Best Pool Table Brush (2026): Horsehair, Rail and Sets
The best brush for a pool table is a soft horsehair or horsehair-blend brush with a 10 to 10.5 inch head on a wood handle, plus a narrow rail brush with long bristles for the gap under the cushion nose. The WPA's equipment specification names a soft horsehair brush as a recommended cleaning tool for tournament tables and adds one warning that matters when you shop: brushes that shed bristles are not recommended.
Our pick is the Pro Series A15, an 85 percent horsehair, 15 percent nylon brush with a 10.5 inch head. Below are the alternatives worth buying, horsehair versus nylon, which size and shape does what, and how to brush a pool table so the brush lifts chalk instead of grinding it in.
The best pool table brushes at a glance
| Brush | Bristles | Head | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro Series A15 | 85% horsehair, 15% nylon | 10.5 in | Best overall, any cloth |
| REDECKER Horsehair Billiards Table Brush | 100% horsehair | 9.5 x 2 in | Traditional all-horsehair feel |
| Tiekerbilir Table and Rail Brush Set | Dual-length nylon | Table brush plus small rail brush | Budget set that covers the bed and under the rails |
| HaloVerde Arc-Shaped Rail Brush | Soft PVC, set to limit shedding | Curved body | Corners and under the cushions |
| Pro Series A13-C | Nylon | 9 in | Cheap second brush, woolen cloth |
| Mizerak Soft Bristle Brush | Soft synthetic | 9 in | Basic everyday brush |
Specs come from each maker's listing. Where a listing leaves something out, we've said so rather than guessed.
Horsehair or nylon: which billiard table brush?
| Horsehair (or horsehair blend) | Nylon | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel on the cloth | Soft, flexes into the weave | Firmer unless the maker says soft |
| Shedding | Can shed a few hairs at first; Seybert's says its horsehair brush stops once broken in | Low |
| Who recommends it | The WPA spec names horsehair; Brunswick sells a natural hair brush | Common on budget brushes and rail brushes |
| Best on | Worsted cloth (Simonis 860, 760) and any table you care about | Woolen family-table cloth, rail and corner work |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
Pick horsehair or a horsehair blend for the bed. It's what the WPA specifies and what Brunswick sells under its own name, and natural hair is soft enough to lift chalk out of a tight worsted weave without roughing the surface. The 85/15 blend in the Pro Series A15 adds a little nylon for stiffness, and Pro Series says the bristles won't pill your cloth.
Nylon earns a place for rails and corners, where you want the bristles to push into a gap, and on a woolen cloth that already has some fuzz to it. A soft nylon brush is fine. A stiff one isn't, and you can feel the difference by pressing it on the back of your hand.
Expect a new horsehair brush to drop a few hairs for the first few uses. Shake it out over the floor before the first session. A brush that keeps shedding after that is the kind the WPA says to avoid, because loose bristles end up on the bed and under a rolling ball.
Size and shape: 9 inch, 10.5 inch, rail brushes and sets
- Head width: most table brushes are 9 or 10.5 inches. On a 7 or 8 foot table the 10.5 inch head saves passes; on a bar box either works. We didn't find a 12 inch nylon billiard brush among the listings we could verify, so we can't vouch for one.
- Curved wood handles keep your knuckles off the cloth and give you better control near the cushions.
- Multi-length or dual-length bristles: the longer outer bristles reach under the cushion nose. Seybert's and Ozone Billiards both sell their 9 and 10.5 inch brushes this way, and Pool Table Portfolio recommends a brush with longer bristles at one end for exactly that job.
- A rail brush is small and angled or curved for the track under the cushions, where chalk collects and a bed brush can't reach. If you search for a pool table track brush or rail cleaning brush, this is it.
- Sets pair a bed brush with a rail brush, usually in nylon, for less than one good horsehair brush. Good value for a basement table, a little stiffer than horsehair on fine worsted cloth.
How to brush a pool table
Two minutes after each session is enough. The steps:
- Chalk over the floor while you play, not over the table. It's the easiest way to have less to brush.
