Top 5 Best 9 Ball Racks: Reviews and Complete Buying Guide

best 9 ball rack

Using a high quality diamond rack for 9 ball is often an overlooked step in the game of pool. Having a tight, solid rack will be one of the determining factors in an awesome or terrible break. Having the balls explode after the break is primarily due to the rack being very tight with no gaps between the balls.

A tight rack is the secret to breaking like a pro. This all starts with a good quality rack. There are tons of different 9 ball racks that vary in shape, size, and design. We’ve sorted through the competition and found the best performing 9 ball racks.

In our comprehensive guide to the best 9 ball racks, we’ll show you the best diamond pool racks on the market and give you some advice when it comes time to choose. Let’s get started.

IN A HURRY? HERE’S OUR TOP PICKS…

NameOur RatingPrice

Top Pick: Magic Ball Combo Rack
4.5/5
Click for Price
Viper Wood 9 Ball Rack4.5/5
Click for Price
CueStix International Heavy Duty Plastic 9-Ball Diamond Rack 4/5
Click for Price

1- Magic Ball Combo Rack

The first diamond rack we are looking at is our top pick. It is considered to be a rack template due to the fact that this rack is completely flat. The balls are placed on the small holes which hold the balls in place. You then fill in the rest of the rack to form your diamond or triangle shape depending on the game you are playing.

The Magic Ball Rack is best rack to use if you want a tight rack every time. This is actually a bonus pack that includes both a nine ball rack and a standard triangle rack. This is the original Magic Ball Rack, as there are plenty of other brands that designed their templates based on this one.

I suggest using the original brand since the quality and performance is proven time and time again. This rack is compatible with any type of pool table cloth and fits standard sized 2.25 ” balls. It is made out of a very thin special grade 0.14 mm plastic which means the ball path will not be affected.

If you want to rack like a pro, then this is the rack to use. The main downside to using this rack is that it isn’t legal in every competition or tournament. You should always ask before using this type of rack in an event.

Here is a great video review showing this rack during use:

What we like

  • Tight rack every time
  • Also comes with a triangle pool rack
  • Built with high quality plastic and very durable
  • Great price
  • Doesn’t affect ball path
  • Doesn’t leave scratches or marks on the pool table cloth

What we don’t like

  • Not legal in all tournaments or events
  • Small learning curve

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon


2- CueStix International Heavy Duty Plastic 9-Ball Diamond Rack

The next nine ball rack in our top 5 list is the CueStix International Plastic 9 ball diamond rack. This rack is an outlier since it is made out of plastic. Don’t let plastic be the reason you pass up this magnificent rack. It’s made out of a propriety plastic and is pretty much as indestructible as they come.

The design is simple yet functional. The smooth and slightly rounded corners lets this rack glide across your pool table cloth without leaving any scratches or marks. After all the balls are placed, there is an averaged sized gap at the bottom for you to place your fingers to tighten the rack.

It may take a few tries to get a good tight rack, but the quality definitely makes up for this flaw.

What we like

  • Made out of a durable, high quality plastic
  • Pretty much indestructible
  • Creates a tight rack
  • Glides smoothly across pool table and doesn’t leave marks

What we don’t like

  • May take a few re racks for a tight rack

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon


3- Nine Ball Billiard Rack with Oak Finish

The next nine ball rack is by Trademark Gameroom. The first thing we notice about this rack is its classic design. It’s made out of wood and has a beautiful shiny oak finish.

The design and shape of this rack is exactly what we are looking for. It’s inner dimensions are 10″ x 7.25″ x 1.25″ with rounded corners for smooth gliding. This rack fits standard sized 2.25″ billiard balls and provides a tight rack.

The gap at the bottom of the rack is slightly over sized which makes it easy to press the balls tight together before lifting it off the balls.

What we like

  • Great price
  • Wooden rack with beautiful oak finish
  • Rounded corners for smooth gliding across pool table
  • Provides a tight rack

What we don’t like

  • Quality control issues

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon


4- VIPER Wood 9 Ball Rack

The Viper Wood 9 Ball Rack is made by a notable company that goes by the name of GLD. Viper is very well known in the billiards scene and has a great reputation for awesome products. We had high expectations for this rack, but at first glance it’s lacing in the looks department.

It’s created out of wood which gives it that classic pool rack look and feel. It fits standard sized 2.25″ billiard balls and gives a great tight rack. There is just enough gap on the bottom of the rack to allow you to easily press the balls tightly together.

This is an overall great rack and gets the job done with little to no re racks.

What we like

  • Great price
  • Durable
  • Provides a tight rack

What we don’t like

  • Only 2 out of the 4 corners are rounded
  • Basic wooden appearance

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon


5- Imperial Billiard 9-Ball Rack

The Imperial Billiard 9 Ball Rack is made out of wood with and has a nice finish to it. It is the standard diamond shaped rack that we are looking for in a perfect nine ball rack. It also comes with reinforced hardwood corners that are rounded to help add style as well as functionality.

