Your score in a dart game depends a lot on the dart you’re using to aim. If you’ve noticed, there are two types of darts players use, soft-tip and steel tip. But for a beginner like you, the term steel tip vs. soft tip darts can be confusing.
Steel tip darts are made of metal, whereas soft tip darts are formed with plastic. Steel tip darts are hard and heavy. They are used on traditional bristle boards.
On the other hand, soft-tip darts are lightweight, flexible and more suitable for plastic or electronic dart boards.
Choosing the right dart can be challenging if you are a new player and want to get better at darts. However, getting an idea about both types of darts is essential to know which one is suitable for you.
Now if you are already stuck in the steel tip vs soft tip darts confusion, we hope this article can help you to decide your pick.
Difference Between Steel Tip and Soft Tip Darts
 |  |
| Steel tip dart | Soft tip dart |
| Has metal tip | Has plastic tip |
| Heavy in weight | Light weight |
| Has sharp strong tips | Has soft flexible tips |
| Suitable for bristle dart boards | Suitable for electronic or plastic dart boards |
Material:
The major difference between steel tip and soft tip darts is their material. Steel tip contains metal, which can be tungsten or steel. And the soft tip is made of plastic. Sometimes it has nylon tips too.
History:
Steel tip darts are known all over the world as traditional darts since they are being used from the very start of modern dart games and are kept similar to the ancient metal darts.
Soft tip darts made its appearance in the 70s. This type of dart has mostly plastic-made points. These are popular in the USA.
Structure:
The points of steel tip darts are sharp, solid and heavy. It weighs around 20 grams to 30 grams.
On the contrary, soft-tip darts have rounded soft points. These are flexible and weigh less, around 16 to 20 grams.
Use Case:
Steel tip darts are used on bristle dart boards. Its sharp and fine tips can spike the bristle base firmly and smoothly. You will see these types of darts being used in professional game events.
To play with soft tip darts you need electronic or digital board. You can play with these darts on your plastic board too. The soft points of these darts are perfect for embedding in such boards. These are best for playing at home for fun.
Price:
The price range of steel tip darts is 40$ to 200$ depending on the design, brand and package.
Whereas you can buy soft tip darts for 25$ to 195$.The price is usually higher for sets and branded ones.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Steel Tip Darts
Before spending bucks on any dart set, we’d like to draw your attention to the advantage and disadvantages of steel tip and soft tip darts.
Advantages of steel tip darts:
- These darts allow accurate throws as its heavy and can fly in force against the airflow.
- These darts are durable as its made of metal.
- Steel tip darts and bristle board together are a great combo to master the artsy style of the traditional dart sport.
Disadvantages of steel tip dart:
- Steel tip darts are costlier. Depending on the metal and manufacturer brand, it can cost from 40$ to 200$.
- These darts have sharp points, which, if miss-thrown, can cause damage to the wall and furniture. An off-target hit can even lead to serious injury.
- Professionals mostly use it. If you have just started this game, playing with a steel tip dart might not help you to learn different playing styles easily.
- The use of steel tip darts is limited to traditional dart boards only. If you want to try the modern dart boards too, it may disappoint you.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Soft Tip Darts
Advantages of soft tip darts:
- Soft-tip darts are lightweight and do not have too sharp points. Thus it’s safe to play in any environment around any age.
- Choosing soft tip darts can allow you to use the latest digital or electronic dart boards.
- Soft tip darts are comparatively less pricy. You can get your hands on a good set for 50$.
Disadvantages of soft tip darts:
- Soft tip darts are delicate compared to steel tip darts. There is always a risk of bending or breaking of the tip.
- These aren’t durable and may not last for a long time when used frequently as the tip is plastic-made.
- It’s not the best dart if you plan to play on bristle dart board. Soft tip darts are lighter and prone to bounce on such boards.
Switching Between Soft Tip and Steel Tip Darts
It’s not unusual if a dart player who earlier played with a soft tip dart wishes to use steel tip darts or vice-versa. But how convenient is that?
Well, you can switch darts anytime. In that case, it will take time to play like you’ve been playing with the old dart. Also, steel and soft tip darts require different throwing styles due to their features. So you’ll need to practice a lot when switching the darts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pros use soft tip or steel tip darts?
Most professional dart players use steel tip darts instead of soft tip darts. These darts are heavy and can go against the wind, thus helps the professionals hit their target more precisely. When choosing steel tip darts, experts mostly pick tungsten steel tip darts.
Steel tip darts can fly faster despite air flow when thrown. The sharp and heavy points help it to pierce accurately. It provides better grip and précised throw; thus, targets are barely missed. That’s why most professionals refer to steel tip darts.
Can you use steel tip darts on electronic dart board?
No, steel tip darts cannot be used on electronic dart boards. It is designed for bristle dart boards. The fibre in bristle board surfcae hold the dart firmly also you can remove it smoothly. If used on electronic boards, steel tip darts can damage the board.
Steel tip darts have sharp metal points that are designed to pierce the traditional bristle dart board. But electronic dart boards usually don’t have those bristles, so they will not hold the dart in it. However, steel tip darts can be played on electronic board with a bristle tech base.
What darts are best for beginners?
For beginners, lightweight darts like soft-tip darts are the best. These don’t weigh much more than 20 grams and are very convenient for learning dart games anywhere.
Between steel tip darts and soft tip darts, steel tip darts are heavy. It needs a lot of practice to get used to them. Also, these darts are damage prone, so you cannot play with these randomly for learning purposes. Soft-tip darts are suitable for beginners as they are safe to play with.
What are the best tips for darts?
Here are 5 best tips for darts:
1. Viper Darts. This brand has a variety of darts with different features for example Trufflex S.S, Trufflex || 2BA.
2. LSTYLE Dart Tips. These darts are designed with L shape tips and offer extra grip.
3. 500 Evo Darts. It has sets of colorful dart tips to make your gaming interesting
4. Cosmo Fit point Soft tips. One of the top soft tip dart points and has a good length which is 25mm.
5. Target Darts. This famous dart brand has strong tips uniquely engineered to give you a premium feel no matter you are a newbie or a pro!
Which dart weight is best?
Darts that weigh between 22 grams to 26 grams is considered best. The experts recommend 22 grams of heavy darts which permit perfect balance and precise hits.
The ideal weight for any dart is at least 22 grams and not more than 26 grams. Darts that are lighter than the mentioned weight is difficult to throw and target. They bounce off their board as well due to their light body. Thus it’s best to choose heavier darts weighing 22 to 26 grams.
Conclusion
As we have discussed the differences between these darts earlier, both are unique in their features. So now, we hope the soft tip vs steel tip darts conflict in your head is resolved, and you’re all set to get the one you like!
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