Electronic Dart Boards 4 great – 1 to avoid

An electronic dartboard is a dartboard for soft tip darts. Generally, regulation size, which is 17¾ inches or 45.1cm in diameter, they are not made of bristle like a conventional dart board (which requires steel tip darts) but instead are made of plastic.
Each segment on the board has plastic molded holes in them to receive the thrown dart. These holes are connected to wired receivers. The receivers, in turn, automatically transmit the score from each dart onto an LCD scoreboard.

Which is better: an electronic or regular dart board?

Regular bristle boards are usually used by players who enjoy the traditional game, they may be seasoned players who or just casual players who prefer to use steel tip darts.
Electronic dart boards are a great starting kit for children to play as soft tip darts are generally safer.
Electronic boards are also good for those people who don’t want to have to calculate the scores they need as the electronic board will do it automatically and display the score needed on a screen for ease of use.
In my opinion a regular dart board is the best option but that is because I’m a traditionalist.  I do however intend to buy an electronic board to test it out as I have never used  one or indeed soft tip darts

Do electronic dart boards use real darts?

As electronic dart boards are made out of plastic they don’t use Steel tip darts, they do use plastic tip darts.
Plastic tip darts are generally lighter than steel tip darts and obviously are used here as they are more flexible when they hit the board meaning they are more liable to hit the holes in the segments of the electronic board.

Are electronic dart boards any good?

Electronic dartboards certainly have their place in the modern game. Their ease of use, the safety aspect of the darts and automatic score calculation make them a great candidate for all round family play.
Some of them even tell you out loud what score you have left to go  and some even come with pre-programmed games.
Although they may not suit the traditionalist, that is why we have bristle boards!
For a fun and enjoyable family game of darts indoors or outdoors ( with the right weather) electronic dart boards fit the bill to enjoy some good quality family time together

Are electronic dart boards worth it?

With such a wide range of electronic dart boards on the market there is something to suit everyone. From the most casual game with your grandkids to a more serious game with your buddies in the man cave, take your pick.
Depending on what you’re going to use them for choose from the cricket Pro 900 by Arachnid – (which comes with 48 pre programmed games and is fantastic by the way :)) to the Franklin Sports Electronic Dart Board Set there’s something to fit every game, need and budget.

My top 4 electronic dart boards:

1. Pro Arachnid 900

(Best electronic dart board for Man Cave or Garage)

2. Franklin Sports Electronic Dart Board Set

(Best electronic dart board for Juniors / kids)

3. Seydrey Electronic Dart Board

(Best electronic dart board for beginners)

4. WIN.MAX Electronic Dart Board

(Best electronic dart board for fun)

1. Best electronic dart board for Man Cave or Garage >

Pro Arachnid 900

I’d say this is the creme de la creme, robust and sturdy the Pro Arachnid 900 is the go to electronic dart board.

This is the top of the range arachnid electronic dart board. The board even has a heckle facility to have a go at the best player – or to speed you up if you are taking too long.
With 48 programmed games ranging from 101 up to 301 501 and even 901 and including cricket and baseball it is a master of all occasions and for those times when you are on your own  you can just put BB King on your speakers and play against the AI computer – other music choices are available…
My experience with this is that it has minimal bounce outs. I had read that some people suffered from this but it was a-ok for me.
The arachnid board also has a heckler feature which in my opinion, is well worth the money, fun as you play.
Another nice feature is that you can record the names of all the players so everyone knows whose turn it is next.
Pro’s:
Low number of dart bounce outs
Included darts are good quality
Amazing number of games to play
Con:
My one and only gripe (nothing to do with the board!) is that the wall mounting kit that comes with the board isn’t the best, I’d suggest you hang the board with your own hardware.

2. Best electronic dart board for juniors/kids >

Franklin Sports Electronic Dart Board Set

This dartboard is easy to use out of the box (if you have 3 AAA batteries) no flashing lights, just a simple set-up and play. Includes darts that are lightweight and soft tip so good to teach kids. There are also a lot of spare plastic soft tips for the darts.
Very sturdy and keeps score as you play. Does have some sound effects for when you hit your final double.
A great alternative to steel tip dart boards for kids and well worth a look.
Pro’s:
Darts storage on the side of the board.
Very well made and value the money
Cons
As the kids enjoy the game more they may outgrow this one but for a certain age group this should be perfect.

3. Best electronic dartboard for beginners>

Seydrey Electronic Dart Board

Simple, effective and with over 60 variations of your favorite dart games, the WIN.MAX comes with 100 spare tips as well as two sets of darts so is a great out of the box kit that is easy for beginners to understand.
Whilst it doesn’t have the high level game settings of the Arachnid 900, the information available for quick start makes it ideal for players new to darts.
One of the best budget dart boards that doesn get lots of complaints about bounce outs.
Pros:
10-year warranty.
Con:
A longer power cord would be helpful so you’ll need a power supply reasonably close.

4. Best Value for money electronic dartboard>

WIN.MAX Electronic Dart Board

I’ve had some cheaper dartboards in the past and you generally get what you pay for. But this inexpensive dartboard is the best I’ve seen. Basics: The darts stay in the board and are easy to remove – when you do they don’t budge the board from the wall – you can even take it to a friend’s house!
The weight of darts (between 18 to 21 grams) is ideal for most players.
The dartboard is sturdy and the easy access battery compartment at the front makes it handy for easy replacement.
Comes with 6 darts with holders on each side of the board.
Including dart cricket, round the clock, killer, double down, all fives, shanghai, golf, football, bowling, baseball, steeplechase and more this board has enough games to keep the biggest dart fan enjoying themselves.
Pros:
Clear bright LED display
Con:
Dart Soft tips aren’t as good as they could be but replacements can be easily found (and 50 are included in the kit)

And the one to avoid?

Sorry.. But the one dartboard to avoid is the
Fat Cat Sirius 13.5 Inch Compact

Smaller than the others and a bit cheaper looking – I feel you get what you pay for – this is an “ok “ dartboard. Nothing flashes and just about does the job but plagued by bounce outs.
I say the size of the board isn’t ideal but even this is going to be ok for someone.
To be honest, unless pick-up darts is something you enjoy you might want to steer clear and buy a better quality dartboard.
Pros:
If you are on the lowest budget and only want a few fun games, this might fit your needs – it just isn’t for me!
Cons:
Remember folks…you get what you pay for.
The darts that are included aren’t the best…

Takeaways:

Electronic dart boards are a great way for beginners to learn about darts and are a fine family starting point, being safe to use due to the soft tip darts that the boards require.
There are many budgets catered for so start small and move up and the boards I have researched generally come with money back guarantee so worthwhile trying to see if they are for you.
It’s a good idea to purchase a heavier electronic dartboard as a board that is too light is likely to be damaged more easily.
The electronic board usually comes with built in games giving you more range of games to learn automatically.
Probably the biggest advantage of choosing an electronic dartboard over and above a standard board is that the electronic board will keep score for you.

Final Dart Tip:

Finally, if you are setting up your board for the first time…
The bullseye needs to be 5 ft 8 inches from the floor (5’8” is the eye level of someone who is 6 ft).
The oche (the line you stand behind to throw) needs to be 7ft 9 1/4 away from the face of the dartboard.