Updated October 20, 2018 by Brett Dvoretz
The 8 Best Pool Ball Sets
We spent 41 hours on research, videography, and editing, to review the top picks for this wiki. Whether you are a recreational, occasional billiards player, or take your game very seriously at home, one of these pool ball sets will be perfect for your table. They come in traditional and unusual designs to suit any taste, and at price points that make them good for family fun through to tournaments at your local pool hall. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to support our work. Skip to the best pool ball set on Amazon.
8. Epco Rocco
The Epco Rocco is a transparent set of balls unlike anything you've seen before, but while they may be beautiful, they don't play as well as standard balls. If you care more about style than playability, though, you'll most likely be happy with them.
Look very cool when rolling
Smaller than traditional balls
Hard to identify stripes and solids
Epco
7. Felson Billiard Supplies SFELS-002
The Felson Billiard Supplies SFELS-002 are on a par with what you see at the average pool hall. They aren't amazing, but roll true and have a nice shine. If you have a pool table and often let your kids or drunk friends play, they are a smart buy.
Makes a good backup set
Good for periodic recreational use
Finish scratches easily
Felson Billiard Supplie
SFELS-002
6. Action Bumper Set
Bumper pool aficionados looking for new balls should look to the Action Bumper Set. They are made from a premium cast polyester resin that is highly crack-resistant and up to the standards of the most demanding players. The white balls are slightly cream colored, though.
Roll like traditional pool balls
Feel evenly weighted
Perfectly round with no blemishes
BBBUMP
5. Aramith Premium
The Aramith Premium have bright colors with crisp contrasting numbers, so you won't have trouble identifying them in dim light. They are crafted with a molecular structure that is engineered to withstand forceful impacts and resist chipping.
Have a very shiny finish
Rarely pick up marks or dings
Well balanced and roll true
4. Iszy Billiards E41210
If you want pool balls with some stylistic flair, but don't want to spend a lot, consider the Iszy Billiards E41210. The balls each weigh 6 oz. and have a classic marbling effect, including the 8 ball, which is swirled with white.
Good to show off to company
Consistent marbling across the set
Have a very high end look
Iszy Billiards
3. Aramith Tournament Set
If you want high quality, professional level balls, then the Aramith Tournament Set should be your go-to choice. All of the balls are perfectly balanced with a true roll and have bright colors with bold, deep black numbers that are easy to see.
Cause minimal felt wear
Made from duramith resin
Give a crisp clean hit
2. Yves Empire USA Deluxe
The Yves Empire USA Deluxe is an ideal choice for those who just like to knock a couple of balls around with friends and don't want to spend a lot of cash. Their low cost also makes them great for tables that rambunctious teens use.
Polished to perfection
Look more expensive than they are
Tend to chip easily
1. Diamond Billiards Cyclop
The Diamond Billiards Cyclop is built to exacting specifications to ensure you get pool balls that will stand up to years of use and have a consistent roll. They have the classic look and feel of a pool hall set, which most players appreciate.
Made from phenolic resin
Same balls as used in tv tournaments
Cool cyclops eye on the cue ball
Drills & Tips To Improve Your Pool Game
Click here to see our #1 pick
Between those games, you'll want to sharpen your skills by practicing.
The more you practice knocking the eight ball into that pocket via a straight line, the more your shots will benefit from additional discipline and control.
If you want to get better at pool it helps to play as often as possible, to seek out different opponents, and to experiment by trying different sticks, different chalks, and different variations of the game.
Between those games, you'll want to sharpen your skills by practicing. The most common practice drill in billiards is what is known as the cue ball concentration. To complete this drill, organize a dozen balls in a straight line running across the foot string. Once you've done that, set up the cue ball somewhere along the head string, as if you're about to break. One by one, you'll want to use the cue ball to knock the other 12 balls into one of the corner pockets. The idea is to master how and where the cue ball makes contact, while taking note of how the other balls respond.
