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Steel Tip vs Soft Tip Darts
They use different boards, different distances and different darts. Choosing one closes the door on the other, so choose deliberately.
How these picks were made: from published manufacturer specifications, governing-body standards and the room arithmetic - not from first-hand use. We have not played on these tables. Read the method.
The comparison
| Steel tip | Soft tip | |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Sisal (bristle) | Electronic plastic |
| Throw distance | 7 ft 9.25 in | Commonly 8 ft - check the manual |
| Board height | 5 ft 8 in to bull center | 5 ft 8 in to bull center |
| Scoring | Manual or a phone app | Automatic |
| Wall damage | Real - protection needed | Minimal |
| Dart weight | Commonly 21-26 g | Commonly 16-20 g |
| Bounce-outs | Replayed or ignored | Scored as a miss |
| Noise | A single thud | Clatter plus electronic audio |
| Competition use | PDC, WDF, most leagues | Soft-tip leagues exist separately |
The choice is one-way
Steel tips destroy an electronic board's plastic segments and damage the sensors underneath. Soft tips will not stick in sisal. The darts are weighted differently, and conversion tips exist but are a compromise in both directions.
So this is not a feature you can hedge on. Pick the board type, buy the matching darts, and accept that the other game is not available on the same wall.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Board type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core Dartboard | The steel tip answer | Sisal, 7 ft 9.25 in | |
| 2 |  Arachnid Cricket Pro Electronic Dartboard | The soft tip answer | Electronic, commonly 8 ft | |
| 3 | Winmau Plumata Steel-Tip Darts | Steel tip darts | Mid-weight set |
A setup for each
#1 · The steel tip answer
Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core Dartboard
The league standard. Dense sisal and very thin wire, so bounce-outs drop and the segments stay tight after a season of use.
If you want the real game with the real feel, this is where steel tip lands.
- What works
- The board leagues play on
- Self-healing sisal lasts years
- What does not
- Needs wall protection
- No scoring
#2 · The soft tip answer
Arachnid Cricket Pro Electronic Dartboard
Soft-tip electronic scoring with a long game list and an LED display. Scoring is the feature; the throw is quieter than steel tip.
If scoring is what keeps people playing, soft tip on an electronic board is the right call.
- What works
- Automatic scoring and handicaps
- What does not
- Bounce-outs score as misses
#3 · Steel tip darts
Winmau Plumata Steel-Tip Darts
A mid-weight steel-tip set. Weight preference is personal and unteachable: start in the mid-20-gram range and adjust.
Start mid-20-gram and adjust. Weight preference is personal and unteachable.
- What works
- A sensible starting weight
- What does not
- Steel tip only - will not work on an electronic board
Why the distances differ
The World Darts Federation sets steel-tip play at 7 feet 9.25 inches from the board face to the oche, with the bull at 5 feet 8 inches. Electronic boards sit in a housing that puts the playing surface further out from the wall, and soft-tip organizations standardized on 8 feet to account for it.
Both measure horizontally from the board face, and both use the same board height. If you swap board types later, you move the oche - not the bracket. Full setup numbers here.
Dart weight, briefly
Steel-tip darts commonly run 21 to 26 grams; soft-tip darts run lighter, commonly 16 to 20 grams, because electronic segments are designed around less mass. Within those bands, weight is personal preference and nobody can tell you yours. Start in the middle and change one variable at a time.
Sources and method
Steel-tip height and distance are the World Darts Federation regulations. Soft-tip distance is the common manufacturer figure, which varies by board - the manual is authoritative. We have not thrown at these boards.
