You finally bought that pool table, it might be new purchased on line or in a brick and mortar store or you just got it used from your friend or neighbor. Congratulations, you have bought an item that can provide you with countless hours of entertainment. Along with your table you probably received couple of cues, a ball set, a triangle and some chalk, looks like you have everything you need, right? Well, let's think about it – where do most tables go the basement and what is the most common characteristic of the basement – it is dark. To play billiard and enjoy the game, you need a great deal of lighting on the table and most of the basements can't provide this kind of illumination. I know how frustrating it is to line up a perfect shot, set just a right amount of English to move your cue ball to the next perfect spot and then watch your shot go wrong simply because of that shadow in the middle of your object ball. Happened to everyone at a poorly lit table. I have been assembling billiard tables for years from small 7' pool table to 12' snooker monsters that require a crew of 6 just to move the slate around and more often then not the room in which the owners want their new table is dark. The answer is – billiard table light.

There are many billiard lights on the market, our web site carries great selection from economy solutions that are both long lasting and provide sufficient amount of lighting to the stunning masterpieces made out of glass and formed metal that can instantly give your game room stunning looks and perfect atmosphere. Despite the differences in design, all pool table lights serve one purpose – to give you the lighting you need for that friendly game of pool. Trouble with lights is they do come in the variety of sizes, how do you know which light is for you? Well, here is the breakdown:

Billiard Tables
7' Table – you should be fine with 2 shade light
8' Table – 2 shade light is too small, most likely you will need a light with 3 shades
9' Table – some 3 shade lights might work, but you could still end up with dark corners and that is not what you want to have, if your budget allows for it, get a 4 shade light.
Snooker Tables
10' Table – you are in the snooker territory here, keep in mind that ratio of the pocket space to rail space is completely different here and all of your shots have to be planned and executed more carefully. You simply can not afford a small light for all snooker tables, if you have 10' go with 5 shades or more.
12' Table – you will need a 6 shade light to enjoy your game, alternatively I have seen people purchasing two 3 shade lights and hanging them above the 12' snooker tables, and it woks but it tends to look odd for some reason.

I can't really give any advice on the style and color of your light – keep in mind we all have individual preferences and budgets, what looks perfect for one person might not look good for another, please take a look at our selection of lights, I am sure you will be able to pick something that you like.

Let's talk about hanging your light now. Most people are not sure how far above the table should the light be – the answer is the bottom lip of the light shade should be about 30” above the bed of the table ( not the rails, but the bed – big flat surface on which you actually play ). Most lights are designed in the manner that when hanged exactly 30” above the bed of the table will provide you with perfect lighting of the entire playing surface. Why should you not mount it lower that this – if you want to avoid having people strike your light with their cues upon their shots. If the light is much higher then 30”, it will shine right into the eyes of the person trying to line up a shot, and that really ruins the game for most people. Try keep your light parallel to the playing surface, normally it can be achieved easily by regulating the amount of links on the mounting chain.

Most of the lights do have the same connections as your regular house lights. I can not recommend for people to install their lights by themselves, I personally hate being electrocuted and professional electrician can install the light fast and proper. One thing I would like to add – when installing your billiard table light, try not to stand on the table. I know it looks like a perfectly good platform, after all it does elevate you from the floor, but it also can lead to felt damage or stains on the felt and what is more important – it can ruin the level of the playing surface. As far as table installation goes – leveling the table is the most painstaking and important process and you really don't want to do anything to ruin that level.

Happy Playing

 Paul