This rack will easily slide across your pool table to help reduce wear and tear on your billiard table’s cloth. The inner dimensions fit standard sized 2.25″ billiard balls for a nice and cohesive rack. There is a small gap at the bottom of the rack to allow for firmly pressing the balls together to achieve the perfect rack.

What we like

  • Rounded corners for easily sliding across pool table
  • High quality and very durable
  • Comes in a few different colors

What we don’t like

  • Pricey

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon


What to Look for in a 9 Ball Rack

To find the best 9 ball pool rack for your needs, consider the following major aspects before finalizing a purchase.

Material

9 ball racks come in a variety of materials. The most common materials used are metal, wood, and plastic.

Metal

Metal racks are usually the most expensive because the production cost of this material is a lot higher than plastic or wood. Many of the high-end racks used in professional pool tournaments are made of metal. The most well known brand for this type of rack is Delta 13.

Wood

The classic wooden rack. Most pool tables come standard with a poorly designed wooden rack that don’t make for the tight racks we all are seeking. The main benefits to a well made wooden rack is that they are lightweight, and durable.

They also usually look the best since wood is a beautiful material to use. The best wooden racks are ones that leave little to no gap between your balls, and have rounded corners for smooth gliding across your pool table’s cloth.

Plastic

There are plenty of low quality racks made of plastic which can give plastic racks a poor reputation. That doesn’t necessarily mean all of them are bad. The CueStix International heavy duty plastic racks are a great example of a durable, high quality rack that is made of plastic.

Size and Shape

The size and shape of a rack also varies from brand to brand. Some have more finger gap at the bottom, while some may slide easier due to having rounded corners. In the end, a smooth gliding rack will help increase the life span of your pool table cloth.

Some racks will have a smaller inner dimension which will make it easier to produce a tight rack, while some may have inaccurate inner dimensions causing the balls to have small gaps between them.

A well designed rack will have enough finger gap at the bottom to be able to easily press against the balls as well as be shaped perfectly to allow all the balls to touch.

Best Triangle Pool Rack Brands

Magic Ball Rack

The original created of the triangle and diamond rack templates is the company Magic Ball Rack. They saw a gap in the marketplace when it came to racks and they designed an innovative rack template to fill that void.

To this day, Magic Ball Rack is constantly innovating their product to bring the highest quality product they can at an affordable price for every day users. They have been in the market since 2006 and show no signs of slowing down.

GLD

GLD has definitely carved a path for themselves in the gaming community. They are a leader in billiards, gaming tables, and even darts. They have been creating ground breaking products for these games for nearly 40 years.

The company was created back in 1981 with five friends. They started with simple marketing techniques for their bar, which quickly grew into the business we all known and love today.

Imperial Billiards

Imperial offers tons of products with a complete lineup of billiard tables, and accessories alike. They have over 45 years of experience in the billiards industry and supply to many different billiard distributors.

They have two main distribution centers that are conveniently located in the East and West Coasts.

Cuestix International

CueStix International’s main goal is to have the best customer service within the industry. They started their industry over 25 years ago which gives them enough knowledge to bring competitive products onto the market with affordable prices.

Their philosophy to their business is simple. If they keep their customers happy, they know that they will come back. Every service call is handled with respect and of very high importance.

FAQs

How Do You Set up a 9 Ball Rack?

To set up a rack for 9 ball, start by placing the number 1 ball in the apex position of the rack (at the front). Once the apex ball is in position, go ahead and fill up the rest of the spaces leaving the center space for the 9 ball.

To achieve a tight rack, push the rack forward with one smooth motion while applying pressure to the rack. Once the 1 ball reaches the foot mark on the table, stop and check to see if any of the balls moved out of place. Repeat this process until the balls are in a tight position.

Inspect the balls for any small gaps. Use the gap at the bottom of the rack to press against the balls to tighten the rack as much as possible. When the rack looks good, slowly remove the rack starting from the back of the balls to the front.

Final Thoughts

Our top pick is the Magic Ball Combo Rack. It comes with both a diamond rack and a triangle rack. The innovative and futuristic design of these templates will only get better over time and will eventually be the norm at every high level tournament. The ease of use, and consistent tight racks are why this is ranked our number one pick.

The runner up is the Viper Wood 9 Ball Rack. Viper is a very well known high quality brand by GLD. Although it looks basic, it performs exactly how we want. It slides across the table with ease, and creates a tight rack just about every time at a great price.

Whichever 9 ball rack you choose for your pool balls, we hope this guide has been helpful in your purchasing decision. Thanks for reading!

Indoor Game Bunker

We are Indoor Game Bunker, a group dedicated to providing reviews, how to guides, and helpful information to those interested in a wide variety of games and hobbies.

Recent Posts