What Weight Darts Should I Use?

Short answer: Most steel tip players throw darts between 21 and 26 g, and 22 to 24 g is the usual place to start. Use this dart weight guide to pick a starting weight, then adjust a gram at a time: lighter if your darts land low, heavier if they land high.

By Andy Gibson · Updated 18 October 2026

What weight darts should I use?

There is no single right weight. The best weight is the one that suits the way you throw, and you find it by starting in the middle of the range and moving in small steps. Here is the short version:

• New to darts: start at 22 to 24 g. Harrows recommends this range for a first set: heavy enough to fly steadily, light enough not to need a forced throw.
• Fast, flat throw: try the lighter end, 20 to 22 g. Lighter darts need more push and suit a quicker action.
• Slower, lobbed throw: try the heavier end, 25 to 26 g and up. Heavier darts carry their own momentum and need less effort.
• Already playing: keep your current weight unless your darts land consistently high or low, then move one gram at a time.

The rest of this guide explains what the number on the box means, what changes as darts get heavier or lighter, what the top players throw, and every weight we stock with a link to it.

What does the weight on a set of darts measure?

The weight printed on a set of steel tip darts is the weight of one barrel, the metal part you hold, measured in grams. It doesn't include the shaft, flight or ring. A 23 g dart is a 23 g barrel; the finished dart weighs a little more once the shaft and flight are on (Harrows).

The barrel is by far the heaviest part, so it does most of the work in flight. Shafts and flights change the total weight only slightly, but they do move the balance point, which is covered further down.

Weights are matched within each set. Harrows and Shot both state their tungsten barrels are matched to within 0.05 g of each other, so the three darts in a set throw alike.

What weight do most darts players use?

Most steel tip players, including most professionals, throw between 21 and 26 g (Harrows). The 22, 23 and 24 g weights are the most common.

The spread at the top level is wider than the average suggests. These are the weights listed on our player pages:

Weights as listed on our player pages, October 2026. Players change setups, so check the player page for the current one.

Two things stand out. First, 23 g is the most common weight among these players. Second, world-class players sit at both ends, from Bunting's 18 g to Aspinall's 26 g. A weight that suits one top player doesn't make it right for you; copy a player's weight only if your throw looks like theirs.

Light, medium or heavy darts: what changes?

Weight changes how much effort the throw needs and how the dart behaves if the release isn't quite right. It doesn't make a dart more accurate on its own.

Harrows' summary is a fair one: neither light nor heavy is better, and the dart should match your natural throw rather than the other way round.

Do heavier darts fly straighter?

They're steadier, not straighter. A heavier dart carries more momentum for the same speed, so small wobbles in the release have less effect on where it lands. That is why heavier darts can calm a shaky throw.

The trade-off is that a heavy dart needs enough speed to hold its line. Thrown gently, its nose drops and it lands low. A light dart is the opposite: it needs a firmer, faster throw and shows every flaw in the release, but it suits players with a quick, flat action.

So the useful question isn't "which weight is most accurate?" but "which weight lets my normal throw land where I aim?" The next section shows how to read that from the board.

How do I know if my darts are too heavy or too light?

Throw your usual visit at the treble 20, the same way you always do, for a few sessions. Then look at where the darts land relative to where you aimed.

Change one thing at a time. If you change weight, shape and grip together, you won't know which change made the difference (Harrows). Give each change at least three sessions before you judge it; a new set always feels odd for the first night.

Before you buy a new weight, rule out technique. Darts that spread sideways usually point to the release or stance, not the barrel. The guide How to get better at darts covers stance, grip and throwing action.

How does weight change the size of the barrel?

A heavier barrel needs more metal, so it has to be longer, thicker or both. Most ranges keep the same length across their lighter weights and add width as the weight goes up, then lengthen the barrel at the heavy end.

• Width goes up a little per gram. The Harrows Chizzy 90% stays 51 mm long from 21 to 26 g, and its width rises from 6.3 mm to 6.8 mm, about 0.1 mm per gram.
• Heavy weights get longer barrels. The Harrows Supergrip Ultra is 51 mm long up to 26 g, then 54 mm at 28 and 30 g (Harrows).
• Tungsten percentage changes the width too. At 23 g the Chizzy 80% is 7.0 mm wide and the Chizzy 90% is 6.5 mm, on the same 51 mm barrel. Denser metal packs the same weight into a slimmer barrel.

