Here's what you need to know: a 9-foot pool table has a play surface of 100 inches by 50 inches, but the Simonis cloth you order for it has to be larger than that—usually about 102 by 56 inches—so it can wrap the rails and seat into the pockets. Most simonis cloth pool table orders fail for the same reason: the right product, the wrong size. I've seen the invoices, and the real cost isn't the cloth. It's the labor, the delay, and the second order.
Pool table felt is not like buying over ear headphones or platform slide sandals. You can return those if the fit feels off. A cut piece of worsted wool is another story: a half-inch miss can ruin a $300 product. So before you choose a color, answer the basic question: what is the size of a pool table?
What is the size of a pool table?
For standard pool tables, the playing surface measurements are:
- 7-foot table (often called a bar box): 39 inches by 78 inches
- 8-foot table (the most common home size): 44 inches by 88 inches
- 9-foot table (the tournament size): 50 inches by 100 inches
Those are the play surface numbers from the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) equipment specs (accessed January 2025), and they're the ones I use for every order. Measure from cushion nose to cushion nose, not from wood edge to wood edge.
Why I'm the one writing this
I'm a procurement manager at a regional billiard supplies distributor. I've managed an inventory budget of about $180,000 per year for six years, negotiated with 12+ Simonis distributors, and logged every order in our cost tracking system. I've also made the exact mistake I'm warning you about.
In 2023, I assumed a 'standard 8-foot table' meant the same cloth length for every rail style. Didn't verify. Turned out the table's deep-pocket design required wider side panels, and the cloth we ordered didn't reach. We had to buy another piece and reschedule the installer. That cost us about $140 in extra freight plus two weeks of delay.
Since then, no cloth order goes out without a one-page confirmation sheet. It includes the table model, play surface numbers, Simonis product, quantity, and cutting allowance. The third time a wrong SKU showed up, I built the sheet. Should have done it after the first.
The cloth is supposed to be bigger than the table
Here's the part that trips up a lot of first-time buyers: an 8-foot table doesn't need an 8-foot-long cloth. It needs a larger piece, often close to 9 feet by 5 feet, so it can wrap the rails and drop into the pockets. The cut depends on rail profile, pocket depth, and manufacturer design. That's why 'what is the size of a pool table' is the right first question, but not the only one.
To be fair, this is also where distributors can be vague. If you ask for 'Simonis 860 for an 8-foot table,' a good supplier will ask you for the play surface and rail type. A bad supplier will just send something and leave you to sort it out. I've tested both kinds.
Simonis cloth: 860 vs. 760 vs. the cleaner
Simonis makes a few products, and the SKU mix confuses some dealers. In my experience, the two cloths I see most are:
- Simonis 860: the tournament-style option. It's a worsted wool-nylon blend, dense, smooth, and the one most dealers pick for 9-foot tournament tables.
- Simonis 760: a lighter option. It can be a sensible choice for casual tables or budgets where 860 is overkill.
One cost lesson: standardize on one Simonis SKU if you can. We stock 860 Tournament Blue as our default. That simplifies inventory, pricing, and installer training. Meanwhile, X1 cleaner is the maintenance piece. We include it with every install if the customer doesn't have it. That sounds like a sales line, but from a procurement view, it's cheap insurance compared to a re-cloth.
The hidden costs I keep seeing
Here's where the numbers get real. I compared four distributor quotes in 2024 for the same Simonis 860 Tournament Blue, 9-foot cut. Prices ranged from $260 to $340 before shipping. That's a 30% spread. If you pick the lowest quote without asking what it includes, you might be fine—or you might be the person who pays extra shipping for a rush replacement.
Things that add cost:
- Cutting allowance missing. '9-foot table cloth' does not mean a 100x50 piece. It means enough fabric to wrap rails and drop into pockets. I'm not 100% sure of every brand's allowance, so I ask the distributor to write it down.
- Wrong SKU. 860 and 760 look close. A dealer once ordered 760 for a tournament table and didn't catch it until install day. To be fair, the packaging can be confusing. Now the order sheet includes the roll tag number.
- Labor. A skilled installer's time can be close to the cloth price. If the cloth is wrong, you pay for the failed session and the successful one.
- Return freight. Big rolls are bulky. Don't hold me to this, but return shipping and restocking fees can add another 15-25%.
I have mixed feelings about restocking fees. On one hand, they feel like a penalty for a minor mistake. On the other, every returned cloth creates real work for the distributor. So now we just avoid the return by verifying first.
Spend ten minutes now, save five days later
The single cheapest step is a tape measure. Ten minutes of verification beats five days of correction. That's not a slogan; it's what I tell every dealer who calls and asks which Simonis 860 to buy.
If you run a repair shop or dealership, use a simple checklist:
- Measure the play surface from cushion nose to cushion nose.
- Note the table model and rail type.
- Ask for the exact Simonis product and cut length, in inches.
- Get the cutting allowance in writing.
- Confirm install labor and what happens if there's a sizing issue.
I get why buyers compare prices first. Budgets are real. But every dollar saved on the front end can turn into three dollars of labor on the back end. That's not a guess. I've lived it.
When this advice doesn't apply
Not every table needs Simonis 860. If it's a casual bar table with a sloppy owner, 760 or another brand might be the better buy. I'm a Simonis customer, not a Simonis employee, so I won't tell you 860 is the only option. Similarly, if you don't have a table mechanic you trust, the best cloth in the world won't save you. The product and the installer are a package.
If the room is humid or the table gets spilled drinks on it, even Simonis won't forgive you. You need a different product or a real maintenance plan. That's not a product flaw; it's physics.
And remember, prices change. The $260–340 range I saw in 2024 is a reference, not a quote. As of early 2025, the range seemed similar, but verify current rates before you build a cost sheet.
Bottom line for the cost sheet
The answer to what is the size of a pool table is usually 39x78, 44x88, or 50x100. But the answer to how much Simonis cloth do I order is always 'more than the play surface, by a specific amount.' Don't choose cloth like you'd choose over ear headphones or platform slide sandals. There's no quick return if the fit is off—only a mechanic's bill and a rescheduled appointment.
Measure first, buy once, and maintain like the table depends on it. Trust me on this one.