When I first took over ordering supplies for our 12-table pool hall back in 2020, I thought buying Simonis cloth was straightforward. You pick the color, you order it, a mechanic installs it. Easy, right?
Three re-felts and one expensive do-over later, I can tell you: it's not that simple. This is a quick checklist—six steps—for getting Simonis cloth right the first time.
What You'll Need Before You Start
This guide is for anyone responsible for buying pool table cloth for a commercial setting—bars, pool halls, recreation centers. If you're maintaining multiple tables, you're the target audience. I manage 12 tables across two locations, and these steps are based on what I've actually done, not what the catalog says.
Step 1: Confirm Your Table Model and Size
This sounds obvious. I still kick myself for the time I didn't check. In 2022, I ordered a full roll of Simonis 860 for what I thought were all 7-foot tables. Halfway through the install, my mechanic calls: "Uh, three of these are 8-foot."
The check: Look at the manufacturer's badge under the rail or measure the playing surface length. Don't guess. Table sizes vary between manufacturers—a Brunswicks 7-foot isn't the same as a Olhausen 7-foot.
If I remember correctly, our Olhausen 7-foots need a 52" × 104" piece of cloth, but the Valley bar boxes take something slightly different. Check before you order.
Step 2: Choose Your Simonis Cloth Weight (860 vs. 760)
Simonis offers two main weights for pool tables, and this decision matters more than you think.
Simonis 860: The tournament standard. 21 oz per linear yard. It's the cloth used in professional events—you've seen it in the Tournament Blue. It's faster, more consistent, and more durable than you'd expect. For a commercial hall with medium-to-heavy play, this is your best bet.
Simonis 760: Heavier at 24 oz per yard. It's slower, designed for high-traffic bars where you might have spills, heavier use, and less frequent maintenance. It's more forgiving of imperfect installation and rougher play.
My two cents: unless you're dealing with heavy daily bar traffic (like, 12+ hours of play), go with 860. I started with 760 on one table because of the durability claims. What I found is that 860 holds up just as well—my first 860 table is still going strong after 4 years—and plays better.
The surprise wasn't the price difference. It was that the 860 actually lasted longer than the 760 in our less-busy location. Go figure.
Step 3: Don't Skip the Cleaner (Simonis X1)
Here's where my early mistake cost me. I figured the cloth itself was the important part. The cleaner? That was an upsell.
Wrong.
Simonis X1 is a dedicated cleaning solution. It's not just water with a bit of soap. It's formulated to lift chalk dust and body oils without damaging the wool-nylon blend of the cloth. After the first 6 months without regular cleaning, I noticed the cloth on our busiest table looked… dull. Slow. Not the same table—and it had only 6 months of use.
I should add that not using a proper cleaner can void your cloth warranty. Simonis doesn't say that explicitly on the label, but I've heard it from their reps. Use X1. It's about $20 per bottle and lasts for dozens of cleanings.
The routine: Vacuum the table weekly. Apply X1 with a soft cloth or sponge every 4-6 weeks, depending on usage. Don't overspray—that can cause spotting. Oh, and let it dry completely (about 15 minutes) before play.
Step 4: Verify Installation Capability Before You Order
I once had a vendor offer to install the cloth for $150. They'd never done a Simonis install before. They'd done other brands. "It's the same," they said. The question isn't whether they'd done cloth. It's whether they'd done Simonis.
Simonis installs differently than cheaper cloths. The backing is more rigid. The staple pattern matters. Tension has to be precise—too tight, and you warp the rail; too loose, and you get ripples. A bad install will ruin a $300 piece of cloth.
What to verify: Ask for references of Simonis-specific installations. Ask if they've worked with Tournament Blue (which has a specific nap direction). If they hesitate, find someone else.
Why do rush fees exist? Because unpredictable demand is expensive to accommodate.
Our regular mechanic charges $200 per table install for Simonis 860. He's done dozens. He's worth every penny. A bad install costs more in rework and lost table revenue than the extra $50 for someone who knows what they're doing.
Step 5: Order Enough Cloth—Plus a Spare
This is the mistake I made most often early on. I'd order exactly the cloth needed for the tables I was re-felting. Then a table would get a tear, or I'd need to replace a panel, and I'd have to wait 2-3 weeks for a new order.
For a commercial pool hall, that means lost revenue.
My rule now: When I re-felt, I buy one extra length of cloth. So if I'm re-felting 5 tables, I buy 6 lengths. That spare sits on the shelf. If nothing goes wrong, it's there for when the next table needs a refresh. If something does go wrong, I'm not scrambling.
I want to say I learned this lesson in year two, but don't quote me on that. It might have been year three. Either way, it saved me when a light fixture fell on our main tournament table in 2023—I had the replacement cloth in stock. No downtime.
Step 6: Post-Installation Care and Break-in
Even with perfect installation, Simonis cloth needs a break-in period. For the first 20-30 hours of play, the cloth will be slightly slower than its eventual speed. The fibers need to settle.
What you shouldn't do: Rush to clean it. Wait at least two weeks. Let the cloth settle. Brush it gently with a pool table brush (not a vacuum with a beater bar—that can pull fibers).
Initial misjudgment: I thought the break-in was about the cloth getting faster. It's actually about the cloth settling into the rails and the nap becoming uniform. After that 20-30 hour mark, the cloth plays consistently.
After getting burned twice by 'probably on time' promises, we now budget for guaranteed delivery.
Common Mistakes That Will Cost You Money
Mistake 1: Assuming all Simonis cloth is the same. It's not. 860 and 760 are different weights. Tournament Blue is the standard for competition, but Simonis also offers other colors. Each has specific care requirements.
Mistake 2: Not checking the lot number. This is niche, but relevant for larger halls. Simonis cloth has lot numbers on the backing. If you're re-felting multiple tables with the same color, make sure all cloth is from the same lot. Different lots can have slight color variations (within Delta E < 2, per industry standard, but noticeable if two tables are next to each other).
Mistake 3: Over-cleaning. More cleaner doesn't mean better cleaning. Use X1 sparingly. A little goes a long way. Over-saturating the cloth can degrade the backing adhesive over time.
Bottom Line
Buying Simonis cloth isn't hard, but it's not as simple as just picking a color and hitting order. The cloth itself is excellent—best in the industry according to everyone I've talked to—but the cost of a mistake is high. A bad re-felt costs you the cloth, the install labor, and the table revenue while it's out of service.
Use this checklist:
- Confirm table size before ordering
- Choose 860 or 760 based on traffic, not price
- Buy Simonis X1 cleaner—it's not optional
- Verify your installer's experience with Simonis specifically
- Order +1 spare length for emergencies
- Let the cloth break in before aggressive cleaning or heavy tournament play
That's it. Six steps. I've followed them for the last three years and haven't had a single bad re-felt since. Assuming I don't jinx it.