- Start with the rails. Run the rail brush along each cushion and under the nose, pulling chalk out onto the bed. Pool Table Portfolio suggests wrapping a microfiber cloth over the bristles for this so the cloth catches the dust.
- Brush the bed in long, straight strokes from one end of the table to the other, overlapping each pass by a couple of inches. Light pressure: the bristle tips do the work.
- Keep every stroke going the same direction. No circles and no back-and-forth scrubbing, which grinds chalk into the weave and roughs up the surface.
- Collect the dust at the end of the table, or guide it toward a corner pocket, and pick it up with a cloth or a small dustpan. Pool Table Portfolio recommends a dustpan with a rubber edge so it doesn't scratch the rail.
- Tap the brush out or wipe the bristles with a microfiber cloth between passes, so you're not spreading the dust you just picked up.
Brush gently enough that you could do it on a sweater. If the cloth looks shiny or fuzzy along your brush strokes afterward, you're pressing too hard.
Which direction should you brush a pool table?
One direction, always the same. Every source agrees on that. They don't agree on which end:
- Brunswick's care guide says to brush in one direction, "preferably towards the pockets."
- Seybert's and Sawyer Twain say from the head of the table toward the foot.
- Black Label Billiards says toward the head of the table.
On napless pool cloth the end you pick matters much less than doing it the same way every time. Our suggestion is head to foot, then pick the pile up at the foot rail or sweep it toward a foot corner pocket. Snooker cloth is different: it has a real nap, and the Wikipedia entry on billiard tables notes that it traditionally runs from the baulk end to the top end and is brushed (and ironed) in that direction. On a snooker table, brushing against the nap is a mistake.
How often to brush
After every session on a table that gets played. Seybert's puts the daily brush at under a minute, and a light pass before play is worth it if the table sat uncovered. Black Label Billiards gives a floor of at least once a week. A covered table that gets played on weekends can follow the weekly figure; a league player's practice table should be brushed every time.
Brush, vacuum, X-1 or spray: what a brush can't do
A brush moves chalk. It doesn't remove the fine dust that works down into the weave over months, and that embedded dust is what turns the break area blue and slows the cloth. Simonis makes this point to sell its X-1, a cleaning pad that pulls dust out by static and is used with light back-and-forth strokes. Quick-Clean makes it to sell a spray. Both have a commercial interest, but the basic point holds.
Our routine: brush after each session, then a low-suction vacuum with a non-rotating brush head every week or two, which is how our pool table vacuum guide lays it out. Damp cleaning and stains are covered in how to clean pool table felt. The brush is still the tool you'll use most, and the cheapest thing on this list.
Brushes to skip
Household brooms and stiff scrub brushes: Seybert's lists stiff brushes among the things that damage cloth. Any brush that keeps shedding after a few uses. Anything motorized or spinning, including a vacuum floor head. And the wire or stiff nylon brushes sold for grills or suede, which turn up in searches for a table brush and have no business on billiard cloth.
Caring for the brush itself
Tap it out or wipe it with a microfiber cloth after each use. Every so often, run a vacuum nozzle over the bristles to pull out embedded chalk. Store it hanging (the Tiekerbilir and HaloVerde brushes have a hole in the handle for that) or bristles up, so the hairs don't bend flat, and keep it dry. When the bristles splay permanently or start shedding again, replace it. A worn brush pushes dust around instead of lifting it.
A brush and a cover are the two things to buy first for a new table; our pool table accessories checklist has the rest, and how to maintain a pool table has the full care schedule.
Sources
- WPA Recommended Equipment Specifications (section 14: horsehair brush, no shedding brushes)
- Brunswick Billiards: guide to billiard table care and maintenance
- Brunswick Billiards: Natural Hair Table Brush
- Iwan Simonis: Simonis X-1
- Black Label Billiards: game table care guide
- Wikipedia: Billiard table (snooker nap direction)
- Brush specs: the makers' Amazon listings for the products below, checked October 15, 2026.
