No Single ‘Best’ Simonis Cloth — It Depends on Your Situation
I’ve been coordinating rush table recoverings for about six years now (started at a dealer shop before moving to a manufacturer). In that time, probably 200+ urgent orders. And honestly, the worst ones aren’t the ones where the deadline is impossible — they’re the ones where someone picked the wrong product and we had to redo everything.
So here’s the thing: there’s no universal “best” Simonis cloth. The 860 Tournament Blue is incredible for competition tables. The 760 is a workhorse. The X1 cleaner can save a table from a drink spill. But if you pick the wrong one for your situation, you’ll waste time, money, and maybe lose a client.
Let me break it down by three real-world scenarios I’ve run into. Read through them, then I’ll help you figure out which one you’re in.
Scenario A: Tournament or high-stakes event — deadline within 48 hours
This happens more than you’d think. A client calls on a Thursday afternoon: Saturday morning tournament, the old cloth has a tear, and they need a replacement yesterday. Normal turnaround for a custom-cut cloth is 3–5 days. So you’re already in crunch mode.
My go-to here is Simonis 860 Tournament Blue. Not just because of the name — the 860 is the only worsted-wool blend (100% worsted wool, pH-balanced for low friction) that’s consistently in stock at most distributors. In my experience, 95% of rush orders I’ve placed with 860 landed within 24 hours when I used a regional distributor we had a relationship with. The color (Tournament Blue) is also the standard for professional tournaments — your client won’t question it.
But here’s the honest limitation: if the client specifically needs a non-blue color (say, burgundy or green for a bar table), the 860 only comes in a few shades. You’d have to go with 760 for more color options, but 760 might take longer to ship. The upside of 860 speed was worth the risk. The downside? Paying $80–120 extra in rush fees (on top of the $150–200 base cost). I kept asking myself: is that fee worth potentially losing the $5,000 table sale? In that case, yes — the client was a league venue that referred three other customers later.
Scenario B: Budget-conscious home client, but they still want decent quality
Another common one: a homeowner wants to replace the felt on their old table. They’ve heard Simonis is good, but they don’t need tournament-grade. Their table gets used twice a week by the family. They want something that lasts and doesn’t break the bank.
Here I recommend Simonis 760 cloth. The 760 is a 70/30 wool-nylon blend, which is actually more durable for daily abuse (nylon adds wear resistance). It’s about 15–20% cheaper than 860. But — and this is the catch — the 760 isn’t always stocked in as many colors or cut sizes as 860. If you need a rush order for a 760 in a non-standard size, you might wait 4–5 days anyway.
In my experience, about 40% of rush 760 orders end up taking the same time as standard shipping because the distributor has to order it from the main warehouse. So if you’re truly on a time crunch, you might actually want to recommend the 860 even if the client is price-sensitive. I’ve done that: “Look, the 860 is $40 more, but it’ll be here Friday. The 760 will take the same time and cost only $30 less — not worth the risk.” That kind of honest trade-off usually works.
Scenario C: Maintenance emergency — spill or stain that needs immediate cleaning
This one’s different. The cloth itself is fine, but someone spilled a drink (or worse). The client wants to avoid replacing the whole tablecloth. That’s when Simonis X1 pool table cleaner comes in.
The X1 is a specialized cleaner for worsted-wool cloth. It’s not a universal cleaner — you don’t use it on cotton or nylon blends. But on Simonis cloth, it’s very effective for fresh spills. I’ve used it on a coffee spill that was 15 minutes old; after two applications and a gentle brush, you couldn’t see it.
What the X1 can’t do: fix a tear, deep-set ink stains, or years of accumulated dirt. If the cloth is physically damaged, you still need to replace it. The honest limitation: “If the spill has been there for more than an hour, the X1 might only lighten it. You’re probably better off replacing the cloth.” I’ve said that to clients, and they appreciated the honesty — some still bought the X1 as a last-ditch attempt, but they knew the odds.
How to Figure Out Which Scenario You’re In
Here’s the decision flow I use internally:
- What’s the deadline? Less than 3 business days? Go to step 2. More than that? You have time to weigh options.
- Is the cloth damaged or just dirty? Damaged -> go straight to cloth replacement (860 if possible, 760 if color needed). Dirty -> try X1 first.
- What’s the client’s budget? They want the cheapest possible? Be honest: Simonis isn’t the cheapest (compared to generic Chinese cloth). But if they need speed, the 860 is actually faster to get than cheap cloths. That’s a paradox.
- What color? Tournament Blue is always in stock. Other colors may delay the order — warn the client.
If I had to summarise in one sentence: If it’s truly urgent and you want it done right, bet on Simonis 860 Tournament Blue — it’s the fastest, most reliable option for rush jobs. Save the 760 for non-urgent budget projects. And buy a bottle of X1 as a backup.
That said, every situation is a little different. At least, that’s been my experience with 200+ rush orders. Do you have a specific scenario? Drop a comment or DM — happy to help troubleshoot.