There are many reasons you might be trying to determine the best soft tip dart board to spend your hard-earned money on.
Maybe you’re introducing your young ones to your favorite past-time and see soft-tips as the safest, easiest way to do that, or perhaps you’re simply fed up with errant steel-tip darts ruining your walls when they don’t quite land where they want to be.
To help make things easier, we tried and tested 20 of this year’s best-selling soft-tip dartboards until we found the five very best of the best.
In the end, it was the Fat Cat Electronx Electronic Dartboard that earned our Editor’s Choice award as it offers the complete package of quality and value for money.
If that’s not the one for you, don’t worry, we’ve also included four other top choices that you may find more suitable.
Top 5 Best Soft-Tip Dart Boards in 2024
AT A GLANCE
There were several key factors we looked for when choosing the top five best soft tip dartboards.
The type of board was particularly important to us, as although you can technically use your soft-tip darts on a bristle board, they don’t work nearly as well as on electronic boards.
Boards with programmable features, an auto-scoring system, good construction quality, and a reasonable price also ranked higher in our list.
In the table above, you’ll discover which five boards scored the highest in all those categories. Here below, you’ll find our in-depth dart board reviews, plus a comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you determine the right board for you.
1. Editor’s Choice – Fat Cat Electronx Electronic Dartboard
Specifications
Diameter: 13.5″
Segment Construction: Durable Thermoplastic
Power Supply: Power adaptor (supplied)
The Fat Cat Electronx Electronic Dartboard really does offer everything you could ever ask for in a top-quality soft-tip dart board.
The 13.5” electronic dartboard comprises 13 scoring segments built from highly durable polymer compounds, ensuring you’ve got a product that’s built to last no matter how enthusiastically you might throw.
A key feature for us is that the board itself is contained within its own sturdy dartboard cabinet with built-in storage for your starter-set darts.
This also makes it easier to mount on the walls and provides lasting protection when your board is not in use.
Best of all, we love that it comes with pre-programmed games like cricket, darts and 33 other popular games, meaning even if you’ve never played darts before, you’ll have everything you need to enjoy getting started.
What We Like:
- 180 different scoring options and multiple levels of difficulty
- Unique player vs. computer mode
- Comes with 6 darts, 6 spare flights, and mounting hardware.
What We Don’t Like:
- Most expensive board in this guide
- Dart tips aren’t as strong as with other brands.
-> Read More Customer Reviews Over On Amazon
2. Best Professional-Grade Board – WIN.MAX Electronic Dart Board
Specifications:
Diameter: 16.5”
Segment Construction: Durable Thermoplastic
Power Supply: Batteries or power supply (included)
Win.Max is one of the world’s most popular manufacturers of top-quality darts equipment, and though they’re usually better known for steel-tip darts and bristle boards, the WIN.MAX Electronic Dart Board proves they’re just as good with the soft tips too.
It isn’t just the brand’s reputation for quality that we like about this one.
No, it’s the fact that everything about their dartboard is built to ensure a professional-grade playing experience similar to the one you’d get if using steel tip darts on a board with a traditional bristle surface.
That includes the substantial 16.5″ dartboard diameter and two deluxe sets of darts with precision-cut aluminum shafts, Polypro flights, flight protectors, and rubber O rings.
Related: Top 5 Best Dart Flights
While the number of pre-programmed games isn’t as high as the last option (just 21 different options), it still comes with the classics such as 301, 501, and Around the Clock.
All told, that makes this one the best option for serious dart players who want a top-notch soft tip to practice at home for their next league game or tournament.
What We Like:
- The quality of the 12 included darts is very high
- Ultra-thin spider reduces bounce-outs.
What We Don’t Like:
- The number of players per game is limited to four
- The display is a touch too small, making it hard to read scores.