If you'd like to focus on hitting balls so that they respond by moving in a straight line, set up the cue ball a few inches away from one of the corner pockets, then set up an eight ball midway across the table at a 45-degree angle. If you've done this correctly, you should be able to draw a straight line from the cue ball, through the eight ball, and directly into the furthermost pocket. The more you practice knocking the eight ball into that pocket via a straight line, the more your shots will benefit from additional discipline and control.
Of course, not every shot will be that simple. Whenever a ball is sitting at an inconvenient angle, for example, you'll want to imagine a straight line moving outward from the center of a desired pocket directly through that ball. Whatever point that line exits the ball at represents the exact point where you'll want a cue ball - or any ricocheted ball - to make contact. This strategy, used consistently, will help you to understand how geometry and physics can determine the arc of any ball.
How to Clean A Pool Ball Set In 15 Minutes Or Less
Most billiard balls are crafted out of an extremely dense combination of plastic, polyester, or phenolic resin; the outer shell of which is nearly impossible to break. While billiard balls are durable, they are also prone to staining, especially if they've been subject to chalk, or unclean surfaces. The good news is that cleaning a set of billiard balls is relatively easy. All you need is a sink, a magic eraser, a bottle of bleach, a dish rag, a pair of cleaning gloves, and a 16-oz cup.
While billiard balls are durable, they are also prone to staining, especially if they've been subject to chalk, or unclean surfaces.
Once you've gathered these materials, place the stopper in your sink's drain, and then fill the sink with a full cup of water and a full cup of bleach. Next, drop a pair of billiard balls into the solution (for best results do not clean more than two balls at a time). With your gloves on, roll both balls around in the solution for three minutes. If your balls are dirty, you should see the solution beginning to turn a mixture of yellow, brown, and blue (depending on whether you use chalk).
Once each pair of balls has been rinsed, wipe them down with a magic eraser. Assuming the bleach and water have broken up some of the dirt, you should see the balls becoming shinier within a matter of seconds. You should also see a dark-colored film appearing along the front end of the eraser.
It's worth noting that there are specialized ball cleaners on the market, and that certain enthusiasts might even recommend using rubbing compounds and a buffer to simonize any set of pool balls. While these agents might provide a little extra glimmer, average players can achieve a fairly similar result (for a lot less) by simply following the process that we have outlined above.
How The Game of Billiards Became Known As 'Pool'
The concept of pocket billiards - that is, using a stick to knock a ball into a hole - was conceived as an extension of the French lawn game jeu de mail during the 15th Century. The idea was to place several balls upon a wooden surface, the length of which would be covered with a green cloth (the cloth was meant to represent green grass.) The term "billiard" was derived via two French words - "billard," meaning a curved stick, and "bille," meaning a ball.
Billiard tables became more refined during the Industrial Revolution.
The modern cue stick wasn't invented until the 1600s. Prior to that players had been using a blunt piece of wood called a mace to nudge the ball, as opposed to striking it. A mace was considered too thick for negotiating tight corners around a billiard table. As such, it was replaced with a smooth and narrow cue, the rounded point of which allowed for more dynamic shots.
Billiard tables became more refined during the Industrial Revolution. The green felt surface combined with elastic bumpers - and the introduction of chalk - led to slick, and sometimes innovative, play. In America and England, a lot of betting parlors soon began to install billiard tables so that their patrons could pass the time between horse races. These parlors were unofficially known as "pool rooms," given that every gambler would need to fill out a racing form, or a "pool," to place his bets. Thus, pool became a slang term for playing pocket billiards, and the betting parlors eventually gave way to more legitimate "pool halls."
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Last updated on October 20, 2018 by Brett Dvoretz
A wandering writer who spends as much time on the road as in front of a laptop screen, Brett can either be found hacking away furiously at the keyboard or, perhaps, enjoying a whiskey and coke on some exotic beach, sometimes both simultaneously, usually with a four-legged companion by his side. He has been a professional chef, a dog trainer, and a travel correspondent for a well-known Southeast Asian guidebook. He also holds a business degree and has spent more time than he cares to admit in boring office jobs. He has an odd obsession for playing with the latest gadgets and working on motorcycles and old Jeeps. His expertise, honed over years of experience, is in the areas of computers, electronics, travel gear, pet products, and kitchen, office and automotive equipment.