Our picks
Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.
Pro Series A15 Billiard Table Brush, 10.5-Inch
Best overallA 10.5 inch wood brush with an 85 percent horsehair, 15 percent nylon bristle blend that Pro Series says won't pill your cloth. The horsehair gives you the soft lift the WPA calls for; the bit of nylon keeps the head from going limp. Comes in oak, black, cherry and old world mahogany stains, so it can hang on the wall next to the cue rack.
Check price on Amazon
REDECKER Horsehair Billiards Table Brush
All-horsehair traditionalistsDense 100% horsehair in an oiled beechwood handle, hand-made in Germany by Bürstenhaus Redecker, 9.5 by 2 inches with an angled edge that reaches into corners. It's the pick if you want an all-horsehair brush from a real brush maker. Shake it out before the first use; new horsehair can drop a few strands.
Check price on Amazon
Tiekerbilir Pool Table and Rail Brush Set
Budget brush setA wood table brush and a smaller rail brush, both with dual-length nylon bristles that reach under the rails and into the bed's corners. The rail brush has a hole for hanging. Nylon is a touch firmer than horsehair, so use a light hand on fine worsted cloth.
Check price on Amazon
HaloVerde Arc-Shaped Pool Table Rail Brush
Under the cushions and cornersThe curved body gets under the cushion nose and into the corners, where chalk piles up and a straight brush leaves a line of it behind. The soft PVC bristles are set firmly to limit shedding, which is the exact failure the WPA warns about. Pair it with a horsehair bed brush.
Check price on Amazon
Pro Series A13-C Billiard Table Brush, 9-Inch
Cheap second brushA 9 inch wood brush with nylon bristles that the maker says won't pill cloth. Fine on a woolen family-table cloth and handy as the brush that lives by a second table or in the garage.
Check price on Amazon
Mizerak Soft Bristle Pool Table Brush
Basic everyday brushA 9 inch brush with soft bristles that Mizerak says are safe on worsted wool, woolen blends and synthetic cloth. Few reviews so far, so it's a budget pick rather than our first choice, but the soft bristles are the part that matters.
Check price on AmazonFrequently asked questions
What kind of brush do you use on a pool table?
A soft billiard table brush, ideally horsehair or a horsehair blend, about 10 to 10.5 inches wide, plus a small rail brush for under the cushions. The WPA's equipment spec recommends a soft horsehair brush and says brushes that shed are not recommended.
Is horsehair or nylon better for a pool table brush?
Horsehair for the bed, especially on worsted cloth: it's softer and it's what the WPA names. Soft nylon is fine on woolen cloth and good for rail brushes. Avoid stiff nylon.
Which direction should you brush a pool table?
One direction, the same every time, in straight strokes. Brunswick says toward the pockets, while Seybert's and Sawyer Twain say head to foot. On a snooker table, brush with the nap, from the baulk end toward the top.
How often should you brush a pool table?
After every session it's played. Black Label Billiards suggests at least once a week as a minimum. It takes about a minute.
Can I use a regular broom or household brush on my pool table?
No. Brooms and stiff scrub brushes are too harsh for billiard cloth and can rough up the surface. Use a soft brush made for billiard tables.
Why is my new pool table brush shedding?
New horsehair brushes often drop a few hairs at first. Seybert's says its horsehair brush stops shedding once broken in. Shake it out over the floor before use. If it keeps shedding, replace it, since the WPA recommends against shedding brushes.
Is it better to brush or vacuum a pool table?
Both. Brush after each session to move chalk off the cloth, and vacuum with low suction and a non-rotating brush head every week or two to lift the fine dust the brush leaves in the weave.
How do you clean a pool table brush?
Tap it out or wipe it with a microfiber cloth after each use, vacuum the bristles now and then, and store it hanging or bristles up so the hairs stay straight.
What is a pool table rail brush for?
Cleaning the track under the cushion nose and the corners, where chalk collects and a wide bed brush can't reach. Rail brushes are small, with angled handles, curved bodies or long bristles.
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