Carom table hierarchy for serious players

iusedtoberich

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I know most of the pool table brands inside and out, for play, quality, design, reputation, long term durability, etc. I know very little about 3 cushion carom tables. I do have a few years of play on a Chevolette and a GC1, but both were 20 years ago. Would someone with very good knowledge give the rough list from best to worst for commercial quality 10' carom tables? Are there any controversies in the carom world to be aware of, such as in the pool world with Olhausen rattle or Diamond bouncy/short cushions, or GC pocket castings pitting and very proud of the rail surface. Things like that, which only a serious carom player would know about.

I also see Simonis 300 has been replaced by Simonis 330. Is that still considered the best cloth?

Edit: I’m asking because a local room is considered getting qty 2 carom tables.
 
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iusedtoberich said:
I know most of the pool table brands inside and out, for play, quality, design, reputation, long term durability, etc. I know very little about 3 cushion carom tables. I do have a few years of play on a Chevolette and a GC1, but both were 20 years ago. Would someone with very good knowledge give the rough list from best to worst for commercial quality 10' carom tables? Are there any controversies in the carom world to be aware of, such as in the pool world with Olhausen rattle or Diamond bouncy/short cushions, or GC pocket castings pitting and very proud of the rail surface. Things like that, which only a serious carom player would know about.

I also see Simonis 300 has been replaced by Simonis 330. Is that still considered the best cloth?
Click to expand...
Gabriel and Hollywood 3C tables are pretty prevalent in World events!

Here's the cloth breakdown!

AI Overview


The top carom cloth for 3-cushion billiards is the Simonis 300 Rapide, alongside its successor generation Simonis 330 Rapide and elite alternatives like Granito M Plus and Royal Pro. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Top Carom Cloth Options
    • Simonis 300 Rapide / 330 Rapide:
      • Details: Made of 90% combed worsted wool and 10% nylon (~9 oz/yd² or 300 g/m²).
      • Why it’s top-tier: It is the official tournament standard approved by the International Carom Federation and used on the UMB Tour for decades. The nap-free worsted build does not pill or shed, handles heated carom tables (95–100°F) wonderfully, and provides exact, consistent ball speed. [1, 2]
    • Granito M Plus (Gorina):
      • Details: Crafted with over 190 years of textile expertise by Gorina.
      • Why it’s top-tier: Engineered specifically for high-speed 3-cushion play, offering a super-flat, smooth surface that elite players and international federations trust for precise trajectory control. [1, 2]
    • Royal Pro Carom Cloth:
      • Details: High-performance specialized worsted carom cloth.
      • Why it’s top-tier: Gaining rapid popularity in professional circles for providing exceptional speed, longevity, and accurate rebound on competitive tables. [1]

Key Features to Look For in 3-Cushion Cloth
    • Worsted Construction (Nap-Free): Unlike traditional napped pool felt, worsted wool has no fuzz or pile, allowing larger 61.5 mm carom balls to glide smoothly and predictably. [1]
    • Heat Resistance: High-quality carom cloth is designed to withstand heated slates without scorching, drying out, or wearing down prematurely. [1]
    • Blend Composition: A high wool content (around 90%) paired with a touch of nylon provides the exact grip needed for precise English (spin) and accurate cushion rebound. [1]
 
The brands in recent tournament videos can be a rough guide. I heard a rumor that Chevillotte is out of business, but they still have a website up. The major European brands recently in the US have been Gabriels and Verhoeven. Other European brands are SAM, Soren Sogaard and Wilhelmina -- I'm not sure that any of those sell into the US now.

The two major Korean brands seem to be Hollywood and Min. Carom is huge in Korea.

On all of those brands I think you can expect 2-inch minimum slate thickness and a heated bed.

The major European cloths are Simonis and Gorina.
 
I also played Predator Carom table. I don´t know who makes(maybe SAM billiards?) it but i liked it a lot. Gabriels is the best what all say though..
Royal Pro suck ass imo. Simonis 300 or 330 or Gorina are best ones.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Local room is considering getting qty 2 tables. We know pool table inside and out, but little about carom tables.
Click to expand...

I understand that they won't be heated.
Apparently there is a NEW cloth out there that is as fast as a heated table.
Could be Royal Pro Carom or Simon's Hybrid S.

caromsports.com

Royal Pro Carom Cloth

Royal Pro Billiard Cloth is a revolutionary high-performance CAROM cloth that is taking the professional 3-cushion world by storm. Available in 3 colors.It is made from synthetic silk (Viscose) rather than traditional wool. (Not to be confused with Royal Pro Pool cloth which is thicker.)Royal...
caromsports.com caromsports.com

Carom Cloth

Elevate your Carom game with the highest quality Carom cloth used in professional championships worldwide. Enjoy incredible speed, control, and durability.
iwansimonis.com iwansimonis.com
 
Poolmanis said:
I also played Predator Carom table. I don´t know who makes(maybe SAM billiards?) it but i liked it a lot. Gabriels is the best what all say though..
Royal Pro suck ass imo. Simonis 300 or 330 or Gorina are best ones.
Click to expand...
Royal pro isn't bad and in my experience, it changes less over time than Simonis 300 or granito.

Royal pro is also ~1/3 the price of Simonis.

I really like the top end Min table. Hollywood tables are top shelf too and it seems they've pursued the American market over the past years, as they are I a lot of rooms.
 
philly said:
I understand that they won't be heated.
Apparently there is a NEW cloth out there that is as fast as a heated table.
Could be Royal Pro Carom or Simon's Hybrid S.

caromsports.com

Royal Pro Carom Cloth

Royal Pro Billiard Cloth is a revolutionary high-performance CAROM cloth that is taking the professional 3-cushion world by storm. Available in 3 colors.It is made from synthetic silk (Viscose) rather than traditional wool. (Not to be confused with Royal Pro Pool cloth which is thicker.)Royal...
caromsports.com caromsports.com

Carom Cloth

Elevate your Carom game with the highest quality Carom cloth used in professional championships worldwide. Enjoy incredible speed, control, and durability.
iwansimonis.com iwansimonis.com
Click to expand...
An electrical circuit would be run for the heating if the whole idea is a go.
 
iusedtoberich said:
An electrical circuit would be run for the heating if the whole idea is a go.
Click to expand...

I asked the owners and they said heating the slate is not necessary because there is cloth out there now that is fast enough. I don't understand it either.
I sorely miss a 3C table.
 
iusedtoberich said:
An electrical circuit would be run for the heating if the whole idea is a go.
Click to expand...
Royal Pro 3C cloth is 'Thin' because it has No wool, Humidity does not effect it as much or at all!

Hence, heating is not a necessity!

The Big issue for me with Royal is, after about 6 months of 'PR' play there are 1,000's of little white marks on the table from the balls!
 
iusedtoberich said:
An electrical circuit would be run for the heating if the whole idea is a go.
Click to expand...
philly said:
I asked the owners and they said heating the slate is not necessary because there is cloth out there now that is fast enough. I don't understand it either.
I sorely miss a 3C table.
Click to expand...
Hopefully there's flexibility there because no heating on a current quality billiard table is like economy tires on a sports car.

Speed isn't the only factor. Humidity and temperature also influence playing conditions.
 
philly said:
That's my choice completely.
I don't own the room. It's just my playground.
Click to expand...
Gawdammit! Tell um you mean it!

I do recall the place I beat the rails at was delayed opening because the owner was required to install sprinklers over each table.
Not sure if that was because of the lights, or the electric tables.
 
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