Short answer: the board decides, not you. An electronic dartboard takes soft tip darts, which have a plastic point and usually weigh 16 to 20 grams. A bristle board (sisal) takes steel tip darts, usually 20 to 26 grams. Put steel tips in an electronic board and you will crack the segments. Put soft tips in a bristle board and most of them will bounce out. Everything else in this guide is detail.
Which darts work best with an electronic dartboard?
Soft tip darts, and specifically ones that respect three limits printed in your board's manual.
Weight. Most electronic boards are rated for 18 g or 20 g maximum per dart. The segments are thin plastic with a sensor membrane behind them. A heavier dart hits harder, lands deeper, and over a few thousand throws it wears the holes wide until darts start falling out. Stay at or under the rating. If the manual is gone, 18 g is the safe default that fits nearly every board sold in the last ten years.
Tip. Soft tips are plastic and screw into the barrel on a 2BA thread, which is the standard used by almost every board and dart maker. The tip should be short and slightly flexible. Long or rigid tips snap more often and jam in the segment holes.
Point condition. Electronic boards need the tip to trigger the sensor. A tip that is bent, chewed, or shortened from breaking off will register misses on hits. Keep spares. Tips are the one part of a soft tip set you will replace regularly, which is normal, not a defect.
What is the actual difference between soft tip and steel tip?
| Soft tip | Steel tip | |
|---|---|---|
| Point | Plastic, replaceable, 2BA thread | Steel, fixed or replaceable |
| Board | Electronic (plastic segments) | Bristle (sisal) |
| Typical weight | 16 to 20 g | 20 to 26 g |
| Bounce-outs | Frequent when the tip hits a segment divider | Rare on a good sisal board |
| Wear item | The tips | The board |
| Scoring | Automatic | You count |
| Where you play | Home, bars with electronic boards, online leagues | Pubs, clubs, leagues, tournaments |
The barrel, shaft, and flight can be identical. Many players own one set of barrels and swap between plastic and steel points depending on the board in front of them. The weight limit is the reason that does not always work: a 24 g steel tip barrel is too heavy for most electronic boards even with a plastic point screwed in.
Do soft tip darts bounce out more?
Yes, and it is the board's fault more than the dart's. An electronic board is a grid of plastic segments separated by dividers, and the holes are a fixed size. A dart that lands on a divider or at a shallow angle has nowhere to go. Three things reduce it:
- Stay under the weight limit. Heavier darts do not bounce out less on plastic. They land harder, and the extra force is what damages segments.
- Throw with a slight upward arc. A dart entering the board point-down at a shallow angle is more likely to slide into a hole than one thrown flat.
- Replace bent tips immediately. A tip that is even slightly off-axis catches dividers it would otherwise miss.
If your bounce-outs are constant regardless of tip condition, check the board. Worn segments with enlarged holes are the most common cause and no dart fixes that.
Can I use soft tip darts on a bristle board?
You can, and nothing breaks, but it is a poor experience. Sisal grips a steel point because the fibres part and close around it. A plastic point is thicker and blunter, so it parts fewer fibres and holds less. Expect more bounce-outs and darts that sag under their own weight. If you have one bristle board and one electronic board at home, buy two sets. They are affordable enough that swapping points constantly is not worth the hassle.
Can I use steel tip darts on an electronic board?
No. This is the one combination that causes permanent damage. The steel point is harder than the segment plastic and will pierce, crack, or chip it. Some boards are sold as "steel tip electronic" with a bristle face over sensors, and those are a separate category. On a standard plastic-segment electronic board, steel tips are off the table.
What weight soft tip darts should a beginner buy?
18 grams. It is under the limit of almost every board, it is heavy enough to fly straight without a perfect throw, and it is where the largest share of soft tip players end up. If your board is rated for 20 g and you already know you prefer a heavier feel, 20 g works. Go to 16 g only if you throw hard and fast and find 18 g darts landing high.
The jump between weights matters more in soft tip than in steel tip. Going from 16 g to 18 g changes the feel more than going from 22 g to 24 g does with steel, because the change is a larger share of the total. Pick one weight, throw it for a month, and only then judge.
What should I look for in a soft tip darts set?
A stated weight per dart. If the listing does not say how heavy each dart is, the maker is not controlling it. Weight consistency across the three darts in a set matters more than the number itself.
2BA thread. It is the standard, and it means any spare tips or shafts you buy later will fit. Avoid sets on a proprietary thread.
Spare tips included, or available. You will break tips. A set that ships with extras, or a maker that sells a tip pack separately, saves a trip.
Barrel grip you can hold with wet hands. Home games mean drinks. A knurled or ringed barrel stays put. A smooth barrel looks clean in photos and slips in practice.
Flights that are the same shape. A set of three darts should fly the same. Mixed flight shapes in one set are a sign the parts were bagged, not matched.
Frequently asked questions
Are soft tip darts lighter than steel tip darts?
Yes, almost always. Soft tip darts typically weigh 16 to 20 g because electronic boards are rated for 18 g or 20 g maximum. Steel tip darts are usually 20 to 26 g.
What does 2BA mean on soft tip darts?
2BA is the thread size that connects the tip to the barrel. It is the standard for nearly all soft tip darts and boards, so any 2BA tip fits any 2BA barrel.
How often do soft tip points need replacing?
Whenever one bends or snaps, which for a casual player is every few weeks. Bent tips cause bounce-outs and misregistered scores, so replace them as soon as you notice.
Can one set of darts work on both electronic and bristle boards?
Only if the barrel weight is under the electronic board's limit and you swap between plastic and steel points. In practice most players keep one set for each board.
Do heavier soft tip darts score better on electronic boards?
No. They land harder, wear the segments faster, and do not reduce bounce-outs. Stay at or under the weight printed on your board.
Are soft tip darts good for beginners?
Yes. Automatic scoring removes the maths, the plastic tips are safer around walls and floors, and 18 g darts are forgiving of an imperfect throw.
IgnatGames makes soft tip darts in 16 g, 18 g, 20 g and 22 g, plus a 9-pack soft tip set and a 70-pack of replacement 2BA tips, all built around the limits above. This guide holds no matter whose darts you throw.
