These Are the Best Pool Tables for Your Game Room—Even If It's In Your Apartment

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Billiards has been played in homes and bars for centuries. This beloved game brings together families and friends and gives everyone—including kids—a chance to enjoy camaraderie and fun. If you’re in the market for a full-sized pool table, a foldable pool table for apartments and small spaces, or one that’s small enough to fit on a tabletop, one of these options will do.

Looking for more ways to have fun at home? Check out our picks for the best ping-pong tables, air hockey tables, and video game consoles.

The Best Pool Tables

• Best Overall: Brunswick Billiards Boca 8.5 Slate Pool Table

• Most Affordable: American Legend Maverick 7-Foot Billiard Table

• Best Mid-Range: Hathaway Augusta 8-Foot Pool Table Pool Table

• Best Bar-Sized Table: Barrington Springdale 7.5-Foot Pool Table

• Best Slate: Playcraft Rio Grande 8-Foot Slate Pool Table

What to Consider

Size and Placement

Pool tables measure anywhere from 7 feet (bar-sized) to 9 feet (tournament-sized), but 8 feet is the most common size for in the home. The pricier tables are often the heaviest and require professional assembly, plus extra hands to move (some of these tables weigh around 900 pounds). You can get compact tables for apartments and small living spaces, often equipped with foldable legs and at half the weight of a full-sized option.

Before you buy a full-sized pool table, measure the room where it’ll live. You’ll need enough space for your pool table plus an extra five feet on each side to leave room for a cue. Many tables have built-in levelers to ensure balls roll evenly. If you’ve got uneven floors in your play space, opt for a pool table with adjustable legs.

Materials

Solid wood frames and slate playing surfaces offer premium play and utmost durability, but they’re also the priciest and heaviest. Manufacturers make cheaper options by using metal frames, medium-density fiberboard, and plywood playing surfaces.

Slate is considered the best pool table material due to its resistance to moisture, warping, and general wear and tear. Meanwhile, wool felt is considered the best material to have on top of this slate surface as it can resist moisture and is plenty durable, especially compared to synthetics like nylon and polyester.

How We Selected

We researched pool tables across the marketplace and how to shop for one by researching professional billiard tables, the materials they’re made of, and how they fare in the home compared to a pool hall. We created a list that spans multiple price points, various weights, and different construction options so you can get a pool table in your home whether you live in a suburban mansion or a small apartment. Many of the pool tables we recommend are approved by the Billiards Congress of America, which vets a slew of standards like level playing surfaces and high-quality felt. Our recommendations include options ranging from billiards tables built for pros to tabletop sets that will satisfy green players and party-goers.

Boca 8.5 Slate Pool Table

At 8.5 feet, this bar-sized table is excellent for anyone who wants a serious enough table to play real games, but doesn’t need a tournament-sized playing surface. The full-panel legs are durable and stable, and the table is built to BCA (Billiards Congress of America) standards. That also means it’s ultra-heavy, weighing nearly 1,000 pounds.

The good news is that assembly is included and handled by Brunswick Billiards itself. The set includes pool cues, balls, chalk, drop pockets, a rail cap, and a table brush. It also comes in various felt colors, including green, gunmetal gray, charcoal, and red.

Maverick 7-Foot Billiard Table

The American Legend Maverick is a great option for those with less to spend, clocking in at sub-$1,000.

The table comes with a table brush, cues, and chalk. The play surface and frame are both manufactured wood, which has the benefit of making this a lighter table (about 150 pounds). It also has adjustable legs to make for level play, even on unbalanced floors.

Some reviewers noted that some of the materials seem cheap—particularly the felt.

Augusta 8-Foot Pool Table Pool Table

Players who enjoy the rich look of a traditional wood pool table should consider this 8-foot model from Hathaway.

This table doesn’t just look pretty—it’s made for serious players. It has 4.5-inch solid maple hardwood rails, tournament-style gum rubber cushions, and pockets that drop into ball-and-claw legs with adjustable levelers.

