I Think Buying Cheap Pool Table Felt Is a False Economy—Here’s Why
I’m a procurement manager for a mid-sized billiard table manufacturer. I’ve managed our cloth budget—roughly $180,000 annually—for 6 years, negotiated with 15+ vendors, and documented every order in our cost tracking system. And after all that, I’ve come to a conclusion that might seem counterintuitive: spending more on Simonis 860 isn’t a luxury—it’s a cost-control measure.
This isn't theory. In Q2 2024, we had a rush order for a high-end commercial client—a pool hall opening in 3 weeks. The standard delivery for the cheaper cloth we'd been testing was 10 days. Simonis 860 could ship in 3 days, but at a 25% premium per roll. My gut said go cheap. My data said otherwise. Let me walk you through why.
The Hidden Cost of 'Cheap' Cloth
Everyone looks at the unit price. But in our business, the unit price is just the entry fee. The real cost shows up in three places:
1. Installation Time Overruns
We track every install technician’s hours. Over the past 3 years, we’ve installed about 400 tables. The average install time for a standard wool-nylon blend? 4.5 hours. For Simonis 860? 3.2 hours. That’s a 29% reduction in labor cost per table.
The reason? Cheaper cloth stretches inconsistently. Techs have to re-stretch, adjust, and sometimes redo corners. A buddy of mine at a competing shop once told me, “We had one 'budget' roll that took 6 hours because the weave was so uneven—the felt balled up in one corner.” That cost us more in labor than we saved on the cloth.
(Should mention: we've standardized on 860 for all commercial installations now. The labor savings alone paid for the cloth upgrade within 6 months.)
2. The 'Deadline Tax' on Failures
Here's where my core point comes in: when you're on a tight schedule, the certainty of quality is worth a premium.
In March 2024, we paid an extra $400 for rush delivery on Simonis 860. The alternative? Missing a $15,000 event install. The client had booked the space, sold tickets, and had a VIP tournament scheduled. If we'd used the cheaper cloth and it failed during stretch—which happened twice before with that brand—we'd have lost the contract and our reputation. That $400 extra? That’s 2.6% of the contract value. A no-brainer.
The 'budget vendor' choice looked smart until we saw the quality inconsistency. We returned an entire batch after finding a 3-inch tear in a roll. The rush reorder cost more than the original 'expensive' quote. We saved $80 on the initial order, paid $400 on the redo. Net loss: $320. (Note to self: update the cost calculator to include this scenario.)
3. Customer Complaints and Re-dos
We track warranty claims. Over 5 years, cloth-related callbacks (wrinkling, pilling, seam failure) on Simonis 860: less than 1%. On generic cloth? 8%. A 7% difference might not sound huge until you calculate that each callback costs us $200 in truck roll and labor.
When I audited our 2023 spending, I found that 22% of our 'service budget' went to fixing problems from the cheaper cloth we bought in 2021. We implemented a 'no generic cloth for commercial' policy in 2022. Callbacks dropped by 60% the next year.
What About the Numbers? Industry Standards
According to the Billiard Congress of America (BCA), tournament-grade cloth like Simonis 860 must meet a specific weave density and fiber quality to minimize friction variation. The standard tolerance for cloth thickness is ± 0.04 mm for tournament play. Cheap cloth often exceeds this, leading to unpredictable ball roll.
Put simply: a cheap cloth that causes a ball to slide 2 inches off line in a critical match? That's not acceptable. The cost of replacing a tournament table's cloth mid-event? Catastrophic.
(Prices as of early 2025; verify current rates. Simonis 860 roll pricing varies by vendor.)
Objections and Rebuttals
I know what some people will say. “But my budget is tight. I can't afford Simonis.”
I’d argue: you can't afford not to. Let's look at a typical scenario. A single pool table needs one roll of cloth. A cheap roll costs $150. Simonis 860 costs $260. That's a $110 difference.
Now factor in:
- Labor savings: $40 (faster install)
- Reduced callback risk: $20 (pro-rated over 10 tables)
- Customer satisfaction premium (fewer complaints): $15
Net effective cost difference: $35. For that $35, you get guaranteed performance, a consistent playing surface, and—most importantly—peace of mind when a deadline is looming.
Another objection: “We’ll just buy the cheap stuff and replace it more often.” That costs more in labor over time, and it damages your brand reputation if a client sees you using budget materials.
The Bottom Line: Certainty Is Cheap
After getting burned twice by 'probably on time' promises from cheap-cloth suppliers, we now budget for guaranteed delivery from a known-quality vendor. Our procurement policy requires at least three quotes for every order—but if the project has a hard deadline, we allow for a 'quality premium' of up to 35% on the cloth line item.
My spreadsheet says it clearly: over the past 6 years, the total cost of ownership for Simonis 860 is 18% lower than the average generic cloth when you include labor, callback, and reorder costs.
Pay for the certainty. It’s the cheapest insurance you’ll buy.