Have a pool table at your home and want to make it the center of attention? Go for a well-planned light setting and take the ambiance of your home to the next level with this guide!
Pool table lighting is a game-changing step to create a stylish indoor play corner in your home. It offers better visibility for the game and a chic interior for your home. So, choose the lighting options wisely along with the cues and accessories of the pool table.
In this guide, we will help you understand the needs of pool table lighting in your home.
Why Do You Need Lights Over a Pool Table?
Lights over the pool table remove the distracting shadows and thus offer clear visibility while playing. You can see the color, angle, and position of the balls accurately, which provides a comfortable playing experience. Besides, well-planned lighting reduces eye strain, helping you to focus on the game for a long time.
Apart from enhancing the pool experience, it elevates the interior design of your house. The light setting highlights the table and makes the spot a center of attraction for the guests or visitors of your house.
Available Designs Of Pool Table Lights
Traditional Design
This classic style features metal frames with glass or diffuser panels. You will find different types of finishes on traditional pool lights, including brass, bronze, chrome, etc.
Contemporary Style
The contemporary style of pool table lighting is more modernistic. It consists of sleek lines and minimalistic shapes. These are available in a wide range of colors to suit any interior decor.
Tiffany Style Lights
This design mainly features stained glass lights. After that, the light fixtures come with colorful glass panels and intricate patterns on them. They can add aesthetic ambiance to the pool room by diffusing lights through the patterns.
Vintage Design
Vintage design of the fixtures will give a retro vibe to your interior. This style highlights funky shapes and bright colors.
Industrial Design
The industrial design of pool table lighting comes with exposed bulbs and rugged steel frames. It gives a chic look to the pool table setup.
Style With Chandeliers
A chandelier over the pool table will give your room an artistic touch. Also, it is efficient in getting a unique spread of light. You will find chandeliers with both traditional and modern designs, as per your taste, in the market.
Customized Fixtures
If you want to match the pool table lights with the decor theme of your home, then customize the light fixtures. In this way, you can get the design, style, material, and size of the fixtures according to your preference. However, when it comes to customization, LED strip light is your go-to option. You can use these flexible lights in thousands of creative ways to bring the desired pool table lighting. Moreover, combining strip lights with LED neon flex will take the lighting of the setting to the next level.
Best Bulbs for a Pool Table Fixture
LED Bulbs
LED bulbs are the best option for your pool table lighting. It offers a wide array of beam angles, colors, and color temperatures. For example, LED bulbs with a flood light beam of 100 degrees offer full coverage of your pool table. Also, it is popular as an energy-efficient option.
CFL Bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can be the second-best choice after LED bulbs. They are safe and more energy-saving than incandescent bulbs. However, it takes a little bit of time to heat up at first. Also, you can not dispose of them improperly as they contain small amounts of mercury.
Frosted Incandescent Bulb
The frosted incandescent bulbs with 60 watts offer a soft and warm ambiance. It is good for overcoming glares. Also, players feel comfortable under these bulbs. However, incandescent lights are not an energy-efficient option.
Why Are LED Lights Better For Pool Table Lighting?
Longer Lifespan
LED bulbs have a much longer lifespan compared to incandescent or CFL bulbs. On average, it lasts for up to 50,000 hours. That is why you can choose LEDs for your pool table’s long-term lighting solution.
Versatile Design
LED bulbs and fixtures are available in various patterns and designs. You can combine classic style with modern aesthetics using this bulb.
Better Controllability
If you want to adjust the color, temperature, and brightness of the pool table lights, an LED light is your ultimate option. The smart LED bulbs have all these options. So, you can set the tone of light according to your mood without any disruptions with this.
Easy DIY Installation
Most of the LED lights are made for easy DIY installation. Just assemble the parts of the fixture and attach it to the ceiling joist. Then plug it into the power source and play.
Less Energy Consumption
LED bulbs follow the mechanism to light up that consumes the minimum energy. Therefore, it will decrease your electricity bills permanently.
Brightness And Color Accuracy
LED bulb offers high CRI (up to 100); as a result, it offers an accurate color of the pool balls. Besides, with proper light settings, LED lights offer a uniform lighting throughout the table and eliminate unwanted shadows. Moreover, its bright and clear light helps the players reduce eye strain.
