Pool Table Accessories: Checklist, Kits and What You Need
A new pool table needs five things before the first rack: cues (one per player plus a spare), a 2-1/4 inch ball set, a triangle rack, chalk and a bridge stick. Add a table brush and a cover in the first week, because those two protect the cloth you just paid for. Everything else on this list, from the light to the cue rack, can wait until you know how the table gets used.
Below is the full pool table accessories list in the order to buy it, what a typical accessories kit actually contains, and a short reason for each item with a link to the guide that covers it in depth.
Pool table accessories list: the full checklist
Work down this table top to bottom. The first block is what you need to play a proper game, the second keeps the table playing like new, and the third makes the room nicer to use.
| Item | How many | When | Why it earns its spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cues | Players + 1 | Day one | Guests show up, and a spare covers a lost tip |
| Ball set | 1 set of 16 | Day one | Must match the table's pockets and cushions (2-1/4 inch on full-size tables) |
| Triangle rack | 1 | Day one | No rack, no 8-ball |
| Chalk | About 12 cubes | Day one | Prevents miscues; cubes vanish into pockets |
| Bridge stick | 1 | Day one | Reaches the middle of the table without a foul |
| Table brush | 1, plus a rail brush | First week | Chalk dust ground into the cloth slows it down |
| Cover | 1, sized to the rails | First week | Keeps dust and spills off the cloth (and the cat) |
| Cue rack | 1 (wall or floor) | First month | Cues leaning in a corner bend over time |
| Table light | 1 fixture | First month | Even light, no shadows from your own head |
| Tip tool | 1 | First month | Keeps house-cue tips holding chalk |
| Diamond rack | 1 | When you play 9-ball | 9-ball racks in a diamond, not a triangle |
| Ball cleaner | 1 bottle | Within a few months | Dirty balls skid and throw differently |
| Level | 1 | After setup, then yearly | Lets you catch a table that has drifted |
| Seating | 2 or more | Whenever | Somewhere for the player who isn't shooting |
If the budget only stretches to the first block, play on it. Just don't let more than a couple of weeks go by without a brush and a cover.
What comes with a pool table, and what usually doesn't
It depends on the seller, so read the listing before delivery day. Budget and mid-range tables often arrive with a basic play kit, while many dealers sell the kit as a separate line item. Three kits from billiards sellers give a fair picture of the range:
- Basic: pooltables.ca's Majestic Basic kit is two 58 inch cues, a ball set, a bridge stick, a plastic triangle and 12 pieces of chalk. No brush.
- Mid: the same seller's Upgraded kit doubles the cues and adds a wood triangle, a wood diamond rack, a 9 inch table brush, a 6-1/2 inch rail brush and a cue repair kit.
- Full: Sawyer Twain's Trophy kit lists four 58 inch maple cues, a 57 inch bridge, a 2-1/4 inch ball set, a six-cue wall rack, both racks, a 10.5 inch table brush, a rail brush, 12 chalk and a rule book.
The pattern: cues, balls and a rack are almost always there, usually with chalk. The brush and the cover are what most often go missing, and they matter most for the cloth. pooltables.ca also prices its kits lower when you buy one with a table, so if you're still shopping for the table, ask the dealer to bundle it.
What accessories come with a mini pool table set?
Most tabletop and mini sets include short cues, a small ball set, a triangle and chalk; the better ones add a brush. The catch is size. Small tables often ship with balls smaller than the 2-1/4 inch regulation size, and cues that can be well under the 57 to 58 inch adult standard. That's fine for kids. It also means you can't swap in a regulation ball set later without checking that the pockets and cushions fit it.
For a 6 foot table that adults will play on, ask what ball size it takes before you buy anything. Our mini pool table guide covers the sizes, and are 6-foot pool tables worth it covers what a small table can and can't do.
Pool table accessories kit or piece by piece?
Buy a kit if the table came bare and you want to play this weekend. Buy piece by piece if you already know you care about how the balls roll.
A kit wins on convenience: one box, one price, everything matched to a standard table. The Hathaway Deluxe kit below, for example, puts four two-piece cues, a bridge, a wall rack, a 2.25 inch ball set, both racks, a rail brush, a vinyl cover and a cue maintenance kit in one order.
