Simonis article

Is Your Table Cloth Sabotaging Your Game? Simonis vs. 'Standard' Felt

Posted on 2026-05-13 by Jane Smith

A practical, head-to-head comparison of Simonis billiard cloth versus standard felt. We break down the real differences in speed, durability, and maintenance from the perspective of a venue owner who has replaced both.

Simonis vs. Standard Felt: Not a Fair Fight, But a Fair Comparison

If you manage a pool hall, you've had this conversation. A player complains the table is 'slow.' Another says it's 'sticky.' You look at the cloth and wonder: is this costing me money?

This comparison isn't about which is a 'better brand.' It's about what each cloth actually does to your business. We'll compare Simonis 860 against the baseline 'standard' cloth you get with a mid-range table. I've installed, maintained, and replaced both. The differences are massive, but which one you pick depends on your playbase and budget.

Here's the framework we're using: speed consistency, maintenance cost, and lifespan. Let's get into it.

Speed Consistency: The Predictable vs. The Erratic

Speed is the first thing players notice. Simonis 860 is woven from a specific blend of worsted wool and nylon. The weave is incredibly tight and consistent. This means the ball travels with the same resistance regardless of the direction you hit it.

Standard felt, on the other hand, is a looser weave. It tends to have a 'grain.' You know this if you've ever hit a ball in one direction and watched it slow down, while the same shot in the opposite direction flies off the table. That's the nap. It's an unpredictable variable.

The bottom line: Simonis gives you a consistent, reproducible physics engine. Standard felt gives you a roulette wheel. For a league night where players are putting down money, the difference between a predictable slide and an unexpected roll is the difference between a happy customer and an argument at the bar.

Maintenance: Brushing vs. Replacing

Here's what vendors won't tell you: 'maintenance' on felt is a euphemism. You don't clean felt. You brush it. And you buy new ones.

Standard cloth accumulates chalk dust, body oils, and spilled drinks deep in its loose weave. You can brush it every day, but after 6 months, that cloth is a sponge for grime. The speed degrades rapidly. I've seen venues replace cheap felt every 8-10 months.

Simonis, with its tighter weave, is way more resistant to this. Chalk dust sits on the surface. A quick brush restores nearly factory glide. I saw a Simonis cloth in a private club last 4 years with proper brushing. It wasn't as fast as day one, but it was still playable. For a commercial venue, that's a huge CapEx deferral.

"I've never fully understood the pricing logic for rush cloth replacements. The premium for a 'service call' to re-cloth a table on a Monday is often 3x the price of a scheduled replacement on a Wednesday."

With Simonis, you schedule that replacement every 2-3 years instead of every year. That is a direct cost saving on labor and materials.

Lifespan: The $500 vs. The $1,500 Question

Let's talk numbers. A standard strip of cloth for a 9-foot table costs roughly $150-$250. Simonis 860? $400-$500. The install cost is the same for both: about $250-$400 depending on your region.

Most people look at that and say, 'Standard felt is cheaper.' Look, I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm saying it's a trap if you don't do the math.

Here's a real scenario from a 12-table room I managed:

  • Standard Felt: Replaced every 12 months. Cost per table (cloth + labor) = $500. Total per year = $6,000.
  • Simonis: Replaced every 36 months. Cost per table = $750. Total per year = $3,000.

Wait. That math shows Simonis is cheaper? Yes. Because the cost of the cloth is a smaller factor than the cost of the labor. If you own 10 tables, standard cloth costs you an extra $3,000 a year in labor alone.

When to Ignore the Math (And Buy Standard)

Here's where this gets real. I'm an advocate for Simonis, but I've also spec'd standard cloth for certain clients. Because sometimes, the 'better' solution isn't the right one.

Buy standard felt when:

  • You have a bar box in a dive bar where the primary use is 'hitting balls between drinking.' Consistency doesn't matter.
  • Your table sees traffic from 10 people a week. The constant re-cloth schedule doesn't affect you.
  • You are on a tight cash flow and cannot absorb the $500 upfront hit per table.

Buy Simonis when:

  • You run a League night or host tournaments.
  • Your players are serious—they notice the roll.
  • You plan on owning the tables for 5+ years. The cost savings from less frequent re-clothing will pay for the initial upgrade.

Honestly, I'm not sure why some cloth manufacturers don't just sell a 'premium' version that is 90% of Simonis quality but costs 30% less. My best guess is that the spinning and weaving technology is a closely guarded trade secret. It's not just the wool; it's the way the threads are finished. It's a nasty rabbit hole.

The Final Break

Choosing between Simonis and standard felt is not a 'good vs. bad' decision. It's an 'investment vs. expense' decision. Standard felt is an expense; you pay for it every year. Simonis is an investment; you pay for it once and benefit for years.

The vendor who said, 'For your league nights, go Simonis, but for your casual tables, just use standard' earned my trust for everything else. Because he admitted his own product boundaries.

Your tables are a revenue generator. Don't put a $300 tire on a $5,000 car if you're racing it. Put the rubber on that matches the road you drive.