The most common misconception about dining pool tables is what makes them different from a regular pool table with a dining top. It may sound a bit strange but it actually makes all the difference in how the table is used on a daily basis.  

Upon first glance, you’re very likely to see the appeal of an on-trend, luxury, farmhouse-style furniture pool table— such as the Carmel— considering that it would look amazing in just about anyone’s home.  

The way in which the dining top and complementary bench seats are designed allow for the pool table to be used as a day-to-day dining table as well. However, with that being said, the Billiard Congress of America says that pool tables must have a uniform height of the slate play surface of 29.25″ to 31″.  Additionally, the pool table rail adds another 1.25″ to 1.75″ on top of the dining top that sits on risers or pads on the rails for an additional .75″ to 1″ rise.  

With a dining conversion, top American pool tables stand about  33″ to 34″ or more— all depending on the design of the table and how far off the floor it is wedged for leveling purposes.  Standard dining table height is a maximum of 29″ to 30″ in order to accommodate the typical dining chairs— ultimately making any pool table 4″ to 5″ much too high for most to eat comfortably.

Many potential dining pool table buyers see this particular table— or similar pool tables— on the web and think that they are able to replace their current dining table without issue, however, the height difference makes all the difference regarding be able to sit comfortably to properly enjoy a meal, especially for children. This is the reason why you’ll often see custom-made dining benches offered with this kind of pool table/dining top combo, since really, you don’t have too many options being able to find dining chairs that are tall enough to work with a pool table featuring a dining top. 

Bench seats that are built 3” to 4” higher than the standard height tend to help, but the table still hits diners on the shorter side about mid-chest.  Another potential issue is whether the shape of the pool table legs will allow enough foot space under the table itself.  Bulky legs will ultimately get in the way of seating, with this varying from the design of one dining pool table to another. 

This takes us to another dining pool table design feature:  legs that are pushed all the way to the corners. Check out this design and you’ll notice that the legs pushed to the corners allow for more leeway for the placement of dining chairs and diners’ legs beneath the table when eating.  Yes, the table is still 33″ high with the top installed, but this specific design feature helps with getting closer to true dining table functionality and appearance.

Unfortunately, with the pool table slates weighing an estimated 600 lbs, this can create major issues for engineering a sturdy and true playing pool table so you definitely will want to demo this style of pool table before you consider making a purchase.