Room size decides the table, not the other way around. A pool table needs a full cue length on every side of the playing surface, so a 7 ft table with standard 58 in cues takes about 13 x 16 ft of floor and an 8 ft table about 13 x 17 ft, by Brunswick's room size chart.
Our picks at a glance
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
8 ft for a 14 x 17 ft room
GoSports 8 ft Pool Table
8 ft pool table
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
Full standard 8 ft playfield
Hathaway Augusta 8 ft Pool Table
8 ft pool table
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 3
7 ft for a smaller room
GoSports 7 ft Pool Table
7 ft pool table
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 4
Short cues for a tight room
GSE 52 in Shorty Pool Cues (2-Pack)
52 in short cues, 2 pack
Check price on AmazonPaid link
If the room is a little short, shorter cues close the gap: every 6 in you take off the cue takes a foot off both room dimensions. A 7 ft table with 52 in cues fits a room about 12 x 15 ft.
Below are tables in each size with their real playing surfaces, the short cues that make a tight room work, and a light made for 7 and 8 ft tables. Our game room size calculator does the math for your room and lays out darts or other games beside the table.
Top picks, and why
GoSports 8 ft Pool Table
- 8 x 4.3 ft table
- 240 lb frame
- Maker room size 14 x 17 ft
8 x 4.3 ft with a 240 lb frame, top preassembled. Cues and balls are extra. $500 to $1,000.
- 8 x 4.3 ft table, 2.6 ft tall
- 240 lb frame
- Arrives assembled; attach the legs
- Cues and balls not included
- Engineered wood bed, not slate
$500 to $1,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Hathaway Augusta 8 ft Pool Table
- 88 x 44 in playfield
- Maple rails
- Two 57 in cues included
A true 88 x 44 in playing surface, solid maple rails and K-66 cushions, with cues and balls included. $1,000 to $2,000.
- 88 x 44 in playfield, the standard 8 ft size
- Solid maple rails with diamond sights, K-66 cushions
- 2 in leg levelers for uneven basement floors
- Engineered wood bed, not slate
- 100.5 x 55 in outside dimensions
$1,000 to $2,000, live price on Amazon
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GoSports 7 ft Pool Table
- 7 x 4 ft table
- Cues and balls included
- Maker room size 13 x 16 ft
The maker recommends 13 x 16 ft with standard cues, and the box includes two 57 in cues and balls. $500 to $1,000.
- 7 x 4 ft table, 2.7 ft tall
- Two 57 in cues, balls, rack, brush and chalk included
- Top arrives assembled; attach the legs
- Engineered wood bed, not slate
$500 to $1,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
GSE 52 in Shorty Pool Cues (2-Pack)
- 2 x 52 in, 18 oz
- Canadian maple
- 12 mm tips
Two 52 in cues take a foot off both room dimensions compared with 58 in cues. under $100.
- Two 52 in, 18 oz maple cues
- 12 mm leather tips
- One piece, so they do not break down
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Compare every pick
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Room size for each table
Brunswick's chart, measured from the playing surface with a 58 in cue: about 13 x 16 ft for a 7 ft table (38 x 76 in surface), 13 x 17 ft for an 8 ft (44 x 88 in), 13.5 x 17.5 ft for an oversize 8 ft (46 x 92 in) and 14 x 18 ft for a 9 ft (50 x 100 in). With 52 in cues each drops to about 12 x 15 ft for a 7 ft and 12 x 15.5 ft for an 8 ft.
Measure wall to wall at the height of the cue, about 3 ft off the floor, and take off anything in the way: a bar, a post, a sofa. A wall within a foot or two of clearance on one side is fine with a short cue for those shots.
Table sizes are not exact. Barrington's Arlington is sold as 8 ft but has an 84 x 42 in surface, between a 7 and 8 ft. Use the surface size, not the name, when a listing gives it.
8 ft tables
Most home tables are 8 ft. They need about 13 x 17 ft with standard cues. Wood bed tables like these arrive with the top assembled and level with adjustable feet; a slate table plays truer but is heavier and usually set up by an installer.
