Pool Table Lighting Height Settings

Pool Table Lighting

Customers will often purchase a pool table designed to go into a purpose-built mancave that replicates a pub/bar room feel in their own home.

The pool table is usually the centrepiece, and there is often a dart board, football table, and sometimes even a bar. One thing, however, that is quite often overlooked and is always found in your local pub is the pool table lighting set.

Many people are a bit unsure about fitting the table light and are nervous about having it installed incorrectly. Below is our recommended guide.

Firstly, a qualified electrician should always fit the pool table light set. This will ensure it is safely and correctly set up. Although an electrician is an expert at fitting the pool lights, they often need clarification about the height at which the canopy bar should be over the table.

We frequently get calls from confused customers asking how high the light shades should be from the pool table cloth. Whilst there is no written rule for this, below is what we consider to be the recommended height.

Correctly Hanging A Pool Light.

The guide below is based on a UK league-size pool table situated in a room with a standard ceiling height. If you have a very high ceiling, we recommend something other than purchasing a pool lighting set, as it would probably have little effect on illuminating the pool table.

The light should always hang in the middle of your pool table. If it is set centrally over the table, this will prevent glare or a false perception when playing a shot.

OK, so you have the light set right in the middle of the table, but at what height should it be hung?

The first thing we need to know is the height of your pool table. A standard-height UK slate bed pool table is usually between 30 and 34 inches, depending on the height that the leg level is set at.

The proper height is to hang the light shade 34 inches above the pool cloth. This means that from the floor to the bottom of the light set, the height gap should be approximately between 66 and 68 inches.

If you do not have a tape measure to hand and are approximating the lighting height, then a general rule for an average-height male is to have the bottom of the light fitting in line with the bridge of your nose when standing up straight.

It does not matter if you put up your light before or after installing the pool table. If you are hanging the light before the table arrives, use our rule of 68 inches from the floor and ensure that you are leaving the correct amount of space to play pool.

Poor Table Light Height

A badly hung light set can really affect the table's performance. Pool is about judging angles and precision cueing. If the light set is too low or too high, then poor light will really change the appearance of the simplest shots.

Incorrect table lighting will also create a distracting glare on your table baize. Instead of being able to focus on basic shots, you may find that you have light in your eyes.

In addition to changing the game play of the pool table, a light hung too low has a real chance of getting damaged. If placed low, the cue will likely hit the light or the bulb. Avoid this common mistake unless you plan on buying a new light each week.

Lighting Sets

In the UK, most table light sets have 3 lamp positions. The bar is usually between 130 and 150cm in length. This size of bar is ideal for a UK 6ft or 7ft pool table. They usually take a bayonet bulb up to 60 watts.

At Pool Tables Online, we sell an excellent range of pool lights and tables and are always happy to offer impartial advice on lights or general pool accessory information.