The MDF play surface is designed to be both flat and stable and it’s covered with a wool/nylon felt blend. The table comes with 16 regulation-sized balls, two pool cues, a two-piece bridge stick, racking triangle, bridge head, rail brush, and chalk.

Note that the product requires full assembly, which isn’t included in the cost, and that it weighs over 350 pounds, so it's a project best tackled with a friend or two. One user says the fabric construction isn't especially tough.

Fairmont Portable 6-Foot Pool Table

Consider this six-foot portable table if you’re looking for a table for an apartment, small game room, or office. With durable steel legs that easily fold for storage and transport, it’s also a good option for family vacations.

A carrying bag makes it easy to move and store and it comes with two pool cues, chalk, a table brush, and a racking triangle. A few users noted that the table warped if used outside (though it’s not marketed for outdoor use). Others say it's somewhat flimsy, and the table bends when folded up and moved.

Springdale 7.5-Foot Pool Table

At seven-and-a-half feet, this bar-sized table is excellent for anyone with a smaller space who wants a full-sized pool table but can’t quite fit an eight- or nine-foot model.

The full-panel legs are durable and stable. They’re topped with a 0.71-inch piece of particleboard covered in polyester felt fabric, making smooth performance.

This set includes pool cues, balls, chalk, drop pockets, and a table brush. While this table isn’t as heavy as some others, at nearly 200 pounds, you’ll probably need some friends to help you unload and assemble it. Some say the legs are weak due to being made of plastic, and they don't recommend stacking more weight on the table.

Rio Grande 8-Foot Slate Pool Table

For billiards purists, a slate table is the only way to go. This pool table combines rustic style with top-of-the-line craftsmanship. The slate top is made of three pieces of one-inch-thick slate, each piece honed to fit within one-thousandth of an inch.

Built-in leveling hardware allows installers to get a perfectly even surface. Customize the table to fit your décor by choosing from one of 21 cloth colors.

At 850 pounds and over $4,300, this table is one of the costliest and heaviest on our list, and while it doesn’t require professional installation, Playcraft recommends it.

8-Foot Outdoor Pool Table

Are you looking for a pool table to complete your outdoor oasis? With an anodized aluminum frame and legs, a Formica and resin bed, and waterproof fabric, the Imperial 8-Foot Outdoor Pool Table is made to weather the elements.

Built-in leg levelers allow you to stabilize the table on any surface. It comes with two cues, balls, chalk, a triangle, and a table cover. While the table comes mostly assembled (just bolt on the legs, level it, and it’s ready to play), reviewers noted that, at over 800 pounds, it takes four adults to carry the table and flip it upright after assembly.

Users also say that because the felt has less nap than indoor tables, balls in play roll faster. Some also say the pockets are shallow and advise others to replace them.

Hey Play Mini Billiards

When space is at a true premium—or you have kids who want to learn the game on a set their own size—a tabletop pool table might just be the answer. The Trademark Games pool set measures 20.25 by 12.25 by 3.5 inches and is made of wood with a green felt playing field. The set comes with a triangle, balls, and cues and has two automatic ball returns.

Some players thought the pool table was not very responsive for rebound shots.

Mid-Size Foldable Pool Table

When friends and family come over for the holidays, you'll want entertainment that can keep them occupied for hours. This pool table is a great option—especially because it's foldable and doesn't always have to take up too much space in your home.

The mid-size pool table is 6 feet long and is made of a heavy-duty steel that weighs 120 pounds, and it has adjustable, sturdy feet. The whole set comes with a cue ball, 15 regulation balls, a ball rack, two cue sticks, 2 pieces of cue chalk, and a felt brush. It's available in red, black, and blue, as well as a 7-foot option.

Users say it's surprisingly sturdy while in play but, as expected at its weight, wobbles if bumped into. Others say the felt is cheap and easily damaged, and it slows balls down, though many note that subsides through use. It's an excellent price for those on a budget or looking for interesting entertainment options for cheap.

You Might Also Like

• The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Painter’s Tape

• The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere

• Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?