The Best Darts Setup for Beginners
So, you have caught the darts bug, and want a proper set up at home. Good decision! The only trouble is, shopping for darts can be a little overwhelming when you don't yet know your flights from your shafts. That’s why we’ve put together this guide, laying out exactly what you need for the best darts setup for beginners, and what you can skip for now.
The essentials
You can be playing your first game as early as tonight with just two things: a board and a set of darts. Everything else makes the experience better and protects your house, but these two are the non-negotiables.
1. A dartboard
The board is the heart of the game, so do not cut corners with your selection. Avoid the cheapest paper-wound boards as they wear out fast and play poorly, and instead look for a quality bristle board made of sisal, which heals over when you pull the dart and lasts for years. The Fortis dartboard is a brilliant first board. It has thin wiring to cut down on bounce-outs and is built to take a beating, so check out all our options today in our full dartboards collection.
2. A set of darts
For your first set, go for a medium weight (somewhere around 22 to 24 grams) but don’t overthink it too much. The aim is to find a comfortable, easy-to-throw dart you can learn the basics with, and our best darts for beginners collection is chosen for exactly this. If you would also like to understand dart weight before you buy, then our guide on choosing your first darts covers the basics.
The kit that protects your home
These next items are not strictly essential, but anyone playing at home should have them. They will save your walls, your floor and your darts, and they make the whole setup feel like a proper oche.
3. A dart mat
A mat does two jobs. It marks your throw line at the correct distance, so there is nothing to measure, and it protects your floor from stray darts. Hard floors blunt points and crack barrels, so browse our dart mats and oches here.
4. A surround
A dartboard surround is a shock-absorbing ring that fits around the board and catches any darts that miss the board. As a beginner you will miss the board on plenty of occasions, so a surround is a great investment to save your wall from a peppering of holes and keep your setup looking tidy.
5. Lighting
Playing in a dim corner makes the game harder than it needs to be, whilst good light genuinely improves your scoring. A clearly lit board with no shadows is easier to read, and the Trilight LED system will wrap your board in even light and prevent glare from interrupting your games.
Dartboard bundles
Sourcing the board, light, mat and surround separately is fine, but for most beginners, a bundle is the simplest route to a complete setup. Our dartboard bundles pair the right pieces together, at a better price than buying them one by one, to deliver the best darts setup for beginners, without the hassle.
The finishing touches
None of these accessories are essential to include in your beginner darts kit, but they are nice to have as you get into the game:
- A dart case : A slimcase keeps your darts safe, and your spare flights and shafts in one place.
- Spare flights and shafts : These wear out first, so keeping a few spares to hand means you are never out of action mid-game.
- A scoreboard. A simple whiteboard or chalkboard on the wall keeps the maths honest during a game of 501.
Setting it all up
Once your beginner darts kit arrives, it won’t take long to get it up on your wall. Hang the board with the centre of the bull at 5 feet 8 inches, or 173cm, from the floor, and mark your throw line at 7 feet 9.25 inches, or 237cm, measured from the face of the board (or let your oche mat do this part for you).
Once you’re all set up, then you are ready to throw.
What to skip for now
It is easy to get carried away when shopping for the your beginners darts setup, but as a first-time player you do not need a premium tungsten set, a fancy cabinet or three different flight shapes.
Instead, it’s best to start simple. Learn your throw on a forgiving beginners set, then upgrade your setup once you know what you like. Our Quick Point range is a great next step when you are ready, because it lets you tune your setup without buying whole new darts.
The best darts setup for beginners
The very best darts setup for beginners includes:
- A quality bristle board, such as the Fortis, or a bundle.
- A medium weight set of beginner darts, weighing around 22 to 24 grams.
- A dart mat to mark the oche line and protect the floor.
- A surround to protect the wall.
- Good lighting so you can see what you are doing.
Get those five things and you have a complete, proper setup that will see you from your first throw to your first 180. Browse our bundles to shop them all in one go, and welcome to the game!