The trade-off is quality where it counts. Kit cues are house cues, fine for guests and kids, and kit balls are the cheapest part of the box. The upgrade path most owners end up on is to keep the kit's racks, bridge and brush, then replace the ball set with phenolic resin balls and buy one good cue for whoever plays most. Aramith's listing for its Crown set says phenolic resin lasts up to five times longer than polymer or polyester balls, and its Tournament line claims up to 40 years of home use. That is why the balls get upgraded first. See Aramith vs cheap pool balls for the full case.
One check before buying any kit: make sure the balls are 2-1/4 inch. That is the CSI rulebook size (plus or minus 0.005 inch, 5-1/2 to 6 ounces each), and it's what full-size home tables are built around.
Cues: how many, and how long
Buy one cue per regular player plus a spare. Four is the usual number for a family table and it's what most full kits include. The adult standard is 57 to 58 inches; our cue length guide covers tall players and kids.
Short cues are the accessory nobody buys until a wall gets in the way. Brunswick's room chart shows what they buy you: an 8 foot table wants about 13 by 17 feet of room with 58 inch cues, 12 by 15-1/2 feet with 52 inch cues and 11 feet 2 inches by 15 feet with 48 inch cues. If your room is tight on one side, keep one or two short cues in the rack for those shots instead of squeezing the table. More on that in how much room you need for a pool table.
Picking cues: cue sets for home tables for house cues, beginner cues for the one good cue, and kids' cues if the table is mostly for them.
What accessories should you get along with a ball rack?
If you just bought a rack, three things go with it: a ball set that fits it, a diamond rack if you'll ever play 9-ball, and a ball cleaner. A rack only racks tight when the balls are the same size and clean, so worn or dirty balls make a good rack look bad.
- A wood or molded triangle for 8-ball, and a diamond for 9-ball.
- A template rack (the thin sheet type) if loose racks annoy you. They give the tightest rack with the least effort.
- A spare cue ball, since the cue ball takes the most hits and wears first.
- How to rack pool balls if anyone in the house is new to it.
Table care: the brush and the cover
Brunswick's care page boils it down to clean regularly with a billiard brush, keep household cleaners off the cloth, and cover the table when it isn't in use. That's the whole routine, and it needs exactly two accessories.
The brush should be soft and long-bristled; sweep in straight strokes toward one end, never in circles. A rail brush, or an under-rail brush, gets the chalk that collects along the cushion nose. The cover should be sized to the outside of the rails, not the table's nominal size. Each table size takes a different cover, and a cheap stretch cover that's too small pulls on the cushions.
The accessory people forget is a hygrometer. Room humidity decides how fast the cloth plays and whether cue shafts warp, and a basement table often needs a dehumidifier. Our pool table humidity guide has the range to hold. The rest of the routine is in how to maintain a pool table and how to clean pool table felt.
Lighting and seating
These are the nice-to-haves, but the light is close to essential once you play at night. A fixture that covers the whole bed, hung with the shades about 30 to 36 inches above the cloth, beats any room light. The light height guide has the math and best pool table lights has picks.
Storage is a wall or floor cue rack that holds cues upright, plus one shelf or drawer for the small stuff so it doesn't scatter. Seating matters more than people expect in a game room: the player who isn't shooting needs somewhere to sit that isn't the rail. See pool table chairs.
Planning the whole room rather than just the table? Pool table room ideas and basement ideas pick up from here.
Billiards accessories for the player, not the table
Once the table side is done, the next round of billiards accessories belongs to whoever plays the most. None of it is needed on day one.
- Spare tips and a tip repair kit, because house cues lose tips.
- A glove for anyone with a sticky bridge hand.
- A cue extension for long reaches where a bridge feels awkward.
- A chalk holder so the chalk stops ending up in a pocket.
- Training aids and a training cue ball for practice.
- A cue case once someone starts taking a cue to a league.
Shopping for a pool player rather than a table? That's a different list: gifts for pool players.
Buying at Walmart, Amazon or a billiards dealer
All three sell kits, ball sets and covers. The difference is how much help you get checking the specs. Wherever you buy, check these before you order:
- Ball size. 2-1/4 inch for a full-size table. Smaller sets are for small tables only.
- Cover size. Measure outside rail to outside rail and compare it to the listed dimensions, not the table-size label.
- Cue length. 57 or 58 inch for adults, shorter only on purpose.
- What's actually in the kit. A kit photo often shows more than the box contains. Count the items in the text, and look for a brush.
