Everything I'd read about pool table felt said premium options like Simonis 860 were just for tournament rooms. In practice, for our six-table bar setup, I found the opposite was true. The cheaper cloth cost us more in the long run.
I'm the guy handling equipment orders for a mid-sized bar and billiards chain. We've got 12 locations across three states. I've personally made (and documented) some significant mistakes in ordering supplies, totaling roughly $4,200 in wasted budget over two years. Now I maintain our team's checklist to prevent others from repeating my errors. This is the story of how I learned that lesson with pool table felt, and why we now exclusively use Simonis.
What This Comparison Is About
This isn't a generic 'premium vs budget' debate. I'm comparing Simonis 860 Tournament Blue against the standard 'pool table felt' you'd find from unbranded suppliers. The comparison is based on three years of actual wear and tear in high-traffic commercial environments (barbell bars with league nights, casual players, and the occasional birthday party).
The core dimensions we'll look at: Durability under heavy use, Playability (speed and consistency), and Total Cost of Ownership including maintenance.
Durability: Simonis vs. Budget Felt
From the outside, all pool table cloth looks similar. The reality is, the difference in wear between Simonis 860 and a budget unbranded felt becomes obvious within three months in a commercial setting.
In my first year (2017), I ordered unbranded felt for two of our busiest locations. I assumed 'felt is felt' for a standard bar. Didn't verify the weave density or wear ratings. Turned out budget cloth pills and develops thin spots after just 4-5 months of daily league play. On a six-table setup where every single table gets hammered, that meant re-felting twice a year.
By contrast, Simonis 860 lasts 12-18 months in the same environment. The 'worsted wool' construction resists pilling and maintains a consistent nap. One of our tournament venues has had the same Simonis 860 felt for 22 months and it's still playing well.
'Saved about $80 per table by choosing budget felt. Ended up spending $320 per table on re-felting + labor over two years. Net loss: $240 per table.'
The conventional wisdom is premium always outperforms budget. My experience with 24+ table installations suggests otherwise for different reasons. The cheaper cloth actually wears unevenly—the 'slow' spots develop where players rack and break, creating inconsistent speed across the table. Simonis 860 wears more uniformly, maintaining predictable ball speed.
Playability: The 'Yes, It Matters' Dimension
It's tempting to think casual bar players don't care about cloth quality. But the '[cheaper option]' choice ignores that playability affects table utilization. Bar owners care about repeat customers, and players who get frustrated with inconsistent rolls don't come back.
People assume surface appearance is all that matters. What they don't see is how the cloth's weave affects ball speed consistency. Simonis 860 uses a tighter, more uniform weave. Budget felt uses looser fibers that stretch and create 'ruts' along common shot paths.
In a barbell bar environment—where tables see everything from league-level precision to casual bank shots—this matters. A table that plays slow on one end and fast on the other kills the experience. I've watched league players switch to another bar because 'the tables play weird.'
Simonis 860 Tournament Blue is the industry standard for a reason. It provides a consistent speed around 25-28 on the 'Simonis Speed' scale. Budget felts vary wildly. Some test at 22 (slow) out of the box, others at 30 (fast). You lose control over the experience.
Maintenance & Cleaning: Enter X1 Cleaner
This is where my 'expertise boundary' lesson came in. I used to think any brush and vacuum would work for felt maintenance. That assumption cost us.
In September 2022, we had a $3,200 order of budget felt installed across four tables. Within a month, the felt had visible chalk residue and a general 'dingy' look. We were brushing it regularly. The issue: budget felt absorbs chalk and oils into the fibers more aggressively. Brushing redistributes the dirt rather than removing it.
We switched to Simons X1 Cleaner on the Simonis felt. The X1 is specifically formulated for worsted wool felt. It lifts chalk, body oils, and dust without damaging the nap or the color. The result: tables that look clean and play faster consistently.
'From the outside, cleaning felt looks straightforward. The reality is using the wrong cleaner (or just vacuuming) can actually degrade the cloth's playability over time.'
