Luke Littler magnetic dart board review: I tried the Nuke’s great value £20 set-up
Luke 'The Nuke' Littler has a huge fan base spanning all ages after winning this year's Worlds Darts Championship at the tender age of 17.
To cater to new darts prodigies, he's teamed up with Target Darts to launch a magnetic dartboard, which is outstanding value at under £20.
Target Darts Luke Littler magnetic dartboard at Amazon, £19.95
While it's aimed at children aged three and above due to the lack of sharp tips, I was amazed by the quality of both the and the 12 magnetic darts included in the £20 set when I saw it at the Toy Fair in London.
It's less than half the price of the standard competition-size Target Darts Luke Littler dart board set and it's double-sided, so you can use it as a dart board or for archery-style target practice.
To make it even better value for money, a throw line is included along with an easy wall mounting kit so you can set it up in seconds.
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As a huge darts fan, I eagerly accepted the invitation to step up to the throw line so I could review the quality, durability and player experience of the .
How I tested
I played on the Luke Littler magnetic dartboard at the Target Darts stand at the Toy Fair in London's Olympia Exhibition Centre.
Fresh from winning the PDC World Championship, Littler visited the stand, so I had a few demonstrations from the champion before throwing some darts myself.
I stood behind the throw line and had several games so that I could experience how well the darts flew threw the air and landed on the target.
I also got to try both sides of the board - the dart side and the archery side.
Target Darts Luke Littler dartboard review
Target Darts Luke Littler magnetic dart board at Amazon, £19.95
Pros:
- Sturdy
- Easy to grip the darts
- Includes four sets of three darts, a dart board and a throw line
- Simple to hang on a wall and get started
- Strong magnets ensure darts stay gripped to the board
Cons:
- Wider than a competition dart board at 47cm in diameter
Rating: 5/5
Knowing that the dartboard cost £20 and includes 12 magnetic darts, a throw line and a wall-mounting kit, I wasn't expecting much.
Previously, all dartboards aimed at kids that I've used have been very flimsy and the darts have often slipped off the board before I'd been able to retrieve them and count my score.
However, my expectations started to lift as soon as I held one of the magnetic darts in my hands as it was satisfyingly sturdy, despite being easy to grip by little fingers.
Littler has often spoken about how he's been playing darts since the age of two, so he'd inevitably have more knowledge about kids' dartboards currently on the market and what they lack.
Even though they don't have tips, the end of each Luke Littler magnetic dart has a thick steel magnet, which is really strong.
After watching a demonstration from the champ himself, where he explained how to stand sideways to the board with his right foot forward, it was time for me to give it a go.
Target Darts Luke Littler magnetic dart board at Amazon, £19.95
I noticed that Luke gripped the dart with four fingers — thumb, long finger, index and ring finger — so that's just what I did.
There was no bullseye for me on the first go, but that's because it takes me a while to get my eye in, rather than any fault with the board.
As the dartboard contains a thick magnet, it has a strong pull to the magnet in the dart and I found that all the darts I threw landed perfectly perpendicular to the board and stayed in place.
It honestly felt just as satisfying as throwing a traditional dart onto a corkboard, landing with a satisfying "thwack" where magnet met magnet.
Where to buy the Target Darts Luke Littler magnetic dart board
The Target Darts Luke Littler magnetic dart board is stocked at Amazon as well as several toy retailers and sports retailers.
No matter where you buy it, the set comes with a board, 12 magnetic darts, a throw line and a wall hanging kit.
- Luke Littler magnetic dart board at Amazon, £19.95 -
- Luke Littler magnetic dart board at Argos, £20 -
- Luke Littler magnetic dart board at Sports Direct, £19.99 -
Little flights on the top of each dart add to the realistic nature of this Luke Littler set, acting as little wings to help stabilise the dart through the air before it reaches the dart board.
It's just as good for big kids (or adults) as it is for children, and especially handy if you have pets who might do themselves harm with steel tip darts.
Even if you just used it a few times a week, the £20 set would soon work out to a few pennies per use.
The back of the board is also really fun if you struggle to get the darts to land where you've aimed them.
There's a wider scoring area on the archery side of the board, so you can build up your eye on that as a way to improve your darts skills.
The Verdict
The Target Darts Luke Littler magnetic dart board is an absolute bargain at just under £20 on .
It makes a great affordable gift for a darts fan but it's also perfectly acceptable to treat yourself to one and hone your skills from the comfort of your own home.
If you don't quite trust your aim and don't want to have dart marks in your walls, this magnetic dart board is safe, sturdy and will last years.
It's so well made that if you buy one for yourself now, it will almost certainly last long enough to pass down to future children and grandchildren, helping them to train to become the next darts champion and scoop all the prize pots that come with it.
Target Darts Luke Littler dartboard alternatives
Target Darts also has a for adults, where there are two dartboard options.
You could either get a standard Luke Littler dartboard from the Target Darts website, with Luke's name around the edge of the board.
Or there's a dart board inside a cabinet, which comes with a chalkboard, chalk and two sets of darts.
Read More on talkSPORT
- Luke Littler dart board set, £49.95 - buy here
- Luke Littler dart board cabinet set, £69.95 -
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