GoSports 8 ft Pool Table
- 8 x 4.3 ft table
- 240 lb frame
- Maker room size 14 x 17 ft
8 x 4.3 ft and 240 lb, legs bolt on, with foot levelers. The maker recommends a 14 x 17 ft room. Bring your own cues and balls. $500 to $1,000.
- 8 x 4.3 ft table, 2.6 ft tall
- 240 lb frame
- Arrives assembled; attach the legs
- Cues and balls not included
- Engineered wood bed, not slate
$500 to $1,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Barrington Arlington 8 ft Pool Table
- 84 x 42 in playfield
- 1 in thick bed
- K66 cushions
An 84 x 42 in playfield on a 1 in bed with K66 cushions and drop pockets, and balls included. Its surface is 4 in shorter and 2 in narrower than a standard 8 ft, so it needs that much less room. $1,000 to $2,000.
- 84 x 42 in playfield, 1 in engineered wood bed
- 35% wool blend cloth, K66 cushions
- Balls and accessories included
- Playfield smaller than a standard 88 x 44 in 8 ft
- Not slate
$1,000 to $2,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Hathaway Augusta 8 ft Pool Table
- 88 x 44 in playfield
- Maple rails
- Two 57 in cues included
Solid maple rails with diamond sights, K-66 cushions, 2 in leg levelers for uneven basement floors, and cues, balls and a bridge in the box. 100.5 x 55 in outside. $1,000 to $2,000.
- 88 x 44 in playfield, the standard 8 ft size
- Solid maple rails with diamond sights, K-66 cushions
- 2 in leg levelers for uneven basement floors
- Engineered wood bed, not slate
- 100.5 x 55 in outside dimensions
$1,000 to $2,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Empire USA Regal 8 ft Slate Pool Table
- 3-piece 1 in slate
- 98 x 56 in overall
- 8 ft
Three pieces of 1 in slate for the most consistent roll, 98 x 56 in outside. Plan for an installer to level it. over $2,000.
- Three pieces of 1 in thick slate
- 98 x 56 in outside dimensions
- Slate tables weigh several hundred pounds and are usually set up and leveled by an installer
Over $2,000, live price on Amazon
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7 ft tables
A 7 ft table, the bar size, saves about a foot of room length. It is the right call for a room around 13 x 16 ft, or 12 x 15 ft with 52 in cues.
GoSports 7 ft Pool Table
- 7 x 4 ft table
- Cues and balls included
- Maker room size 13 x 16 ft
7 x 4 ft, over 200 lb, with two 57 in cues, balls, rack, brush and chalk. Maker room size 13 x 16 ft. $500 to $1,000.
- 7 x 4 ft table, 2.7 ft tall
- Two 57 in cues, balls, rack, brush and chalk included
- Top arrives assembled; attach the legs
- Engineered wood bed, not slate
$500 to $1,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Barrington Belmont 7 ft Bar Size Pool Table
- 75.4 x 37.5 in playfield
- K66 cushions
- Drop pockets
A 75.4 x 37.5 in playfield with K66 cushions, leather drop pockets and hidden leg levelers. $500 to $1,000.
- 75.4 x 37.5 in playfield
- K66 rubber cushions and leather drop pockets
- Hidden 1.5 in leg levelers
- 3/4 in engineered wood bed, not slate
- Maker suggests a 14 x 17 ft room
$500 to $1,000, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Cues for a tight room
Standard cues are 57 to 58 in. 52 and 48 in cues are made for rooms below the chart size. A common setup is full cues for most shots and one short cue in the rack for balls near a wall.
GSE 52 in Shorty Pool Cues (2-Pack)
- 2 x 52 in, 18 oz
- Canadian maple
- 12 mm tips
Two 52 in, 18 oz maple cues. under $100.
- Two 52 in, 18 oz maple cues
- 12 mm leather tips
- One piece, so they do not break down
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
ASKA 52 in Short Pool Cue
- 52 in, 19 oz
- Two piece
- 13 mm tip
52 in at 19 oz, so it hits like a full size cue, and it breaks down in two pieces. under $100.
