When we first start with darts, we don’t really think about it. Then eventually when we get really into darting at some point, we start wondering if it is worth investing in more expensive equipment.
One such accessory is our darts.
Darts are the bread and butter to any darts player. They will either make or break your game.
However, certain price point we are not really going to get any benefits from spending more.
That can be observed with other sports too but do we see the same thing with darts?
So do expensive darts make a difference when playing? Expensive darts are made of better and higher quality materials like tungsten. The higher the percentage of tungsten makes the dart more expensive. Other darts are made of less expensive metals like brass and nickel. The less expensive darts can wear down faster and will feel different.
If you find yourself enjoying darts, it is only a question of time until you set your eyes on some of the more expensive dart sets.
A dart seems like a pretty simple thing, so what exactly makes it cheaper or more expensive?
Contents
What Makes Darts Expensive?
The material they are made of
The material is going to be one of the main factors when determining the cost of a dart. The lower percentages will be cheaper compared to darts with 90% tungsten.
Manufacturing
Aspects like how complicated the grip is, fancy machining, and type of coating will all play a significant role in the cost of producing the darts.
Endorsement
If a well-known pro is sponsoring a dart set, you can expect it to be more expensive as a result.
How much you are paying just for the endorsement and the name is hard to guess, but I wouldn’t recommend getting yourself a set of Phil Taylors.
Other factors
There are other factors that will influence the price of the darts that may not necessarily correlate in any way to the materials, build quality, and reliability of the darts.
- Country of origin
- Packaging
- Advertising
- Taxes
Are Expensive Darts Good for Beginners and Casual Players?
For beginners or people that play only occasionally, I would NOT recommend going for the expensive models.
There simply is no need for that.
Start with throwing some of the cheaper darts. Of course, you don’t have to buy the cheapest possible darts on the market; however, there is no reason to spend more than you need to.
For beginners and casual players, an averagely priced dart sets like these on Amazon are perfect. These come at a very affordable price and you will have the benefit of playing with some quality darts that have a good feel to them.
And for something a little bit more premium:
Throwing darts like these will allow you to get a feel for them.
The quest for the perfect dart is a difficult one, and it takes time and practice. There is no way of knowing what will feel best for you, so no reason to risk getting a really expensive set of darts.
With time you will be able to find what feels best for you, like:
- Darts with smoother or rougher barrel grip. Some people prefer darts that have more of a grip to them as it gives them better control.
- Heavier or lighter darts. Usually, people use 23 to 25 gram darts.
- The length of the stems.
- Even the shape of the flights
Expensive vs. Cheap Darts Differences and Comparison
Expensive darts dimensions
Dimensions is a tough topic as there are just so many different options here, and are they bad? No, not really.
Usually, darts will be in the range of 42 mm to 56 mm.
The longer the dart, the heavier it is and the shorter – the lighter it will be.
What will feel best is really up to personal feel and preference.
The diameter of darts is normally in the range of 6 to 7 mm. Usually, people won’t be able to tell the difference between barrels like 6.3 or 6.5 mm, but it is all down to personal feel and preference again.
Expensive darts and weight
Higher quality darts that are made with 80 to 95% tungsten can be a lot thinner while being at a weight that you may like.
Cheaper darts, on the other hand, will tend to be bulkier at higher weights, which might feel very uncomfortable to some people.
Compared to tungsten brass darts will definitely be thicker because brass is lighter metal and this can also increase the number of bounce outs.
Do expensive darts fly better?
When comparing cheap and expensive darts side by side, you can definitely feel the difference.
Expensive darts are usually better balanced. A better balance that has spread the weight of the dart will allow for better and more controlled throws.
Do expensive darts provide better accuracy?
If you are playing with your buddies and friends, I feel like you don’t have to worry about this too much.
However, if we really need to dig deep, expensive darts might allow for better and more accurate throws on a more consistent basis.
Why?
The thing that is important is quality control.
If you really want to develop the muscle memory and have the perfect throw every time you need every dart to feel and weight the same every single time. Otherwise, this will hinder your accuracy.
With that being said, some pros have been known to use the same set of darts for years. The darts may no longer be perfectly weight-matched, and the grip may have been worn out with time, but they still have high averages on a consistent basis.
Are expensive darts more durable?
Overall expensive darts will be made with higher quality materials.
For example, they will tend to come with better quality tungsten that will have fewer nicks, and the grip will wear off slower compared to cheaper darts.
Should You Buy Expensive Darts?
For every beginner, it is worth starting with a cheap set of darts. It doesn’t have to be the cheapest plastic darts, but they can still be used for some really good throws and spend fun time with your buddies.
What I would recommend is that stick with a cheaper set of darts in the beginning until you get curious enough to buy a newer set in order to see if they will make a difference.
A good price point is considered to be about $20. At this price, you can expect to experience some significant difference in the feel of the darts.
From that point, anything more expensive would not bring any substantial gains or improvements unless you are really looking into some fine-tuning and really taking it one step further.
However, for anyone that is just looking to spend some fun time and not really aspiring to be a professional a price range of $20 to $30 is about the golden mean.
Are Expensive Darts Really Worth It?
If you ask around you will definitely see that a lot of people have had some of their best throws ever with cheaper darts.
I’ve been alluding to that since the beginning of the article, and the simple fact is – the price is irrelevant, and it doesn’t matter.
Will an expensive dart make you a better player? Maybe .. or maybe it won’t. In fact, playing 30 minutes a day with cheaper darts could bring you to a whole another level a lot faster than playing with expensive darts occasionally.
Of course, if we are comparing the cheapest possible, most bottom of the barrel, darts we can find the pros of getting a more expensive model will be more than obvious. The general opinion has been that a $20-30 price range (or about £20) is going to offer us the best quality for the money.
Expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better in darts, however, there is a thing like way too cheap.
Expensive darts are worth it to a certain price point from there it is simply a matter of collector’s value.
If this really build into a habit and you really enjoy darts and are growing curious to see what is like having some of the more quality darts then at this point you can buy some more expensive darts.