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What Are The Best Electronic Dart Boards? – 2021 Reviews

Everyone loves a good game of darts, but especially after a few beers, it can be hard to keep track of the score. That’s where electronic dartboards come in.

Electronic dartboards are great because they help you to track scores and decide which side of the line shots fall under. If you’re thinking of getting one of these beauties as a gift, however, you might balk at the selection.

In this article, we’ll review ten of the best electronic dartboard options on sale in 2021 so that you’ll know which is a winner.

What to Consider When Looking for the Best Electronic Dart Board

Dividers

Since you are considering purchasing an electronic dart board, the segment dividers that divide the board into the outer fringes and central section is an essential consideration. The section divisions should be crafted to prevent bounce-outs. Triangular dart boards typically have thinner dividers, making it easier to hit your target.

Warranty

You want to be able to be confident your electronic dartboard will be good for more than a game or two. Therefore, check the manufacturer’s warranty before buying. Aim for a product that comes with at least a one-year warranty.

Size

Electronic dartboards come in many sizes, from smaller toy versions to full-sized competition models. Larger dart boards are more comfortable to aim at than child-sized ones.

The area you plan to install the dartboard in should also be taken into consideration. If the dartboard is too massive for the wall, it may not be able to be mounted correctly, which will impact your dart accuracy.

Weight

A dartboard that is too light may move with sudden breezes, throwing off your game. On the other hand, a heavy dartboard is more challenging to take with you to play at another location. Therefore, finding just the right weight for your purposes is yet another consideration to take into account before buying your next electronic dart board.

Number of Players

If you only have your three best buddies over for beer and darts, then you won’t need an electronic game board that keeps the score for 16 players. Choosing the right version for your playing needs will uncomplicate things and potentially save you money.

Power Source

Some electronic dartboards are battery-powered. Make sure to check the batteries before the game so that scores are not lost if the cells die right before the final throw. On the other hand, a battery-operated dartboard is more portable.

Other electronic dartboards must be plugged in and come with an A/C adapter for that purpose. If there isn’t a convenient outlet close to the board, you may have to run an extension cord, which could cause a safety hazard.

Extra Features

The extra features that the electronic dartboard has are also important considerations. Most come with multiplayer scoring capabilities. Some have interactive play via iOS or Android apps and Bluetooth. Others have a heckler feature for motivation and the option for one-player games.

Some players like features such as LED backlight illumination and digital scoreboards. Others find those components distracting. Dart storage is another aspect to consider. Would you prefer the darts to stay with the board or be stored in their own case?

Aesthetics

Aesthetics is a final consideration when choosing a dart board. While an electronic dartboard won’t look out of place in the game room, if you plan on mounting it in the living room, consider purchasing one that has its own cabinet. The color scheme is also essential. Red and green boards may cause more problems for someone who is color blind than the standard red and black color combinations. So, what’s the best electronic dartboard or you?

Our #1 Choice – DMI Sports Deluxe Dartboard Cabinet Set

The DMI Sports dartboard set has the Old-World charm of a non-electronic dart set and the ease of use that a newer electronic set provides.

With this set, you’ll get a standard-sized dart board, two dart sets, a manual scoring system, and the DMI electronic scoring system, not to mention the beautiful wood cabinet that can be mounted onto your wall.

As a six-dart set, you’ll be doing some walking back and forth between the board and the line in between your turns. Each of the darts has a nice flag to indicate the team that the player is on. You can also use most other darts with this set.

The electronic portion of the set is a bit rudimentary, but it’s usable. It’s also extremely durable, and it doesn’t have any complicated parts that will break. You’ll have this set for a long time, which makes it a perfect addition to your den.

Our #2 Choice – Arachnid Pro 800

With a pub room aesthetic, the Arachnid Cricket Pro 800 electronic dartboard will find itself at home wherever you mount it. As far as the best electronic dart boards go, the Cricket Pro 800 is fairly involved.

You’ll get 39 different games which you can play with a standard set of darts; these games support up to 8 players.

The segment dividers on the Arachnid unit are very thin and have a tiny amount of flex at the base. This means that bounce-out shots are nearly entirely negated, which is a big bonus for serious players.

For less serious dart players, this feature — as well as the extra scoring methods that constitute the games — might be a bit overkill.

Nonetheless, the Arachnid Pro 800 is more than capable of supporting a rousing game of basic darts. Each player can use three darts, though you can add on more darts as needed.

Overall, the Arachnid Pro 800 is a great set that suffers from one small issue — the scoring buttons are technically within striking range of a dart, which could mess things up big time.

For skilled players, the buttons are far beyond any potential mis-throws, but weaker players might find themselves winging the buttons unintentionally.

Our #3 Choice – Funsparks Magnetic Dart board

The Funsparks magnetic dartboard is a cheerful and simply electronic dartboard that caters to players who want to throw a few casual darts.

The dart heads on this unit are blunt because of the way the unit uses magnetism to score each game. This makes the darts a bit unwieldy for an experienced dart player, but a casual dart thrower will enjoy them all the same.

