Are you looking for a high quality but reasonably priced cornhole set?
There are a lot of cornhole sets out there but you don’t want to buy a set that’s not going to last you for a while. In this article, I’ll show you a couple of high quality cornhole boards that aren’t going to cost you an arm and a leg.
Get a quality cornhole board set right now!
Check out my #1 recommendation for a quality cornhole board set that is perfect for beginners.
Cornhole board dimensions
Before you go off purchasing a cornhole board set, you should think about if you want regulation-sized boards or not.
It’s very easy to find boards that are regulation-sized or at least very close to them so that it doesn’t matter for casual players.
There are standards that have been set by the American Cornhole Organization (ACO) and the American Cornhole Association (ACA), but I usually go with the ACO standards.
Here are the ACO cornhole board dimension standards for ACO approved boards:
- Hardwood plywood playing surface measuring 47.5” to 48” x 23.5” to 24”
- Playing surface with a minimum thickness of 1/2” with cross-section backing, or 3/4” with or without cross-section backing.
- Each hole is 6” diameter, centered 9” from the top of the board and centered from each side edge.
- The front of the board is 3” to 4” from the ground to the top of the playing surface.
- The back of the board is 12” from the ground to the top of the playing surface.
- The playing surface should be finished – sanded to a very smooth texture. There should be little to no blemishes in the wood surface that may disrupt or distort play.
- The playing surface can be painted with a high gloss latex paint or varnish. The surface should allow bags to slide when thrown, but not be so slippery that the bags slide back down the platform.
If you need to find out more about cornhole boards be sure to read my Ultimate Guide to Cornhole Boards.
Cornhole courts
Something that many people don’t think enough about before they buy a cornhole board is how much space they are going to need for their cornhole game matches (which are played in cornhole courts).
Regulation cornhole games set the boards 27 feet apart, measured from the front edge of one cornhole board to the front edge of another cornhole board.
However, many people like to play 24 feet apart to make things a little easier of because they don’t quite have the space for a regulation-sized game.
And finally, juniors (kids) and the elderly and people with disabilities, usually play from 21 feet away from the cornhole board.
So before you purchase a cornhole board, think about how much room you have in your yard, drive way, etc. If you’re pressed for room, you might consider going for a tailgate-sized board.
Cornhole sets for casual cornhole players
The GoSports Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set is my #1 recommended cornhole set for people looking for a quality, yet cheap cornhole set that won’t set them back a ton.
I’ll review a few of the key features for the cornhole set and explain why I think it’s such a good product.
Regulation-sized cornhole board?
The GoSports cornhole board set is very close to regulation-sized but not 100% there. (If you want a 100% regulation-sized board you might want to go with a board like this one).
Some of these GoSports wooden cornhole boards are just shy of 4 feet long and so they might be something like a quarter of inch below the official cornhole board dimensions.
Most of the other specs on the board are ACO compliant, though.
The hole is 6 inches and it comes with a 1/2 inch thick plywood playing surface. Also, the front of the Cornhole platform appears to be from 2-1/2” inches from bottom to top and the back of the cornhole platform appears to be close to 12 inches from ground to the highest point of the deck.
And just like the ACO recommends, it comes with cross-backing since the plywood is only 1/2″ thick.
So to me this is a board that’s very close to being 100% regulation-sized but it’s close enough that it should work for casual cornhole players who play at tailgates, backyard parties, etc.
Lightweight
The GoSports cornhole board is lightweight and very easy to bring around.
This is the main reason why I think it’s such a good product for people. You can easily bring it around to parties, tailgates, and other special events.
Many people like the idea of owning a heavy, ultra-durable cornhole board with 3/4″ thick plywood and full 2″ by 4″ frames. But then they go to lug it around for the first time and realize that those boards are a lot heavier than they initially imagined.
I personally always recommend going with a lightweight board at first since they are easier to manage all-around. If at some point you get serious into cornhole, then you might want to invest in a heavier and more expensive cornhole board that will remain stationary.
Easy to store
The legs are collapsable so these lightweight cornhole boards are very easy to store.
Comes with cornhole bags
This set comes with bags and a nice bag that you can store your cornhole bags in.
The bags in this cornhole set are all-weather bags and they are filled with plastic resin. If you’re interested in bags filled with corn you can read more about corn-filled bags versus plastic resin bags here.
