If you're looking to upgrade your game room or just start a new hobby, you'll quickly realize there are more dartboard types than you probably expected. It isn't just about picking a round board and hanging it on a wall; the material, the wiring, and even the type of darts you plan to use will dictate which board is actually right for your space. Some boards are built for serious competition, while others are strictly for keeping the kids entertained on a rainy afternoon.
Choosing the wrong one usually leads to a lot of frustration, mostly in the form of darts bouncing off the board and hitting your floor—or worse, your toes. To save you the headache, let's break down the different options you'll run into when shopping around.
The Gold Standard: Bristle Dartboards
When people talk about a "real" dartboard, they are almost always talking about a bristle board. These are the heavy, dense boards you see in professional tournaments and local pubs. Despite the name, they aren't actually made of animal bristles anymore. Back in the day, they might have used hog hair, but modern high-quality boards use sisal fibers.
Sisal comes from the agave plant, and it's incredibly tough. The reason this material is the go-to for serious players is its "self-healing" ability. When a steel-tip dart hits the board, it pushes the fibers aside. Once you pull the dart out, the fibers slide back into place. This means the board lasts a long time because you aren't actually poking permanent holes in it.
If you're going the bristle route, you'll want to look at the wiring, often called the "spider." Cheaper bristle boards use round wires held in place by staples. These are notorious for causing bounce-outs. If your dart hits a staple or a thick wire, it's coming right back at you. Higher-end dartboard types in the bristle category use thin, blade-like wires that are embedded into the sisal without staples. This gives you more scoring surface and way fewer "clunk" sounds followed by a dart on the floor.
Electronic and Soft Tip Boards
If you aren't a fan of doing math or you're worried about steel-tip darts ruining your drywall, electronic boards are the way to go. These boards use "soft tip" darts, which have plastic points. Instead of the dart sinking into fibers, the surface of an electronic board is covered in thousands of tiny holes. When your dart lands, it pushes into a hole and hits a sensor that registers the score.
The biggest perk here is obviously the automatic scoring. Most of these boards come pre-programmed with dozens of games—Cricket, 301, 501, and even weird ones you've never heard of. It takes the argument out of whether that dart was a double or a single.
However, there are a few trade-offs. Electronic boards can be noisy. You're essentially throwing plastic at plastic, so there's a constant "clack-clack-clack" sound. Also, they require a power source, either batteries or a wall plug, so you're a bit more limited in where you can hang them. But for a social environment where people just want to have fun without keeping track of a chalkboard, these are hard to beat.
Coiled Paper Dartboards
You'll usually find these in the toy section of big-box stores. They are the budget-friendly cousins of the dart world. As the name suggests, they are made by tightly coiling long strips of paper until they form a solid-ish disk.
The main draw here is the price. You can usually pick one of these up for the price of a sandwich. But keep in mind, you get what you pay for. Unlike sisal, paper doesn't heal. Every time a dart lands, it creates a permanent hole. Over time, the paper starts to fray and fall apart. If you're just looking for something to use for one weekend at a cabin, a paper board is fine. If you plan on playing even once a week, you'll probably chew through it in a couple of months.
One thing to watch out for with paper boards is that they often have two sides—a traditional clock face on the front and a "baseball" or target game on the back. It's a nice bit of variety, even if the board itself isn't a long-term investment.
Traditional Wooden Dartboards
Before sisal became the industry standard, wooden boards were the norm. Believe it or not, some regions still swear by them. In parts of the U.S., specifically around Pennsylvania, you'll find "American Darts" played on boards made of basswood.
These boards are a completely different animal. You actually have to soak them in water occasionally to keep the wood soft so the darts can penetrate. They are also much smaller than the standard competition boards. Unless you are specifically looking to play a regional style of the game, you probably won't stumble across these in a typical sports shop, but they are a cool piece of darting history for enthusiasts who want a different feel.
Magnetic and Velcro Dartboards
These are the "safe" dartboard types designed primarily for kids. Magnetic boards use flat-tipped darts with strong magnets. They actually work surprisingly well, though they don't feel anything like throwing a real dart. The "thud" is replaced by a "snap" as the magnet grabs the metallic surface.
Velcro boards are the most basic version, usually consisting of a fabric board and plastic balls or darts covered in hook-and-loop strips. These are great for toddlers because there is zero risk of anyone getting poked or the furniture getting scratched. They aren't really for "playing darts" in a competitive sense, but they're great for hand-eye coordination practice for the little ones.
What to Look for Regardless of Type
No matter which of these dartboard types you end up choosing, there are a few things that separate the good ones from the junk.
- The Size: A standard competition board is 18 inches in diameter. If you buy a "mini" board, it might be fun for a minute, but it'll ruin your aim if you ever try to play on a real one at a bar.
- Mounting Hardware: Check if the board comes with a decent bracket. Cheaper boards often just have a little hook on the back, which makes the board wobble every time you pull a dart out. A central mounting screw and some bumpers on the back will keep the board solid against the wall.
- Removable Number Ring: On bristle boards, look for a number ring that you can actually rotate. Darts players tend to aim for the 20 or the 19 most of the time. If you can't rotate the board, those sections will wear out while the rest of the board looks brand new. Being able to turn the board and move the "20" to a fresh patch of sisal will double the life of your board.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, your choice usually comes down to your environment. If you want the authentic experience and the satisfying sound of a dart hitting sisal, go with a bristle board. If you're hosting parties with people who don't want to do mental math, or you have kids around, an electronic board is a solid bet.
Just stay away from the super cheap paper boards if you can afford it. Spending an extra twenty bucks on a basic sisal board will save you money in the long run because you won't be throwing it in the trash after a month of heavy use. Whatever you pick, just make sure you've got a clear space and maybe a backboard to protect your walls—because even the best players miss eventually.