s also sturdy enough for use in a kid’s rec room too. Just be careful with it.
You’ll be pleased to hear that it comes as a complete kit, inclusive of balls, cues and other sundries.
And at this price it’s an absolute bargain. And it’s available with free same day shipping too.
Despite it’s affordable price point, the quality of the pool table is rather good, with a half inch MDF bed with regulation grade velvet felt, and L88 rubber bumper cushions. The leg levelers can come in handy too.
Rack is so confident in their product that they offer a lifetime warranty. Lifetime!
Customer feedback has been largely positive with about three quarters of customers who bought through Amazon rating it at a full five stars out of a possible 5.
Pros:
- Great size for kids
- Folds away
- Bargain price
- Great customer feedback
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- You’re paying for the convenience of being able to fold away, rather than paying for solid sturdiness.
RUNNER UP
This pool table from Rack, really has a lot going for it.
At 7 ft long it's the same size table that you get in bars and arcades. To fit that you will need 17 ft of space by 13.5 ft, so you have enough room around the table to take your shots.
It's a solid heavy-duty professional grade pool table that will stay completely stable no matter what.
There are leg levelers on each leg, a scratch-resistant coating on the rails, a gorgeous red felt on top, an extra smooth MDF playing deck, and premium bumpers, all in all giving you smooth consistent rolling and bounce. There's even a ball return system to boot.
It comes with everything you need to play, including tournament grade billiard balls, 2 maplewood pool cues, the triangle rack and chalk.
It's super easy to set up, all the holes are pre-drilled and instructions are included, and if you're still struggling there's even live customer support.
And if that's not enough it also comes with free shipping and an unlimited lifetime warranty.
It's more affordable than some of its counterparts of the same size.
Pros:
- Same size as in the arcades
- Solid, heavy-duty and stable
- Made with premium components
- smooth consistent rolling and bounce
- Comes with everything you need
- Free shipping available
- Unlimited lifetime warranty
- Fair, reasonable price
Cons:
- It can be quite heavy when you're trying to set it up.
- You don't seem to be too many peer reviews around for it at the moment.
Best Pool Tables Buying Guide
Before we head off to our FAQ section, let's do a quick walkthrough on all the different things you might want to think about before you buy your pool table.
Size
Before you begin looking for a pool table to buy why you should first establish how much room you have not just for the pool table itself but also for room to take shots around the table.
As a general rule the bigger the pool table the better, however these days pool tables are available in a wide variety of different sizes. Quite often a smaller pool table is preferred for youngsters and families.
If you’re quite short on space, then you could consider a pool table that folds away when not in use, such as our Number pick, the .
We look at pool table sizes in more detail in our FAQ section. Our main recommendation is to simply go with a size that best fits your household and intended players.
Surprisingly perhaps, the size of the pool table does not always have a dramatic effect on the cost price, and you may actually find a larger pool table at the same price as a smaller one. The cost of the pool table comes down more to the table’s actual components and their quality.
Sturdiness
In our Top 5 picks, we have tried to include a mixture of solid, heavy duty pool tables where durability and sturdiness is guaranteed. However more lightweight, fold away tables don’t offer the same level of sturdiness and durability.
And whilst a sturdier option may be preferable, these pool tables tend to come at a much steeper price. So you may have to weigh up the two qualities and come to a compromise.
Complete Kit
When you’re buying a pool table, you must ensure that it comes as a complete kit, with a complete billiard ball set in with the price.
This is important because any table that differs from the 8 foot regulation standard will require a set of balls that’s in proportion to the pool table’s dimensions. It’s no good trying to shoot a ball fit for a 9 foot table into a pocket on a 40 inch table which is about a third of the size. The same goes for the pool cues.
Having a complete kit has more value than you might imagine. For example, having the special brush to maintain the pool table’s cloth is what enables the billiard balls to roll so smoothly year after year.
Best Pool Tables FAQ's
How big is a pool table supposed to be?
The length of a "Regulation Standard 8ft" table should be 88 inches long and the width should be 44 inches wide. A 9ft Regulation table on the other hand measures 100 inches long by 50 inches wide.
Basically the length always has to be double the width.
And that leads on nicely to our next question.
Should I only look at 8ft regulation standard pool tables?
Before you buy a pool table of any size, you should measure how much room you have to spare.
Fitting a pool table into a room is one thing but you also need to allow a certain amount of space around the pool table for you to take your shots. You should have 5 feet of space for this at each edge of the table.
This means that on top of the pool table’s dimensions, you will also need to add on an additional 10 feet.
If you want to become sufficiently practised in pool that you can play competitively, then we would recommend that you opt for the 8ft option if you can.
That said however, if space does not allow for that, then the main thing is that the length should double the width and the billiard balls are in proportion to the size of the table.
It’s worth noting at this point that the pool tables you find in bars are usually just 7 foot, not the regulation 8 foot.
Also players who are really good at carom shots, combos and ban shots often find playing on a 7-foot table more fun.
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I’m Lia and I love playing games. I started this site to share things with friends and they encouraged me to post more and now I’m trying to share things with the world – indoor and outdoor sports, and board and bar games. I write about things like Bocce, Croquet, Billiards, Darts and other fun ways to enjoy time with your friends and family!
