Best Outdoor Pool Tables
Pool on the patio sounds great until you think about what weather does to equipment built for a climate controlled game room. Sun and rain will wreck a standard table in a season, and humidity finishes off whatever they miss. A real outdoor table is weatherproof at every layer, so it can live outside and still play well. Here is what to look for and what actually matters.
What makes a table truly weatherproof
The phrase outdoor table gets used loosely, so ignore the label and read the materials. The frame should be aluminum or a marine grade material that will not rot or rust. The bed should be an all weather composite made to shed water, because standard MDF swells and warps in its first wet week outside. Hardware and fasteners need to be stainless or otherwise rust resistant. If any one layer is an ordinary indoor component, that layer is where the table fails.
Aluminum frames and construction
Aluminum is the frame material of choice outdoors. It is strong for its weight and it does not rust, so a powder coated aluminum frame takes sun and rain for years without corroding. The steel and wood used on indoor tables cannot do that. Some premium outdoor tables add weather resistant polymers and treated surfaces on top of that. The tradeoff is the bed: a weatherproof playing surface is rarely slate, so an outdoor table may not roll quite as true as an indoor slate table. The good ones come close, and they survive conditions that would ruin the components of a slate table.
All weather cloth and playing surface
Standard wool cloth soaks up water, then mildews and rots. Outdoor tables use waterproof synthetic cloth instead. It sheds water and dries fast enough that a passing shower does not end the night. The bed under it has to drain or resist moisture too. Together they let the table dry out after rain and keep playing. Wiping the surface down after wet weather still adds years to its life.
- Frame: wood or steel indoors, aluminum or marine grade outdoors.
- Bed: slate or MDF indoors, all weather composite outdoors.
- Cloth: wool indoors, waterproof synthetic outdoors.
- Hardware: standard indoors, rust resistant outdoors.
Covers and care
Even the toughest outdoor table lasts far longer under a good fitted cover. A waterproof, UV resistant cover keeps sun off the cloth, sheds rain, and blocks leaves and grit between games. Get one that fits snugly, with tie downs or clips, or the first storm puts it in the neighbor's yard. The care routine is short. Cover the table between sessions, dry the surface after rain, and shade or store it when the weather turns extreme. Do that and a well built outdoor table gives you years of poolside play.
Our picks
Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.
Aluminum Frame Outdoor Pool Table
Full weatherproof outdoor playA rust proof aluminum frame with an all weather bed and waterproof cloth. Built to sit out in sun and rain and keep playing well.
Check price on AmazonFitted Waterproof Table Cover
Protecting any outdoor tableA snug, UV resistant waterproof cover that keeps sun, rain, and debris off the cloth and frame between games. The cheapest way to extend an outdoor table's life.
Check price on AmazonFrequently asked questions
Can I just put an indoor pool table outside with a cover?
No. Indoor tables are wood, MDF, wool cloth, and standard hardware, and outdoors those swell, warp, mildew, and rust. A cover slows the damage but will not stop it. If the table is living outside, buy a real outdoor table.
Do outdoor pool tables play as well as indoor slate tables?
Not quite. The weatherproof composite beds are not slate, so the roll is a little less true. The best models come close, and they hold up in conditions that would destroy an indoor table.
What is the most important feature in an outdoor table?
Weatherproof materials at every layer: an aluminum or marine grade frame, an all weather bed, waterproof synthetic cloth, and rust resistant hardware. Then a quality fitted cover on top. Any one weak layer is where the table fails.
Related guides
LeaguePool is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.