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Pot it like a pro with one of the best pool tables for 2023
The best pool tables are great fun for solo practise, and work particularly well in a home setting because of their more compact sizes. They also conveniently make for an excellent party piece to enjoy with friends and family over a few drinks.
“A pool table is a great option if you're after a snooker experience at home but don't have the space,” says Jamie Sanford from Liberty Games. “Pool is a hugely enjoyable game in its own right, although professional or competent snooker players looking for an authentic game of snooker will want to buy a proper, full-size snooker table. But casual players can play a fun game of snooker on a pool table. All you need is a set of snooker balls of the exact same size as your pool balls (so that they fit in the pockets and table internals correctly), and a little imagination.”
In the GQ edit of best pool tables in 2023, we’ve included a range of pool tables, some of which are better suited to compact living rooms, and others to dedicated games rooms, as well as some luxury pool table options. They are suitable for pool and most can be adapted for a game of snooker should you wish to pot the red and screw back for the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black. We’ve also included a few buying tips so you can shop for the ideal design for your own home.
RS Barcelona Outdoor Diagonal Pool Table 7ft
The RS Barcelona Pool table is a luxury option that just exceeds all others available to buy online. It's suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, it excuses a premium feel, and it's got all of the essentials you need to start playing right away.
GRAFICA MA.RO SRL 7ft Pool Table
At 120kg, this is a substantial, robust table capable of some serious play time. While more expensive than some rivals, it offers a solid middle ground between more affordable and professional-grade options.
Hy-Pro 4ft 6in Folding Snooker and Pool Table
Absurdly affordable, this beginner-friendly table has everything anyone needs to get started, including cues, balls, a rack, and a scoreboard.
Our full guide to the best robot pool tables is below, but if you're after a quick list, we've got you covered…
Billiards is an umbrella term that includes all of the ‘cue sports’, which are tabletop games played with a set of balls, on a felted playfield and with a cue to strike the balls. Pool and snooker are types of billiards games and, despite appearances, entirely separate games, with the latter played correctly on huge tables of 10, 11 or ideally 12 feet in length. Due to their size and considerable weight, snooker tables are uncommon choices for home installations. Pool tables are smaller, usually between six feet and nine feet in length.
Other than the size difference, snooker and pool tables look superficially similar, with six pockets, rebound cushions, and a ‘baize’ or cloth covering the playfield. The games however are entirely different in terms of play, setup, rules, and the way in which the cloth is marked. You can play a basic, fun game of snooker on a pool table if you buy an extra set of snooker balls, however.
Jamie Sanford, managing director of Liberty Games, shares his expert advice on how to buy the best pool table for you
Check your room size. You should ensure that you have enough space around the entire table to use a 57-inch cue from any direction, without obstruction from furniture. This will dictate the size of table that you can buy and install in your home.
Choose your bed material. There are two main bed materials: wood and slate. Wood bed tables are at the value end of the spectrum and are aimed at families and casual players who don’t need peak performance. Professional and serious players will need a slate bed, made from a real piece of rock slate, machined, and honed to be perfectly flat. Slate bed tables offer much better game quality, but are more expensive and heavier.
Choose between American or British pool. British pool is the version you will likely have played in British pubs and bars on smaller 6ft or 7ft tables. It is a slower, more tactical game played on a wool-based cloth, requiring excellent skill to navigate balls into the tighter pockets. American pool is a faster game, played on larger 7ft to 9ft tables. A nylon-based ‘speed cloth’ on American pool tables makes ball speeds much quicker, with wider pockets and springy cushion rubber for impressive rebounds.
Identify the ball colours. Snooker comes with a majority of red balls, and then single balls of other colours placed around the playfield. British pool is most often played with red and yellow balls (the colour is assigned to a player after the break). American pool is played with spots and stripes balls.
Consider a multipurpose table. Some pool tables offer multipurpose functionality. Pool dining tables are a popular trend in recent years - these tables have shallow bodies, allowing people to sit around them on chairs, with lots of leg room. When a set of tabletops are lifted onto the pool table, it is transformed into a dining table for the whole family. There are also ‘multi game’ pool tables aimed at families that can transform into foosball, air hockey or table tennis tables.
Get the right cue size for you and your table. Depending on your height, build and skill level, you should ideally use a 57-inch full-size pool cue. Shorter or younger people may need to move down to a 52-inch or even a 48-inch cue. Children might need to use a 36-inch cue. Cues and other accessories are almost always included with new tables, but you may want to buy extras in different sizes if needed.
How much maintenance does a pool table need? A slate bed table doesn’t need much maintenance. Once installed and levelled, it can be pretty much left alone. The only really vulnerable part is the cloth, as spills, dust, sunlight and pets can damage it. Use a cover or a tabletop to protect it and brush it regularly.
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Pros: Robust build | Ball return system
At a little over a grand at the time of writing, Grafica's 7ft pool table isn't an option for those looking for a cheap impulse buy to entertain the kids on rainy days. And yet, it still offers excellent value for money, given its 120kg tank-like build, ball return system, classic design, and adjustable height. If you're looking for something on the more serious end of things without parting with multiple thousands of pounds, then congratulations — you've just met your future pool table.
Pros: Sturdy build | Built-in cue racks
Cons: No ball return mechanism
Those with a penchant for red will no doubt be won over by the Topaz's bold cloth choice. The rest of the design is rather plain, if not functional, and there's plenty of clever features thrown in to make your playing experience a smooth one. These include built-in cue racks for a tidy clean-up, along with a rubber inner rim for superior, accurate ball recoil. The only downside for serious players is the lack of a ball return system, but considering you're getting some cues and a rack thrown in for your money, casual fans have little to complain about.
Pros: Very affordable | Includes balls, cues, and accessories
Cons: No ball return system
The cheapest offering on our list by a substantial margin, Hy-Pro's ultra-minimal table won't win prizes for its size or sturdiness. Its rock-bottom price, combined with the fact that it includes, cues, a rack, chalk, and a scoreboard though, makes it the best value-for-money pick for younger players and/or those tight on budget and space. Storage should be easy as well, thanks to its folding legs.
Pros: Stunning design | Premium materials
With its striking good looks, this 8ft outdoor diagonal pool table is ideal for ‘striking the ball’. Its premium finish with the option of either iroko timber and black or white will add a luxe feel to your home. The eye-catching table frame is a stylish contrast to the colourful pool balls that pop out at you in all their shiny glory. But what we love most about this table is the fact that it’s suitable for outdoor use – so you can place it in the garden, conservatory or outhouse, as well as house it in your living room. The luxurious design comes complete with 16 Aramith Premium American pool balls, two Dufferin club series cues with a Canadian maple shaft, a triangle, chalks and a brush for keeping it in tip-top condition. Simply team it with one of the best garden bars, a pizza oven or barbecue and one of the best garden furniture sets and you’ll have the ideal entertaining setup for the summer.
Pros: Very affordable | Includes balls, cues, and accessories
Cons: No ball return system
Wood Slate This great-value six-foot table is surprisingly sturdy considering the foldable frame that makes it easy to store upright when not in use. It comes with balls for you to play a game of snooker and British pool, plus a brush to keep the table in tip-top condition and free from dust. There’s a set of chalk, a scoreboard and two triangles to fit both the snooker and pool balls. Two pool cues complete the set-up for a flexible and fun game of billiards.