How to create the ultimate darts set up at home

You’ve seen the professionals playing on TV. You might have even tried it out for yourself in the pub with your friends. But now you want to have your own darts set up at home! Building your own dart room is easier than you think and once you have it all put together, you can have hours of fun playing against your family and friends or practicing by yourself.

In this blog, the Darts Corner experts share their top tips for creating the perfect darts set up at home, from choosing the right dartboard and darts for you, to installing everything properly. This guide will also give you some handy tips on caring for your very own 'darts corner' and how to improve your home darts set up as your skills improve. Keep reading below to find out how to create the best dart setup in your own home!

What you’ll need to create your darts set up

Here’s a checklist of the equipment you will need for setting up darts at home:-

• A set of three darts (steel tip or soft tip)
• A dartboard (steel tip or soft tip)

Optional extras:-

• A dartboard surround or cabinet
• A darts mat or throwline
• A scoreboard (electronic scorer or whiteboard)
• A dartboard light

Step 1: Find the right location for your home dart board set up

The first decision you will have to make when creating your home dart board set up is where you’re going to play. Do you already have a dedicated 'man cave' or a room for your dartboard?

Darts is most commonly an indoor sport, so if your dartboard is being put up in your home then steel tip or soft tip boards are both options for you. If you’re worried about damaging your walls with any stray darts, then a soft tip dartboard is recommended, as the points on soft tip darts are made of plastic, rather than the sharp metal used for steel tip darts.

This type of dartboard will give you interactive darts at home, as many electronic boards have flashing lights and built-in automatic scoring to make gameplay seamless. A soft tip board is also a safer option for families with young children and pets as the darts are less dangerous than in steel tip.

If you are looking for a more portable option for your dartboard, instead of hanging it up on the wall, then take a look at our range of travel stands. One of the advantages of a dartboard stand is that you can set your board up on the stand and then take it down when you’re not playing.

If you plan on playing darts outdoors, then you will be looking for a dartboard for steel tip darts. A soft tip dartboard is electronic and will often require power for it to be used properly, which makes it more difficult to be set up outdoors. Make sure your dartboard is covered when not in use outside or bring it indoors after playing to avoid any damage from the weather.

Step 2: Choosing the best at home dart board

Let’s start with one of the most important items – the dartboard itself. When creating your darts setup at home, you’ll need a board that’s going to meet your requirements. Once you have decided on either steel tip or soft tip darts, the next step is to pick a dartboard to play on.

If you want a board at the lower end of the price scale, but still want something that will give you plenty of performance, then the Ruthless Marksman Dartboard and the XQMax Classic Dartboard are two great options. These two steel tip (bristle/sisal) dartboards are both great value and are labelled as ‘entry level’ or ‘starter level’ boards.

The Mission Samurai Infinity Dartboard is one of the leading choices for players looking for a top-quality steel tip dartboard. The Samurai Infinity is manufactured from the highest quality sisal material and features ultra-thin wire construction, making it the ideal pick for darters seeking a professional-like setup at home.

The Winmau Blade 6 Dartboard is another popular choice in our steel tip dartboard range. The Blade 6 is the official board used for the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and their tournaments on the professional tour.

For soft tip, our electronic dartboards range features options from leading brands such as Granboard, XQMax, Viper and Harrows and all at different price points, which means you can choose the board that provides interactive darts for home and matches your budget.

Read our ’Dartboard Buying Guide’ for an in-depth look at all of the different boards available and to help you choose the best at home dart board for you. Don’t forget to customize your new dartboard with a surround and lighting for the ultimate at home setup.

Step 3: Pick the right darts for your budget and style of play

To play darts you’ll need a set of darts to play with! Choosing the right darts can make a big impact on the level of your play – so it’s important to get this part right! Darts Corner carries a huge range of steel tip and soft tip darts in a variety of different weights, shapes, designs and sizes, which means there’s plenty to choose from!

A dart is made up of four elements (point, barrel, shaft/stem and flight) and a darts set will come with all of these parts included. For beginners, it makes sense to purchase a set of affordable rather than a darts set at a high-end price point. Take a look at our ‘How To Choose Darts For Beginners’ for more tips and browse our beginners darts collection for our hand-picked selection of darts we recommend for new players.

If you are looking for a more premium dart, then you’ll find what you’re looking for in our ’Top 10 Steel Tip Darts’ and ‘Top 10 Soft Tip Darts’ pages. These ranges include some of the signature darts used by professional players as well as sets made with the highest-quality materials, such as the Mission Archon, which is crafted from 97.5% tungsten! As shown in the graphic above, tungsten is a very dense material, so the higher percentage of tungsten used will make the barrel of the dart slimmer and better for grouping your darts together in the same target.

Need some more help deciding on your darts? Read our ‘How To Choose A Dart’ blog for some useful pointers. If you want to customize your new darts then check out our ‘How To Choose A Darts Flight’ and ‘How To Choose A Darts Stem’ guides for a closer look at how these individual parts make a difference to your game.

