The Best Dart Sets for Your Local Dive or Game Room
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If you’re looking to fully equip the dart board set up in your basement, bar, game room, or other hangout spot, you’re going to need a set of high-quality darts. The darts that come included with a generic dart board are often flimsy and lightweight, with an annoying tendency to bounce off the board when thrown. A good set of darts will include a variety of flight styles, and often extra accessories like a dart sharpener. In fact, there are a few qualities to look for when shopping for darts.
What Makes a Good Dart?
Weight, shape, and materials all factor into how comfortably and accurately a dart flies when thrown. Here is what to keep in mind.
Materials: Darts can have a soft or steel tip. Soft tips are made of flexible plastic and thrown into a plastic or digital dartboard which have small holes to catch the dart. Steel tip darts have steel tips fitted to the barrel and thrown into a paper or bristle dartboard. Because they tend to be a bit weightier and front-heavy, they’re often favored by beginners.
Weight and Balance: Heavier darts are also favored by beginners, as they suit a more relaxed throw and get more power. As for balance, weight can be front, back, or center-loaded. Front-loaded darts give a bit more loop when throwing, making them another favorite with amateur dart players.
Shape and Grip: Dart grips come in a variety of distinct styles. In general, the rougher your hands, the rougher a grip you might prefer. Popular styles include shark fin, knurled, ring, wave grip, micro grip, and precision, which are great for consistent finger positioning.
Flight Styles: Flight styles refer to the shape of the feather wings at the end of the dart. The flight pattern of the dart changes depending on these shapes. Standard and slim dart flights are most common, but other styles include kite, teardrop, lantern, and No. 6. Standard shapes are often preferred because the larger surface area gives maximum leverage. Many dart sets include a variety of flight style options so you can play around to find what works best for you.
1. IgnatGames Steel Tip Darts Set
The first thing dart players admire about this set of six steel-tipped darts is the snazzy design. The second thing they notice is that the weight, balance, and grip of these darts make them easy and satisfying to play with for both pros and amateurs.
The darts are medium weight and slightly front-loaded in balance, which means they require a little less force when throwing. The knurled grip style on the shaft encourages a firm and consistent grip.
Extras like the included sharpener and carrying case send this set over the edge.
2. UZOPI Steel Tip Darts
If you want to experiment with different flight styles, we recommend this dart set which includes six interchangeable flight designs and 15 steel tips. Because the barrel, feather, and shaft are all detachable, you can mix and match at will.
These darts are brass-barreled, and the heavy weight and knurled brass grip makes them suitable for users of all levels. And while the tips are not sharp enough to take out an eye (not that we recommend trying), they do stick firmly in the board. Some dart players worry that the detachable features might be prone to unscrewing or becoming loose on their own, but we haven’t found this to be a problem. If they do become loose, however, they are easily tightened.
3. CC-Exquisite Professional Steel Tip Darts Set
In addition to two different flight styles, we like that this dart set also includes a choice in shaft style, with six long and six short shafts, as well as six standard and six slim shafts.
However you decide to mix and match your set, players all note that the darts have a nice, comfortable weight. Because the grip continues all along the length of the barrel, the player can adjust the balance front or back simply by adjusting the placement of your fingers.
4. WIN.MAX Darts Plastic Soft Tip Darts Set
Unlike our other recommendations, these darts have soft plastic tips instead of steel. This makes them lighter in weight than their steel counterparts, and these tips’ smooth shape and matte surface make them ideal for any electric dartboard.
Players agree on the durability of this set’s plastic tips, noting the high quality of the aluminum shaft, which doesn’t snap the way a plastic shaft might. People also note the comfortable weight and balance which, like the darts above, can be adjusted as needed thanks to the extended knurled grip.
We think the variety of abstract designs on the feathers are pretty attractive, but what’s most important is the consensus that these darts fly straight and true.