Likewise, landing darts on this board is a bit easier than a dart player might think that it should be. The magnetic nature of the dart tips and the board itself make glancing throws much more likely to stick.

For younger dart players, this board is a great and safe alternative to a board with sharp darts. The blunt magnetic ends of each dart ensure that nobody will poke an eye out, and there are fewer chances of darts glancing off of the rims and getting lost somewhere else.

Overall, the Funsparks board isn’t the most aesthetically appealing electronic dartboard game, but it isn’t an eyesore either.

The darts, while simple, are red and green, which means that players who are colorblind may struggle to identify which darts are theirs and which scoring regions are the best to aim for.

Our #4 Choice – IgnatGames Professional Tournament Board

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Our #5 Choice – WIN MAX Electronic Soft Tip Dart board

The WIN MAX dartboard is a cost-effective electronic dartboard that has programs for 21 games with 65 different variations. With this board, you can play endless games of darts quickly and easily. There’s no learning curve to the software, and the board itself is ready for scoring.

You’ll also get six darts and 40 replacement tips, which means you won’t need to buy any additional darts to get the most out of the board. The board itself will weather the dart strikes easily, and score each game with an automatic voice announcement.

The LCD display on the board isn’t the best quality, and it isn’t very easy to see, but the audio scoring system more than makes up for it.

As with other best electronic dart boards, skilled players won’t be bothered by accidentally striking the buttons or the LCD display. Less skilled players might accidentally cause damage or an unintentional software change, however.

Our #6 Choice – Bullshooter Cricket Maxx Cabinet Set

If you’re looking for a modern take on the classic electronic dart cabinet set, the Bullshooter Cricket Maxx might be the right set for you.

With this set, you’ll eschew the traditional wood cabinetry for a black plastic cabinet set that contains the board, the scoring screen, a control panel, and holsters for the darts.

The electronics in the unit are the strong point. Bad misses will generate an electronic taunt, and shots that are right where they should be are congratulated. You can play games with up to eight players thanks to the cabinet’s four separate scoring screens.

You’ll also get 34 different games with over 183 different game variations — more than any other electronic dart cabinet set we’ll be reviewing today. This means that if you love getting variety into your dart games, this cabinet is the winner.

The board itself is of average quality, and won’t win any awards for durability. Nonetheless, the darts themselves feel good to the hand, and you’ll have no trouble finding compatible new tips or new darts.

Our #7 Choice – Arachnid Inter-Active 3000

The Arachnid Inter-Active 3000 is a top-of-the-line electronic dartboard that is great for playing with a handful of people. What it lacks in visual appeal, the Inter-Active is the premier dart board when it comes to party-style darting.

Thanks to the unit’s voice-prompted player turn management system, there won’t ever be any confusion about the score or whose turn it is — or where each player should be aiming on the board. This makes the system ideal for groups, especially where there is a mix of skill levels.

The interface on the Inter-Active isn’t as intuitive as other electronic dart boards. You’ll need to have the manual at hand to select some of the more complex game modes and configure them for the number of players that you have on hand.

Once everything is set up, however, the Inter-Active is an amazing board. You can pick from 27 games with 123 variations to keep things interesting, and practice your throws on the regulation-size board.

The thin divisions between segments should help to minimize glancing shots, although they aren’t as durable as they might be with other brands.

Our #8 Choice – WIN MAX Cabinet Set

If you want the WIN MAX style electronic dartboard in a full cabinet setup, this is the right set for you. With the WIN MAX cabinet, you’ll get the WIN MAX board, four electronic scoring screens, 27 games, and 195 scoring options in one package.

The set also has 12 darts, 52 replacement dart points, and a great mounting system. While it isn’t the focus of most players, this unit also has a great manual which can help players to understand games and variations that they may not have heard of before.

The aesthetic of the cabinet is more modern than most boards, but it will fit into most living rooms or pub rooms without a struggle.

The board is durable, easy to operate, and easy to mount. If you’re looking for a board that’s also great for groups of people, this is a great option. The only drawback to the board is its sound quality. The sound is fairly low resolution, which makes it a bit grating after a while.

Our #9 Choice – Fat Cat Electronx Dart board

If you’re looking for a dart board that is solo-play capable, the Fat Cat Electronx board will do you right. Unlike other boards, the Fat Cat dart board has a plethora of options which make playing alone more interesting.

This means that you can practice your throws without getting bored. Aside from its great solo play options, the Fat Cat dart board has a good-quality board, software package, and darts.

The board looks a bit better than others with a modern design — except for the power cable, which drops underneath the unit. The power cable is a bit of an eyesore, but most other electronic boards have similar issues to a lesser extent, so it’s an excusable flaw.

Unlike most other electronic board options, the warranty policy on the Fat Cat is better than average. You probably won’t have any issues, but they’re covered for up to a year of use.

The darts are the unit’s main weak point. They’re a bit different than regulation darts, and you’ll need to purchase more than the six spare tips which come with the cabinet.