This matters when you change weight: going up three or four grams changes how the barrel fills your fingers, not only how it throws. If you like the feel of a slim barrel but want more weight, a higher tungsten percentage keeps the barrel slim.

Dart weight availability: every weight we stock

Every weight below links to the in-range darts filtered by that weight.

To try several weights in the same barrel, choose a range made in every gram. These cover 21 to 26 g or more in one design:

The Supergrip Ultra runs from 21 to 30 g in eight weights (Harrows). The Winmau Blackout and MvG Aspire are both parallel barrels made in every gram from 21 to 26 g (Winmau).

Do shafts, flights and points change the weight?

They add a little to the total and, more importantly, move the balance point. A heavier shaft moves the balance point back; a lighter one moves it forward. That changes how the dart sits in your hand and how it angles into the board, without changing the barrel weight on the box.

• Shafts: nylon and polycarbonate flex on impact; aluminium is light and durable; carbon fibre is light and rigid. See dart shafts.
• Flights: larger shapes add drag and stability; slim shapes reduce drag. See dart flights.
• Points: a longer point adds length at the front. Some ranges use replaceable points, such as Harrows Quick Points and Target Swiss Points, so the point length can be changed without a new barrel. See dart points.

Barrels also differ in where they carry their weight. Winmau lists the weight distribution of each barrel. Its Valhalla, for example, is front weighted and combines 95% and 85% tungsten in one barrel. Two darts of the same weight can feel quite different because of this.

Is there a maximum weight for steel tip darts?

Yes, in competition. Under the Darts Regulation Authority rules used at PDC events, a dart can't weigh more than 40 g or be longer than 200 mm overall, and it must have a metal point and at least a barrel, shaft and flight. If you're not sure your darts comply, check with the tournament director before you play.

How do you choose your dart weight, step by step?

1. Start at 23 g. It sits in the middle of the common range. If you already own darts, start from their weight instead.
2. Throw at least three sessions. Aim at the treble 20 the same way every time and don't change anything else.
3. Read the board. Low groups suggest going lighter; high groups suggest going heavier. Sideways spread is technique, not weight.
4. Move one gram at a time. A range made in every gram, like those above, lets you change weight without changing anything else.
5. Stop when it lands where you aim. Once a weight works, keep it and spend the time on practice. The darts practice routine sets out a 30-minute session.

Should you change your dart weight?

Only for a reason you can see on the board. Players change weight for three good reasons: their darts consistently land high or low, their throw has changed (faster, slower, a new stance), or a heavier or lighter set simply groups better after a fair trial.

Changing weight because a new set looks good, or because a top player throws it, rarely helps. A few grams of difference matters less than a repeatable throw, and every change resets the feel you've built. If you do change, keep the old set; if the new weight hasn't helped within a few weeks, you can go back.

When you're unsure between two weights, choose the one in a range that also comes in the weights either side. Then a step up or down later is the same barrel, the same grip and the same feel, one gram different.

Frequently asked questions

What weight darts do most people use?

Most steel tip players use 21 to 26 g, and 22, 23 and 24 g are the most common weights.

What weight darts should a beginner use?

Start at 22 to 24 g. It's heavy enough to fly steadily and light enough not to need a forced throw.

Are heavier darts more accurate?

Not on their own. Heavier darts are steadier and forgive small wobbles in the release, but they drop if the throw is too gentle.

Does dart weight include the shaft and flight?

No. The weight on the box is the barrel only. The shaft, flight and ring add a little more.

What weight darts does Luke Littler use?

23 g Target darts, as listed on his player page in October 2026.

What is the heaviest dart allowed?

Under the Darts Regulation Authority rules used at PDC events, 40 g, with a maximum overall length of 200 mm.

How much difference does one gram make?

A little, but it can be enough to lift or drop your group. That's why it pays to change weight one gram at a time.

Related guides

How to Get Better at Darts: Stance, Grip, Throw and the Mistakes to Fix Darts Practice Routine: Drills, a 30-Minute Session and How to Track Progress Best Dartboard in Australia: Which Bristle Board Should You Buy?