7 Questions We Get Asked About Simonis Pool Table Felt (And the Mistakes That Taught Us the Answers)

I've been handling Simonis orders for about six years now. If I'm being honest, I’ve made (and documented) a fair share of expensive mistakes. We're talking wasted material, rushed re-dos, and a couple of calls I'd rather forget. So I started our team's internal checklist. This FAQ is basically that checklist, but for anyone who doesn't have my scar tissue.

1. What's the actual difference between Simonis 860 and 760 cloth?

A lot of people ask this one, and I used to give a complicated answer about weave and worsted wool. The real-world difference is simpler. 860 is the tournament standard—it's what you see on TV for pro events. It's tighter, faster, and more consistent. 760 is a bit more durable and slightly slower, which makes it a solid choice for bars or home tables that see a ton of action but don't need the lightning-fast pro roll.

I once recommended 860 to a client who ran a busy pool hall. Within a year, the cloth showed wear in the rack area. He wasn't happy. Turns out, the higher traffic and occasional spills meant he should've gone with the more forgiving 760. That was a $600 lesson for his business—and a reminder for me to ask better questions about usage.

2. How do I know if I need to refelt my pool table?

If you're asking this, you've probably already noticed something off. The biggest tell is the ball not rolling true. If it wobbles or slows down for no reason on a clean surface, your cloth is likely worn or has a dip underneath. Another sign? A visible burn mark or a shiny path from the cue ball to the object balls.

The surprise for most people isn't the wear—it's where it happens. I've seen tables where the cloth looked fine except for a single spot under the rack. That spot caused the balls to spread inconsistently. So don't just look at the center. Check the rack area, the rails, and the pockets. A minor patch can ruin the experience for a serious player.

3. Is it hard to refelt a table yourself? (And should I?)

If I remember correctly, the first time I tried it, it took me and a buddy the better part of a Saturday. We messed up the rail cloth tension on the first attempt and had to redo it. It's doable if you're handy, follow a good tutorial, and have the right staple gun. But—and this is a big but—a bad refelt job can ruin the playability of your table. Bubbles, wrinkles, or uneven stretch will drive you crazy.

For a home table you play on casually? Go for it. For a table you're trying to keep tournament-level? Pay a pro. We've caught 47 potential errors using our checklist in the past year and a half, and about half of those were from first-time DIY attempts. The other half were from installers who skipped steps.

4. Why is Simonis Tournament Blue so popular? Is it just marketing?

No, it's not just marketing, though Simonis did a great job branding it. Tournament Blue is the color used for the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) events. So there's a real standard behind it. But the color itself has a purpose: it provides the best contrast for the cue ball and object balls on TV and for the human eye. It's not just an aesthetic choice.

I once had a client who wanted a green table because "it's a pool table." He went with a green Simonis. He was happy, but he called back a year later asking why his game room didn't "feel right." We walked through it, and the issue was the contrast. The dark green made the 2-ball and 6-ball harder to see in his low lighting. Tournament Blue would have fixed it. Now, I always ask clients about their room lighting before they choose a color.

5. What about cleaning? Can I use any felt cleaner on Simonis cloth?

Absolutely not. Don't use a general-purpose cleaner or anything with bleach or strong chemicals. Simonis makes the X1 Cleaner specifically for their cloth. It's a water-based formula designed to lift dirt without damaging the wool fibers or the backing. I made the mistake of using a popular off-the-shelf upholstery cleaner on a demo table once. It left a residue that actually made the cloth play slower. Took three professional cleanings to fix.

Here's the routine: brush the felt with a soft-bristled brush to remove chalk dust after every session. For spot cleaning, use a damp (not wet) microfiber cloth with just water—or Simonis X1 if it's a stubborn mark. Never scrub. Blot. Scrubbing pushes the dirt deeper into the fibers.

6. How long should Simonis cloth last?

This depends entirely on use. A home table used a few hours a week? Simonis cloth can last 5-10 years. The same cloth in a busy pool hall might need replacing every 1-2 years. A league hall with heavy play might change it once a year or even more often.

The key variable isn't just time—it's play hours. I tell clients to track their play and replace the cloth when the nap starts to show wear or the ball doesn't roll true. For a commercial table, if you're seeing burn marks or a shiny track, that cloth is already slowing down the game. Don't wait for it to look bad; replace it when it plays bad.

7. Is Simonis worth the premium price over cheaper felt?

For serious players and commercial operators: yes. The consistency, speed, and longevity of Simonis cloth mean a better playing experience and less frequent replacement. Cheap felt might save you $200-300 upfront, but it'll wear out in half the time and play inconsistently from day one. Over a 5-year period, the expensive cloth is actually cheaper in the long run and provides a far better experience.

I had a client who went with a bargain brand to save on a table for a rec room. Within 18 months, the cloth was pilling. He ended up buying Simonis 860 Tournament Blue and hiring a pro to install it. His total cost was higher than if he'd just bought Simonis in the first place. As I tell my team: "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."