Cue and ball racks make an excellent addition to any billiards room. They are both decorative and functional—most come beautifully finished and can reduce the clutter around your table.
When shopping for a rack, you will find two varieties: stand-alone and wall-mounted. The stand-alone units take up more floor space, but they are easy to move and require little installation or setup. Floor models are usually the most simplistic and thus contain fewer add-ons.
Conversely, wall-mounted racks take up no floor space as you can hang them anywhere in the room. Some billiards players prefer to build alcoves to keep their racks flush against the wall and prevent obstructions. Wall-mounted racks often boast extra features like cabinet doors, cupboards, hooks and more, making them a little more expensive upfront.
For either rack type, here are some specifications to consider.
- Number of Cue Holders: You can buy units that store anywhere from six to ten cues. Some holders may vary in height and width, accommodating shorter and heavier cues. Most racks hold cues vertically, but you may find some that have horizontal hangers too.
- Number of Ball Rows: Although you can purchase ball racks separately, it may be convenient to buy a rack with space for both cues and balls. At the least, the rack should hold 16 balls; however, if you enjoy other games like carom and snooker, you’ll need more space.
- Compartments: Some racks have cubbies for chalk, brushes, extra tips and other billiards accessories that you might require over time or during gameplay.
- Score Board: Some racks come with chalkboards for keeping score.
