Best Dart Board 2024 Reviews: A Buyers Guide
Tired of having to head out to the local sports bar whenever you feel like playing darts with some friends? Looking for a fun new addition to your game room?
Maybe you're finally ready to take your game that one step further, and get in some regular practice from home so that you can finally stop losing to all your friends and family whenever the board comes out at parties?
Or maybe you're an inspiring darts professional who is unsure of the best dart boards on the market in order to help them take their game to the next level?
Whatever the reason, you've decided it's time to get your own board, and we're here to help.
Our dart experts have many years of experience playing darts, and together they have compiled an excellent list so that you can find the best dart board for you, allowing you to play darts from home, improve your game, and reach the level you desire.
Although we have listed these in a numbered format, you may find that one particular board is more suitable for your own requirements based on your budget/how serious you are about upping your darts game.
Table of Contents
- #1: Winmau Blade 5 Dual Core Bristle Dart Board - Best Bristle Dart Board
- #2: DMI Sports Bandit
- #3: Viper Shot King
- #4: Unicorn Eclipse Pro
- #5: Nodor Supawire 2
- #6: Barrington Collection Bristle Dartboard Cabinet Set - Best Cabinet Set
- #7: Arachnid Cricket Pro - Best Electric Dart Board
- #8: Doinkit Darts - Best Magnetic Dart Board
- Frequently Asked Questions
Buying a Dart Board Summary: Best Dart Board 2022
Endorsed by the British Darts Organization (BDO), you can already take comfort in knowing that you're getting a reliable board before you even make the purchase.
Albeit a little pricier than some boards, considering the quality, this board should be considered great value for money and is the perfect fit for any home.
Winmau are renowned for reliably producing the best bristle dart boards, and this one does not disappoint. The wired numbers are a nice stand-out touch and prove to be of great assist when having the dart board set up in a location that may not have the greatest lighting, such as an outdoor area.
The first noticeable difference on the Winmau Blade 5 Dual Core was the staple-free wiring system, which is an improvement of 14% thinner than the previous Blade 4 Dual Core, which in turn increases your potential scoring area, reduces the chance of your darts bouncing out, and - you got it - overall helps to improve your scoring.
The wiring has also been moved to a 60-degree angle from the previous 90 degrees, allowing the dart to be guided into your board that little bit easier.
The Blade 5 Dual Core also comes with a triple wheel lock and level system, which not only makes it easy to initially mount the board to almost any surface, but also allows for the board to be moved to a new location relatively easily, should you need to do so at a later stage.
Winmau's boards are famous for their longevity, making then some of the highest quality boards available. We found this board to have a great shelf life, so you will not find yourself in a hurry to replace it for a reasonably long time.
Considering this alongside the many other positives, it was a no-brainer that this would sit in the number one spot, easily being one of the best dart boards on the market as far as we're concerned.
Pros
Very durable, can handle heavy play, and be expected to last a long time.
Looks great, and is made by the ever-reliable Winmau.
Wiring set up greatly reduces bounce-outs.
Cons
Very hard to find any cons, maybe a little pricer than average, but well worth it.
Endorsed by The World Darts Federation (WDF) and being the official world cup dart board since 1999, the DMI Sports Bandit is one of the few boards capable of keeping up with the ever-dominant Winmau boards.
This great board has proven to be popular among the darts community for both tournament play and casual practice, and with good reason. It comes with expert wiring, using an interlocking system rather than your usual spider wiring, which in turn allows for reduced bounce-outs and a slightly larger scoring area.
If you’re a regular darts player looking to up your game, this board with its vibrant colors is definitely worth considering as an alternative to the Winmau 5, and is also slightly more cost-efficient, making it a major competitor, and rightfully being considered one of the best boards within the market.
Pros
Completely staple-free.
Brilliant sisal fibers, excellent wiring system.
Thinner wire helps with less bounce-outs.
Cons
Another board with very few cons, longevity arguably not as good as the Winmau Blade 5.
The Viper Shot King is definitely a reliable purchase for casual players or those just starting out or looking to pick up a bristle board that is a bit more on the affordable side.
It comes with a staple-free bullseye unlike most boards within this price range, meaning it is often the best dart board to opt for if you are on a budget.
Its self-healing sisal bristle fibers also allow for this board to be able to handle frequent usage without getting too badly damaged, while maintaining fewer bounce outs than many boards within a similar budget.
The colors are vibrant enough that you can throw your darts from the correct distance without your view being compromised, and the moveable number ring allows you to rotate your board if you start to notice certain spots are getting a bit worn out, so there’s no real reason as to why it can’t be considered a good practice board.
It also comes with a set of six steel tip darts, allowing you to have a game of darts as soon as you're all set up.