-> See More Customer Reviews Over At Amazon
3. Best for Competition Use – Arachnid Cricket Pro 800 Electronic Dartboard
Specifications:
Diameter: 15.5”
Segment Construction: NylonTough
Power Supply: power supply (included)
The Win.Max board may be the best choice if you want to practice for your competitions, but if you’re looking to host a darts tournament of your own, then the Arachnid Cricket Pro 800 Electronic Dartboard is the best soft tip dartboard for the job.
There’s a couple of reasons for this.
For one thing, there’s the tournament regulation 15.5″ target area which offers the same field playing surface you’d get in a regular competition.
For another, there are the exceptional NylonTough segments which offer superior durability and ensure your board can withstand the kind of powerful throws you might make as an experienced player.
Finally, there’s the excellent, jumbo-sized scoreboard, an attractive feature that ensures that both players and spectators alike can keep track of all the action.
What We Like:
- It comes with 39 programmable games
- Offers multiplayer options for up to 8 players
- Exclusive Average Point Per Dart (PPD) helps you to improve your game in the long run.
What We Don’t Like:
- Requires an AC adapter which can limit where you place it.
- The dart flights tend not to last long and soon need replacing.
-> Read More Customer Feedback Over On Amazon
4. Best Dart Board for Kids – Fungenix, Magnetic Dart Board
Specifications:
Diameter: 15″
Segment Construction: Cloth
Power Supply: n/a
While there’s nothing wrong with taking darts seriously, not everyone wants to compete in league games nor prove themselves to the best around.
Some people simply want a way to spend some quality time with their kids and look to darts as an alternative to other fun indoor kids’ games.
If that’s you, you probably don’t want to be spending over the odds on a complex electronic dartboard with all the bells and whistles and simply want something that’s low cost and so easy to play that your little ones can join in with the fun.
Out of all the countless options out there, the Fungenix Magnetic Dart Board For Kids is the one that best ticks those boxes.
The magnetic soft tip darts are lightweight enough that even young children will have no problem landing their shots yet still pack a powerful enough magnet to ensure that every shot sticks to the board. More importantly, those darts don’t slide off the board when more throws are taken, a problem that you often find with lesser-quality boards of this type.
As easy for adults to hang as it is for kids to play, this one contains a standard dartboard on one side and a target-practice set up on the other so that they can improve their game and get ready to give mom or dad a serious challenge!
What We Like:
- Lightweight, portable design
- Includes 12 magnetic darts
- Reasonable price
What We Don’t Like:
- Not suitable for adult players
- Only two game options.
-> See What Other Customers Think Over At Amazon
5. Best Budget Dart Board – INNOCHEER Safety Darts and Dart Board Set
Specifications:
Diameter: 16″
Segment Construction: Plastic
Power Supply: n/a
What do you do when you don’t want to pay over the odds for a professional-grade dartboard, but you need something a little more sophisticated than a child’s toy?
If you’re anything like us, you opt for the INNOCHEER Safety Darts and Dart Board Set, our pick of the best soft tip dartboard for those on a budget as well as the all-round best dartboard for beginners.
Like our last pick, it comes with a very wallet-friendly price but is also bigger, sturdier, and better built than the FunMagix option, making it a better choice for adults or older children.
We also like that it comes with a handy stand feature so that you don’t even need to hang it on the wall. Simply prop it up on a table and get your game underway.
While not as well made as some of the more expensive dartboards on this list, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy a few lighthearted, fun games with friends, this should definitely be on your radar:
What We Like:
- Affordable price
- It comes with six soft-tip safety darts
- It comes with a metal stand but can also be hung with a nail.
What We Don’t Like:
- No electronic scoreboard or programmable games
- No dartboard cabinet
- Dart flights can’t be replaced – you need to buy a whole new set of darts if the flights are damaged.
-> Find More Customer Reviews Over At Amazon
How to Choose the Best Soft Tip Dart Board: A Buyer’s Guide
So, you’ve seen what we think are the top five best soft tip dartboards around, but how did we reach this verdict?
Below, we’ll explain exactly what we look for when choosing our top five picks and how each of these factors may ultimately influence the board you end up buying.
