The Best Cornhole Boards – A Buyer’s Guide

There are few games out there that are as fun as the game of cornhole. With all of the do-it-yourself guides out there, some players opt to construct their boards. It’s important to understand that purchasing a premade board is the best way to go. Because the best cornhole boards are manufactured with the best materials, have a minimal bounce back, and slide less.

Reviews of the Best Cornhole Boards in December 2020

Unfortunately, finding the right board isn’t easy; there is a wide array of ordinary boards on the market. If you want the best board, you’ll want one that’s in-line with and approved by the American Cornhole Association’s (ACA) requirements. For this reason, we have reviewed five unique, top rated cornhole boards for this guide. Each of these has excellent construction and can serve as a great way to practice the sport at home. In case you travel a lot, we’ve even tested a board that you can take with you on your trips. Let’s begin the cornhole reviews!

1. Best Cornhole Boards Overall: The GoSports Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set

This is another board that’s excellent for tournament-style play, and it also stands out as a good option backyard play. Why is this the case? Well, to start, the surface is varnished, and as a result, you can paint your own logos onto the surface. Additionally, it’s fairly easy to customize this surface to your own exacting specifications.

Additionally, the company also cut the dimensions so that the board is precisely what the ACA uses in tournament play. This means that the boards are two feet from the side-to-side perspective and four feet from front-to-back.

Best plywood for cornhole boards

This set also stands out due to its bean bags being all-weather bags. As a result, if a little rain falls, you can continue the game until the downpour stops. The board comes with eight bean bags in total – with four being red and four being blue, which means that it is fairly easy to keep track of scoring. When you’re taking the show on the road, you can simply pack up your bags in the handy tote bag.

In totality, the product weighs about 38 pounds, which is very reasonable for one of these sets. It’s not uncommon for a cornhole board to weigh more than double this weight, so this is a light product. Like some of the best products on the market, the legs are retractable. This allows you to more easily fold up the product for portability and storability.

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GoSports Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set - Choose Between 4'x2' or 3'x2' Game Boards - Includes Set of 8 Corn Hole Toss Bags

• 100% SOLID WOOD: Premium craftsmanship boards, varnished surface (easily painted or customized) made using pine wood frames and featuring mitered corner joints. Boards are also 100% ready to use without additional work required
• REGULATION SIZE: Full Cornhole set includes 2 regulation size (4 feet x 2 feet) Cornhole boards for authentic gameplay, 8 all-weather regulation bean bags, carrying case, bean bag tote and rules
• EVENT DAY FAVORITE: Hours of fun with friends and family at tournaments, tailgates, holiday weekends, cookouts, campsites, and more

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2. Best Official Size Boards: Tailgating Pros 4'x2' & 3'x2' Cornhole Boards

When cornhole players think of an ACA regulation board, they might consider a product like this one from Tailgating Pros. This product is relatively standard-looking and has a simple construction, but there’s more to the board.

Best wood for cornhole boards

The first thing of note is the construction; the board is made of high-quality wood, which is designed to last. The bags are also filled with actual whole kernel corn, which means that these are high-quality bean bags.

Additionally, the bags are double-stitched, which means that you can expect them to last through hundreds of games. Each bag weighs about 16 ounces so that they are easy to toss and guide from the underhand position. The exterior itself is a cotton duck canvas material that is tough and resilient. When it comes to measurements, each handmade bag is about 6″ x 6″.

More than 150 color combinations

The boards themselves are made of premium sanded plywood that’s about a half-inch thick. The finish on the board is coarse enough to catch your tossed bean bags but smooth enough to fit ACA regulations.

The material’s tough enough not to be worn down by your environment, so playing on sand or asphalt is easy. When it’s time to pack up, the board has folding legs that make it easy to transport and store. The set also makes this easy by including a carry bag for the entire game.

As a result of these features, this is a very portable board. It weighs 15 pounds, and carrying it around is simple due to the bag and its low weight. The bag even has a carrying strap so that you can carry it to and fro on your shoulder.

