What You Should Know About Pool Table Fabric

The cloth covering your pool table gives it a splash of color and enhances its beauty. However, there is a lot more to pool table fabric than simply looks. It serves an important function in helping the balls move smoothly across the table. 

Though durable, the fabric eventually wears out and needs to be replaced, or damage could affect gameplay. If you need to replace your table's cloth, here are important things you should know about the different types available. 

What Are the Different Names for Pool Table Fabric?

Pool table cloth is known by different names in different areas of the country or world, the same way some people refer to a carbonated beverage as “pop” while others call it “soda”. Here are some variations of terms you may hear: 

• Billiard cloth
• Pool table felt
• Pool felt
• Billard felt
• Pool table cloth

None of these terms is more or less correct than any of the others - especially as the blend of material can vary; it's just a matter of how common they are in a particular area. 

Pool table fabric is sometimes also referred to as a "green." While there are other colors available, green is the most traditional. You may also hear the fabric referred to as a cover, but this can be confusing as pool tables often have removable cloth covers to protect them when they are not in use. 

What Is Pool Table Felt Made of?

Pool table cloth is typically woven of a blend of two different fibers. One of the materials is usually wool, which is blended with a synthetic fiber, such as nylon or polyester. Some types also include Teflon so they can resist spills. 

What Are the 2 Types of Pool Table Fabric?

There are two main types of pool table felt: woolen and worsted

Woolen Felt

As implied by the name, this type of fabric consists of a blend of at least 60% wool. Woolen felt has a nap to it, meaning that fibers stick up like the pile on a carpet and are all woven in the same direction. It is more loosely woven than worsted cloth, and the nap gives it a texture that is velvety to the touch.

Woolen felt is less expensive than worsted and is mostly used for home tables and barroom tables where play is casual. Balls do not travel as quickly over woolen felt, especially when they are moving against the nap. Over time, woolen cloth starts to pill, meaning that little fuzzy bits start to come off. 

Worsted Fabric

Though sometimes referred to generically as pool felt, worsted is not actually a felt at all. The wool used in worsted fabric is some of the best quality in the world. A special weaving technique is used to make worsted cloth as smooth as possible. This reduces pilling and helps the balls to travel faster across the table. Worsted fabric is required for tournament play, and people who are serious about billiards often prefer it to woolen felt. 

At Penguin, our pool table fabric is available in rolls and pre-cut segments.  Choose the option that best suits you and then look over our other pool products for everything your table needs.