Our #10 Choice – Viper Neptune Electronic Dartboard

The Viper Neptune Electronic Dartboard brings classic dart board elegance to an updated and powerful electronic scoring suite. With 57 games, 307 scoring options, and up to 16 players per game, this dart board is a winner at parties.

The wood cabinet of the Viper Neptune is a bit simpler than other wooden designs, but the minimalism in the design means that it can fit into a pub room or a modern apartment with equal ease, unlike other wooden cabinets.

With the Viper Neptune, you’ll also get a great mounting kit, a durable board, and an ultra-thin spider which minimizes glancing shots and bounce-outs for the most accurate scoring of any board.

The only drawback of the Viper Neptune is its color scheme of black, grey, and red. These colors make the cabinet look a bit sinister, and the darts are similarly colored. You’ll also need to buy more dart tip replacements when using this board, as none are provided.

Electronic Dartboard FAQ

What Features Should I Look For In An Electronic Dartboard?

The most important feature of your electronic dartboard is the board itself. High quality boards have thousands of detection points for hits, meaning that you won’t be able to tell the difference between the electronic board and a traditional hair board.

Poor quality boards have fewer detection points, and they also tend to have a high rate of deflected shots. These shots wouldn’t be deflected by a higher quality board or by a hair board, which can make your games of darts extremely frustrating.

You’ll also want a board that has an easy-to-use software system for configuring games and scoring. This could mean an audio-based walkthrough system, or a clearly labeled control pad.

There’s no single best way of making an easy-to-use system, so see which makes the most intuitive sense to you before making a purchase.

You should also look for an electronic dart board that fits the aesthetic of your intended mounting location. Dart boards tend to fit into a pub room aesthetic far more readily than a modern apartment aesthetic, so choose accordingly.

Remember, the dart board is a fixture in the room that has a presence to it much like a painting. If you don’t have a board that can live within the room gracefully, it’ll make you resent using it.

Are There Any Electronic Dart boards I Should Avoid?

You may want to avoid electronic dart boards which are smaller than regulation size. These boards are typically intended for inexperienced players or children, and their quality tends to suffer as a result.

You should also avoid electronic dart boards which are entirely optical. While there have been some notable attempts to create disembodied dart boards that use laser-based dart detection, they’ve never been as good as physical boards.

Likewise, you should avoid dart boards that require you to use an additional backboard to prevent damage to walls. The point of the board is to protect the wall and track scoring; if your board can’t fulfill one of its main functions, it’s the wrong product to pick.

You might also want to avoid electronic dart boards which only have one scoring screen. While these are fine for solo play or one-on-one games, they quickly become overwhelmed when tasked with tracking more people.

Furthermore, boards with only one scoring screen tend to be of older designs which aren’t as good.

How Important Are Mounting Systems?

While a good mounting system might seem like a major bonus for a dart board, the truth is that they’re not as important as you might think. For the most part, mounting systems only vary in terms of their ease of use, though some are slightly more sturdy than others.

You’re going to be mounting and unmounting your board fairly infrequently if you’re like most dart players. So, it’s acceptable to spend a bit more effort mounting it with a subpar mounting system if the board itself is high quality and has other features which you’ll be using more frequently.

How Important Are The Darts?

The darts themselves are typically of low importance in an electronic dart board set. Most are interchangeable, though there are a few exceptions like blunt magnetic darts.

The thing to remember is that you only need a lot of replacement dart tips if you plan on using your dart board all of the time. Dart sharpness isn’t relevant for most electronic dart boards at a casual level of play, at least until they become extremely blunt.

In other words, don’t compromise for board quality because you find a board that happens to include a few dart tips with the cabinet. Likewise, remember that the aesthetics of darts are not negligible. Eyesore darts make everyone’s play experience worse.

How Long Should I Expect My Electronic Dart board To Last?

Electronic dart boards are very durable and tend to last for many years. If the board itself is of high quality, you can expect your electronic dart board to last almost as long as a real dart board. This means that you could potentially have the same dart board for 20 years.

There’s no particular care regimen that will make your electronic dart board last longer. Keep in mind that the more you use it, the faster it’ll degrade.

Unlike with hair-based dart boards, you can potentially repair your electronic dart board if there is a piece which has been used to the point of failure. It’s easy to purchase replacement parts online, unlike with traditional dart boards.

Do I Need To Calibrate My Electronic Dartboard?

Not in the sense that you would need to calibrate a traditional dartboard to ensure that the proportions of the target are correct.

Unlike with traditional dartboards, nearly all electronic dartboards are ready to go when you plug them in.

The segments of the board are fixed together, so you can’t modify them or calibrate them. This means that you can’t make them more aesthetically pleasing but it also means that nobody needs to worry about any unfair modifications to the board.

Furthermore, it makes electronic dartboards much easier to transport and much more interchangeable when it comes to competitions.

The only thing you’ll need to calibrate is your piece of tape which tells you where to stand in relation to the board when making a throw.

Some electronic dartboards will even help you with this step using optical sensors, but most will not. You shouldn’t view this as an essential feature, because you can do it as easily with a piece of measuring tape — which nearly all boards include.