Electronic Scoring and Features
Not all soft tip dartboards are electronic, but the better ones usually are, which is why we paid close attention to what they offer in terms of electronic scoring and features.
At the very least, a good electronic soft tip dartboard should be able to keep score and present that score on an LCD that’s easy to read.
That said, the better ones will all come with some built-in, pre-programmed games such as baseball darts, 501, and Shanghai Darts.
When we made our selections, we stuck to the rule that the more games a dartboard offered, the better, but you might only have certain games in mind, which means your main priority is checking whether or not the soft dartboards you’re considering offer your favorite games.
Also worth considering is the number of players. Some electronic dart boards only allow four players per game, while others allow for as many as eight. Again, we used the “more the better” rule here, but this may not be as important if you’re only looking to play with a small group.
Material and Construction Quality
The construction quality should be the most significant determining factor when choosing a soft tip dartboard, even more important than the electronic features.
Think about it:
If you’re using your board regularly, you’ll be throwing darts at it over and over again, and if that board isn’t of sufficient quality, then it’s only going to wear down over time.
This is especially true for adult players who are likely to put a bit more force behind their throws, making a good-quality thermoplastic option a better choice.
Of course, if it’s a kid’s toy you’re after, then it won’t need to withstand as much force, but you still want to be sure that the board won’t fall apart as soon as they start playing.
Target Area
It’s also important to consider how the size of the board surface may impact your play.
Soft dartboards with a huge surface area are better for beginners as they make it easier to land your dart in the actual board, while those with a smaller target area can present a more engaging challenge for experienced players.
Additional Features
Last but not least, it’s worth considering any additional features that your soft-tip dartboard comes with.
Almost all boards come with a starter set of darts, though these can vary significantly in terms of quality, and more serious players will usually replace them for a better set.
That said, some boards, such as the WIN.MAX Electronic Dart Board does provide good quality darts out of the box, making it a good option for more experienced players.
Other things to look for include mounting equipment (trust us, there’s nothing more annoying than a last-minute trip to the hardware store just to hang a new dartboard) and whether or not the board comes with its own cabinet and dartboard cover.
See Also: Best Electronic Dart Board
Frequently Asked Questions About Soft-Tip Dart Boards
What’s the difference between a soft tip vs. a bristle dartboard
Soft tip dartboards have tiny, molded holes that are designed to hold the flexible, plastic tips of a soft tip dart, whereas bristle dartboards are tougher and more challenging to penetrate, which is why they’re used with sharper, steel tip darts.
Are soft tip darts better than steel tip darts?
Neither soft tip nor steel tip darts are better than the other. It all depends on what you’re using them for. Steel tip darts are better for seasoned players, league games, and competitions, though they can damage walls and furniture if they go awry.
Soft tip darts aren’t as well suited for serious games but are safer for both the home and young children.
Related: Best Soft Tip Darts for Beginners
Can you use steel tip darts on a soft tip dart board?
It’s a horrible idea to use steel tip darts on a soft tip board as the tips will ruin the plastic and quickly make the damage unplayable.
Final Thought: What is the Best Soft-Tip Dart Board to Buy?
If you’ve read this far, then you’ve likely reached the same conclusion we did:
Choosing the best soft-tip dartboard is mainly dependent on how you play and who you’re playing with.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to spend time with your little ones, then the Fungenix Magnetic Dart Board For Kids is a great toy to introduce them to the game, but not so good for more grown-up players.
If you’re looking for the best competition-grade dartboard to host your own league or tournament, then the regulation size, features, and jumbo scoring display of the Arachnid Cricket Pro 800 Electronic Dartboard make it the perfect choice.
However, if you just want the best board your money can buy, then there’s no doubt that the Fat Cat Electronx Electronic Dartboard is the way to go. Though it’s one of the higher-priced dartboards, its superior construction, huge selection of games and storage options, and protective cabinet make it almost unbeatable.
