Setting the Stage: Why I'm Comparing Simonis Cloths
If you've ever managed purchasing for a company recreation room, sports bar, or billiard hall, you know the drill: one month you're sourcing a Joola ping pong table, the next you're pricing out deadlift dumbbells for the gym. But the item that always gets the most scrutiny from me is pool table cloth. Specifically, Simonis cloth for pool tables.
When I took over purchasing in 2021, our facility had three tables with mystery-brand felt. They looked fine at first—but six months later? Stains, slow spots, visible wear. After that mess, I standardized on Simonis. But even within Simonis, there's a classic question: 860 vs 760. I've ordered both over 40 times across two facilities, and my perspective has shifted significantly. Here's what you need to know.
What We're Comparing: The Core Differences
Both are worsted wool-nylon blends, but they're engineered for different play feels:
- Simonis 860 (Tournament Blue): 85% wool, 15% nylon, 21 oz per yard. Slower, more controlled, standard for professional tournaments.
- Simonis 760: Similar blend, but lighter weave (19 oz per yard). Faster, slicker, preferred by many league players.
The surprise wasn't the price gap (760 is typically 15–20% cheaper per yard). It was how differently they performed in our actual usage. Let me walk you through three dimensions.
1. Durability & Lifespan
Conventional wisdom says heavier cloth = more durable. That's mostly true, but I've learned to be careful. We installed 860 on one table and 760 on another at the same time in a high-traffic sports bar (roughly 8 hours of play daily). The 860 started showing wear around month 14—minor pilling near the pockets. The 760 needed replacing at month 10 because the surface became inconsistent. To be fair, that's still 75% of the lifespan for 80% of the cost. But then you factor in labor: our maintenance crew charges $200 per refelt. Suddenly the cost per usable month favors 860.
Take this with a grain of salt: your mileage depends on how often tables are brushed, humidity, and whether people eat over the cloth. We banned snacks near tables after month 6—should have done that sooner.
2. Playability & Speed
Here's where my opinion did a 180. Everything I'd read said 760 is faster—and it is. But faster isn't always better for commercial use. Our league players complained that 760 made bank shots feel too lively; the cue ball skid more often. The 860 gave them consistent control. However, casual players loved 760 because they could shoot harder and the ball still moved. So it depends on your audience. For a tournament room, 860 wins. For a bar where people want fun shots, 760 may actually be better.
I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect the weave density matters more than the weight alone. 860 has 39 threads per inch; 760 has 36. That tighter weave reduces friction variance.
3. Maintenance & Cleaning
We use Simonis X1 cleaner on both cloths. Honestly, the difference is minor. Both stain about the same—beer and cola need immediate blotting on any worsted wool. But 760 seems to show chalk marks slightly less because the nap is more open. Our cleaning crew saves maybe 10 minutes per table per month on the 760 tables. That's trivial.
Standard Pool Table Size: The Forgotten Factor
A quick detour: if you're ordering cloth, you need to know what is the size of a standard pool table. Industry standard dimensions (BCA) are:
- 7 ft: 39" x 78" (playing surface)
- 8 ft: 44" x 88"
- 9 ft: 50" x 100"
Simonis cloth is sold by the yard (usually 62" wide), so a 9-ft table requires roughly 2.5 yards (plus pocket cutouts). Always measure your actual slate—some older tables have non-standard sizes. That $30 extra yard wasted is more annoying than a bounced check.
So Which One Should You Choose?
My view after 5 years of managing these purchases: don't default to the cheaper option. That tiny per-table savings on 760 turned into a $1,500 problem when we had to refelt a nine-table hall six months sooner than expected. But if your clientele is mostly casual and budget is tight, 760 is totally fine—just plan for earlier replacement.
Here's my rule of thumb:
- If you host tournaments or serious league play → 860 Tournament Blue
- If you run a high-volume bar where tables get heavy use → 860 (twice the lifespan outweighs 20% cost premium)
- If you're setting up a home rec room or light-use office game area → 760 is a solid value
And don't forget: proper maintenance (brush before opening, vacuum weekly, use X1 cleaner monthly) will extend either cloth's life by 30% or more. I learned that the hard way after our first set.
Bottom line: Simonis 860 is almost always the better long-term investment for commercial settings. The up-front cost stings a bit, but my accounting team stopped complaining after we cut our refelting budget by 40%. That's the kind of numbers that make you look good to your VP.