If you are looking to purchase a pool cue, whether it’s your first time or you’re a more advanced player, it’s important to know how much you should be spending. In this article, I’ll take you through the average price of a pool cue and all the factors that affect it so you can work out how much the cue you need will cost.
Average Pool Cue Cost
Pool cues cost between $30 and $2000, but the average is $200. Entry-level cues typically cost less than $150, whilst professional cues typically cost at least $300-$400 but can cost over $1000. For a good quality beginner pool cue, you should expect to pay at least $100-$150.
What Affects the Price of a Pool Cue?
The main factors that affect the price of a pool cue are the materials used for the shaft, butt, ferrule, joint and tip, and the overall construction quality.
Factors the affect the price of a cue:
- Shaft and butt material
- Type of tip
- Joint Quality
- Ferrule material
- Weight Balance
- Wrap
- Design
- Brand
Material Quality
Most American pool cues are made from maple, and most English pool cues are made from ash. However, the shaft and butt of the cue can also be made from other woods, fiberglass and carbon fiber. Some woods offer more durability as they are harder, and they also may have a unique finish so you’ll sometimes see materials like ebony and mahogany being used on high-end cues.
Graphite cues are usually seen on mid-range cues which cost $100-$250. Usually, the cue will have a wooden core and then a fibreglass coating. This helps to prevent the risk of warping.
Carbon fiber cues are the most expensive and typically start at around $400. The advantage of carbon fiber cues is that they have a lower-deflection. Deflection occurs when the cue strikes the ball outside the vertical axis to create spin, and the ball is sent slightly off course. This means the player must account for deflection when they are trying to apply spin.
The lower the deflection of the cue, the easier it will be for the player to make more accurate shots, because they don’t need to compensate as much.
The quality of the tip and ferrule will also increase as the price of the cue goes up. The tip is likely to be made out of more durable material on a high-end cue, whereas it may wear out quite quickly and need replacing sooner on a more affordable cue.
On higher-end cues, the ferrule (the part that connects the tip to the shaft) is usually made out of carbon or a high-impact plastic which means it is capable of taking more force without splitting. On cheaper cues, you’ll likely find weaker plastic ferrules which are more likely to split. English pool cues use brass ferrules instead of plastic, but the same rules apply. The cheaper the cue, the weaker the ferrule usually is.
Construction Quality
Most pool cues have a joint in either the centre or 3/4 position so the cue can be split into two pieces and stored more compactly in a case.
On cheaper cues, this joint is usually made out of wood, but once you step over the $100, you may see stainless-steel joints, or higher quality plastics that are less likely to split. On higher quality and more expensive cues, the joint will be very tight, meaning the cue feels like a one-piece cue which offers a better playing experience.
Check out my comparison between one, two and three piece pool cues.
The quality of the construction also applies to the tip. On very cheap cues, the tip may also be screwed-on instead of glued-in. Screw-on tips offer less control and are less durable than glued-in tips. Check out my article comparing glue-on vs screw-on tips to learn more.
The way the cue is balanced is also related to the construction quality. Although weight-balance is a personal preference, there are some cues that are just poorly weighted. For example, on very inexpensive cues, the weight is distributed primarily in the butt, this causes the cue to feel very off-balance and weak.
Designs and Wraps
More expensive cues tend to offer a better finish than cheaper cues which can look quite basic. On very high-end cues, you’ll often find unique woods being used, or painted designs to improve the aesthetic appeal of the cue. This is often what separates a $500 cue from a $1000 cue. Cues under $200 usually have more basic finishes, or have decals to add a more unique look, however these don’t look as good as the real deal.
American pool cues often have wraps on the butt, which are designed to improve comfort and grip. These wraps can be made or leather, rubber or Irish linen. On cheaper cues, you’ll normally find that the wrap is made from rubber, but once you start looking at cues which are worth several hundreds of dollars, the wrap is often made from leather which offers a more premium feel and look.
Here’s a complete guide to pool cue wraps if you want to learn more about the different options.
Brand
Well-known brands typically charge more for their cues than non-specialist brands who mass produce cues with less attention to detail. Here are some of the most popular cue brands and the price brackets they cater for.
- Lucky: $60-$150 (beginner cues)
- Action: $60-$300 (beginner-intermediate cues)
- Players: $75-$250 (beginner-intermediate cues)
- Pure X: $150-$350 (intermediate cues)
- Cuetec: $150-$750 (intermediate-professional cues)
- Lucasi: $150-$800 (intermediate-professional cues)
- Viking: $200-$800 (intermediate-professional cues)
- Meucci: $250-$1000+ (mostly professional cues)
- Predator: $250-$1000 (mostly professional cues)
- McDermott: $75-$1000+ (all price ranges)
Check out my complete guide to pool equipment to make sure you get everything you need to get the best playing experience.