Overall, there are certainly better boards out there for the serious player, but if you’re just starting out or simply looking to throw a few darts in your garage on a board that comes with a set of included darts and a staple-free bullseye, then there’s no reason you shouldn’t go for The Viper Shot King bristle board.
Pros
Low price makes it good value, and also comes with a set of steel tip darts, great for beginners.
Self-healing fibres allow for great durability.
Number ring can be moved.
Cons
Staples can increase bounce back.
If you're a casual player but looking for something that is a bit higher quality than The Viper Shot King, then the Unicorn Eclipse Pro could well be the best dart board to fit your requirements.
It is a quality-built board at a competitive price, and ticks nearly all the boxes when it comes to the features you’d be hoping to find in a great dart board, which is why the Unicorn Eclipse Pro has proven itself to be one of the most popular boards on the market.
While it isn’t quite as premium as the Winmau Blade 5, you won't find any staples on the wiring, so you shall hopefully find that bounce-outs should be greatly reduced, allowing for a much more enjoyable experience, and also higher scoring. Something that should definitely be considered when buying.
The board itself is very durable, and should easily be able to handle being constantly used without getting severely damaged.
The downfall for this board is the setup process. The rubber bumpers included can cause instability, so an alternative way of mounting this board is advised.
Overall the Unicorn Eclipse Pro is a very solid choice and has rightfully earned its place as one of the favorites amongst both newcomers and veterans within the darts community looking to reduce bounce outs and improve their darts game.
Pros
Staple-free.
Highly durable.
A solid buy for the price between the cheaper and more expensive dart boards.
Cons
Default mounting not the most conventional.
Can't quite compete with dart boards at only a slightly higher price.
#5 - Nodor Supawire 2
Made in the UK and endorsed by the American Dart Organization for usage in tournaments, the Nodor Supawire 2 is another popular choice, and for good reason.
It is regulation size, so is a decent choice for any darts enthusiast looking to take their game to the next level. Whether it's at home, at the bar, or simply to use for practice in preparation for an upcoming tournament, the Nodor Supawire 2 is certainly a strong contender worth considering.
A prime feature is the removable number ring, allowing you to easily move the board if you start to notice a bit of wear and tear in specific locations, prolonging the board's shelf life.
It also has a completely staple-free 'Supabull' to allow for maximum scoring opportunities and excellent East African sisal fibers that provide the necessary self-healing for a dart board that receives a significant amount of use.
We consider the pricing to be reasonable for this board considering the quality, and is a nice fit between wanting something slightly higher-end than the Viper Shot King, but not quite wanting to pay full price for the Winmau Blade 5.
Pros
Bands & dividers reduce bounce-out rate.
Number ring can be moved.
Cons
Although it's not quite up there with the top 2, cons are hard to come by with this board.
Buying a cabinet bundle is definitely worth considering if you haven't already planned ahead for protecting the back of your board, and the Barrington Collection Bristle Dartboard Cabinet Set is one of the highest quality options you can find when it comes to this.
The board itself is regulation size and comes with a staple-free bullseye, and the quality of the board itself really speaks volumes, making it the right dartboard for all skill levels - both serious players and casual players alike.
It has a sleek cabinet design made out of durable materials, with five design customization options for you to select from when purchasing. Each variation has its own stand-out design features, so there's something for everyone.
Also optional is the LED set (pictured above) - the LED lights are wonderful little extra features to help light your board without having to go through alternative sources to do so.
Also included are six steel tipped darts with a separate set of spare flights, so you have everything you need to throw darts as soon as your board is set up.
Overall, realistically you're going to pay more for a set such as this than if you were to just buy an individual board, and you could probably source a cabinet or separate wall protector if you really wanted to, but this all requires significantly more effort.
So for the sake of getting a good quality bristle dartboard, a useful cabinet with a dry-erase scoreboard, and a set of steel tips with spare flights, we consider this to be well worth the investment for somebody looking to put in some serious hours playing darts.
The Barrington Collection definitely gets our vote for the best dart board cabinet set out there, and we believe the popularity of it amongst the market reflects this,
Pros
Everything needed to get you started.
Quality board, staple-free bullseye.
Six steel tip darts included.
Cons
A little pricier, but seems a good deal with everything included. Cons hard to come by with this dartboard cabinet set.
It wouldn't seem fair to not at least include one electronic dart board within this list, for those looking for something a little bit different, which brings us to the Arachnid Cricket Pro - one of our favorite electric boards.
Electronic boards often come with many built-in extras such as multi-player game modes and the ability to store data and averages, and are also much safer for all the family to join in with. The board in question comes with 40 pre-programmed game modes to choose from, so you can rest assured knowing there are hours of fun to be had.