Finally, there are more than 150 colors combinations available for the bags so that you can customize your bags. This is a great way to achieve a sense of uniqueness for a two-person cornhole team. This is definitely a board and bag combo that could work for a player that wants to play ACA-style.

Tailgating Pros 4'x2' Cornhole Boards w/Carrying Case & Set of 8 Cornhole Bags (You Pick Color) 25 Bag Colors! (Black/Yellow, 4'x2' Boards)

• SOLID WOOD CONSTRUCTION – Our Regulation Size Boards measure 4ftx2ft and are constructed from 100% Premium Wood, exceeding all ACA Regulation Standards. The boards are finished with a clear varnish to protect them for years to come and has a support cross bar to prevent bounce. They're ready to be played with out of the box and can easily be painted or customized!
• RUGGED FRAME – The 4’x2’ Solid Wood Frame with a 1/2” Top Board are held together with Mitered Joints and Heavy-duty Hardware. Our boards are built to last!
• ADVANCED DESIGN – These Boards Weigh only 15 pounds each and are Easily Transported using our carrying case

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Official ACA Cornhole Boards & Bags Set

If you are willing to pay more, the ACA (American Cornhole Association) does sell official corn hole boards. They cost more, but are the official, regulation corn hole board, ready to be used in games and official tournaments.

American Cornhole Association Official Cornhole Board and Bags Set with Vintage American Flag Design -Bean Bag Toss Outdoor Game - Made with Heavy Duty Solid Wood - ACA Regulation Size for Tournaments

• THE OFFICIAL CORNHOLE SET: The only Cornhole board made by the official governing body of Cornhole, the American Cornhole Association. Get your new Cornhole board from a trusted source. Our premium set comes with 2 solid wood boards and 8 regulation bags in patriotic Stars and Stripes Colors.
• ALL-AMERICAN CORNHOLE: Made by proud Americans, for proud Americans! High quality board made with solid 1/2' Baltic Birth Plywood. Our Cornhole board boasts a stunning vintage American flag design, made to look great even with heavy use.
• OFFICIAL REGULATION SIZE CORNHOLE: Our full size Cornhole boards are ready to use in games and official tournaments. Our Cornhole professionals at ACA have personally tested and signed off on each official Cornhole board.

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3. Best Patriotic Cornhole Board: GoSports Regulation Size Solid Wood Cornhole Set

If you’re looking for a product that shows a bit of nationalism, this product from GoSports is a great option. Not only does it provide several paint options that depict flags, but the bags themselves are red and blue. Additionally, for those looking to play cornhole in their yard and impress their guests, the vintage oak design is perfect.

The wooden material used is very solid and won’t cause much bounce on your tosses. Once again, GoSports has designed this product to have a sizing that’s in-line with the ACA regulations. This means that the width of the product is two feet wide and the length is four feet. This allows for backyard players to practice under league conditions, which can help prepare players for tournament play.
In addition to the American flag design, GoSports also has models that depict the Texas flag and the California flag as well. The designs are perfectly functional; they won’t cause extra sliding, which means that your underhand tosses will be accurate.

All-weather design

Insofar as the bean bags, as mentioned, the set comes with blue and red bags, which have an all-weather design. GoSports has created these bags using plastic pellets that simulate corn – these pellets won’t rot in moisture like standard bags.

In fact, the main body of the product is also weatherproof so that weather won’t disrupt your games. In addition to this, the set also comes with a carrying bag, which makes this a very portable set that won’t get ruined by inclement rainfall. The bag itself is made of a very tough canvas material, which means that it should last for years of use.

