What You'll Get Here
This isn't another generic guide. I've spent years in quality control for a company that supplies equipment to bars, clubs, and tournament venues. I review the stuff that goes on your tables. So when it comes to Simonis cloth—the stuff we see the most of, frankly—I've got some very practical, sometimes surprising answers to the questions that actually come up.
We'll skip the fluff. Here are the real questions.
What's the actual difference between Simonis 860 and 760? Which is 'better'?
This is the #1 question I get. The short answer: one is for serious play, the other is for high-traffic environments where durability matters more than feel.
Simonis 860 is a worsted wool-nylon blend (roughly 70/30). It's the standard for tournament play and serious leagues. The weave is tighter, the surface is smoother, and the ball roll is more predictable. It's what you want if you're running a league or a dedicated game room where the table gets used for hours of focused play.
Simonis 760 is a different beast. It's a heavier weight, woven differently for maximum abrasion resistance. The nap is slightly more pronounced. It feels a bit 'slower' than 860. We put this in bars and high-volume halls where the table might see 8-10 hours of casual use, some spills, maybe a bit of abuse. It'll outlast 860 by a good margin in those conditions (unfortunately, I don't have a specific hour-to-hour comparison to cite—wear patterns are too variable).
So, 'better'? For a competitive player, 860 is better. For a busy commercial room, 760 is the smarter choice. The wrong choice is putting 860 in a college bar and expecting it to last a year.
Is 'Tournament Blue' really just a color, or is it something special?
(I should mention: I was skeptical about this myself until I saw the data from our supplier audits.)
It's not just a color. Simonis's Tournament Blue is a specific dye formula that's part of their 860 line. The key isn't the blue itself—it's the consistency. The yarn dyed with that formula has historically shown less color variance within a single production run. For a tournament director setting up 8-10 tables, that means every table looks uniform under the lights. That matters for TV, but also for player perception.
But here's the real quality angle: the dyeing process for Tournament Blue is more tightly controlled. In our Q1 2024 quality audit of a batch of non-standard blue cloth from a different mill, we found the color fastness was measurably lower—it faded after a few months of UV exposure from standard bar lighting. Tournament Blue doesn't have that issue. Is it a magic bullet? No. But it's a spec that has real consequences for appearance longevity.
For a tournament venue or a high-end room that wants that classic look, it's worth the premium. For a home table in a basement with no windows, the standard blue is perfectly fine.
How important is the X1 cleaner, really? Can I use any felt cleaner?
Alright, this one hits close to home. I didn't fully understand why Simonis pushed their own X1 cleaner until a specific incident in late 2023. We had a new venue that used a generic 'pro' cleaner from a different brand on a set of 860 cloths. After three months, the cloth felt tacky, the ball roll was inconsistent, and there was visible discoloration along the edges. We had to recover the tables.
The issue wasn't that the other cleaner was 'bad.' It was that it contained a mild silicone-based lubricant. On a worsted wool cloth like 860, that silicone builds up in the weave. It attracts dust, changes the friction profile, and eventually compromises the cloth's integrity. The X1 cleaner is formulated to not leave any residue. It's a contact cleaner, essentially—it dissolves the dirt and chalk dust, and then it evaporates completely. That's it.
We tested this blind: our team of 5 installers cleaned a section of cloth with X1 and a section with a popular competitor's product. 4 out of 5 identified the X1-cleaned section as 'cleaner' and 'more static-free'—and they didn't know which was which. The cost difference on a single bottle is maybe $5-7. On an annual supply for 20 tables, that's $200. For measurably better surface condition and extended cloth life? It's a no-brainer.
What about my old equipment? I've got a lat pulldown machine next to my pool table. Will the vibration affect the cloth?
I get this question surprisingly often from home installs. Short answer: no, not directly.
The vibration from a lat pulldown or even lateral dumbbell raises (drops, more importantly) is a mechanical shock to the floor. If your floor is a concrete slab or solid wood subfloor, the table and cloth won't feel it. The cloth is a fabric stretched tight over a slate bed—it has no sensitivity to low-frequency vibration.
The real concern is dust. Lifting weights generates a lot of chalk dust from grips (if you use chalk) and general debris from rubber mats. That dust can settle on the cloth and get ground into the weave. If you're doing lat pulldowns with chalk, you should have a dedicated mat and a regular cleaning schedule.
So, don't worry about the vibration. Worry about the chalk dust.
Okay, so how do I actually clean a Simonis cloth? The right way.
I've seen more cloth ruined by 'cleaning' than by play. Less is more.
Here's the protocol we give to our commercial clients:
- Brush first. Use a soft-bristled brush (the Simonis brush is fine, but any horsehair or soft nylon works). Brush in the direction of the nap—usually from the headstring toward the foot end. This lifts the chalk dust out of the weave. Do this before every playing session.
- Vacuum occasionally. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment. Do not use a beater bar. The spinning brush can pull the fibers. Just the suction and the bristle attachment.
- Use X1 for spot cleaning, maybe monthly. If there's a sticky spot from a spilled drink or a ring from a wet glass, spray a small amount of X1 on a clean microfiber cloth (not directly on the felt) and dab it. Let it air dry.
- Never, ever use water, soap, or steam cleaners. (ugh, we see this all the time from home users). Water will shrink the wool and cause a permanent stain. Steam will delaminate the backing if it's a glued cloth.
That's it. A good cloth should last 3-5 years in a home environment, 1-2 years in a commercial one with proper care. If you're cleaning it more than that, you're probably making it worse.
Is there a situation where Simonis isn't the right choice?
This is a fair question. I recommend Simonis for most commercial applications, but if you're dealing with a very high-volume room where tables see 12+ hours of daily play—like a college game room or a busy family entertainment center—there might be a better option.
I recommend Simonis 860 for serious play. But if you're running a room where the primary goal is durability over playability, a heavy-duty poly-wool blend from a manufacturer like Championship might be the more cost-effective choice. Simonis doesn't do a heavy-duty poly blend. The 760 is tough, but it's still a wool-nylon mix. A poly blend will resist stains and abrasion even more, at the cost of a slower, less consistent playing surface.
The honesty point: if your business is a banger-y bar where customers spill drinks and kick the table legs, the higher upfront cost of 860 or even 760 might not give you the ROI you're hoping for. A cheaper, more resilient cloth might be the smarter play. We work with places that do exactly that. The cloth lasts longer, and they accept that the play feel is a trade-off.
So, no, Simonis isn't for every single table. But for 80% of the commercial rooms I see, it's the best balance of playability and durability.