There are many options to choose from if you decide to go down the electronic dart board route, but the Arachnid Cricket Pro is one of the best at what it does. It is a regulation size electronic dart board, and while a bit pricer than a regular bristle board, is actually pretty good value for money considering all the additional features.
The board is very portable, so can be taken on trips away or easily set up in a new location for a party, and is capable of tracking the average point per dart after each round.
Another feature worth mentioning, albeit only for entertainment purposes, is the 'heckler' feature. There are three levels of harshness to choose from, of which the sound effects shall praise or heckle players depending on the performance. Admittedly this is not for everybody, and can easily be switched on and off as you please.
The board is designed to help minimize bounce-outs, but as with any soft-tip dart board, you can still expect the odd bounce-out now and again.
The board comes with six soft tip darts and additional dart tips, but they are not the best quality, so you may prefer to invest in some higher-end soft tip darts.
While there are plenty of other electric boards in the market, this is the one that stands out most to us as the best electronic dart board in comparison to its competitors.
If, however, you're interested in seeing a detailed buyers guide on the best electronic dart boards for further guidance and more information on what else is available, our experts have put together a separate list that you can see here.
Pros
Easily portable.
Well priced for an electronic dart board.
Comes with six soft tipped darts.
Plenty of game modes and variations to choose from, including automatic scoring.
Great fun for families and parties up to eight players, lots of different board features.
Fewer bounce outs in comparison to some electric boards.
Keeping score has never been so easy for multiple players!
Cons
Darts included are not the best quality.
Although well priced for an electronic board, is pricier than a regular dart board.
This is a little different than other boards we have reviewed, but Iif you're looking for something more child-friendly, or a board that you can quickly pull out a party, then Doinkit Darts has your back with this fantastic magnetic dart board.
While magnetic boards are by no means recommended for somebody looking to get serious with their darts game, they can be ideal for starting somebody out with their first dart board.
NOTE: Contains small magnets which are a choking hazard, so is absolutely not suitable for younger children.
The board has all the markings you would expect from a regular dart board, and while not quite regulation size, at 16 inches (diameter) it is generally close enough, considering the type of board it is.
The board comes with a set of magnetic darts, so you can easily pick it up and start playing right away.
Overall, it's a great little purchase at an affordable price if you are looking for a bit of fun for all the family.
Pros
The magnetic board makes for great family/party fun.
Excellent durability.
Affordable and comes with a set of six darts.
Cons
Not quite regulation-sized.
Although not sharp, it still contains small parts, so care is required around children.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right dart board for me?
Choosing the correct dart board doesn't have to be a difficult choice, but that isn't to say that you should just blindly pick out the first one you see.
There are certain things you should take into consideration when making a purchase, and whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, it is important you make the decision that best meets your own requirements, so it really comes down to personal preference.
If you are considering a career in darts and looking to potentially play professionally, it is worth making the effort to get a regulation-sized board. It is also worth taking note of the height and distance at which you should position your board to assure you are practicing from the tournament standard measurements.
Sizing:
A key component to the board you choose is the size of it, especially if you think you might find yourself competing in tournaments further down the line.
Standard bristle dart boards are typically around 17.5 - 18 inches in diameter, so if you are serious about your game, then it is important you get yourself a regulation-sized board.
Wiring (The Spider)
The wiring around the scoring of your board can also play an important part in your decision and is referred to as the 'spider'.
Dart boards on the lower scale of the pricing usually have stapled wiring. While this is effective for a casual player, that's not to say that it doesn't have its downsides.
As there is more metal surrounding the board, your scoring area can be reduced, and you may also notice your darts bouncing back out of the board a lot more frequently, essentially giving you a lower-quality game experience.
Higher-end bristle boards come with a staple-free spider and are what we would typically recommend.
These boards often use super-thin wiring that can also be shaped differently (such as triangularly). This can greatly improve your game by reducing bounce-outs and guiding your darts into the board more comfortably, and overall helping to improve your scoring.
What dart boards do professionals use?
Quality bristle dart boards are typically preferred by professional dart players. If you are going to be pursuing a career and practicing on a regular basis, it's definitely worth paying the extra bit of money for a long-lasting bristle dart board.
The Winmau Blade 5 is a very popular choice for this, and for good reason - as mentioned in our review above.
How long do dart boards last?
This really depends on the quality of the board and the frequency it is being used. If you are putting in several hours a day, every day, you can probably still expect up to 2 years of usage out of a quality bristle dart board.
If you're only playing casually a few times a week, then you can probably expect something more along the lines of up to 5 years from quality bristle boards.
Conclusion
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