Harrows Pro Matchplay Review

My review of the Harrows Pro Matchplay

The Pro Matchplay stands out thanks to its construction: it uses an ultra-thin wire (knifewire) designed to reduce bounce-outs, with no official segment width in mm disclosed by Harrows. In practice, this type of thin wire aims to offer good point penetration and to limit bounce-outs when aiming at high-value zones. It's the kind of board I'd happily recommend to someone coming from soft tip darts and getting started with steel tip: it forgives a bit more inaccuracy while the throwing motion is still settling in.

My test of the Harrows Pro Matchplay on the oche

On the oche, the thin wire makes itself felt right away: points sink in cleanly and triples land more easily than you'd expect from a board in this range. The thin wiring (staple-free) does its job at limiting bounce-outs, but the 6/10 score on this criterion remains the board's weak point: on the most-used zones, you can feel that the wires, while thin, don't fully disappear over repeated sessions. Nothing dealbreaking, but it's not the level of discretion found on higher-end models.

Durability of the Harrows Pro Matchplay

The sisal used holds up reasonably well, scoring 7/10. Under regular use (several sessions a week), the board self-heals correctly and doesn't show premature weak spots around the triple or double. It's a solid compromise for a player training seriously without aiming for club-level intensive use.

Setting up and mounting the board

Like most sisal boards of this format, the Pro Matchplay mounts on the wall using a standard bracket (center hub + wall mount, not always included depending on the pack). A standard installation with nothing unusual to note: plan for the necessary clearance around the board given its regulation 17.8" diameter.

Price and value for money

It's generally found between €40 and €47 (official price of £39.95 converted, to be adjusted depending on retailers). At that price, the value for money is solid for a player starting out with steel tip or looking for a forgiving board to improve on, without investing in a premium board right away.

Verdict: should you buy the Harrows Pro Matchplay?

Yes, if you're an improving player, especially transitioning from soft tip to steel tip: its thin wire and forgiving build are a real asset for building confidence on high-value zones. That said, if you're after the best possible bounce-out resistance or a finer build, the Harrows Pro Matchplay 2 is a distinct model positioned above it (Premium African sisal, redesigned numbered ring), the logical upgrade once your skill level justifies it.