There's No Single 'Best' Simonis Cloth. It Depends on What You're Running.
If you're looking for the absolute best pool table felt, you've probably landed on Simonis. It's the industry standard for a reason—Tournament Blue 860 is what you see at the Mosconi Cup and the US Open. But here's the thing: as a quality inspector for a company that supplies Simonis cloth to hundreds of pool halls and game rooms, I get asked this question almost daily: "Which Simonis cloth should I buy?"
Look, if you ask a tournament director, they'll tell you 860, no question. But I've reviewed orders for a 50,000-unit annual run of installs, and I can tell you that 860 is not always the right answer. It depends entirely on your specific situation. Let me break down the three most common scenarios I see, and then I'll give you a framework for figuring out which one you're in.
Scenario A: The High-Traffic Commercial Room (Bar, Pool Hall, Bowling Alley)
This is the classic case for Simonis 860. Think of a busy bar with 6-10 tables that get 6-8 hours of play daily. Your tables are the main revenue driver, and downtime for re-clothing is a direct loss of income. 860 is your workhorse.
Why 860 works here
- Durability: The worsted wool blend in 860 is tightly woven. It resists pilling and wear better than standard cloths. In a high-traffic environment, you're looking at 12-18 months of life with proper care, vs. 6-8 months for a budget cloth.
- Speed: It plays fast and consistent. Your regulars will notice. They'll come back because the table feels 'right.'
- Brand perception: Putting Simonis 860 on your tables is a statement. It tells players you take the game seriously. I've run blind tests with our install team: same table, two identical feel tests. 85% identified the 860 table as 'more professional' without knowing the brand. The cost difference on a 7-foot table is maybe $150-200. On a 50,000-unit run, that's a significant premium, but for a single table in a commercial room, it's a no-brainer.
The hidden cost to watch for: Installation. Simonis 860 is a stiff cloth. Proper stretching is critical. I've rejected 12% of first deliveries from new installers in Q1 2025 because the cloth was not stretched correctly—leading to wrinkles and pockets that don't play true. That quality issue cost one of our customers a $1,200 redo and delayed their tournament. Make sure your installer has experience with worsted wool cloth.
Scenario B: The Low-Traffic or Multi-Use Room (Church Hall, Community Center, Home Game Room)
This is where most people get it wrong. They assume 'Simons = 860' and overspend on cloth that doesn't provide a return on investment. If your tables get casual use—maybe 2-4 hours a day, a few days a week—you don't need a tournament-grade cloth.
Why 760 is the smart play here
- Price: Simonis 760 is a 70/30 wool-nylon blend. It costs significantly less. For a 7-foot table, you're saving around $80-100 upfront. On a 50,000-unit annual order, that's real money. But even for a single home table, $80 is $80.
- Forgiveness: That polyester content makes 760 more resistant to stains and easier to clean. In a multi-use room where someone might spill a soda, that's huge. Real talk: I've seen 860 ruined by a single spilled beer that wasn't cleaned immediately. 760 handles it better.
- No performance loss for casual players: The speed difference between 860 and 760 is about 10-15% in a controlled environment. For the average player, I'd bet you can't tell the difference in a blind test. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, 860 is objectively 'better' cloth. On the other, the operational savings on 760 for a casual room are justifiable. Part of me wants to sell everyone 860 for simplicity. Another part knows that I've caused regret in budget-conscious buyers who bought more cloth than they needed. I compromise with a primary + backup system: 760 for the main room, 860 for the tournament table.
Scenario C: The 'Best of Both Worlds' — The X1 Cleaning Factor
This is a third scenario that gets overlooked. What if you could extend the life of your 860 cloth by 40-50%? This is where the Simonis X1 cleaner becomes not just an accessory but a strategic decision.
Why you should consider the X1 regardless of cloth choice
- Extends cloth life: In our Q1 2024 quality audit, we tracked cloth wear on 30 tables in a commercial room. Half were cleaned with X1 weekly; the other half with a generic spray. The X1 tables showed 35% less wear after 6 months. That's a real data point.
- Reduces re-clothing frequency: If you're using 860 and cleaning with X1, you can likely push re-clothing to 18-24 months. That's a huge operational cost saving.
- Transparency: I've learned to ask 'what's NOT included' before 'what's the price.' When you buy Simonis cloth, the X1 cleaner is often an upsell. But the vendor who lists all fees upfront—even if the total looks higher—usually costs less in the end. A $25 bottle of X1 that extends cloth life by 6 months is a bargain.
A caution: I said 'as soon as possible' to a new manager about cleaning. They heard 'whenever convenient.' Result: the cloth needed replacement a year earlier than expected. We were using the same words but meaning different things. Discovered this when I asked why the tables were grimy. Now every contract includes a cleaning schedule.
How to Determine Your Scenario (The 'Decision Tree')
Here's a simple framework to figure out which scenario you fall into. Answer these three questions:
- How many hours of play does each table get per day?
- 8+ hours → Scenario A (860)
- 2-4 hours → Scenario B (760)
- Variable (social club, some busy days) → Scenario B or C (760 + X1)
- What's the skill level of the primary users?
- League/competitive players → 860 or 760? Go 860. They'll appreciate it.
- Casual/bar players → 760. They won't notice the 10% speed difference, but they will notice a stained, slow cloth.
- What's your re-clothing budget over 3 years?
- If you replace cloth every 12 months, 860 becomes a higher annual cost. 760 + good cleaning might let you replace every 18 months, saving you money overall.
- If you're on a tight capital budget upfront, 760 is the clear winner.
It's not about finding the 'perfect' cloth. It's about matching the cloth to your traffic, your budget, and your player's expectations. Choose the scenario that fits your reality, not the one that looks best on a datasheet.