10 Best Electronic Dartboards Review That Hit The Bullseye

Sometimes, even things that appear straightforward are not as simple as they seem.

Take, for instance, the classic dartboard found in game rooms and basements. When you were a kid, you probably didn’t give much thought to what the dartboard was made of, its size, or how sturdy it was. Keeping score might not have been a priority either. Your main concern was likely not losing your darts because convincing your parents to buy new ones would be quite a challenge.

It’s only as you get older or become more dedicated to the sport that you come to understand that dartboards aren’t all the same.

Dartboards can come in different types, such as bristle boards (the most common ones made from sisal that heal themselves after a dart pierces them), more affordable cork or paper boards, or electronic boards.

Image	Product	Features
	Best Electronic DartboardArachnid Cricket Pro 800 Electronic Dartboard	High-Quality Materials Designed to Prevent Bounce-Outs Tournament Quality	Check Price on Amazon →
	Most Attractive Electronic DartboardViper Neptune Electronic Dartboard	Large Mounting Cabinet High-Quality Materials Ultra-Thin Spider	Check Price →
	Best Electronic Dartboard with Online ConnectivityGran Board 3 LED Bluetooth Dartboard	Free App for Play Online Powered by Batteries or USB Low Bounce-Out Rate	Check Price →
	Best Electronic Dartboard for Family PlayViper Specter Electronic Dartboard	High-Quality Construction Enormous Selection of Games Reasonable Price	Check Price →
	Best Electronic Dartboard That Can Also Be Used with Steel-Tipped DartsArachnid Bullshooter Cricket Maxx 5.0 Electronic Dartboard	Accepts Both Soft- and Steel-Tipped Darts Wooden Cabinet Cricket Display	Check Price →
	Best Electronic Dartboard with Novelty GamesViper Ion LED Illuminated Dartboard	Good Quality Led-Based Novelty/Strategy Games Large Selection of Games	Check Price →
	Best Electronic Dartboard for the KidsFat Cat 727 Electronic Dartboard	Low Price Bar-Sized (13″) Face LCD Display	Check Price →
	Best Alternative Electronic Dartboard with Online ConnectivityGuz2 Electronic Professional Smart Dartboard	Free App for Online Play Well-Built Expensive	Check Price →
	Best Electronic Dartboard for a Man CaveHarley-Davidson Electronic Dartboard	Branded Harley-Davidson Merchandise Bike Sound Effects Lightweight	Check Price →
	Best Talking Electronic DartboardArachnid Cricket Pro 900 Talking Electronic Dartboard	High-Quality Materials PA Announcer Feature Tournament Quality	Check Price →

Dartboards can come in various types and sizes. They might be the standard size, recognized internationally as 18 inches in diameter for regular darts and 15½ inches for electronic ones. Alternatively, you have non-regulation practice boards, which are often 13 inches in size.

The darts themselves can be steel-tipped or soft-tipped and can weigh anywhere from 16 to 40 grams. For example, brass darts usually weigh between 18 to 23 grams, while tungsten darts typically weigh between 23 to 26 grams. Darts used with electronic boards are lighter, ranging from 14 to 20 grams.

Additionally, there are other factors to consider, like the height of the board, the distance from the throwing line, the size of the beds, the style of the spider, and the number of holes in an electronic board.

As you can see, it’s not as simple as it might appear at first glance.

Electronic dartboards have evolved significantly since they first appeared in the 1970s. Playing on them with soft-tipped darts can be a lot of fun for casual players. They often keep score for you, offer a wide variety of dart games to choose from, and can even provide electronic commentary as you throw. One of the most significant advantages is that they virtually eliminate bounce-outs, which can be frustrating for dart players, as they prevent you from scoring even when you’ve hit your target.

Electronic darts have become so popular that there are now international tournaments for electronic dart players. Most importantly, only the most dedicated or inebriated dart players would turn up their noses at the idea of playing with soft-tipped darts.

