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Darts are a game that walk the fine line between casual and competitive. Other than the darts and the board, there’s no special equipment or prior skill needed to get started, the rules and scoring are easy to learn, and it’s one of the few sports that can be done while holding a beer in one hand.
While the majority of people will enjoy the game as a fun time with friends, the option to get really good if you choose to is always there, with a whole world of tournaments and televised competitions to immerse yourself in. You can practice privately in your own house as much or as little as you want, and perfect your hand-eye coordination until it’s as sharp as the steel tipped darts themselves.
What You Need to Know About The Best Dart Boards
When starting out, one of the most infuriating things that a beginner will encounter are darts that are a direct hit to the board…and then fall out. A few different factors can affect this: First off, what the board is made out of. Historically, in the late 1800s, older dartboards were made of elm or softwood, which used to require daily soakings to prevent splitting and splintering. Today, most modern dartboards are made of “bristle board,” a material made up of sisal fibers, commonly used in everything from thread, twines and rope, or in pulp form to make paper products. Hemp is another often used material, and both are chosen for their ability to hold a thrown dart exactly where it lands, and “fix” itself back to normal after a dart does its damage.
Bristle boards are more suitable, with steel-tipped darts, which have weighty bodies that are traditionally made from brass or tungsten. But other options are available too, depending on what you’re looking for. Electronic boards offer easy scorekeeping and a more interactive experience, and some even work with apps that let you play (and see, and chat) with anyone else around the world using the same system. The fun is still there, but the feel is different than a real board.
Same goes for magnetic darts. A huge selling point with magnets is that the risk of getting hurt is gone, making it great for kids and small, crowded spaces where one miss could cause casualties (or damage to the wall and furniture).
Whether you’re getting it for your dorm, office, or house, there are multiple dart board types to keep the game fun, safe, and injury-free.