Here's what we learned about proper maintenance:
- Daily: Brush across the grain with a felt brush (not a household broom).
On Simonis 860: The brush lifts debris without flattening the nap. - Weekly: Use a mild felt cleaner like Simonis X1 with a microfiber cloth.
On budget felt: X1 is less effective because the fibers are more absorbent. - Monthly: Check for 'burn' marks near the rails and under the rack position.
Simonis felt: Wears thin but resists burning. Budget felt: Burns easily from friction.
The vendor who recommended Simonis X1 said 'this isn't our strength for every cloth—but for Simonis, it's the only thing we use.' That honesty earned my trust for everything else in their product line.
Total Cost of Ownership: A 3-Year View
I can't give you a universal price for all felt, because every dealer has different pricing depending on volume. But based on publicly available references for commercial-grade felt (using online distributor quotes from January 2025):
Budget unbranded felt: Approximately $80-120 per table for the cloth
Simonis 860: Approximately $260-320 per table for the cloth
Labor for installation: $150-250 per table (skilled technician)
At first glance, Simonis costs 2-3x upfront. But when you factor in the replacement frequency:
| Cost Factor | Budget Felt (3 yrs) | Simonis 860 (3 yrs) |
|---|---|---|
| Cloth (3 tables) | $240-360 (replaced 2x) | $260-320 (replaced 1x) |
| Installation labor | $450-750 (2 installs) | $150-250 (1 install) |
| Total per table (3 yrs) | $690-1,110 | $410-570 |
That's a 40-50% savings with Simonis over three years. And that's before factoring in the lost revenue from tables being offline during re-felting (typically 2-3 days per installation).
The budget option looked smart until we saw the quality. Replacing it cost more than the original 'expensive' quote.
Bonus: How to Hold a Pool Cue (The Felt Connection)
I know the keyword 'how to hold a pool cue' seems unrelated to felt. But here's the surface illusion connection: how players hold the cue directly affects felt wear.
From the outside, the bridge hand just supports the cue. The reality is bad grip technique pushes the cue into the felt, creating more friction and wear. Here's what we tell our staff to coach casual players:
- Open bridge, light pressure. A closed or 'death grip' bridge pushes the shaft into the felt. On Simonis felt: this creates unnecessary friction. On budget felt: this can cause premature wear within weeks.
- Keep the shaft parallel. Players who angle the back of the cue down dig the tip into the cloth on follow-through. This creates 'burn marks'—small friction burns that turn white. Simonis felt recovers better from these; budget felt develops permanent scars.
- Use a solid stance. The tighter the grip, the more likely the player is to 'stab' the cue into the felt. A relaxed hold allows the cue to glide smoothly. No amount of premium cloth will save you from a player who hammers the cue into the table.
In a barbell bar where tables get mixed-use (league regulars, first-timers, birthday parties), felt longevity is a function of both the cloth quality AND player behavior. Simonis felt tolerates poor technique better than budget alternatives. But neither cloth is indestructible.
My Bottom-Line Recommendation
If you run a commercial establishment—bar, pool hall, or even a high-traffic home table—Simonis 860 in Tournament Blue is the smarter investment. Here's my scenario guide:
- Heavy league play (4+ nights/week): Get Simonis 860. The durability pays for itself in 12 months. Pair it with Simonis X1 cleaner for weekly maintenance.
- Mixed use (casual + league): Still go Simonis 860. The uniform wear and consistent playability keep casual players coming back. Budget felt will make your table the 'that weird table' people avoid.
- Very low usage (you can count games per week on one hand): Budget felt might be acceptable. But consider the replacement cost when you factor in our X1 cleaner compatibility—Simonis felt works best with the dedicated system.
The vendor who told me 'budget felt isn't for commercial use' wasn't trying to upsell. They were trying to save me from my own cost-focused assumption. I should have listened earlier. After the third re-felting in 18 months, I created our pre-check list: always run a 3-year TCO before choosing pool table felt.
Simonis 860 Tournament Blue isn't the cheapest option upfront. But in the world of barbell bars and billiard halls, cheap felt is an expensive mistake.