This means you have a wide selection of electronic boards to choose from to enhance your gaming experience in your game room. To assist you in making the right choice, the dedicated team at Your House Garden rolled up their sleeves, stocked up on their favorite beverages, and evaluated the best electronic dartboards on the market. Here are the ones that performed exceptionally well.

Best Electronic Dartboards

1. Arachnid Cricket Pro 800 Electronic Dartboard

Arachnid stands as the unquestioned leader in the industry, with a history dating back nearly fifty years when they pioneered some of the original electronic dartboards. Presently, they continue to produce some of the finest models available. Among these, the Cricket Pro 800 is a standout, though it comes at a higher price point, typically costing several hundred dollars. Nonetheless, it sets the standard by which other professional-level models are measured.

This dartboard adheres to the regulation size for an electronic dartboard, measuring 15½ inches in diameter. It features the classic black, red, and yellow target segments. More importantly, it boasts top-quality nylon construction, square holes that securely guide plastic-tipped darts into the board, micro-thin segment dividers to reduce bounce-outs, and ultra-sensitive sensors for precise scorekeeping.

The Pro 800 can accommodate up to eight players, displaying scores for four sets of players simultaneously on its large LED display. It also provides clear game menus and X/O marks for Cricket games. After each round, it shows the player’s average points per dart. This Arachnid unit comes pre-programmed with a total of 40 games and 179 variations, including seven different Cricket games, which explains its name. Additionally, for those who enjoy some playful banter, there are three levels of heckling that can be activated or deactivated.

The board comes with six soft-tipped darts, extra tips, mounting hardware, and an AC adapter. While it lacks a few additional features, such as a cabinet or player handicap capability, the overall quality of the Pro 800 makes these omissions inconsequential.

(If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly Arachnid option that shares similarities with the Pro 800 but doesn’t require as many games or all its features, the review team recommends the Cricket Pro 650.)

2. Viper Neptune Electronic Dartboard

If you’re looking to make an electronic dartboard the focal point of your game room, the Viper model offers an excellent choice. It comes mounted in an appealing wood veneer cabinet with an oak finish, adding an aesthetic touch to your space.

The dartboard itself is of high quality, meeting regulation size at 15½ inches in diameter. It’s constructed from commercial-grade nylon and features an ultra-thin spider design to reduce bounce-outs. Additionally, it offers a spacious 360° outside catch zone.

While the LCD display on the Viper Neptune may not be as bright or feature-rich as an LED display, it still has its merits. It can display scores for up to four players simultaneously (the system can handle up to 16 players). It also includes Cricket symbols for gameplay. However, please note that scoring averages and handicaps are not available on the Viper Neptune.

The Viper Neptune comes with a total of 57 games and 307 variations. While it doesn’t have a heckler feature (whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your preference), it does include somewhat basic applause sound effects. Moreover, you have the option to play against a virtual player at five different levels of difficulty.

3. Gran Board 3 LED Bluetooth Dartboard

The Gran Board 2 has been around for a while, but this recent upgrade to version 3 introduces some exciting features, like snazzy LED lighting and a USB port.

The board can operate with just two AA batteries, but to activate the LED lights, you’ll need to connect it to a wall outlet using a 2.4 amp charger (not included).

However, the real highlight here is that the Gran Board 3 is Bluetooth 4.0-compatible, allowing you to play online against other dart players who also use the Gran Board app (which is free). The app not only enables online play but also tracks your scoring averages and uploads them to a worldwide database, allowing you to compare your scores with players from around the world.

This regulation-size board, measuring 15½ inches in diameter, is not the highest-quality option available, as it’s made from plastic (with a foam backing designed to “reduce noise,” a feature that might not be necessary, according to the Your House Garden team). However, it performs well, with bounce-outs being relatively infrequent. Up to eight people can play locally, but only one person’s account can log onto the app at a time, making it primarily a solo experience when competing against remote players.

