Pool Table Buyer's Guide For Beginners (2024 Edition)

Now that you're ready to move past pool parlours and take the plunge to owning your very own billiard table, how should you go about doing it? Fret not, because we've compiled this fuss-free beginners guide for you, with 4 basic questions as a guide.

1. Standard or Dining Pool Tables? (Served Purpose)

Dining Pool Tables: Fun meets Functionality

Increasingly popular in modern homes, dining pool tables are essentially multi-function pool tables that are convertible to dining tables in seconds.

these 2-in-1 pool tables provide a billiard experience for a post-dinner game with friends and family even in smaller spaces. Fitting in the comfort of homes, office pantries, or bars, these offer best of both worlds of dine and play.   

They come with a table top typically in 2-3 pieces, and come in finishes intentionally designed to blend in to modern interiors. Some designs are created with solid lightweight material for portability and flexibility. 

Standard tables

Unlike dining pool tables, standard tables aren't multi-functional but are offer a dedicated pool experience and billiard parlour vibes. While they don't come with accompanying table tops, they are much heavier, feature a larger external frame and sport a classic bar look, giving them gravitas of their own. 

Instead of dining function, some multifunctional pool tables have a unique multi-gaming function where they double up as a air-hockey table or have table tennis add-ons! 

2: Measure. Measure. Measure! (Size)

Next is size, which is quite literally the biggest factor. As with buying any sizeable pieces of furniture, you'll need to consider how much space you have in relation to the table size.

Table Size

Pool tables range from 6ft to 9ft, with the latter being the official competition size. The right size depends on your playing style, skill level, and size of the room, with each size offering different benefits. 

For example, a 6ft table might be more suitable for small spaces and if it's intended for casual play. 7ft - 8ft tables are popular sizes as they offer a good balance between space allowance and quality of play.

Read in-depth about finding the right pool table size here.

Room Size

As a rule of thumb, you'll need about 4.5 - 5 feet around the pool table perimeter for comfortable play. Check out our Room Size Guide to see how much space you'll need. 

3: Team Wood or Team Slate? (Surface)

There are mainly two types of bed tables used for billiard tables - wood or slate.

Wood Bed Tables

Playing surfaces made from wood usually utilise MDF, a form of compressed wood. This is to keep the table lightweight and movable which is necessary for some homes.  However MDF is more prone to warpage and game play is compromised as it is not 100% even. MDF bed tables are used for cheap replicates costing under $1k and are not used in proper pool tables.

Keeping affordable pricing and play experience in mind, the alternative for wood bed tables is waterproof High-density Fibreboard (HDF) reinforced with steel structure.

Uniquely developed by Centrum Leisure for pool tables, our reinforced HDF billiard tables are great options for those looking for a lightweight, professional and reasonably priced pool tables, justifying their higher prices over MDF. The HDF billiard tables are available in the Holiday and Valentino collections.

Slate Bed Tables

Slate bed tables are largely used for serious players or in commercial settings such as pool parlours and bars. With slate or natural stone, its innate properties make it a hardy material, providing a smooth and surface for the best ball roll suited for professional play. It is also extremely durable and stands the test of time. 

Slate tables also confer the benefit of cloth replacement. Unlike a wood table where the slate is stuck to the cloth, maintaining your pool table becomes easier in the long-run. The only true downside of slate is that because they are heavy at over 150kg, the table is practically non-moveable once installed.

In Short: If you're looking for casual play, high-quality wood options should be part of your consideration. If you're up for serious play, a slate table has to be your go to. 

4. Classic or Contemporary? (Style)

Playing in style is as important as playing well! A pool table's sheer size means it represents a centerpiece so it's worth choosing one to complement the interior of your home, office or bar etc. There are a variety of stylistic options, broadly defined by their classic or contemporary styles. 

Classic

If you like a Classic pool table look ,that could involve choosing material such as solid wood table, finished with an obvious grain pattern, alongside vintage thick, round carved legs that won't look out of place in a 1970s English home!

That said, the image of a classic pool table is constantly being redefined. Here's an example: Given the plethora of modern, stylish designs, we'd think the unmistakable 'bar' look (think matte black finish, arched legs) that once was deemed contemporary can now be classified as classic! 

Contemporary

Taking cue (pun unintended) from modern styles like Scandinavian or Industrial, Contemporary pool tables are edgier in design, defined by clean lines, streamline frames and modern, brighter palettes. And as the billiard industry ups its transformation game, companies offer a wider range of custom options such as changeable pocket colours, finishes, or cloth colours. If you love pushing the boundaries of design, some of our designs even come in a futuristic finish in silver or glass. 

In Short: Your pool table style depends on whether you require a curated look to match your interior style. With something as subjective as aesthetics, it might be easier to explore both our Classic and Contemporary lines to perceive the differences. 

Decidedly Fun and Fuss-free.

So there you have it. Service, Size, Surface, and Style are some basic factors to consider in choosing a pool table. And because planning can sometimes become tedious, at Centrum Leisure we love making our customers' decision-making process as easy and enjoyable as possible. Here's how:

• Online: Use the 'Filter' function to toggle between various parameters. Besides providing filter options on size and style, we offer full price transparency so you can easily make cost-benefit comparisons.
  
  After shortlisting, simply save top picks using the 'Favorite' button (located on the product page) to review your choices.

• In person: Thereafter, do call us or visit Singapore's largest billiard showroom. Nothing beats getting professional advice, and with over 50 years of pool table experience in Singapore, we'd be happy to make expert recommendations based on your needs, or work closely with you to tailor a customised pool table. A visit also means you'll get to view almost all of our advertised tables,

As this guide is written for starters, do check out our other articles on Pool Tables for more advanced tips. 

Where can I buy a Pool Table?

With pool tables of various sizes, and dining, non-dining and custom options in various finishes, Centrum Leisure offers a wide range of pool tables to cater to various spaces, budgets and styles. 

What better way to explore owning a pool table than to visit the largest pool table showroom in Singapore and gain a hands-on feel? Make an appointment with us to view over 15 pool tables on display, including renowned pool table brands like Aramith, Cornilleau and Brunswick as well as our own locally-designed models!