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Guys, let’s be honest and agree on the fact that it’s nearly impossible that you take all your dart shots with precision and they always end up hitting the bull-eye! It’s quite a normal thing that the darts do have a bounce-outs, on the floors and walls. We have already given a good comprehensive review of dartboard backs and cabinets, therefore today we decided to look for some floor care.
But wait before that, I would like to share one of my personal experiences with you that would really help you in purchasing the right quality of dart mat! There are hundreds of products in the market. Lets compare Our Top-3 products against each other so you can make better buying decision.
My friend I decided to have a friendly dart match and we ended up with a gaming night stay over. So here’s the most fun and yet embarrassing moment when I say my friend flipping over the dart mat straight flat on the floor because of this foam-padded dart mat which mistakenly we placed on the carpeted surface! However, it was quite hard for me to control my good laugh!
Luckily she didn’t get hurt because of the carpet flooring. The catch here for you guys is the importance of the dart mat and the considerations you need to see before making the final purchase decision regarding the dart mat! (that I will be covering that later in this article)
After being overwhelmed with all the lucrative prices, designs and exceptional values that I found on Amazon, I picked a few ones for you guys that can be of great help! First, I am pinning down the top three ones!
You must be aking yourself, Do I Really need a dart mat?, well the answer is YES!
So, with that being said, yes! you should understand the need for the dart mat before buying one!
- Firstly, it actually protects the floor against the dart tip marks, especially if you are using heavy darts set or steel tip darts
- Second, it saves your time for thinking about the exact position of your feet and body position with the help of reference throw lines on the dart mart. Also, they give you professional feel with the official regulated marked throw lines and you get a good hands-on practice
- Thirdly, you must know that changing or replacing the expensive darts is seriously no joke. Also, a fully customized set of darts can cost about a few hundred bugs. Therefore, you can save yourself from this expense hassle by once and for all guarding your dartboard backs and floors with the dart mats and dartboard backs.
So, in consideration of the foregoing, I would be discussing a few comprehensively to get you a better idea of all the available options available in the market!
Here are Best Dart Mats We Reviewed :
1. Viper Padded Throw
- Made of soft, cushioned vinyl, the Viper...
- Heavy-duty, non-slip mat measures 117" L...
- Can be easily rolled up for storage...
- Provides a regulation distance embossed...
- Made in USA
Made in the USA, this is an ideal pick for the people seeking floor comfort and protection. It comes with extra padded support made from durable vinyl material. Just like any other quality portable mats, this mat can be easily rolled up for storage.
It comes with 02 reference marks for soft (96″) and steel tip (93-1/4″) player guidance with an embossed regulated throw line. Overall, it is quite comfortable averagely-price dart mat that gives a good user experience with a long life.
Features:
- Its measuring dimensions are 117″ L x 24″ W x 1/4″ D
- Available with dual throw line markings for both steel and soft dart tips
2. ZAAP Heavy Duty Throw Line Rubber Dart Mat
- Professional mat with 4 printed oche...
- Durable anti-slip rubber
- Rolls up for easy storage
- Overall dimension: 118 x 24.5 x0.1in
- Folded dimension: 5 x 5 x 24.5in
This affordable pick cost you around 50$ only and delivers you the best value if you really don’t want to sacrifice quality. It is made up of a durable anti-slip purpose for an enhance foot grip. It’s very compact and can be easily carried even while traveling and storing.
Features:
- Overall mart dimensions 118 x 24.5 x0.1in
- It has 04 printed oche lines (7’6″7′ 9 1/4″, 8’0″ and 8’6″)
- When folded it size measurements are 5 x 5 x 24.5 inches
Adding to the list of benefits, this may actually have 04 unique printed lines for the dart players for referencing, depending on the dart tips and the game being played. Its lighter than other rubber mats i.e around 17lbs only.
3. Shot! Dart Points and Flooring Protector
- MADE FROM INDUSTRIAL GRADE RUBBER-Use...
- NON CURLING-Measuring at 9ft 9" (2995mm)...
- SHOCK ABSORBING-At a solid 3mm...
- THROW LINES-Printed in long-lasting...
- EASY TO STORE-The no-hassle Shot Rubber...
This professional quality dart is made from industrial grade rubber for added protection with a thickness of 3mm. unlike other traditional dart marts it doesn’t curl from the corners and gives maximum protection while playing by remaining flat all the time.
Features:
- Measuring dimensions are 9ft 9” (2995mm) L x 2ft (625mm)
- Non-curling design
- Non-slippery
- 9kg total weight
It also incorporates official throw line for steel tip and soft tip darts making it a perfect fit in your dart equipment and tournament-like settings. It can also be easily stored and moved wherever and whenever needed. Also to mention here is that it has been endorsed and personally used by National Champion Chris white for its first-rate quality.
4. Dart World Let’s Play Darts Dart Mat
- Package length: 14.224 cm
- Package width: 14.732 cm
- Package height: 62.992 cm
- Product Type: SPORTING GOODS
Another brand that has made to the top of our list is this Dart mat. Its unique feature is that it uses a micro grip under the mat that holds the mat together without letting it move much during the play. It is made up of durable rubber and is about 3mm thick.
Features:
- The measuring dimensions are 32 x 6 x 6 inches
- Weight is about 22 lbs
- The distances drawn are 90”, 93-1/4″ and 96 inches
Like the other top dart mat brands, it also features throw lines for steel and soft tip darts. It can be used for tournaments and home use.
