10 Outstanding Pool Cues – Stick It To the Competition In 2024

The Lucasi Custom Super Birds-Eye Maple Sneaky Pete Pool Cue tested extremely well.

It’s no wonder with all the craftsmanship, technology, and design that went into this outstanding pool cue.

Where to begin…

Let’s start with the basics. This two-piece cue is made entirely of very high quality birdseye maple selected from sugar maple trees.

You typically only see birdseye used in the forearm since It's more costly without necessarily increasing shot quality all that much.

So this was a pretty unique choice on the part of Lucasi.

But we did find their selectivity in material added a bit of strength and a lot of style.

The downside to this is that you should expect to pay significantly more for a relatively low boost in performance.

The cue is 58 inches and can be purchased in any standard weight interval.

It has a 12.75 mm tip, so you can expect to see a bit more english than your average 13 mm tip.

There was talk of technology?

Yes, there was!

This cue incorporates some excellent new technologies to produce a uniquely well rounded shot.

The cue does have a wood-to-wood pin, which can cause some issues in two-piece cues.

However, the unilock pin technology sets this wood-to-wood pin apart as exceptionally well made. In this case, you can expect wood to outperform metal.

The upgraded shaft in this cue also houses some really excellent technology. The solid core low deflection technology shaft produces a much more forgiving shot without sacrificing any control or responsiveness.

The tip is also uniquely constructed to produce this type of well-rounded shot. The premium tip holds up like a hard tip, connects like a medium tip, and responds like a soft tip.

The tip sits at a 75.7 on the hardness scale, which is in the top 30th percentile of softness. 70 percent of tips will be harder than this one. What than means to you as a player depends on personal preference.

Lastly, a patented wood stabilizing finish is applied to the cue to prevent moisture intake and warping.

All of these technologies come together to provide a level of control, power, forgiveness, and durability that were long considered exclusive of one another.

There are a few other things you'll want to know.

First, this is an absolutely gorgeous cue. The birds-eye maple and mother of pearl inlays are stunning.

Second, this is a no-wrap cue, meaning there won't be a leather or faux leather handgrip.

Regardless, the finish on the cue grips very well. This might be something to keep in mind, however, if you have particularly clammy hands.

And third, you should know this cue comes with an excellent lifetime warranty.

This even covers warpages due to poor storage or maintenance.

There is also a 60-day guarantee during which you can return the cue if you decide you don’t like it.

Features

• Unilock wood-to-wood joint
• Two-piece construction
• Low deflection shaft
• Lifetime warranty

This is another extremely high quality cue that incorporates some unique construction techniques and technology.

But before we break down what makes this cue special, let’s make sure it’ll fit you as a player.

Players Technology Series HXT15 pool cue comes in 18 to 20.5 variations. So you shouldn’t have any issue finding your prefered weight.

It’s 58 inches long from tip to butt.

It comes with a glue on 12.75 mm shaft, which you can expect to result in a bit more english than your average pole.

It comes with a kamui black soft tip, which has a hardness factor of 72.3--quite soft.

The kamui black is an excellent professional-level tip which we were surprised to find included with a stock model. You’d usually need to buy a tip this quality and attach it yourself.

You’ll end up needing to do that anyway, since tips require regular replacement. Find replacements and more firm alternatives here.

Is the extra soft tip a problem?

Maybe, but not necessarily. It depends on your preferences.

Here’s what to expect from the tip:

You’ll have more control than average, but less power. A soft tip also grips the cue ball well, so you can also expect some extra english there, as well.

In testing we found between the thinner shaft and soft tip this pole did provide excellent english.

What’s it made out of?

This cue goes above and beyond where it matters.

The materials of the shaft are hand selected from 100 percent top-quality North American hard rock maple. This proved to add a good amount of durability in tests.

The forearm uses walnut stained birdseye maple, which adds an element of class to the style.

It looks gorgeous in person, which other reviewers have noticed as well.

The maple is treated with a nelsonite wood stabilizer to protect against environmental changes. And an epoxy finish protects the cue from any warping due to moisture.

The joint is stainless steel. It was nothing special, but we didn’t find any issues with it.

I know, I know, I said there’d be tech...

The furrel in this cue is really outstanding and adds a lot of value without raising the price tag too much. This is due to the newly created HXT low-deflection technology inside the furrel.

This furrel adds a really nice extra punch to the cue, while also increasing accuracy.

That’s hard to do.

It works by incorporating a patented deflection absorbing core, which is then wrapped in a second layer of low-deflection material.

This technology really puts the Players Technology HXT in the same league of much more expensive cues. That being said, in testing, it didn’t reduce deflection quite as well as the full shaft technique of the Lucasi custom cue that took first on this list.

Cue and case, the parent manufacturer, covers this cue with a lifetime warranty that covers warpages but not tips.

