A basic look at the differences and similarities of pool lighting - BilliardsAuthority.com.

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Pool Table Lighting

No matter how serious you are about your billiards or pool games, you have to see them all to appreciate them. Pool table lighting comes in primarily two forms: hooded lights and "bar-type" lights, though both are suspended light fixtures.

When choosing a fixture, remember to keep in mind both the amount of light you desire for game-playing and the size of your pool table itself. Be sure to choose a light big enough to light your table while not overpowering it. Here, we'll go over the basic lights themselves so you can choose the best light for your home pool area - and your game. Hooded Billiard Table Lights Hooded pool table lights feature, just as their name indicates, hooded lights: light bulbs screw into the spine of the fixture and are hidden by a single decorative hood. Hoods come in many varieties, many featuring stained glass set in a wood frame. Hooded pool table light fixtures use either incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs.

Sports and drink enthusiasts should certainly consider a hooded billiard fixture for their home game room; most retailers offer team-oriented or beverage-brand hoods. Hoods also can be custom-made to feature a family name.

Bar-type Billiard Lights
"Bar-type" billiard lights have a similar construction to hooded pool table lights, but with one notable difference: rather than concealing light bulbs in a single housing, bar-type fixtures feature individually shaded lights.

Bar-type pool table lights use incandescent bulbs; each screws into one of the shaded fixtures, and, when the fixture is hung, cast light directly down on the pool table's surface. Typically, bar-type pool table lighting has two to four shaded bulbs, and shades come in a variety of materials, including glass, metal, and fabric.

The backbone of bar-type pool table lights vary in make as well, including wrought-iron, brass, chrome, and wood.