Introduction
Choosing the felt for your pool table can feel like the final, exciting touch. While it seems like a simple matter of picking your favourite colour, the pool table felt color you select has a profound impact on everything from your gameplay and focus to your room’s overall atmosphere and long-term maintenance. It’s a decision that balances personal style with practical performance. Many players underestimate how much the playing surface’s colour can affect visibility, durability, and even the cost of their investment. This guide is here to walk you through every consideration, ensuring the felt you choose is the perfect fit for your table, your space, and your style of play.
Key Takeaways
- Felt colour directly influences ball visibility and player focus, with traditional greens and blues often recommended for serious play.
- The cost of pool table felt can vary, with standard colours like traditional green typically being more affordable than premium or custom hues.
- The longevity and maintenance needs of your felt are affected by its colour; darker felts may show dust and lint more, while lighter colours are more susceptible to visible stains.
- You should always see felt colours in person, as digital screens cannot accurately represent their true texture and shade under real lighting conditions.
- As leading dealers, we offer expert guidance on the specific colour palettes and cloth types available from premier brands like Brunswick and Olhausen.
Why Your Pool Table’s Felt Color is More Than Just an Aesthetic Choice
The colour of your pool table cloth, also known as billiard cloth, is one of its most defining features, but its function goes far beyond simple decoration. The right colour enhances the playing experience, sets the mood for your entire game room, and can even influence how much maintenance your table requires.
How Felt Color Impacts Visibility and Gameplay
The primary functional role of felt colour is to provide a high-contrast background against which you can clearly see the balls. For decades, traditional green was the standard for a reason: it allows the human eye to track objects for extended periods without strain. Modern tournaments have largely shifted to electric or tournament blue because it offers superior visibility for cameras and screens, making it the choice for televised events. A colour that is too bright or has a busy pattern can be distracting and cause eye fatigue during long sessions.
The Psychology of Color: Setting Your Game Room’s Tone
Your game room is a space for relaxation, focus, and entertainment, and the colour of your table is its centerpiece. A classic burgundy or red felt can create a warm, traditional, and sophisticated pub-style atmosphere. In contrast, a sleek black or charcoal grey felt lends a modern, minimalist, and high-end feel to a room. The colour you choose sets the psychological stage for every game you play.
Durability and Lifespan: Are All Colors Created Equal?
While the type of cloth (worsted vs. woolen) is the primary driver of durability, the colour can also play a role in its perceived lifespan. The dyeing process and the specific pigments used can have a minor effect on the fabric’s composition. More importantly, some colours are better at camouflaging the realities of regular play, such as chalk marks, dust, and minor stains, which we will explore further in our maintenance section.
The Classic Contenders: The 3 Most Popular Felt Colors
While the options are nearly limitless, a few classic colours have remained popular for their proven performance and timeless appeal. These three choices are consistently favoured by players and designers alike.
| Color | Primary Benefit | Best For |
| Traditional Green | Reduces eye strain | Long playing sessions and a classic, professional look. |
| Tournament Blue | Maximum ball contrast & clarity | Serious players, and rooms where games are filmed or streamed. |
| Burgundy & Red | Creates a warm, luxurious feel | Creating a cozy, pub-style atmosphere with dark wood tables. |
Beyond the Basics: Exploring Modern and Custom Felt Options
For those looking to move beyond tradition, a wide world of modern and custom felt colours awaits. These options allow you to perfectly match your table to your unique interior design vision.
Sleek and Neutral: Black, Grey, and Tan Felts
Neutral tones have surged in popularity for their ability to integrate seamlessly into contemporary home decor. A black felt offers a dramatic, sophisticated look, though it can make it harder to see the shadows of the balls. Greys, from light slate to dark charcoal, provide a modern and versatile backdrop. Tan or khaki felts offer a warm, earthy alternative that complements many design styles.
Making a Statement: Unique and Custom Logo Felts
For the ultimate personalization, custom felts are the answer. This can range from choosing a unique colour like purple or orange to having a custom logo, family crest, or specific design printed directly onto the cloth. This is a popular option for businesses, dedicated man caves, and homeowners looking to create a truly one-of-a-kind game room experience. You can learn more in our comprehensive guide for Canadians on how to personalize your pool table.
The #1 Question: Does Pool Table Felt Color Affect the Price?
This is one of the most common and important questions we hear from customers, and the answer is yes, it can. Understanding the cost implications is a crucial step in selecting the right felt for your budget.
Standard vs. Premium Colors: A Cost Breakdown
Generally, standard colours that are produced in the largest quantities—like traditional green—are the most affordable. As you move into less common colours, premium hues, or custom-printed options, the price of the cloth itself will increase. The manufacturing process for specialty colours is more complex and done in smaller batches, which is reflected in the cost.