Since this is an app-based dartboard, your scores won’t display directly on the board itself; instead, they appear on the device running the app. This was a limitation of previous Gran Board versions that only worked with a phone or tablet, making it challenging to view your scores and stats. The Gran Board 3, however, is also compatible with a Smart TV, significantly enhancing the overall gaming experience.

While the board itself doesn’t feature an “anti-cheating camera” (a crucial element for online play), the app uses the camera on your device for this purpose. While the Gran Board 3 is relatively expensive compared to traditional dartboards, it comes at a lower cost than most other connected models.

4. Viper Specter Electronic Dartboard

You’ll notice that several manufacturers’ names frequently appear in the Your House Garden rankings because a handful of companies dominate the high-quality electronic dartboard industry. Here’s another offering from Viper.

This Viper dartboard is also designed for tournament-style play, featuring a 15½-inch thermal resin face and an ultra-thin spider. However, it doesn’t come with as many features or the attractive case found on Viper’s Neptune board.

What the Specter lacks in some areas, it makes up for with an extensive selection of games and variations. It offers a staggering 50 different games with a total of 704 variations. If you don’t require a fully-featured LED display and are content with a reliable LCD display or aren’t interested in a heckling feature, you’ll discover that this Viper model provides almost everything else you need. It includes a spacious landing zone outside the face, selectable bullseye options (a standard feature on all good electronic boards), the option to play against a computer opponent, and even a bilingual computer voice. The Specter can accommodate up to four players.

5. Arachnid Bullshooter Cricket Maxx 5.0 Electronic Dartboard

We’ve just discussed our second Viper dartboard, and now here’s our second Arachnid board, which stands out because it’s the best model that allows you to use either soft-tipped or steel-tipped darts.

Honestly, there aren’t many dual-purpose boards designed for home use, so the term “best” covers a lot of ground in this case. While this Arachnid board may not be the most durable electronic dartboard you can find, it’s worth considering for its versatility in accommodating steel-tipped darts while still handling scoring for you.

The Bullshooter dartboard features a face made from a proprietary “e-bristle” material that accepts both types of darts and displays your scores on the LED X/O Cricket-style display. You can choose from 37 games with 210 variations, and it even includes a heckler feature for added fun. The board is elegantly housed in a wooden cabinet capable of holding twelve darts, and the set comes with six soft-tipped and six steel-tipped darts, along with extra tips.

6. Viper Ion LED Illuminated Dartboard

Many electronic dartboards incorporate LED scoreboards, with some, like the Gran Board 3, using them primarily for visual appeal. However, the Viper Ion (yes, another Viper model) stands out in the Your House Garden rankings as the only one that utilizes LED lighting to assist you in your game strategy.

The LED lights are strategically placed within the scoring dividers of the board, and they come to life during games that involve hitting specific targets. For instance, they’ll guide you on the best moves during a traditional 01 game or indicate open and closed sections in Cricket. Viper has also incorporated them into 17 unique dart games, including a “spinning” game where your challenge is to “turn off” a lit segment by hitting it, with the victor being the first to extinguish all the lights.

Regarding the dartboard itself, it performs admirably. It features a 15½-inch face made from thermoplastic material, complete with ultra-thin dividers to minimize bounce-outs. Surprisingly, given its LED feature, the scoreboard is an LCD display that can be somewhat challenging to read, although it does display Cricket marks. The Ion can accommodate up to eight players, offering a total of 48 games with 315 variations, and it even allows you to play against a computer opponent.

7. Fat Cat 727 Electronic Dartboard

Our budget-friendly pick in these rankings provides everything you need for a relaxed game of electronic darts without the added features that drive up the cost.

This Fat Cat dartboard measures just 13 inches in diameter, not quite tournament-sized, but perfectly suitable for everyday play or for the kids. The LCD scoreboard may not always function flawlessly, but it’s generally reliable and displays Cricket scores as well. It offers 18 games with 96 variations, which, considering the price, is more than sufficient.

