Winmau vs. Unicorn dartboards—isn’t this one of the questions that many darts players will inevitably ask themselves at one point in time or another?
We have all seen the Unicorn dartboards the pros play on in tournaments—but Winmau can also be seen in some tournaments.
Although seasoned darts players who have gone through several different dartboards already may know the answer. Or at least have already picked their favorite, beginner darts players looking to buy their first dartboard will definitely wonder which company makes the better dartboards.
If we compare Winmau vs. Unicorn dartboards, we will see that Winmau dartboards are made from higher quality sisal fibers. As a result, Winmau dartboards, compared to Unicorn dartboards, are more durable and longer-lasting. On average Winmau dartboards are more expensive than Unicorn dartboards.
Below I share with you more in-depth information about the differences between Winmau and Unicorn dartboards and everything that you should know about them.
So without further ado, let’s take a look.
Contents
Winmau Dartboards
| Brand and Model | Type | Size | Self Healing | Staple Free Wiring | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winmau Blade 5 | Bristle | 17.72″ | Yes | Yes | Check Current Price on Amazon |
| Winmau Blade 5 Dual Core | Bristle | 17.72″ | Yes | Yes | Check Current Price on Amazon |
| Winmau Diamond Plus Dartboard | Bristle | 17.75″ | Yes | No | Check Current Price on Amazon |
Winmau has a good variety of different dartboards. Just to name a few:
- Blade 5
- Blade 5 Dual Core
- MvG Diamond Edition
- Champions Choice Blade Dual Core
- Diamond Plus
- Green Zone Blade Dual Core
- Pro SFB
Winmau also offers Londo 5’s, Ipswich 5’s, and Yorkshire dartboards, among others.
Winmau has built a reputation for itself to be one of the top manufacturers of dartboards and darts equipment. It stays on top of things and always aims to offers something new to darts players all over the world.
It is no coincidence that Winmau darts and dartboards are some of the most popularly used one’s today.
The bristle quality
One of the reasons why Winmau dartboards are so popular among darts players is because they are made from high-quality materials, including the bristle fibers.
This makes Winmau dartboards one of the best dartboards when it comes to self-healing capabilities. (See article: The best self-healing dartboards)
The Dual Core
Since the introduction of the Blade 4 dartboard, Winmau started offering two types of dartboards, (1) a standard dartboard, and (2) a Dual Core dartboard.
The Dual Core is exactly what it sounds like—the dartboard is made from two cores or layers of sisal fibers. One longer and one shorter layer. Those layers have different characteristics and are designed to provide better experience playing, reduce bounce-outs, and improve the dartboard’s longevity.
The Dual Core dartboards are usually more expensive than the standard model and may be an excellent choice for some players. (See article: Winmau Blade 5 vs Blade 5 Dual Core)
The blade wiring
One of the top features of Winmau’s dartboards is the incredibly thin wires—especially with the Blade 5 dartboards.
With each new generation of Blade dartboards, Winmau continues to build on top and improve on the wiring of their previous dartboards; what we get is thinner and more durable wires that not only last a long time but also reduce bounce-outs significantly.
On another point, the majority of Winmau dartboards are completely staple-free, making for excellent experience while playing. Staples are becoming a thing of the past, although stapled dartboards are still being manufactured and sold today.
The rota-lock system
Winmau has also changed the way its new dartboards are mounted on the wall. By introducing the Rota-Lock system Winmau has revolutionized, in their own way, the way people mount their dartboards.
Instead of using the standard unadjustable metal or rubber feet to balance the dartboard, Winmau dartboards use several small rotatable feet that can be adjusted individually—this makes dartboards a lot more stable and balanced on all types of walls.
Excellent value
Winmau dartboards are a little on the expensive side compared to the other bristle dartboards. However, this is to be expected from such high-quality dartboards.
Even when compared to other dartboards that are cheaper, the difference in price is not that big. It is often well worth spending $10 to $25 more to get a dartboard with a higher quality. (See article: How much does a dartboard cost?)