5. PerfectDarts McKICKS Dart MAT
- 300cm x 65cm
This is another top pick in the market but an expensive choice for customers seeking budget-friendly option. It’s a hardwearing, professional-looking and complying official Oche measurements dart mat. It is made up of fine-quality plush carpet feel like vinyl and rubber with officially regulated throw line-markings.
The best part is even if you play with heavy darts, 30 gm you don’t have to worry about the bounce-out darts.. in addition, this dart mat is furnished with anti-slipping rubber material backing, which makes certain that the mat firmly stays fixed.
- Its measuring dimensions are 300cm x 65cm
- Designed as per the standard size regulations by the World Darts Federation(WDF)
6. Winmau Soft-Feel Dart Mat
- Superb Soft-Feel quality fibre dart mat...
- Official tournament specification oche...
- Versatile, light weight, easy to roll up...
- Stylish modern design
This dart mat is made up of a fine dense fiber that is durable yet has a very soft feel. It has a very chic appearance that just can’t go simply unnoticed. Also, it has a strong rubber underlay that makes sure that the mat stays on a place and you don’t have to readjust is every time you play which can be quite irritating at times (only on solid floors though).
Features:
- It comes with measuring dimensions of 25.6 x 7.1 x 7.1 inches
- It overall Weight including shipping is 5.4 lbs
Like many other brands, this one also comes with oche measurements with reference to official tournament specifications.
Buying Guide
When it comes to buying the very best option for choosing the best dart mart we need to have some options to play with lie material used, price, size dimensions, etc. the most important thing is that we have to keep the balance between multiple parameters. So let’s dig into the details of the considerations to keep in mind for purchasing the right kind of dart mat.
The material used in the mat built
This is one of the most important factors to consider as it will have a long term impact based on the durability and quality of the dart mat. You also need to be sure that the material matches the floor type of the playing area. Usually, the following three different dart mat materials are available in the market.
Foam-Home Dart Mats
These dart mats are made up of foam material and usually are used in the home (indoors). they are built with thick padded layers of soft foam and they are also the best option for cost-conscious customers.
The drawback with these mats is that you really need to be very careful when you are walking on-and-around these mats as they don’t really stick to the floor well and slipping hazards are quite possible.
They are also referred to as Home Dart Mats and they are known for serving the basic dart mat purpose i.e. protecting the floorings and playing surfaces from marks and dart tips. One just cannot deny the fact that they are durable enough if they aren’t used much in tournaments. They will get the floor protection job done for you in staying within your budget.
Industrial/ Commercial Dart Mats:
This material “Vinyl” is pretty smooth and provides a bit longer-term protection with fine quality floor gripping and standing comfort. They are quite a good alternative for rubber mats and falls in the same price range as of the rubber dart mats available in the market.
These dart mats are best for outdoor and indoor tournament playing and for this reason they are known as Commercial or industrial dart mats. They come with non-curling design, do not slip or move a lot during the game and offer fine traction. However, it’s thicker than the usual rubber mats
Rubber /Floor/ Wall Mats
The last material option is the rubber mats. These mats offer the highest quality of floor protection. Also if you are playing with heavy darts or steel tip darts, these are the most ideal dart mats. However, the flip side of these dart mats is that they usually move during the game as compared to the vinyl ones and they have a strong rubbery odor that takes a few days to fade away.
These rubber dart mats are also known as Floor/ Wall Mats and have very little chances of tipping and slipping while walking. They stick on the ground well and usually come with non-curling designs. They are definitely a good option if you are looking for minimal slipping and maximum durability and they lay flat on the multiple floor types.
Rubber /Floor/ Wall Mats
The last material option is the rubber mats. These mats offer the highest quality of floor protection. Also if you are playing with heavy darts or steel tip darts, these are the most ideal dart mats. However, the flip side of these dart mats is that they usually move during the game as compared to the vinyl ones and they have a strong rubbery odor that takes a few days to fade away.
These rubber dart mats are also known as Floor/ Wall Mats and have very little chances of tipping and slipping while walking. They stick on the ground well and usually come with non-curling designs. They are definitely a good option if you are looking for minimal slipping and maximum durability and they lay flat on the multiple floor types.
Check for the Floor/Surface Compatibility
When we talk about floor types, there are usually four different types of floors, carpeted, wooden, tile and concrete. So whenever you are planning to purchase a mat you really need to consider which type of dart mat will be compatible. Vinyl and rubber does the job well for every surface most of the times however, foam mats might not be a very good option. Checking for its compatibility for the floor type can also be useful for guarding against potential slipping and flipping hazards.
Visibility and precision in throw lines
This parameter is quite a helpful one, but not a compulsory one if you are a professional darts player. Also, dart mats with official regulated throw line measures can reduce the guessing time for throwing the dart with the required precision.
So they are really of an additional value. I know you might be thinking I can just use tape to make throw lines why to invest in buying dart mat? My answer to this is that you can surely do so but that won’t give you that tournament like feel with officially marked toe lines and measured distances which is not really possible with the taping techniques! Besides its really not that classy when you really love darting!
Final verdict
As said above, that it’s quite an expensive deal to replace your expensive darts set every now and then, also the floorings are not so easily replaced in a night. Don’t just set back by thinking a dart mat is unnecessary dart equipment. Trust me it really helps for protecting your darts, floor and even your own self against slipping straight to the ground.
So the dire need shouldn’t be overlooked at all. Besides that it’s a good long term investment, even if you can go with the averagely-priced ones as these dart mats don’t really come with extreme price differences. So just by Investing in a fine-quality dart mat can actually save you the pain of going through the replacement process of the darts set or the floorings.
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