The 727 operates on 3 AA batteries, comes with six soft-tip darts (along with spare tips) and a convenient carrying bag, and can be easily wall-mounted. While it may not be anything extraordinary, it represents a solid budget-friendly choice. If you’re seeking a similar dartboard that’s slightly more expensive but still budget-friendly, the Fat Cat Rigal is the same size, offers nearly twice as many games, and features a more advanced LED scoreboard.

8. Guz² Electronic Professional Smart Dartboard

This represents a pricier alternative to the Gran Board 3, which is connected via Bluetooth.

Regrettably, these Bluetooth-enabled dartboards only allow you to connect with players using the same app as you. So, Gran Board players can’t challenge Guz2 players, and vice versa. Using this board along with the “Guz World” app provides a very similar gaming experience, but there’s a larger user base currently on Guz2, offering more potential online opponents to connect with.

The dartboard itself is a tournament-style model, measuring 15.5 inches in size and constructed from vibrant thermoplastic material. It can be made even more visually striking with the LED color mode accessible through the app and the option to interchange five front covers that encircle the face. The selection of available games is limited to just eight, including 01-style and Cricket-style games. Local play can accommodate up to eight participants, and the app provides stereo sound along with tracking statistics. It’s compatible exclusively with smartphones and tablets, not televisions.

9. Harley-Davidson Electronic Dartboard

Are you on the hunt for a gift for your favorite guy who’s decking out his man cave?

This 15½-inch electronic dartboard is an official Harley-Davidson product, sporting the iconic logo and the company’s classic colors. What sets it apart is the cool feature of a revving engine sound effect that plays when you hit the bullseye or emerge victorious in a game. While the LCD scoreboard may not be as feature-rich as an LED panel, it surpasses most LCD displays by presenting scores and Cricket marks in four vibrant colors. Additionally, the scoring areas light up and flash, adding to the excitement.

The Harley-Davidson dartboard can accommodate up to eight players, offering a choice of 48 games to enjoy. It includes two sets of darts with spare tips and runs on AC power. If you have a preference for a bristle board, Harley also offers an authentic one worth considering.

10. Arachnid Cricket Pro 900 Talking Electronic Dartboard

The decision to wrap up these rankings with another Arachnid model, despite considering the Cricket Pro 800 as the best in the market, can be attributed to two compelling reasons. Firstly, Arachnid consistently produces excellent electronic dartboards, and this particular model is undeniably of top-notch quality. Secondly, the Cricket Pro 900 provided us with a great deal of enjoyment, even though it comes with a relatively high price tag. It offers voice prompts that announce the score for you, three levels of hecklers, and a feature that allows you to record your own names and public address announcements.

Diving into the specifics, this tournament-style board matches the Pro 800 in terms of solid construction, featuring all the elements that minimize bounce-outs and extend the dartboard’s lifespan. It offers a selection of 48 games with numerous variations, accompanied by a comprehensive LED scoreboard. Additionally, it includes six darts along with extra tips.

Best Electronic Dartboards Buying Guide

Before properly evaluating an electronic dartboard, you need to know at least a little about how these devices work. Here’s a quick primer.

The Design of an Electronic Dartboard

The main distinction between traditional “bristle” dartboards and electronic models lies in their playing surfaces.

Bristle boards are crafted from a material, usually sisal but sometimes hemp, that possesses the unique ability to “self-heal” after being struck by a steel-tipped dart. This is why darts stick to a dartboard: the sisal permits the dart’s tip to penetrate the board and then closes up, securely holding the dart in place.

In contrast, electronic dartboards are typically constructed by assembling plastic or a thermoplastic material like nylon into segments and positioning them over electronic sensors that detect contact. These boards have thousands of tiny holes into which a soft-tipped dart, usually made of plastic, can stick. Once a dart lands in a hole, the electronics record its location, and the score is immediately displayed.

You might assume that it’s more challenging to get a plastic dart to stick into a plastic hole compared to a steel-tipped dart sticking into a bristle board. And you’d be correct. That’s why top-quality electronic dartboards feature high-quality surfaces and extremely thin rings around the scoring holes.

