Darts is one of the oldest pub games still played today. It even out dates pool. It originated in England in the late-1800’s and was a fun way for people to pass the time while they discussed local politics and gossip in their neighborhood pubs.
Eventually, it grew to be one of the most gambled on games in the country. Englishmen would set up tournaments, form teams, and bet money in this fun game that required a sharp eye and the development of good hand-eye coordination.
It’s not wonder that when English immigrants first came to America that the game took off the way that it did.
Today, darts is a televised event and players get paid big bucks to travel around the world playing darts in some of the finest casinos and billiards halls.
Despite its newfound popularity as a professional sport, however, darts still maintains its roots as a small game to played amongst friends and family. It’s become increasingly more popular to have a dart board hanging from the wall of your garage or family game room.
The great thing about darts is that anybody can realistically play it. As long as you can hold a dart between your fingers and throw it with enough force to hit a 13.5-inch target hanging on the wall, you can have a great game.
Oh yea, and don't forget your darts! In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about magnetic darts, including the benefits, how to choose them and our picks for the top 5 magnetic darts on the market.
Advantages Of Magnetic Darts
Traditionally, darts have always been played with a bristle or cork board and sharp-pointed darts that would stab into the surface of the board. While this is by far the most accurate and traditional means of playing darts, the rise of accidents caused some concern and resulted in the eventual creation of magnetic darts.
While they might not fly as fast or be as accurate as a pointed dart, magnetic darts have two distinct advantages over traditional darts.
Safety
The first advantage of magnetic darts is safety. If you take a look at your standard dart set, you’ll notice that the tips are incredibly sharp.
This allows them to sink into the surface of the board and achieve a firm hold whenever the player lands a bullseye. However, these sharp tips can cause some serious damage if somebody finds themselves on the wrong end of the dart.
While players usually aren’t aiming at people on purpose, you can never underestimate that drunk friend who isn’t paying attention or the curious child who decides to pick up one of these razor-sharp projectiles.
Magnetic darts are completely harmless. You’ll never have to worry about anybody getting hurt with these darts. They have a small, blunt, metallic tip with a magnet that connects to the magnetic dart board and holds itself in position. If you want to play a game of darts with the entire family, magnetic darts are by far the safest choice.
Longevity
Another less commonly mentioned benefit to magnetic darts is that they last a lot longer than your traditional sharp-pointed darts. This is because they are designed to function while completely blunt. Unless you severely crack or damage the magnet, you’ll be able to keep on throwing these darts again and again.
The tips on sharp darts, however, bend very easily. All it takes is one bad shot that lands on the floor or hits the metal webbing on the board and your dart tip is ruined forever.
Can Be Used Anywhere
Another great thing about magnetic darts and dartboards is that they can be used anywhere. Most offices aren’t going to let you bring a full-size dart board and potentially lethal projectiles into your cubicle. However, if you bring in a small roll-up felt target and a few magnetic darts, your boss won’t blink an eye if you shoot a few darts between phone calls.
How to Choose the Best Magnetic Darts
Before we get into the best magnetic darts to buy, let’s take a few minutes to check out some of the key features that you should pay attention to when selecting your next set of magnetic darts.
Well-Balanced Darts
The most important feature to pay attention to when it comes to darts is the balance of the dart. You should be able to pick the dart up towards the middle and have it completely balanced on the tip of your finger. If it’s too heavy in one direction or another then it won’t fly true. It will drop in mid-air, flip around, and ultimately land lower on the target than it should.
Shape Of The Tip
When it comes to magnetic darts, you won’t find a lot of variation in the shape of the tips. For the most part, they’re going to be flat and blunt. However, if you can, try to look for a tip shape that’s more aerodynamic. Some magnetic darts with have a curved tip with the magnet on the inside. This creates better airflow and allows the dart to fly farther and more accurately.
Durability
If you’re going to be playing darts with the kids, chances are that they’re going to be dropping darts and accidentally throwing them into the wall and floor multiple times. That being said, unless you want to replace your darts every single week, you need to find a durable dart that can withstand some abuse.
That means finding a magnetic tip that’s encased in a protective material and won’t crack easy, and most importantly a shaft and flight attachment that won’t snap off the second the dart hits the floor or a kid grabs it too roughly.
Dart Weight
Again, you won’t find too much variability when it comes to magnetic dart weights as its usually pretty standard. You should be shooting for a dart weight of 18 to 24 grams. The important thing is that all of your darts have a consistent weight. Nothing will mess up your shot quite as much as having to readjust your shot for every single dart you shoot.
Magnetic Dart Board Materials
One final consideration to take into mind when selecting a new dart set is the type of material that you’ll be using for your magnetic dartboard. Here are some basics to keep in mind.
Felt
A magnetic-coated felt dart board is very common to see in small gift shops and toy stores. It’s also one of the cheapest and lowest-quality material to use for a magnetic dart board. The darts tend to slip and slide down the board since they’re usually heavier than the target itself. If you’re buying magnetic darts for a felt board, make sure that you get the lightest weight darts that you can find.
Rubber
Rubber is the most common material you’ll find magnetic dart boards made out of. You’ll usually find a metallic dart board that’s coated in rubber or you’ll find a magnetic-coated sheet of rubber that can be rolled up. Because of their soft surface, you’ll almost never have to worry about your magnetic darts slipping out of position.
Metal
Although it’s uncommon to see, you might have a metal dark board. These were some of the first magnetic dart boards on the market, and their primary advantage is that they last forever. The one thing to keep in mind about metal dart boards is that if your magnetic dart is too light, it might just bounce off of the surface without making a good connection. This means that you’ll want to opt for a heavier magnetic dart whose magnetic tip has plenty of surface area.
Top 5 Best Magnetic Darts of 2021
Now that you know just about everything there is to know about magnetic darts and dart boards, let’s get into our top five picks for the best magnetic darts. You won’t find a lot of variety in overall appearance here, but the devil is in the details as they say. The main variation between these darts is their weight, balance, and the magnetic surface area.
1. SODIAL Magnetic Darts
These magnetic darts are some of the best-selling on Amazon. You can get a 10-pack for just under $4, and free shipping which is hard to beat. The thing that makes these great is that they’re 8-cm long, which gives them a great balance and overall length. They’ll fly true and hit their mark every time.
Doinkit Darts were designed to be used with the Doinkit dart board, but they’ll work with just about any magnetic dart board that you can find. They have a truly unique design. The typical shaft and flight design is replaced by a flexible nylon mesh which can be compress or elongated for a different shooting experience. The magnet is encased in a hard plastic outer which means that these darts are virtually indestructible as well.
Get your national pride on with MagiDeal national flag magnetic darts. For just $10, you get a 12-pack of well-balanced magnetic darts. This package comes with 3 British flag darts, 3 Australian, 3 American, and 3 Canadian.
If you want a magnetic dart that flies true and has a sleek, aerodynamic appearance, then the Yansellar magnetic darts are a perfect choice for you. Instead of the traditional yellow and red colors, these come in a forest green and crimson red and will match well with the existing target colors on your dart board.
If you’re looking for a slightly heavier magnetic dart that has a wide magnetic surface area then these are a solid choice. They work especially well on all-metal dart boards that require heavier darts and more metallic connectivity.
Conclusion
There you have it! Most magnetic dart boards come with custom-designed darts that are built to work perfectly with that particular board, but over time these will eventually be lost or sustain damage. It’s always a good idea to have a set up backups to rely on.
The great thing about magnetic darts is that they’re cheap, inexpensive, and as long as you’re not hurling them at rocks, they’ll last for a long time.
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