For most people who love playing pool, the idea of having a table in their home would be a dream come true. But with the minimum room size needed for an 8ft table being 17 x 13 ½ ft, the reality is that most of us just don’t have the space.
Fortunately, there are ways of getting around this issue that don’t involve us building an addition onto our homes. There are some really cool, unique tables on the market today that allow pretty much anyone to own a table regardless of how much space they have.
Sound too good to be true? Keep scrolling to see what options are available and which one would be a good fit for you.
Portable/Foldable Pool Table
If you’ve ever wanted a table of your own but didn’t have enough extra space to dedicate as a full-blown billiard room, a portable pool table may be a good choice for you.
A portable pool table is one that comes with legs that fold up and allow you to store it out of the way.
Although they are a bit smaller than most people are used to, they are the perfect choice for those with limited space. Measuring in at 3ft x 6ft, the room size needed for this table is significantly less than that of an 8ft table. When playing with 48” cues, a room that’s 11ft x 13 ½ ft will do just fine.
Portable tables are also lightweight, especially when compared to full size slate tables. This is because their tops are constructed out of MDF, a light-weight wood-based product. This makes moving them a lot less troublesome.
But the main thing that makes portable tables so great is that when you’re not playing, you simply fold the legs up and store it out of the way. This means you don’t have to dedicate an entire room to your pool table. This is a huge benefit for those who don’t play that often or don’t have a ton of extra living space.
One of the best examples of this style table is the Fat Cat Trueshot. It comes fully assembled right out the box. All you have to do is unfold the legs and start playing. It also comes with everything you need to start playing immediately including 2 cues, billiard balls, table brushes, chalk, and a racking triangle. It also comes with built in levelers under each leg to make it easy to adjust. And the 90-day warranty that comes with it is a nice bonus. Click the pic above to check it out on Amazon.
Conversion Tables (Pool & Dining Table Combo)
Almost every home in America has a kitchen table in it. Why not use that space more efficiently by buying a conversion table instead?
A conversion table is a pool table that doubles as a dining room table. It allows you to save space by consolidating two big items into one. And because they’re designed to look and function as a dining room table, they come in many different styles to fit in with your home’s décor. Some of them even come with matching benches which double as storage compartments for your billiard gear.
However, their uniqueness doesn’t end there. Some models include an additional table-tennis (ping-pong) top. This means you can have dinner, play ping-pong, and pool all on the same platform. The “cool factor” a table like this will add to your home is immeasurable!
And surprisingly, they’re not that expensive. Most models I have found run around $1000 on the low end. But compare that to the price of buying a dining table, a pool table, and a ping-pong table separately and it’s really not that bad.
One of the best “bang for your buck” tables I’ve found is the Hathaway Newport . It’s a 3 in 1 pool, ping-pong, and dining tables that comes with two benches and all the gear you need to start playing right away. Click the pic above to check it out on Amazon.
All in all, this is a great option for anyone looking to buy a pool table with limited space.
Bumper Pool Table
A bumper pool table is a great space saving alternative to the standard pool table. Its compact size makes use of only 10 balls and 2 pockets. Each pocket has a bumper on either side of it with additional bumpers in the center of the table. These bumpers act as obstacles to shoot around, making the game more challenging.
In short, the object of the game is to sink all 5 of your balls in your opponent’s pocket before they do. The first person to do so wins. While this isn’t exactly the game of pool most people are used to, it does provide a way to play with limited space.
Bumper tables come in two shapes: rectangle and octagon. Most rectangular tables are around 54” L x 40” W while the octagon tables are typically 51” x 51”. This means the room size needed for a bumper table is relatively small. Throw in the fact that you only need 48” cues instead of 58” like traditional pool, and you can see why a bumper table is a great way to play pool with limited space.
If you think you’d like to give bumper pool a try and want a good table for a decent price, click the pic above to see the slate bumper table by Berner Billiards. It has 3/4 slate and comes fully assembled except for the legs. Just put those on and start playing right away. It measure 45″ x 30″ and would make a great addition to any home.
Outdoor Tables
Unfortunately, there will be times when having a pool table indoors just won’t be practical. But if you don’t mind taking your game outside, then an outdoor pool table is a great option.
Outdoor pool tables are designed to withstand anything Mother Nature throws at them. Boasting aluminum frames and rust resistant components, they are built to last regardless of weather conditions. Some are even powder coated or finished off with an additional weather resistant coating which helps further protect them from the elements.
While traditional pool tables have felt playing surfaces, outdoor tables use fabrics such as Sunbrella, which is UV, water, mold and mildew resistant. These fabrics aren’t prone to fading either, which means your playing surface will maintain its color for years to come. They’re also stain resistant, so in the even to a spill, they’re much easier to clean than traditional felt.
Most are equipped with slate beds or beds made from composite material such as Formica. This means they’re durable, weather resistant, and wont warp regardless of moisture or humidity.
If you think an outdoor table would be a good fit for you, check out the 8ft Imperial Table on Amazon. Its price there is cheaper than I’ve been able to find elsewhere. It also comes with all the essentials like cues, balls, chalk, triangles, and a cover making it a great buy for the money. Click the pic above to check it out.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped shed some light on what options are available to you. If you have any questions feel free to reach out or check out our other helpful articles for all of your billiard related questions.