Moreover, electronic boards offer a design feature that’s not feasible with traditional dartboards: if you throw a soft-tipped dart with enough force, the board registers a score, even if the dart bounces out and hits the ground. This not only ensures fairness for players but also reduces disputes during a match because the score is instantly recorded on the electronic scoreboard.

For those seeking the “best of both worlds,” a few electronic dartboards are compatible with traditional steel-tipped darts. These boards are equipped with a special surface material called BristleTech, but they typically come at a higher cost.

Another notable difference is that electronic dartboards are generally smaller in diameter than their traditional counterparts. While the regulation size for the target area is 15½ inches, many electronic boards are as small as 13 inches. Interestingly, electronic darts regulations dictate that these boards should be mounted eight feet from the throwing line, 2¾ inches further back than a bristle board. To accommodate electronic displays, many boards are mounted in larger frames, cases, or cabinets that can be affixed to the wall.

Extra features on many types of products are just that, extra. For an electronic dartboard, though, many bells and whistles are directly linked to the amount of enjoyment you’ll get from the product.

Scoreboards

Most electronic dartboards come equipped with either LCD or LED displays, capable of tracking up to 16 players. In the case of more advanced LED units, they not only display the outcome of each throw but also illuminate scores (or X/O marks in games like Cricket) in various colors. Additionally, these units can calculate statistics like points per dart and, in some cases, suggest gameplay strategies by illuminating specific sections of the board.

The scoreboards on many electronic dartboards feature menus displaying a wide array of games, with some higher-end boards offering up to 250 different games and variations. Nearly all include popular “01” games such as 301, 501, and 701, along with a few variations of Cricket. Some also provide the option to monitor your performance and track statistics over time, allowing you to assign handicaps to players who may not be as skilled as you are at the oche.

Connectivity

One of the recent advancements in electronic dartboard technology revolves around connectivity, which can manifest in two distinct ways. First, some boards have the capability to periodically download new games and versions to expand their menu of options. Second, a select few boards allow you to engage in online gameplay against other opponents. Surprisingly, there are even online dart leagues where you can compete with dart players from various parts of the world. (Pro tip: Consider honing your skills before taking on dart players from the U.K.)

Heckling

Nonetheless, a frequently encountered “extra feature” may not necessarily enhance your enjoyment of your dart match: interactive audio heckling that activates during games. The good news is that you can typically disable the hecklers whenever you choose to do so.

Other Considerations When Buying an Electric Dartboard

If you’re in the market for a top-notch electronic dartboard that you anticipate using frequently, be prepared to invest accordingly. The best bristle dartboards generally won’t set you back more than $50 to $75, but high-end electronic models can cost a few hundred dollars. Even a quality electronic board with essential game selection and scoreboard features that most people desire will come at a higher price than the finest traditional dartboard.

Additionally, consider the placement of the board before making your purchase. While many electronic dartboards are battery-powered, some require a power source connection. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure there’s a suitable power outlet nearby in the area where you intend to mount your board to avoid any unpleasant surprises upon unboxing.

Lastly, make certain that the dartboard includes an adequate number of darts, or alternatively, purchase extra darts if needed, to accommodate everyone in your family or social circle who wishes to play. The darts you may have lying around from an old, long-forgotten dartboard likely have steel tips, rendering them unsuitable for use on a typical electronic dartboard. Soft-tipped darts are required to complement your new board.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The world of electronic dartboards offers a wide range of options to cater to the diverse preferences and needs of dart enthusiasts. Whether you’re seeking a top-tier tournament-style board with advanced features or a more budget-friendly option for casual play, there’s a suitable electronic dartboard for you.

The best electronic dartboard for your specific requirements will depend on factors like game variety, display features, connectivity options, and budget considerations. Ultimately, the perfect electronic dartboard enhances the dart-playing experience, whether you’re honing your skills, competing against friends, or enjoying a fun game night with loved ones. So, take your time to explore the available options and choose the one that best suits your darting ambitions.