Steel Tip or Soft Tip?
Start here. The answer comes down to one thing: what board are you throwing at?
Steel tip
For traditional sisal ("bristle") boards — what you'll find in the pub, the local league, and on TV. Heavier darts, no maximum weight.
Soft tip
For electronic boards that keep score for you — standard in most US bars and Asian leagues. Lighter darts, usually capped at 20g by the machine.
Barrel Material: Brass vs Tungsten
The barrel is the metal body you grip. It's the part of the dart that matters most.
Brass: fine for starting out
Brass is cheap and cheerful. The catch is density: to get a brass dart up to a decent weight, the barrel has to be fat and clumsy, and fat barrels don't group. You'll want to upgrade fast.
Tungsten: what everyone actually throws
Tungsten is dense enough to pack 24 grams into a slim barrel — so three darts can sit tight in the treble 20 without knocking each other out. Look for 80% or 90% tungsten content from a proper darts brand (Target, Winmau, Unicorn, Red Dragon, Harrows). A £40 set will last you years.
Left, a brass dart (thick); right, a tungsten dart (thin) at the same weight.
Tip: spend a bit more on 80% or 90% tungsten from day one. You won't need to buy another set for a long time.
Weight: Finding What Sits Right
Weight changes the flight path. Heavier darts drop into the board with a steeper arc and less effort; lighter darts fly flatter and need a stronger, more direct throw. There's no "correct" number — it's about what fits your action.
Most darts fall between 16g and 26g, depending on board type.
| Tip type | Starting weight |
|---|---|
| Steel tip | 22g - 24g |
| Soft tip | 16g - 18g |
If your darts float and land high on the board, go a gram or two heavier. If you're punching them in and hitting low, try lighter.
Barrel Shape and Grip
This is where personal preference takes over. Where do you hold the dart — up near the point, in the middle, or back by the shaft?
Shape
- Straight barrel: the classic. Weight sits in the middle, and it suits pretty much any grip.
- Torpedo (front-loaded): fatter at the front, tapered at the back. The weight sits forward, which works if you hold up near the point — think Phil Taylor.
Grip (texture)
Grip types compared: smooth (top), standard ringed (middle), aggressive shark grip (bottom).
- Smooth: almost no texture. Suits a light, quick release.
- Ringed: the standard. Shallow rings that give you a predictable feel without eating into your fingers.
- Shark or razor grip: aggressive machined cuts that really dig in. Great if your fingers slip on the release, brutal if you throw a lot in one session.
Shafts and Flights: The Fine Tuning
Shafts
Shafts come in short, medium and long, in nylon or aluminium. Length shifts where the dart balances in the air. Start with medium nylon — cheap, durable, and they'll do the job while you work out what you like.
Flights
Flights stabilise the dart as it travels. Standard shape (the big, wide one) gives the most lift and forgives a wobbly throw — start there and only get exotic once you know your action.
Wrapping up
There's no such thing as a magic dart. The best set is the one that feels right in your hand.
For your first proper steel-tip purchase, you won't go far wrong with an 80% or 90% tungsten set, straight barrel, 22-24 grams, medium nylon shafts and standard flights. That combination has started more darts careers than any other.
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