Factors To Consider Before Buying Pool Table Lights
Location: Indoor or Outdoor
Based on the location, the requirements for pool table lights vary. Consider buying weatherproof and durable fixtures for the outdoor pool tables.
Light Style
You need to think of matching the style of pool table lighting with your home’s decor. Choose from various options such as classic stained glass lights, contemporary fixtures, or the futuristic lights with a remote control system.
Size Of The Light Fixtures
For pool lighting, light fixtures should provide full light coverage over the gaming area. That is why you should make sure the length of the light fixture is at least two-thirds of the playing surface of the table. For the best result, consider buying a light fixture within a length of 40- 60 inches based on the size of the pool table.
Type Of Light Bulb
Select the light bulb according to your preference. To get even lighting over the entire playing surface, choose fluorescent bulbs. Furthermore, go with LED bulbs if you want an energy-efficient option.
Table Size
The number of lights needed for your pool table depends on the table’s size. To elaborate, if the pool table is small and around 7 feet, go for a pool table lamp or pendant light. In contrast, buy three or more lights for larger 9-foot tables. Again, you will need more lights for a larger snooker table.
Amount Of Lighting In The Room
Organize the other sources of light in your game room before buying the pool table lights. In addition, the rest of the lights should not interrupt the players’ view while shooting.
Brightness Of Lights
Make sure the lights you buy for pool tables emit around 48 footcandles or 517 lux of light. Then it will be bright enough for your game room.
Cost
The price of pool table lights ranges from around $77 to $1632. As a matter of fact, the cost varies depending on its type, technology, and design. So, choose according to your needs.
How To Install Pool Table Lights?
- Gathering Tools: First, gather all the necessary equipment for installing pool table lights, like a ladder, screws, a screwdriver, a drill, wire connectors, a voltage tester, etc.
- Fixing The Center Point: Climb up the ladder and mark a point on the ceiling that aligns with the center point of the pool table. Find a strong support near this mark on the ceiling to hold the light canopy.
- Setting the Height: You have to consider two aspects of height while installing the lights over the pool table. First, lights should illuminate the table’s full surface and the top of the rails. Secondly, there has to be enough room for the players to shoot under the light. Considering these, the lights should be at 62-66 inches from the floor and 32-36 inches from the cloth above the table’s slate.
- Installing the Light Canopy: The light canopy should be installed before the pool table is fixed. It needs to be hard-wired into the ceiling and main electrical system. So, ask for a professional electrician to do so.
- Ensuring Uniform Lighting: Be cautious about space and angle while setting the lights to get uniform illumination. First, space the lights around 4-5 feet apart. After that, position the lights downwards at an angle of 30-45 degrees to get optimum visibility.
- Adjusting the Lights: Now it is time to screw in the bulbs. After that, test if the light bulbs are working properly or not.
Maintenance Tips For Pool Table Lights
- Ensuring Safety: First, make sure to turn off the lights before starting to clean the pool table lights. Let the lights cool down if they were on for a long time.
- Regular Dusting: With a soft hand, remove the dust from the outer surface of the light. You can use a feather duster or a microfiber cloth for this purpose.
- Gentle Cleaning: Create a mild cleaning solution using liquid soap, warm water, and white vinegar. Use a soft fabric and this solution to clean the fixture instead of harsh chemicals.
- Metal Polishing: You can apply metal polish on the metal parts of the pool table to regain its shine.
- Thorough Drying: Use a dry cloth to remove liquid from lights and fixtures properly before using them again.
FAQs
The Bottom Line
While choosing lighting for your pool tables, think of both functionality and style. First, consider your room’s decor, ceiling height, and table size, then go for the right bulb for your game room. Undoubtedly, a properly lit pool table will create an inviting atmosphere at your home for your guests.
However, if you want stylish lighting for your pool table, LED strips are your go-to choice. Unlike traditional choices, they have a flexible and flat-thin body that you can cut to define size. Moreover, it works for both professional and homely pool table lighting needs. So, to give your pool table a modern look, choose the top-quality LED strips from LEDYi and take your interior lighting to the next level!
