Pool Table Slate and Cloth Simulator
Two decisions shape how a pool table plays for as long as you own it: the bed beneath the cloth and the cloth stretched over it. Use the two interactive tools below from Generation Billiards to compare three-piece slate with MDF and Slatron-type beds, then compare woolen felt with worsted speed cloth on the same shot.
Slate vs. MDF vs. Slatron: How Each Pool Table Bed Ages
A pool table bed has one job: stay perfectly flat. Natural slate does not absorb moisture or creep under its own weight, and each of its three slabs can be shimmed level again after a move. Wood-composite beds start flat, but time, humidity and sustained load can bow the panel between supports. Adjust the material, room conditions and years of ownership, then roll a straight shot to see where the ball ends up.
A table that plays true for generations begins with stone.
Beneath the cloth of every professional table lies a bed of slate: three precision-ground slabs, each leveled independently and joined at near-invisible seams. Wood-composite beds, including MDF and Slatron-type panels, begin flat but can yield to time, weight and humidity. Explore the difference below.
See how each bed ages
Choose a bed material, a room and a span of years, then roll a straight shot. The side view reveals the shape of the bed; the top view shows where a perfectly struck ball comes to rest.
Illustrative model. Bed movement is exaggerated for visibility; real-world results vary with construction, frame, climate and care.
Inside a three-piece slate bed
Three slabs are a deliberate choice. A single slab of that size is fragile and nearly impossible to move; three matched slabs can each be shimmed until the entire surface reads level, then joined and sealed at the seams by a trained installer.
Side by side
General characteristics of each bed type. Construction varies by maker and model.
| Three-piece slate | Slatron-type panel | MDF or particleboard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composition | Natural quarried stone, ground flat and cut into three matched slabs | A synthetic slate substitute, commonly a wood-fiber core with a sealed or laminated playing surface | Compressed wood fibers or chips bonded with resin |
| Moisture | Absorbs very little water; stable through every season | Surface treatment helps, but the core can take on moisture at edges and seams | Absorbs moisture and can swell, especially at edges and cut faces |
| Long-term load | Does not sag under its own weight on a sound frame | Can gradually bow between frame supports | Prone to creep, a slow sag under sustained load |
| Re-leveling | Each slab shims independently; can be re-leveled after a move or as a home settles | Leg levelers correct tilt, not a bow in the panel | Leg levelers correct tilt, not a bow in the panel |
| Cloth | Fastened to a wood backing on the slate; stretched tight and replaceable for the life of the table | Usually stapled directly to the panel | Usually stapled directly to the panel |
| Installation | Substantial weight; professionally delivered, assembled, leveled and clothed | Lighter; simpler to place and relocate | Lightest; simplest to place and relocate |
| Lifespan of play | Built to be passed down | Suited to casual play over a shorter horizon | Suited to occasional or temporary use |
Which bed is right for your room?
Four questions. Your recommendation updates as you answer.
Every slate table deserves a proper installation.
Our white-glove team delivers, assembles, levels and clothes each table in your home, anywhere in the country.
This guide is educational. The simulator is a simplified visual model, not a measurement or prediction for any specific table.
Woolen Felt vs. Worsted Speed Cloth: Same Shot, Two Tables
Cloth controls speed, spin and bank angles. Woolen felt has a nap, plays slower and pills with wear. Worsted cloth, the choice of league and tournament players, has no nap and rolls fast and true. Set a stroke, aim and humidity level, shoot both tables at once, then run the spill test to see which cloth gives you time to blot a drink.
Same stroke, two cloths.
Set a shot and play it on standard woolen felt and on tournament worsted cloth at the same time. Watch how far each ball rolls, how the banks come off, and what happens when a drink tips over.
Woolen felt
Napped blend. Thicker, slower, forgiving.Worsted speed cloth
Tournament weave, like Simonis. Fast and smooth.Spill test
Treated worsted cloth holds a spill on the surface long enough to blot it away. Woolen felt wicks it into the fibers within seconds.
The trade-offs
Neither cloth is better for every room. Speed rewards a practiced stroke; a slower cloth is kinder to a family game.
| Woolen felt | Worsted speed cloth | |
|---|---|---|
| Roll speed | Slower. You hit harder to cover the same distance. | Faster and more consistent from end to end. |
| Bank angles | Banks come off a little short. | Banks run longer and hold their line. |
| Spin response | Draw and english fade sooner in the nap. | Crisp, predictable response to draw, follow and english. |
| Nap | Has a nap that should be brushed head to foot. Slow rolls can drift with it. | No nap. The ball rolls the same in every direction. |
| Wear | Pills over time and gradually plays slower. | Resists pilling and tends to play slightly quicker once broken in. |
| Spills | Absorbs quickly and can stain. | Beads up when treated, giving you time to blot. |
| Best for | Recreation rooms, newer players, tighter budgets. | League and tournament players, serious home rooms. |
| Cost and lifespan | Lower cost, replaced more often. | Higher cost, longer service life. |
Illustrative model. Rolling resistance, cushion response, nap drift and humidity effects are simplified to show relative differences between cloth types, not measured from any specific product. Simonis is a trademark of Iwan Simonis; this tool is not affiliated with or endorsed by the manufacturer.