Pick Your Pool Ball: Aramith Premium vs. Premier
Gone are the days of having to play low quality plastic billiard balls that are very prone to breaking, thank goodness. Lucky for us pool players, there are a few different brands of premium pool balls that you can possibly play with forever.
Aramith is one of these brands. Known far and wide to be the highest quality, most reliable ball in billiards, Aramith has perfected pool ball beauty and construction. The higher end models of Aramith balls cost upwards of $300 and more, but we’re here to talk about a great billiard ball option that’s a little easier on the wallet.
In this article, we will talk about a couple of Aramith’s more budget friendly options for those needing new pool balls – the Aramith Premium Set, and Aramith Premier set. While both are great options, they have their differences.
Ball Construction
One thing you can be sure of with either set, is that your pool balls will last a long time. Both sets use a very high quality phenolic resin, which has become the industry standard for pool balls that will stand the test of time.
One benefit of the Aramith Premium set is that it includes a higher quality resin compound than the Premier set. The Premium set also goes through a Vitrification process. This Vitrotech Technology creates a ball that is considered “through-hardened”, essentially meaning it has a stronger molecular structure and is a little more dense than the Premier set.
The Premium set undoubtedly has the better technology, but the Aramith Premier is no slouch. Aramith’s “Premier” resin technology is still superior to nearly every other ball in a similar price range throughout the marketplace. This slightly lower end set will still last up to 5 times longer than older polyester pool balls.
After testing, any Aramith phenolic ball was found to be perfectly playable, even after 4,000,000 hits (yes, 4 million!).
Longevity
The Aramith Premium wins this battle, as you might have guessed. The improved technology with the Premium set provides a ball that is even more resistant to friction damage and burn spots. Since the surface of the Premium set is designed not to get roughed up, it holds its polish and bright appearance for a very long time.
As mentioned before, the “lower end” Premier set will still last you a very long time (we repeat, 4 million hits). But, if you play lots and lots of pool, or if you have a bar or pool hall that gets a lot of play, you might notice yourself paying just a little more on average for ball cleaning, ball replacement, or felt repair than you would with the Premium set.
What Do Aramith Premium and Premier Balls Cost?
The Aramith Premium set will cost you $167.30 at the time of this article while the Aramith Premier Set will cost $152.77. Both prices come from Amazon. You can also buy these balls from online dealers such as Pool Dawg, Seybert’s, or Ozone Billiards, but you may be subject to a slightly higher price.
Which Aramith Ball Should I Buy?
For less than $15 more, you can purchase a superior set of balls with the Aramith Premium, and that’s exactly what our recommendation would be. If you want to save a little money up front, the Premier set would still be a great investment.
You can purchase the Premium set HERE.
Or, the Premier set HERE.
*the above links are affiliates
Either ball is a smart investment: Buyers can rely on the quality and performance of Aramith balls. With superior phenolic resin technology, friction resistance, and colors that pop, Aramith provides a billiard ball that is beautiful, and virtually indestructible.
If you aren’t quite 100% set on Aramith balls, feel free to check out our recent article – A comparison of Aramith and Dynasphere Billiard Balls. Dynasphere is another very well-respected brand that features high quality phenolic resin technology.
Conclusion
For many years, Aramith has proved their dedication to their craft and to customers everywhere. There’s a reason they are the most respected billiard ball manufacturer in the world. We hope this article has helped guide your pre-purchase decision in respect to buying Aramith billiard balls.
As you can see, you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for new balls. You can save some money, and invest in a great product all at the same time!
Happy shooting!