Factoring Re-Felting and Installation Costs in the GTA
The price of the cloth is only one part of the equation. Professional installation is essential to ensure a perfectly smooth, tensioned, and level playing surface. The cost of a re-felting service in the Greater Toronto Area is a separate charge that includes the labour of our expert technicians. When getting a quote, we will always provide a clear breakdown of the cost of the cloth and the cost of installation.
How to Choose the Perfect Felt Color for Your Space
With a better understanding of your options, it’s time to narrow down the perfect choice for your home. This decision involves balancing aesthetics with the practical realities of your room.
Matching Felt to Your Home Decor and Lighting
Look at the existing colours in your game room. Consider the wall paint, flooring, furniture, and wood finish of the pool table itself. A complementary felt colour will tie the room together, a topic we cover in our guide to game room decor ideas. Also, pay close attention to the lighting. A colour that looks great in a bright showroom may appear much darker in a basement with limited natural light.
Pro Tip: Why You Should See Felt Colors In Person First
Digital screens on phones and computers cannot accurately reproduce the true colour and texture of billiard cloth. The way light reflects off the felt and the subtle nuances of the fabric can only be appreciated in person. This is the single most important step in making a final decision.
Visit Our Mississauga Showroom to See Brunswick & Olhausen Colours Live
We invite you to our showroom in Mississauga to see, touch, and compare felt samples from the industry’s leading brands. Seeing the colours under proper lighting and next to different wood finishes is the only way to be 100% confident in your choice. Our experts are on hand to provide guidance and help you visualize the final result.
Expert Insights: Brunswick vs. Olhausen Felt Colour Palettes
As an authorized dealer for both Brunswick and Olhausen, we have deep expertise in their specific product lines. Each brand offers a distinct range of colours and materials designed to complement their tables.
Exploring the Rich, Traditional Hues of Brunswick Felts
Brunswick is a heritage brand known for its classic and timeless table designs. Their felt colour palette often reflects this, with a focus on rich, deep colours that enhance traditional wood finishes. They offer high-quality worsted cloth options that provide exceptional durability and playability, with colours curated to match their legacy of fine craftsmanship.
The Vibrant and Diverse Options from Olhausen Billiards
Olhausen is renowned for its customization and broad range of styles, from classic to contemporary. Their felt colour selection is correspondingly diverse, offering a wider spectrum of vibrant and modern hues alongside the classics. This allows you to find the perfect pairing for any of their highly customizable tables, ensuring a truly unique final product.
Maintenance Secrets: Keeping Your Chosen Felt Colour Looking New
Every pool table felt requires regular maintenance, but your colour choice can influence what that looks like. Brushing your table regularly is the most important step for any colour, and you can find more details in our ultimate guide to pool table maintenance and repair.
| Felt Color Type | Key Maintenance Challenge | Pro Tip |
| Dark Felts (Black, Navy) | Shows dust, lint, and chalk dust easily. | Match your chalk color to the felt (e.g., use black chalk on black felt) to minimize visible marks. |
| Light Felts (Tan, Camel, Silver) | More susceptible to visible stains and chalk marks. | Brush regularly and clean spills immediately. A specialized billiard vacuum is highly effective. |
| Mid-Tone Felts (Green, Grey, Burgundy) | Offers the best balance for hiding wear. | Regular brushing after every few sessions is the most effective way to extend the felt’s life and appearance. |
You’ve Chosen Your Color—What’s Next?
Once you have landed on the perfect colour, the next step is to have it professionally installed. This is not a DIY job; proper installation is a technical skill crucial for optimal gameplay.
Our Professional Pool Table Installation & Re-Felting Process
Our certified technicians follow a meticulous process. This involves carefully dismantling the rails, removing and disposing of the old cloth, checking the slate for levelness, and then stretching and fitting the new felt. We ensure the cloth is perfectly tensioned for a fast, smooth roll, and expertly cut and fit the cloth to the rails and pockets, delivering a flawless playing surface.
Get a Quote for Your New Pool Table Felt Today
Ready to transform your table? Contact our team for a comprehensive quote. We will discuss your colour preferences, table size, and cloth type (worsted or woolen) to provide a detailed estimate that covers both the materials and our professional installation service.
We Offer Nationwide Shipping Across Canada
While our full installation services are focused on the GTA and surrounding areas, we are proud to ship high-quality billiard cloth from top brands like Simonis and Championship to customers across Canada. If you have a trusted local installer, we can supply the perfect felt for your project.
Conclusion
Your pool table felt colour is a critical decision that sits at the intersection of style and performance. By considering how a colour will impact gameplay visibility, match your room’s decor, fit your budget, and affect your maintenance routine, you can make a choice with confidence. The best path forward is always to see the options in person. Let our expertise guide you in selecting a felt that will not only look stunning but will also provide a superior playing experience for years to come.
For expert advice and professional re-felting services in the Toronto & GTA area, contact Hallmark Billiards today.