A local billiards dealer is the better call when you're buying the table at the same time, because a kit added to a table order is often discounted and can arrive with the installer.
Mistakes new table owners make
Buying four cheap cues and no good one. Four identical house cues means nobody can tell what a decent cue feels like. Two house cues and one good cue is the better split.
Skipping the brush. The cloth looks fine for a month, then plays slower and pills where chalk has been ground in.
Leaving the cue rack in direct sun or next to a heat vent. Warping starts there, not in the case.
Using a household vacuum on the cloth with a beater bar. If you vacuum, use a gentle attachment, and read which vacuums are safe first.
Buying a kit for a table whose ball size you haven't confirmed. That's the most common return.
Sources
- CueSports International: Official Rules (equipment specifications for balls and cues)
- Brunswick Billiards: Room size requirements
- Brunswick Billiards: Table care
- pooltables.ca: Majestic accessory kits (contents)
- Sawyer Twain: Trophy billiard accessories kit (contents)
- Aramith: pool ball range
Our picks
Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.
Hathaway Deluxe Pool Table Accessories Kit
A bare table that needs everythingFour two-piece maple cues, an aluminum bridge, a matching wall rack, a 2.25 inch ball set, a wood triangle and a 9-ball diamond, plus a rail brush, chalk and a vinyl cover with weighted corners. It covers day one and most of the first week in one box, and the 180-day warranty is longer than most kits carry.
Check price on Amazon
HAN'S DELTA 32-Piece Pool Table Accessory Kit
Kit with both brushes includedFour 57.5 inch cues, a bridge with head, wood triangle and diamond racks and a six-cue rack. The part most kits skip is here too: a table brush and an under-rail brush, along with a tip repair kit, a cover and tally balls for games like Kelly pool.
Check price on Amazon
Aramith Crown Standard Ball Set, 2-1/4 Inch
The first upgrade from kit ballsA full 16-ball set in phenolic resin at the regulation 2-1/4 inch size. Aramith's listing puts phenolic at up to five times the life of polymer or polyester balls. Kit balls are where most bundles save money, so this is the swap that changes how the table plays.
Check price on Amazon
GSE Portable Bridge Head and Stick
Kits that came without a bridgeA 57 inch two-piece wood stick with a screw-on head that has five cue positions. ABS feet on the head keep it from scratching the cloth or sliding mid-stroke.
Check price on Amazon
iEsstros 7 Ft Pool Table Cover with Brush
Cover and brush in one order (7 ft)Sized at 92 by 52 by 8 inches with rounded corners, a terry lining against the cloth and a waterproof coated top, and a table brush comes with it. Measure your rails first: it's built for 7 foot tables only.
Check price on Amazon
REDECKER Horsehair Billiards Table Brush
A real brush to replace the kit oneA 100% horsehair brush on an oiled beechwood handle, made in Germany, the soft-bristle type our brush guide recommends over anything stiff.
Check price on AmazonFrequently asked questions
What accessories do you need for a pool table?
To play: cues for each player plus a spare, a 2-1/4 inch ball set, a triangle rack, chalk and a bridge stick. To protect the table: a brush and a fitted cover. Later: a cue rack, a light, a diamond rack for 9-ball, a ball cleaner and a tip tool.
What accessories come with a new pool table?
It varies by seller. Many tables come with a basic play kit of cues, balls, a triangle and chalk; others sell the kit separately. Brushes and covers are the items most often missing, so check the listing and order those before delivery.
What accessories come with a mini pool table set?
Usually short cues, a small ball set, a triangle and chalk, sometimes a brush. The balls are often smaller than the 2-1/4 inch regulation size, so confirm the ball size before buying replacements.
Is a pool table accessories kit worth it?
Yes if the table came bare and you want to play right away. Keep the racks, bridge and brush from the kit, and plan to upgrade the balls and one cue first, since those are the weakest parts of most kits.
How many cues do I need for a home pool table?
One per regular player plus a spare, which is four for most families. If one wall is close to the table, add a 48 or 52 inch short cue for shots from that side.
What is the most overlooked pool table accessory?
The brush, followed by the cover. Chalk dust ground into the cloth slows it down within a season, and a cover keeps dust, sun and spills off it between games.
Do I need a bridge stick?
Yes. Even tall players can't reach the middle of an 8 foot table on every shot, and stretching across the table is how people foul or tear the cloth. A bridge is cheap and most kits include one.
Related guides
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