Step 4: Hang your home dart board set up like a pro

Match your home darts setup with what the professionals play on by setting your dartboard up at the correct height. According to official darts regulations, the height from the floor to the center of the board (the bullseye) must be 1.73m (5ft 8in). Take a look at our ‘How To Hang A Dartboard’ guide for instructions on setting up your new board on the wall.

The throw line (also known as the oche) is where you stand behind to throw your darts and is measured directly from the face of the dartboard at 2.37m (7ft 9.25in) for steel tip and 2.44m (8ft) for soft tip. A darts mat, or for the more serious player a toeline oche, is the perfect addition to your setup, as it will act as a visual reminder of where you should throw from. Our ‘How To Choose A Darts Mat’ blog has plenty of useful tips on picking the one that’s right for you.

You should also consider adding a dartboard surround or darts cabinet to your home setup to protect your walls from any stray darts. A home darts center is a great choice as it comes with a dartboard, cabinet and darts, so you have everything you need to get started. Why not choose one of our personalized surrounds and make it your own with the text of your choice? If you’re a football fan you can show off your team colors with our growing list of officially licensed football teams.

Step 6: How to care for your home darts set up

Caring for your darts equipment properly will extend its lifespan and help improve your performance. There are several simple and easy ways to maintain good maintenance for your darts and dartboard to keep them in the best possible condition.

If you’ve invested in a brand new set of darts to go with your darts setup, keep them safe and protected with something from our darts cases and wallets range. It is also worthwhile regularly sharpening your darts with a dart sharpener.

Read our ‘How To Care For Your Darts’ guide for more useful tips on looking after your darts. The ‘How To Sharpen Your Darts’ blog also has some handy information on keeping your darts match ready.

Top Tip

To prolong the life of your steel tip dartboard, make sure you regularly rotate the board so that you are not wearing out specific areas as quickly. Our ‘How To Care For Your Dartboard’ blog includes some pointers on prolonging the life span of your board so that you can enjoy more consistent play.

Step 7: Once your home darts set up is ready, it’s time to play like a pro!

Now you’ve got the perfect darts setup, you’ll want to make the most of it and improve your game! In the words of the legendary Bobby George: “darts is an easy game to play. It’s a hard game to play well.” Put the hours in practicing with your new darts and setup at home and watch your skills improve!

Our ‘Darts Practice Routines’ blog has plenty of fun games you can try out for yourself to help you develop your skills on the oche. From around the board to 201, the routines in this guide will keep you equally motivated and entertained if you’re practicing alone at home.

Read our ‘How To Practice Darts’ guide for some helpful advice on how best to hone your skills on the practice board to get the most out of your game, including tips from PDC professional Alan Soutar and ex-Premier League star and current Sky Sports commentator Wayne Mardle.

Ready to create your dream darts set up in your home?

Now that you know everything there is to know about how to set up darts at home, it’s time to enjoy it and focus on playing your best game. Darts is an affordable sport to play with dartboards available at various price points to fit every budget. Where possible you should look towards choosing the best quality and then caring for your board and other items in your setup so that they stay in match-ready condition and last for as long as possible.

Find out more about Darts Corner with our 'About Our Darts Shop' page and use our contact us page to speak with our team of experts in customer services who can help with any queries you might have. Make sure you follow Darts Corner on our social media platforms and sign up to our email newsletter to be the first to know about our competitions, special offers and more!

FAQs

If you still have some questions about setting up a dart board at home, we have put together a list of FAQs to help you.

How do you make a darts board quieter?

One way to make a dart board quieter during play is to use a dartboard stand. Setting your board up on a stand will produce less noise than if it was put on the wall. The usual thumping noise that is heard when a dart hits the board on a wall is absorbed by the legs of the stand, resulting in a less noisy playing experience. If you still want to have your board on a wall, consider using sound deafening mats to help reduce the noise of a dart hitting the board.

How to play darts at home without damaging the walls?

Our collection of home electronic dart boards is a great way to play darts at home without damaging the walls. These boards require soft tip darts, which are made of plastic points, rather than the sharp metal points for steel tip darts, so they will not damage your surroundings if they miss the target. If you prefer playing steel tip, consider adding a dartboard surround or darts cabinet to your set up, as this can help protect the area around your board from any stray darts.

How do you hang a dart board in your house?

Hanging up a dart board at home will take you no time at all, but it does require some planning beforehand. Make sure you have a suitable enough area for your board to go, with enough space to throw comfortably and for the board to be setup at the correct height. Read our ‘How To Hang A Dartboard’ blog for everything you need to know about putting up a board at home.

Steve Reed is the design and purchasing manager at Darts Corner and has 30+ years’ worth of experience in the darts industry. He has designed the darts for many of the top professional players, including the setup that Phil Taylor used to win his 16th World Matchplay title during his final year on the PDC tour.

Steve played an integral role in the birth of Mission Darts, designing the products for the brand’s launch and working closely with its sponsored players to create their signature darts.