To start playing darts, you need a basic setup that includes a board, darts, and some protective gear for your home. While you can buy items individually, beginners often benefit from “all-in-one” sets to ensure everything is compatible.
The Dartboard
For a professional feel, you want a “bristle” board made of sisal fibers, which “heal” after a dart is removed.
- The Gold Standard: The Winmau Blade 6 is widely considered the best for home use due to its ultra-thin wiring, which reduces “bounce-outs”. Or The Target Tor Board is a good one.
- Beginner Sets: If you want everything in one go look for full set ups which include a board, two sets of darts, and mounting hardware.
- Cheap Used Boards: You can pick up some of these boards from local venues, as they often replace their boards you can pick the old boards for a fraction of the full price, ask at your local venue if they have any for sale.
The Darts
Darts are composed of four parts: the point, barrel, shaft, and flight.
- Barrels: Look for tungsten (80-90%) rather than brass. Tungsten is denser, allowing for slimmer barrels that can be grouped closer together.
Due to the recent rise in Tungsten, darts have just had a big increase in price so maybe look at second hand darts to start with if price is an issue. Also try other peoples darts out before spending a fortune on a good set of darts, you’ll find your child will want the best new Luke Littler darts or their favourite players darts however getting the right feel and weight is more important to help them improve. - Weight: Most beginners start with 22g to 24g darts, as they provide a stable, controlled flight path.
Wall & Floor Protection
If you are playing at home, protecting your surroundings is essential.
- Surround Ring: A high-density foam ring fits snugly around the board to catch stray darts and prevent wall damage. these are available from your local darts shop or online and can also be customised.
- Oche (Mat): A dart oche mat protects your floor from bounce-outs and features a built-in throw line at the official distance of 2.37m.