Features

• Hand selected maple shaft
• Birdseye maple forearm
• Wrapless construction
• HXT low-deflection ferrule
• High value tip

If you're looking for a well-made cue without all the frills, this is an excellent choice. Players (the manufacturer) took their time with its construction.

This is a tough cue.

The grade-A hand selected maple is first cut to shape. The maple then turn-dried seven times to ensure It's entirely moisture free without using damaging treatments.

The cue is then coated in Players patented nelsonite wood stabilizer to protect it against atmospheric changes that might change the density of the cue.

A high-gloss super UV finish is then applied to protect against warping, chipping, and fading.

Lastly a special wax is applied to the shaft to ensure an excellent glide.

Finally a twice pressed linen wrap is added to the grip.

In addition to the durable construction, the special high-impact ferrule was a very welcome addition which comes with its own lifetime warranty against chipping and breakages.

The combination of the high-impact ferrule and solid construction makes this our favorite cue with regard to durability.

Here’s the spec.

The cue comes in standard two-piece demnions, meaning It's 58 inches long and 13 mm in diameter. It comes in 18 to 21 ounces without half ounce options.

You may have a difficult time practicing your english with a 13 mm cue. However, if you can read this guide, you should already be pretty fluent. We aren’t sure how you’d use a cue for that, anyway.It has a stainless steel joint which should protect against moisture and rusting.

The tip worries us. It comes with a Le Pro tips, which are known to vary in hardness a lot. It’s a relatively hard tip, with an average rating of 88.2, however the consistency of this hardness is less than ideal.

Some Le Pro tips got into the mid 90s range--extremely hard.

Regardless of your particular tip, you should expect this tip to connect with a lot of power and reduced control. Though inconsistent, it should also be quite durable.

It comes with a lifetime warranty that includes warpages. No online documentation of this warranty was available.

Features

• Careful construction
• High-impact furrel
• Two-piece with stainless steel joint
• Twice pressed linen grip

This is a great pool cue for anyone who needs portability or customizability. It's a two-piece cue that comes with its own 1x1 case. There are nine available colors and four weights.

There are some noteworthy extras included.

The included case was a nice touch. It has a divider to seperate the two halves so that there aren’t any collisions during transportation. Additionally, the walls, top, and bottom are made of low-impact foam.

The case is zip-up and has an adjustable shoulder strap. It also has an exterior pocket for chalk or other equipment. The exterior of the case comes in a nice looking style.

We also liked that extra layers of varnish that are applied. Nine total layers protect this cue from moisture and damages. You can expect the wooden components of the cue will hold up quite well to any types of incidental maluse.

However, you'll need to be more careful with the brass joint. Although a brass joint does often produce a better shot than steel, it's less durable.

You’ll need to be careful since brass can bend with relative ease.

What’s the rest made of, you ask?

The shaft and forearm are made of hand selected, grade-A canadian hard maple. We were happy with the material used regarding structure.

Stylistically, you may be a bit disappointed to find out that this cue uses overlays and decals rather than inlays like the other cues on this list so far. This means instead of decorations being set into fitted holes in the maple, they're essentially stickers coating the outside of the cue.

It's much less appealing to the eyes.

The wrap is made of painted leather, which does look nice. Although this leather wrap will likely be more durable than linen wraps, you may find your hand slips a little more.

The leather wrap is also intended to help with deflection, however we would not call this a low-deflection cue.

This is a standard 58-inch cue that comes in 19-21 ounces with a single 19.5 half ounce option. There is a weighted pole that can be removed or changed out to produce any weight you’d prefer. It's 13 mm in diameter.

No warranty information was available for this product.

Features

• Comes in several colors
• Leather wrap
• Hand selected maple
• Weighted bolt

If you're looking for a standard two-piece pool cue, this may be a great option for you.

Here is why:

It can be purchased in any standard weight excluding half ounces. It's 58 inches long. It has a standard 13 mm tip and a stainless steel joint.

You may have a difficult time developing english with a 13 mm tip.

The cue comes with a high impact ferrule which will increase the durability of the cue and improve shot quality.

This cue can be purchased in seven colors.

In testing his cue was found to have a high amount of power, but it could sometimes be lacking in accuracy.

What don’t we like?

There have been some reports of this cue falling apart after a short product life.

If this turns out to be the case for you, fear not, though. This product comes with a lifetime warranty.

Features

• Irish linen wrap
• Stainless steel joint
• High impact furrel

This is another great cue if you're looking for something pretty standard that won’t break the banks.

We also loved the style and look of this cue.

The faux leather wrap looks nice, and the raven graphic is also very sleek. We would have prefered to have seen inlays in the cue, however, in addition to the graphics.

The specs are normal.