- 52 in, 19 oz hard rock maple
- 13 mm hard leather tip
- Two-piece with a 5/16 x 18 joint
- One cue per pack
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Viper Junior 48 in Pool Cue
- 48 in, 16 oz
- Two piece
- Le Pro tip
A two-piece 48 in cue for the shots where even 52 in hits the wall. under $100.
- 48 in two-piece maple, 16 oz
- Le Pro leather tip
- 5/16 x 18 joint breaks down for storage
- One cue per pack
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Prosniper 58 in Pool Cue Set of 4
- 4 x 58 in, 19 oz
- 13 mm tips
- Chalk included
Four 58 in, 19 oz cues for a room with full clearance. under $100.
- Four 58 in, 19 oz maple cues
- 13 mm tips, 4 chalks included
- Needs the full room size for every shot
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
A light over the table
Hang a three shade fixture centered over the table with the bottom of the shades about 32 to 36 in above the playing surface. Both of these are made for 7 and 8 ft tables and hang on chains you shorten to that height.
Wellmet 3-Light Pool Table Light
- For 7 and 8 ft tables
- 35.4 in chain
- 3 x E26, max 60 W each
59 in long with a 35.4 in chain and three E26 sockets. Hardwired to a ceiling box. $100 to $250.
- 59 in long, made for 7 and 8 ft tables
- 35.4 in chain to set the height
- Takes three E26 bulbs, dimmable LED works
- Hardwired: needs a ceiling box
- Bulbs not included
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Rossesay Adjustable 3-Light Pool Table Light
- For 7 to 8 ft tables
- 39.8 in chain
- E26 bulbs
Three shades for 7 to 8 ft tables on a 39.8 in adjustable chain. $100 to $250.
- Made for 7 to 8 ft tables
- 39.8 in adjustable chain
- E26 sockets
- Bulbs not included
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
The bottom line
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
8 ft for a 14 x 17 ft room
GoSports 8 ft Pool Table
8 ft pool table
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
Full standard 8 ft playfield
Hathaway Augusta 8 ft Pool Table
8 ft pool table
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 3
7 ft for a smaller room
GoSports 7 ft Pool Table
7 ft pool table
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 4
Short cues for a tight room
GSE 52 in Shorty Pool Cues (2-Pack)
52 in short cues, 2 pack
Check price on AmazonPaid link
Frequently asked questions
What size room do I need for an 8 ft pool table?
About 13 x 17 ft with standard 58 in cues, by Brunswick's chart, and about 12 x 15.5 ft with 52 in cues. The playing surface is 44 x 88 in; add a cue length on every side.
Is a 7 ft or 8 ft pool table better for home?
8 ft if the room is about 13 x 17 ft or larger; it is the common home size and plays closer to a full table. 7 ft if the room is closer to 13 x 16 ft, or if you want standard cues in a room an 8 ft table would only fit with short ones.
Do I need a slate pool table?
Slate is flatter and stays flat, which serious players notice. Wood bed tables cost less, weigh less and level with adjustable feet. For casual family play, a wood bed table is the usual choice.
How high should I hang a pool table light?
With the bottom of the shades about 32 to 36 in above the playing surface, roughly 5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 7 in off the floor on a typical table.
16 products are linked on this page. We have not lab-tested these products; picks are based on published specifications and our sizing rules. Amazon prices change, so we show a range and link to the live price. See our disclosure.
Size it for your home
Marcus Reed
Founder and Editor, CrunchYourDollars
Marcus Reed builds the sizing tools on CrunchYourDollars. He is a software engineer with a long-running PC hardware and power supply habit, which is where the watts, watt-hours and surge math on this site comes from. Product specs are pulled from manufacturer data sheets, electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and water chemistry rules from the Water Quality Association. He is not a licensed electrician or plumber: the tools show the math and the matching models so you can make the call, and anything involving your electrical panel should be checked by a licensed pro.
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