Types of Cue
The price of a pool cue varies depending on what type it is. The refers to the type of game it’s designed for, the purpose e.g. breaking, and the player skill level it’s designed for e.g. beginner, professional. In this next section, I’ll be giving examples of the prices of all these different types and their features.
Here’s the list:
- American Pool Cues
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Professionals
- Break and jump cues
- Juniors
- English Pool Cues
American Pool Cues
There are quite a few different types of American pool cues on the market, so I’ve split them up into cues designed for juniors, beginners, intermediates and professionals, and given examples for break and jump cues.
Beginners
American pool cues designed for beginners typically start at $30 and range up to $150. For a good quality cue that will last many years, expect to pay around $100. Here are some examples.
| Cue | Average Price | Shaft and Butt Material | Joint |
| Viper Elite Unwrapped | $35 | Maple | ABS |
| Viper Elite Wrapped | $50 | Maple | ABS |
| Lucky Cues by McDermott | $65 | Maple | Wood to Wood |
| Action Cues Sneaky Pete | $100 | Maple | Stainless Steel |
| Players Cue C807 | $120 | Maple | Stainless Steel |
| Cuetec Cues 99199 | $150 | Fiberglass and Maple | High-Impact Plastic |
Intermediate
Pool cues in the intermediate-range typically cost between $150-$350. They are designed for players who have been into pool for a few years and are looking to step up the quality and performance of their cue. Here are some examples.
| Cue | Average Price | Shaft and Butt Material | Joint |
| Players Cue Traditional G4118 | $175 | Maple | High-impact plastic |
| Elite Cues EP53 | $200 | Maple | High-impact plastic |
| Cuetec Cues Gen-Tek | $230 | Maple and Fiberglass | Stainless-steel |
| Outlaw Cues OL33 | $260 | Maple | Stainless-steel |
| Lucasi LZCB7 | $330 | Maple | High-impact plastic |
Professional
Professional-level pool cues start at roughly $400 but can cost over $1000. These cues are the highest quality and most durable. They also usually have more unique finishes compared to cheaper cues. Here are some examples.
| Cue | Average Price | Shaft and Butt Material | Joint |
| Meucci Cues Sneaky Pete | $400 | Maple and rosewood | None |
| Lucasi Hybrid L-H10 | $500 | Maple | Stainless steel |
| Meucci Cues Hall of Fame 4 | $700 | Maple | High-impact plastic |
| Predator P3 | $860 | Ash, maple and carbon fiber | Stainless steel |
| Predator Blak Series 4 1 | $1150 | Ebony, maple and carbon fiber | Stainless steel |
| Schon Cues Ebony Diamonds | $1400 | Ebony and maple | Stainless steel |
Break and Jump Cues
Break and jump cues typically cost slightly more than standard cues of a similar quality. You can get break cues to suit most budgets, with the average price being around $100-$200. Here are some examples.
| Cue | Average Price | Shaft and Butt Material | Ferrule |
| Ozone Cues Jump Cue | $50 | Maple | Plastic |
| Stealth Cue Break | $125 | Maple | Plastic |
| Cuetec Meteor | $180 | Maple | Plastic |
| Viking Cues Crush | $260 | Maple | Plastic |
| Katana Cues Break Jump | $350 | Maple | Plastic |
| Predator BK Rush Plus | $760 | Carbon Fiber | Carbon Fiber |
Junior Cues
Full-size pool American pool cues are 58″ in length, but you can get smaller sizes to suit tighter spaces or for younger players. These are typically 48″ or 52″ in length, but 36″ cues can also be purchased. Junior cues usually cost between $30-$120. Here are some examples.
| Cue | Average Price | Shaft and Butt Material | Collar |
| Viper Underground Jr | $55 | Maple | Stainless steel |
| Action 52” Junior Cue | $65 | Maple | Composite |
| Players Cue 48” HC07-48 | $90 | Maple | High-impact plastic |
| Athena Cues Junior 52” | $115 | Maple | Stainless-steel |
English Pool Cues
English pool cues cost between £30 to £300 in the UK. For a good-quality cue that will likely last for many years, expect to pay roughly £75-£100. Here are some examples.
| Cue | Average Price | Material | Tip |
| Jonny 8 Ball | £30 | Ash | 9.5 mm |
| Britannia Club Piece | £40 | Rosewood and ash | 10 mm |
| Buffalo British Marcello No.7 | £50 | Ash | 8.5 mm |
| BCE C8L | £80 | Antiaris | 8.5 mm |
| Peradon Royal Two Piece | £160 | Ash and ebony | 9.5 mm |
| Peradon Harlow Cue 58 | £270 | Ash | 9.5 mm |
The size of a cue tip impacts several aspects of its performance? Check out my comparison between different cue tip sizes to learn more.