This is another 58-inch 2-piece pool cue. It has a stainless steel joint, rubber pumper, and 13 mm tip.

It's made of hard Canadian maple and comes in standard weights. However, this cue also has an adjustable weight system which means you'll be able to get a more specific feel out of the pool cue.

Customization is almost always a good thing, since it will allow you more control in how your cue shoots.

We were not able to identify the tip that comes on this cue.

There have been a couple instances of these cues arriving warped, which is, of course, a huge problem.

But, there is good news.

Viper cues have a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. So if you do chose this cue and it arrives damaged, you can get a new one without any issue.

Features

• Faux leather wrap
• Stainless steel joint
• Raven graphic decal

There are a lot of reasons to adore this set of cues. Between the quality and the quantity, you I'll have a hard time finding a better value than this set of four or eight cues.

Let’s look at the quality, first.

These cues are made from 100% North American hard rock maple. The construction from these materials also seems excellent.

This cue comes with a premium Elk Master tip which has an extremely soft rating of 66.8. This is the second softest cue on the market. You can expect a high degree of control and english, but a low level of power.

This cue is one inch longer than a standard one-piece, which puts it at the same length as a two-piece. If you're used to two pieces this could be a good thing. If you're not, you may notice reduced accuracy with a longer cue.

A high gloss finish is applied to these cues to prevent warping or chipping.

Quality with a low price tag.

This is our favorite value option for pool cues. Each cue in this set is manufactured with the same level of care and quality as many others on this list.

However, with this option, you'll be receiving 4 or 8 (depending on what you choose) for roughly the same price as one of the other cues on this list.

Each set comes with an assortment of weights.

This cue comes with a lifetime warranty. The ferrule is also covered by a separate lifetime warranty. No online warranty page is available.

Features

• Four or eight cues
• Linen protective ring
• Ferrule warranty

This is another great four or eight pack value option. These are relatively standard pool cues, with just a couple worrisome exceptions.

Overall, these are great cues.

You’ll find a very similar level of quality in the cues as in others on this list. However you'll be getting four or eight cues for roughly the same price as one.

These cues come with a high impact polycarbonate ferrule which will keep your cues durable in any environment. We love these cues for a commercial setting since They're both affordable and durable.

You receive a selection of four different weights when you buy this set of cues.

Here’s the problem.

Bestazy was not able to confirm some crucial aspects of these cues.

If a pool cue is made of wood, it should really be made of hard maple from the North American continent. This type of wood has properties that lend itself to outstanding pool cues.

We were not able to confirm this box was checked.

There may be a blend of woods used in these cues which would yield a lower quality cue.

We were also unable to identify the tip. However, we have confirmed it’s a fairly firm tip. The exact quality of this tip will likely remain unknown, however.

Lastly, these cues only come with a one year limited warranty.

Features

• Four or eight cues
• Firm tip
• High impact ferrule

This is an excellently priced cue that comes with several extras. It functions on par with some of the other cues from this list and looks great doing it!

There were some manufacturing concerns among other reviewers.

Let’s take a look at this cue.

You may know this manufacturer from their dart boards, however they also produce excellent cues.

It's a slightly shorter than average cue for a two-piece. In testing we found that we had a lot of control and accuracy with our shots.

We still didn’t have much control over english, however due to this cues 13 mm tip. We were not able to identify this tip, however it was somewhat hard in testing.

This cue can be purchased in 20 and 21 ounce variations.

The joint is stainless steel and the cue is made from North Canadian hard maple.

The cue does look nice, however we would have prefered to see inlays rather than decals. The grip is genuine irish linen.

You can select from five different colors.

What about the extras?

This cue comes with several extras that make it a worthwhile purchase. It includes a carrying case, joint protectors, and a cleaning towel.

But, buy with caution.

There have been several reports of poorly manufactured units. Some of these cues may ship a better quality than others.

Further, Cuesoul doesn't provide warranties for their cues. If you do end up with a poorly constructed cue, you won’t have many protections.

Features

• Towel
• Case
• Joint protectors
• Skull decals

If you need a set of cues without breaking the bank, you'll be able to find these for an absurdly good deal.

They are of sufficient quality that only top level players would notice a difference, as well.

Let’s take a look.

These cues come in a set of four. In this set you'll receive one 18, 19, 20, and 21 ounce cue. You can choose between seven color schemes.

They are two-piece and 58 inches with a steel joint.

The tip is 13 mm, so you don’t want to try to practice english with these cues. The tip was of medium hardness, however we could not identify the specific tip.

We liked that these reasonably priced cues where still made of Canadian maple.

The cues look nice and have an irish linen wrap.

But be aware.

Some cues have shipped with poor manufacturing standards. These cues are also not covered by warranty.

Features

1. Two-piece construction
2. Steel joint
3. Irish linen wrap