How To Choose Pool Table Lights That Are Right For You
Author: Flor Buenaventura

Have you just bought a pool table and need pool table lights to get rid of the deceiving shadows that distract your game?  Is the light in your game room too bright causing too much glare?  Or do you just want stylish pool table lights to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere in your game room?

Proper lighting is essential to playing your best game of pool.  Too little light can throw off depth perception and too much light can cause distracting glare.  Today’s pool table lights are designed to provide uniform light at optimal levels of illumination. 

Most use multiple bulbs which serve to direct several points of light at the table as well as help eliminate glare.  It is good to remember though that the function of the pool table light is to illuminate the pool table, not provide the light for the whole room.  But how do you choose a set of pool table lights that is just right for you?

Tips on how to choose the right pool table lights

1. Measure your pool table before starting to shop for your lights. The most effective pool table lights cover the entire length of the table. 

- Generally speaking, a 7-foot pool table would need lights that have a width of 36 to 45 inches, a depth of 12 to 18 inches, and a set of 2 to 3 lights for sufficient coverage and proper illumination.

- An 8-foot pool table would need pool table lights that have a width of 40 to 50 inches, a depth of 14 to 18 inches, and a minimum set of 3 lights.

- A 9-foot pool table would need lights that have a width of 50 to 60 inches, a depth of 15 to 18 inches, and set of 3 to 4 lights.

- Whereas a 10-foot pool table would need pool table lights that have a width of 60 inches and up, a depth of 14 to 18 inches, and a minimum set of 4 to 5 lights.

2. Determine the proper height of the pool table light.  This is very important as players are likely to accidentally strike with their cues lights that are too low.  On the other hand, lights that are too high are likely to shine in the players’ eyes.

- Aim for an average hanging height of 32 inches above the bed of the pool table.  Or if you are installing your light before your pool table arrives, aim for between 62 and 70 inches from the floor and be prepared to make minor adjustments, such as adjusting the chain that holds the light fixture.

- Determine the optimum height by hanging the light so that the bottom of the fixture is level with the player’s nose.

- Check if the height you have chosen is providing optimum lighting for all of the pool table.  Does the edge of the field of beamed light line up with the edge of the table?  This is also useful for determining if the pool table light is centered.

- Center your light lengthwise along the table by aligning the middle of the light with the middle white diamonds at the ends of the pool table.

3. What style and finish do you prefer? 

- If you prefer the traditional style to recreate the ambience of your favorite pub or pool room, then you might opt for wrought iron constructions of antique bronze or brass steel contrasted with shades of deep green or natural alabaster.

- If you want to create a unique look, then you can have your pool table lights customised by embedding your favorite college basketball, gridiron or baseball team logos using small colorful panes of glass joined with lead piping.

- If you want your pool table lights in a more contemporary, modern look to suit your urban tastes, the clean, sleek lines of highly polished brass or chrome with a splash of green color might be what you are looking for.

- And if you want elegance, distinctive design and beautiful décor, the Tiffany stained glass style modelled after the designs of the famous glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany may be just right for you.  Tiffany styled pool table lights come in rich textured styles, gold trims, vibrant colors and unique designs.  Some of them are handmade with beautiful stained glass base trimmed in brass.

4. What material do you prefer for the fixture frame and the shade?

- Do you want the frame of your pool table light to be in brass, wrought iron, brushed or stainless steel or in the warm, rustic touch of wood?

- Do you want the shades to be in clear, ribbed or stained glass;  natural stone such as alabaster, or practical polypropelene?

5. What fixture and bulb configuration do you prefer?

- Do you prefer a single light fixture or multiple fixtures?  Most common designs consist of a single fixture, built in a rectangle and use multiple bulbs to eliminate any dark shadows on the billiard balls, cloth or along the edges of the rails.  Multiple fixtures can accomplish the same thing but you must experiment on the correct positioning.

- Or do you prefer one long shade with several bulbs inside the globe or multiple shades along a single metal bar? 

6. What types of bulbs do you want?  It is important to get the correct light bulbs to ensure safety as well as to create the right mood.

- Most light fixtures would come with the recommended bulb wattage.  60 watts are generally recommended, but some lights with multiple shades might look better with 40 watt bulbs.

- Do you want to use incandescent or fluorescent bulbs?  Or even color-corrected bulbs similar to what automotive body shops use in their paint booths.

- Do you want fixtures with bulbs that are easy on the eyes?  Do you have want to shop for high quality daylight spectrum tubes for both their color and quantity of light?

7. What is your budget?  Most online as well as brick and mortar shops stock a wide range of pool table lights that suit everyone’s budget.

- For $170, you can get a popular traditional pool table light for a 9-foot table in wrought iron brass frame with ebony finish and 3 contrasting ribbed glass shades.  Dimensions are 56W X 15H X 16D inches.

- For $250, you can get a contemporary light for an 8-foot table in highly polished brass, simple decorative single rod base and matching shades that carry a splash of bright green at the top.

- And for $430, you can get a beautiful, playful themed light for a 7 or 8-foot table in handmade brass with emerald green stained glass base, a wispy white inset that highlights the Billiards theme in black lettering, and all trimmed in brass. Dimensions are 36W X 12H X 18D inches.

- But if you have $700, you can get a Tiffany stained glass pool table light for a 9-foot table in vibrant colorful design, shades in deep blue floral patterns accented by swirled acanthus leaf design, in a bronze-finished frame.

8. And last but not least, how will you install your pool table lights? 

- It is always safer to consult with licensed electricians and builder tradesmen for a project like this.

- If you are handy with remodelling and general home improvements, then you must check the weight of your pool table light fixture and make sure that you mount it in a secure and safe way onto the ceiling, usually on weight-bearing studs.

- You also have to take note that the light fixture has to have its own separate electrical box, so you may want to call a licensed electrician.

The extra effort you spend in planning and choosing your pool table light correctly will pay off with every game you play.  Enjoy your game.

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