Unicorn Dartboards
| Brand and Model | Type | Size | Self Healing | Staple Free Wiring | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unicorn Eclipse Pro 2 Dartboard | Bristle | 18.11″ | Yes | Yes | Check Current Price on Amazon |
| Unicorn Eclipse Pro Dartboard | Bristle | 18.11″ | Yes | Yes | Check Current Price on Amazon |
| Unicorn Striker Dartboard | Bristle | 18.11″ | Yes | Yes | Check Current Price on Amazon |
There are several different Unicorn dartboards that we can choose from. A few examples:
- Unicorn Eclipse Pro Dartboard
- Unicorn Eclipse Pro 2 Dartboard
- Unicorn Eclipse HD2 Pro
- Unicorn Striker Dartboard
When it comes to Unicorn products, I’ve stumbled upon two types of people. Those that think Unicorn is one of the top manufacturers of darts equipment and those that want nothing to do with Unicorn products.
Although the problems with the lower-end Unicorn darts are well-known, this article focuses on dartboards, so I will be focusing on Unicorn dartboards in particular.
Used in the PDC
If you have been watching the PDC, I am sure you have noticed that the pros play on Unicorn dartboards. This can lead to people thinking that Unicorn dartboards must be of very high-quality.
And I certainly have been asked that question simply based on the fact that you constantly see Unicorn dartboards on the PDC.
However, let’s not forget that Unicorn is among the biggest shareholders in the PDC, which does give them a bit of leverage, so to speak.
In which case, it is my belief that we should be as objective as possible and also consider what the darts community also believes and experiences with Unicorn products.
The bristle quality
Unicorn dartboards usually come with high-quality wiring that is very thin. This leads to an increased playing area and fewer bounce-outs.
This used to be Unicorn’s strong points. A few years ago, Unicorn definitely had the better wiring compared to Winmau dartboards. However, today Winmau has caught up.
Unicorn dartboards are made from high-quality sisal fibers, too. However, on some dartboards, the sisal seems a little too soft and on others (like the Eclipse Pro) too hard. In addition to that, I’ve had players report that Unicorn dartboards tend to warp or lose their spider over time.
One of the things that darts players are looking in a dartboard is its capability to self-heal over time. (See article: What to look for when buying a dartboard?)
Although Unicorn dartboards can self-heal, when compared to Winmau dartboards, they seem inferior.
The numbers ring
There’s a rotatable numbers ring that allows the dartboard to be rotatable in order to give the different segments time to heal over time.
However, some of the number rings can be plastic and easily break if hit by a stray dart.
The quality control
On paper, Unicorn dartboards should make for an excellent choice. However, in reality, things seem a little different.
If you have been playing darts for a while, you will know that Unicorn is well-known for its quality control problems.
Unicorn dartboards are not bad dartboards per se. Unfortunately, most of the Unicorn’s dartboard aspects are hit and miss and mediocre at best.
Overall a beginner player who has never played on a different dartboard may not notice the little cons of these dartboards simply because they do not have anything to compare it to.
That being said, Unicron dartboards are usually cheaper on average compared to Winmau dartboards, which is a plus for people that are on the budget and are not looking to get too serious about playing—especially if purchased on a sale with a good discount.
However, the price difference, in many cases, may not be big enough to make a compelling case.
Even in the $50 range, there are better choices like the G3 by one80. (See article: What are the best dartboards under $50)
Winmau vs Unicorn dartboards: Which one is better?
When it comes to playing darts, the dartboard is possibly the most important part that no player should ever compromise with. Buying a poor quality dartboard is the easiest way to lose interest in playing darts.
Winmau dartboards, currently, are considered one of the best dartboards that you can get for the money. (See article: What are the best dartboards?)
From a Winmau dartboard, you can expect the following:
- A high-quality dartboard that will last a really long time if properly looked after and cared for.
- Very bright and easy to see segments that are painted with very vivid colors.
- Very thin and well-designed wiring that reduces bounce outs.
- An adjustable mounting system that will keep your dartboard well-balanced even on uneven mounting surfaces.
- Fun experience playing.
Conversely, Winmau dartboards may seem a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. With the higher price tag comes a higher-quality dartboard, which means better experience playing.
The Blade 4, for example, was one of the best long-lasting dartboards. Even today, there are darts players that have and play on their original Blade 4.
The Blade 5 didn’t quite live up to the same expectations, but nonetheless, the Blade 5 remains one of the best dartboards.
Unicorn dartboards compared to Winmau dartboards just do not hold up.
Unicorn dartboards are of good quality, though, they feel a little lackluster compared to most Winmau dartboards—especially after considering that Winmau dartboards tend to last longer than Unicorn dartboards.
It just seems like Unicorn’s quality control is lacking. (Which is one of the biggest complaints by most players that have tried out a Unicorn dartboard.)
Winmau dartboards, currently, just seem to be the right choice.