A dartboard cabinet set is a dartboard mounted inside a wooden cabinet with doors, usually sold with darts and sometimes a mat. The cabinet protects the wall around the board, hides it when it's not in use, and often has a scoreboard on the doors. To choose one, decide between steel tip and soft tip, check what's included, and make sure you have room to hang it at the right height and distance.
Steel tip (bristle/sisal) vs soft tip (electronic)
| Steel tip | Soft tip | |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Bristle board, usually compressed sisal fibers | Electronic board with plastic segments and holes |
| Darts | Metal points | Plastic points |
| Scoring | Manual, often on a chalk or dry-erase board | Usually automatic |
| Noise | Quiet thud | Louder click, plus electronic sounds |
| Power | None | Needs power or batteries |
| Wall risk | Higher, metal tips can damage walls | Lower, but bounce-outs still happen |
| Feel | The traditional pub and tournament game | Popular in bars and leagues in the US |
For most home game rooms, a steel tip sisal board in a cabinet is the classic choice. It's quiet, needs no power, and a good sisal board lasts well because the fibers close up after darts are pulled out. Soft tip boards suit families with young children or anyone who wants automatic scoring.
Can you use steel tip darts on a soft tip board? No. Metal points will damage an electronic board's plastic segments. Soft tip darts don't stick in a sisal board either. Match the darts to the board.
What a cabinet set should include
A good set means you can hang it and play the same day. Check the listing for:
- The board. Some cabinets are sold without one. If the listing doesn't mention a board, assume you need to buy it separately.
- Darts. At least one set, ideally two so two people can play without sharing.
- A scoreboard. Many cabinets have dry-erase or chalk boards inside the doors.
- Mounting hardware. Screws and brackets for hanging the cabinet.
- Floor protection. A dart mat stops dropped darts from damaging the floor and marks the throw line.
- A throw line marker. Some sets include a marker, a laser line or a measuring tape.
Dartboard setup measurements
The World Darts Federation sets the official measurements in its Playing and Tournament Rules, and many national darts bodies follow them. For steel tip darts:
- Board height: the center of the bullseye is 1.73 meters (5 feet 8 inches) from the floor.
- Throw distance: the back of the oche (the throw line) is 2.37 meters (7 feet 9¼ inches) from the face of the board, measured along the floor.
- Check measurement: the diagonal from the center of the bullseye to the back of the oche at floor level is 2.93 meters (9 feet 7⅜ inches).
These numbers are for steel tip. Soft tip leagues often use a different throw distance, so if you play soft tip in a league, check that league's rules.
How to hang a dartboard, step by step
- Pick the wall. You need a clear lane in front of the board for the throw distance plus room to stand behind the line, and no doorway opening into the throwing lane.
- Find the studs. Use a stud finder and mark where the cabinet will hang. Use wall anchors rated for the weight if you can't hit a stud.
- Mark the bullseye height. Measure 5 feet 8 inches up from the floor and mark it. That's where the center of the bull must sit, not the top of the cabinet.
- Mount the cabinet. Follow the cabinet's instructions so that the board's center lands on your mark once it's hung.
- Check it's level and the 20 is at the top. The black 20 segment should be at 12 o'clock.
- Mark the throw line. Measure 7 feet 9¼ inches along the floor from the face of the board, not from the wall, and put down a mat, a strip of tape or a marker.
- Check the diagonal. Measure from the bullseye to the back of the throw line at floor level. It should be 9 feet 7⅜ inches. If it isn't, adjust the line.
Protecting your wall and floor
Missed darts are part of the game, especially with new players. Plan for them.
- Cabinets cover the wall immediately around the board and often have a cloth-lined or reinforced back.
- Surrounds and wall defenders are foam rings that fit around the board and catch darts that miss. Some sets include them.
- Backboards are larger panels behind the board for even more coverage.
- Dart mats protect the floor from dropped darts and usually have the throw line printed on.
- Lighting helps too. A light above or in front of the board, angled so it doesn't cast shadows from the darts, makes it easier to aim.
CasaHeart's Viper cabinet sets compared
All of our cabinets and boards are Viper, a brand from GLD Products. Here they are by price, with what each listing says is included.
| Set | Price | What the listing includes |
|---|---|---|
| Viper Hudson Dartboard Cabinet, Mahogany | $104.99 | Cabinet only by its title. Solid pine with box joints, dry-erase Cricket scoreboard with marker and eraser, out chart, dart storage slots, mounting hardware |
| Viper Dead-On Dartboard and Metropolitan Cinnamon Cabinet | $176.99 | Regulation 17.75 in Dead-On sisal board, cabinet with box joints and a cloth-reinforced back |
| Viper Vault Cabinet with Shot King board and padded mat | $193.99 | Walnut-finish cabinet with magnetic lock, regulation Shot King sisal board, padded dart mat |
| Viper Metropolitan Mahogany Soft Tip Cabinet | $199.99 | Soft tip cabinet in solid pine, box joints, nickel hinges, dart storage, mounting hardware; 38.5 x 25.25 x 3.5 in |
| Viper Metropolitan Espresso Soft Tip Cabinet | $209.99 | Same as above in espresso |
| Viper Hudson Cabinet, Dead-On board, darts and mat | $223.99 | Hudson cabinet, Dead-On bristle board, Black Mariah 22 gram steel tip darts, vinyl dart mat |
| Viper Razorback board, Hudson Mahogany cabinet, mat and darts | $264.99 | Razorback sisal board, Hudson mahogany cabinet, padded mat, Black Mariah steel tip darts |
The two Metropolitan soft tip cabinets are titled as soft tip cabinets, and their listings don't mention a board, so check the product page before ordering if you need an electronic board too.
The Game Night Bundle ($329) also includes a Viper Metropolitan Cinnamon steel tip cabinet with a dry-erase scoreboard and mounting hardware, together with a Fat Cat poker table top and chips. Its listing doesn't list a board or darts.
If you already have a cabinet
If you just need a board, the Viper Black Obsidian ($104.99) is the one board in our range titled as WDF accredited. It's grade A Kenyan sisal with razor-thin spider wire, a 17.75 inch playing surface and 1.5 inches thick. For a board with wall protection and darts, the Viper Dead-On Dartboard Center ($100.99) includes a foam surround, two sets of starter darts, a throw line and a measuring tape.
The Viper cabinets list a manufacturer warranty of 90 days. Several listings carry a California Proposition 65 warning, and some include a choking-hazard note because of small parts; both are shown on the product pages.
For gift ideas across darts, poker and pool, see our game room gift ideas.