It is a question often asked by many - Which dartboard lasts the longest? To find a definitive answer to this question DartsPal carried out an investigation by testing 5 different stapleless dartboards.
The Investigation
To determine which dartboard was the best in terms of durability, we carried out the following investigation on the top 5 most commonly used stapleless boards in the UK:
- The same player threw on each board for 30 minutes every day for 3 months
- The same darts used on each dartboard so that there were no discrepancies in the weighting
- Board not turned during the process
- 20 minutes of each session thrown at the treble 20 bed
- 10 minutes spread between other numbers on the board and the bullseye
- Reviews on each board after each month.
Boards Tested:
Board One: Winmau Blade 5
Board Two: Eclipse Pro HD 2
Board Three: Bulls Advantage 5.01
Board Four: Harrows Pro Matchplay
Board Five: Target Pro Tour
End of Month 1 - In order from worst to best performing
Worst Performing: Eclipse Pro HD 2
Already showing heavy signs of wear on the treble 20 bed so much that many of the darts are not staying in the and around the treble 20 bed.
Average Performing: Target Pro Tour, Harrows Pro Matchplay, Winmau Blade 5
These boards are showing a considerable amount of wear but darts are still comfortably staying in the treble 20 bed. The rest of the board still in perfect condition.
Best Performing: Bulls Advantage 5.01
Minor signs of wear. The 20 bed looks considerably better in comparison to its competitors.
End of Month 2 - In order from worst to best performing
Worst Performing: Eclipse Pro HD 2
Throwing at the treble 20 requires more force than normal for them to sit comfortably. Rest of the board still in good condition.
Average Performing: Target Pro Tour, Harrows Pro Matchplay, Winmau Blade 5
20 bed looking worse for wear. Still sit in the board comfortably but would have turned the board to a fresh treble half way through the month. Rest of the board still in good condition.
Best Performing: Bulls Advantage 5.01
Starting to show signs of wear but the 20 bed still in good enough condition to continue playing without the risk of any darts falling out.
Month 3 (Final) - In order from worst to best performing
Worst Performing: Eclipse Pro HD 2
A lump is protruding from the 20 bed making the bed unusable. Around 1 in 6 darts fall out. Of course, if this was your practice board you would have turned to a fresh 20 bed a lot earlier to stop this happening so soon.
Average Performing: Target Pro Tour, Harrows Pro Matchplay, Winmau Blade 5
Around 1 in 12 darts falling out of the bed with normal force.
Best Performing: Bulls Advantage 5.01
20 bed is finally showing signs of wear however darts still stay in the board with normal force.
So there you have it. The clear winner in terms of durability was the Bulls Advantage 5.01. The next Target Pro Tour, Harrows Pro Matchplay and Blade 5 all faired similarly and the Eclipse Pro HD 2 was the worst performer and was the only board to start protruding in month 3.
Best prices around the web:
Harrows Pro Matchplay - £29.99 from here
Target Pro Tour - £30.00 from here
Eclipse Pro HD 2 - £51.99 from here
Blade 5 - £37.95 from here
Bulls Advantage 5.01 - £41.99 from here
We want to hear your experiences are with any of the boards we have reviewed in this article or any others that you have tried. Be sure to leave your comments below.
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