Simonis 860 Cloth Review: The Upgrade You Feel Immediately
Simonis 860 is the worsted cloth used at effectively every major pool tournament, and the difference against the napped felt that ships on most tables is immediate in speed, spin response and how little the ball wanders. Buy it if you own a slate table and play often. Skip it if your table is not slate, because a bed that is not perfectly flat undoes what the cloth gives you.
The worsted cloth used at professional tournaments, and the fitting cost that comes with it.
Iwan Simonis Simonis 860 Pool Billiard Table Cloth, Pre-Cut Rails, Tournament Blue
~$407
Pre-cut worsted tournament cloth from an authorised dealer, supplied with rail pieces for an 8 ft table.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Type | Worsted tournament cloth |
|---|---|
| Use | Chosen for virtually all major pool tournaments and championships worldwide |
| Origin of the grade | Initially developed for 9-ball |
| Speed | Slightly slower than the 760 blend |
| Construction | High wool content worsted thread, smooth even threads |
| Effect | Consistent speed, English and cushion rebound, and reduced ball burn |
| Fitting note | Marked side up; the printed edge identifies the playing surface |
| Supplied | Pre-cut bed and rail pieces |
Specifications above come from Iwan Simonis' published product information. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- Worsted construction means there is no nap to lie in a direction, so the ball rolls the same way regardless of which way you shoot. Napped felt does not do this and it is the single biggest difference.
- Spin takes more consistently on a smooth worsted weave, which is why players who put English on the ball notice the change first.
- Reduced ball burn matters over years. Napped cloth marks at the break spot and the marks stay.
- It is pre-cut with rail pieces, so your fitter is not cutting from a bolt and charging you for the time.
- It is the reference cloth. If you want your home table to play like the tournament tables you see, this is not a marketing claim, it is what those tables are covered in.
Where it falls short
- Fitting is a separate cost and a specialist job. Stretching cloth evenly across slate and around pockets is not a DIY task for most people, and a badly fitted expensive cloth plays worse than a well fitted cheap one.
- Worsted cloth is thin and it shows the bed. On a non-slate table, every imperfection underneath is now closer to the surface.
- It is slightly slower than the 760 blend, which matters if you specifically wanted the fastest cloth available.
- Four hundred dollars of cloth on a six hundred dollar table is the wrong order of spending. The bed comes first.
- It is unforgiving of a badly fitted or worn tip, since a miscue on smooth worsted leaves a chalk mark rather than disappearing into a nap.
What owners report
Owner reports are unusually uniform for a product in this price range. Players describe the change as obvious from the first rack, particularly in how the cue ball holds a line and how draw and follow behave. The complaints are about the cost of fitting and about buyers ordering the wrong size, since the pre-cut sizes are table-specific and cloth cut for an 8 ft table does not cover a 9 ft one.
The honest comparison is our Simonis versus budget felt comparison. Budget napped felt is fine for casual play and it costs a quarter as much. Simonis is for people who will notice, and whether you will notice depends on whether you play with spin.
If you are having a table installed, this is the moment to decide. Fitting cloth at installation costs you nothing extra beyond the cloth, and fitting it later means paying a fitter to strip and recover a table you already paid to have covered. Our installation cost guide and maintenance guide cover the whole picture.
Who it suits
- Owners of slate tables who play weekly or more.
- Players who use English and want the cue ball to behave predictably.
- Anyone having a table installed, where fitting the cloth now costs nothing extra.
Who should skip it
- Non-slate tables, where the bed limits what the cloth can deliver.
- Casual family tables that see a few games a month.
- Anyone unwilling to pay a fitter, since self-fitting worsted cloth is how people ruin four hundred dollars.
Alternatives worth considering
Accuplay 20 oz Pre Cut Pool Table Felt, Billiard Cloth for 8 ft Table
~$122
Twenty ounce, 75 percent wool and 25 percent polyamide, pre-cut for an 8 ft table with rails, at under a third of the price. Medium-fast rather than tournament, and the right answer for a family table that needs recovering rather than upgrading.
Check price on AmazonCrical 13 mm Medium Pool Cue Tip, 5 Layer
~$20
If the cue ball is not doing what you want, the tip is a more likely culprit than the cloth and it costs twenty dollars to change. Fix the tip before spending four hundred on cloth.
Check price on AmazonEmpire USA Dakota Slate Pool Table with Premium Billiards Accessories, 7 ft, Charcoal
~$3,000
Tournament cloth on a non-slate bed is money spent in the wrong order. If you want tournament play, three-piece slate is the component that has to come first.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Simonis cloth vs budget felt
- Slate vs MDF pool table
- Pool table maintenance
- Pool table installation cost
- Empire USA Dakota slate pool table review
- Best pool table accessories
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Is Simonis 860 worth it for a home table?
If the table is slate and you play regularly, yes, and the difference shows up in the first rack. If the table is not slate, or if the table sees a few casual games a month, the money is better spent elsewhere. Cloth cannot improve on the flatness of the bed underneath it.
What is the difference between worsted cloth and felt?
Napped felt has fibres lying in a direction, so the ball rolls slightly differently depending on which way you shoot and it picks up marks at the break spot. Worsted cloth is smooth with no nap, so speed, rebound and how spin takes are consistent in every direction. That consistency is the entire point.
Simonis 860 or 760?
The 760 blend is faster. The 860 is the one used at effectively all major tournaments and is slightly slower, which most players find easier to control. Unless you specifically want the fastest cloth made, 860 is the default.
Can I fit it myself?
Most people should not. Worsted cloth has to be stretched evenly and finished around the pockets, and mistakes are permanent. If a table is being installed anyway, have the fitter use this cloth at installation, which costs nothing beyond the cloth itself.
What size do I order?
The size matching your table, since the cloth is pre-cut. Cloth cut for an 8 ft table will not cover a 9 ft one, and ordering the wrong size is the most common complaint in reviews of pre-cut cloth. Measure the playing surface, not the cabinet.
Measuring your own room before anything is delivered? The Game Room Layout Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.
How we work: we compare published manufacturer dimensions, the governing playing standards for each game, and reviews from owners who live with the equipment. We do not test games in person, and we say so on every page. Clearance figures here are researched guidance for planning a room, not professional advice: measure your own space, and have a slate table delivered, assembled and levelled by an installer rather than moving it yourself.