Great for beginners
If you’re just starting to get into cornhole then I think that this board is absolutely perfect.
It’s not super expensive so you don’t have to make a large investment when you’re just starting to get into the cornhole game.
At the same time, the board is high quality enough that you can count on it to last for a while. It’s not so light that the bags bounce off the board or that the board becomes wobbly very easily.
So it’s a great balance of lightweight and durable, at a very reasonable price.
Customizable
If you’re wanting to paint on your cornhole board or simply slap on some decals, this cornhole board is plain and you shouldn’t have any trouble customizing the cornhole board to your liking.
The boards have a finish on them but they can still be painted.
Mine was sanded down very smoothly, so if I wanted to I could add on a cornhole decal or skin on pretty easily. You might want to do a little bit of light sanding but there’s honestly not much you’d have to do to your board to get it ready for customization.
Cornhole sets for serious cornhole players
If you want a true regulation cornhole set that is a bit more sturdy and official then you might want to consider going with boards that have a bit more weight to them and that comply with the cornhole regulations a little better.
One of the best ways to do this is to just go with the American Cornhole Association Official Cornhole Board.
Since this is made by the American Cornhole Association, you can be assured that it’s going to be regulation-sized.
It also is higher quality and sturdier than the GoSports model.
It’s built with a two by four frame and the plywood is 5/8″ Baltic birch, which means it has a thicker playing surface than the cornhole board above. The cross-bracing also assures a very sturdy and high quality cornhole board.
It also comes with eight regulation-sized cornhole bags.
Many people rave about the craftsmanship of their boards so you can expect a cornhole board made of very high quality.
So if you think you might be getting more serious about cornhole then you might want to think about going with a board like this.
Get a quality cornhole board set right now!
Check out my #1 recommendation for a quality cornhole board set that is perfect for beginners.
Cheap cornhole game sets
If you just want to give cornhole a try without spending a lot of money then you have a few options.
I usually recommend for people to consider going with a tailgate-sized board.
These are the same regulation width at about two feet but they are usually one foot shorter. This makes them much easier to transport and to set up in smaller yards or party settings.
They also are cheaper so it’s a good way to save some money.
There are other cheaper cornhole boards that don’t come in wooden forms.
Another option is to go with a foldable cornhole board. These offer maximum portability since you actually fold them right in half.
Do it yourself cornhole boards
If you’re not interested in buying your cornhole board and you would rather build your own cornhole board set then you can read on here on how to build your own set.
Cornhole bags
As you can already tell, most of these cornhole sets come with cornhole bags, so you should usually get your cornhole bags with your set.
You’ll just have to decide if you want corn-filled bags or plastic-resin weather resistant bags. I would generally go with plastic-resin filled bags because they don’t require as much attention.
With corn-filled bags you have to be mindful about mold and critters infesting your bags, which can be a little annoying. However, if you like to keep to tradition, you might want to still go with the corn-filled bags to maximize the “slide” effect of your cornhole bags.
Cornhole set accessories
There are a lot of different cornhole accessories that you can pick up for your cornhole board game.
Here are a few of the useful accessories.
Cornhole board case
Cornhole boards can be extremely heavy and they are not also the easiest things to grip. For that reason, you might want to get a cornhole board case for easy transport and storage.
These cases can fit tailgate sized cornhole boards (3×2) or the ACO sized boards at 4×2.
Scoreboard & Drink holder
A scoreboard stand with built-in drink holders is a great idea if you want to make sure you’re keeping score correctly and don’t want to worry about where you to put your drinks.
This stand comes with quality flip-style scoreboard which can score a game up to 29 points for each team.
Cornhole Scoreboard with Magnetic Score Keepers
Let’s face it, it’s not always easy to keep score deep into a tailgating party.
The solution is to use a magnetic strip score keeper so you can always keep tabs on the score without any issue.
Cornhole lights
Cornhole board lights are becoming very popular.
These cornhole accessories allow you to see your target even if the darkest of conditions and these lights are known for being very bright and simple to install.
Final word
I think it makes the most sense to choose your cornhole set based on your skill level and interest in cornhole. If you’re just a beginner, then it makes sense to go with cheaper boards so you won’t risk wasting money and you can hone your skills for cheap.
But if you’re in it for the long-haul then it’s easier to justify one of the more premium wooden cornhole boards that will be much sturdier and likely offer a better gameplay experience.