GoSports Regulation Size Solid Wood Cornhole Set – American Flag Design – Includes Two 4’ x 2’ Boards, 8 Bean Bags, Carrying Case and Game Rules

• 100% SOLID WOOD: Premium handcrafted boards with oak surfaces, varnished with American Flag graphics that allow the wood grain to show through
• REGULATION SIZE: Full Cornhole set includes 2 regulation size (4 feet x 2 feet) Cornhole boards for authentic gameplay, 8 all-weather bean bags, and rules
• PATRIOTIC FUN: Vintage inspired oak Cornhole boards varnished with the American Flag – the Stars and Stripes design is perfect for holiday weekends and for display when not in use

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4. Best Lightweight, Portable & Foldable Cornhole Boards: GoSports Cornhole PRO Regulation Size Bean Bag Toss Game Set - Foldable

As the first non-wood board in this guide, this product, which also comes from GoSports, is nevertheless a great option. This is really a board that’s designed exclusively for portability, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that it weighs little. In fact, the product only weighs about 31 pounds and folds, so bringing it with you shouldn’t be a hassle.

Even with its portability, you won’t have to worry about playing on an imprecise surface. The boards in this set are regulation-sized at four by two feet. Have regulation-sized mini-tournaments with your friends. Made from high-quality wood provides relatively minimal bounce and tend to inhibit the bags from sliding off.

Lightweight and durable

You might worry that the foldable seams on this product might slow down the bags. Fortunately, this isn’t the case; GoSports was able to make them virtually flat so that you can play seamlessly. The surface of this product is medium-density fiberboard, which provides a very respectable performance. Additionally, the frame of the product is comprised of aluminum, which serves as a very lightweight yet strong material. Simply put, this board set should last for years if not decades of use.

If you’re a cornhole enthusiast that wants to take your game to a friend’s, then maybe this is for you. Also, this is a great set for about any event – it can even be set up during a tailgate party. When it’s time to pack it up, just fold it, and you can carry each board with the attached handles. As a result of this simplicity, there’s no need for a carrying bag – you can even store the bean bags inside.

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GoSports CornHole PRO Regulation Size Bean Bag Toss Game Set (Black)

• OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT SIZE: Full cornhole set includes 2 American Cornhole Association regulation size (4 feet x 2 feet) cornhole boards for authentic gameplay, 8 all-weather regulation bean bags, and rules
• EVENT DAY FAVORITE: Hours of fun with friends and family at tournaments, tailgates, holiday weekends, cookouts, campsites, and more
• STURDY CONSTRUCTION: Features composite MDF surface with high-strength aluminum frame that is durable for play yet lightweight for portability

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5. Best Cheap Cornhole Boards: Himal Collapsible Portable Corn Hole

Out of the products reviewed, several have been designed with portability in mind, but this Himal product outperforms them. The product comes in a soft case when you have it shipped, and this same case serves as a carrying case. When you’re ready to play, the entire cornhole board springs out of the case and is ready to play within moments. While it doesn’t go back in so easily, the convenience of a quick to set up cornhole board can’t be understated.

The Himal is also one of the cheaper cornhole board sets available. But don’t let the budget price fool you, this is still a quality set if space or weight is a concern.

The bean bags themselves are all-weather because the manufacturer opted to use plastic “corn.” Additionally, thanks to the soft and pliable fabric, the product itself shouldn’t suffer damage due to wetter environments. It is a good travel cornhole board to take when you don’t know the destination’s precise weather. Additionally, since it folds down to such a small sizing, the board can also be packed away into a suitcase.

Thin strong fabric

Despite the thin fabric material, this is also a fairly durable product that should last for years with tearing. While you shouldn’t expect a truly ACA-accurate playtime, the board is a good practice tool for beginners. If you’re playing in a windier environment, the product also comes with stakes so that you can play without worry. Also, the product has Velcro components that will ensure that games aren’t interrupted by the elements.

Due to how fast these are to set up, this may also be a perfect option for families with small children. The boards are very lightweight and kid-friendly.

Himal Collapsible Portable Corn Hole Boards With 8 Cornhole Bean Bags (3 x 2-feet)

• [INNOVATION DESIGN] Exclusive innovative design, this Bean Bag Game can be assembled very quickly by flicking and sticking and stored very easy by tearing and stacking with a small footprint and meeting every needs in the portable travel.
• [LIGHT WEIGHT AND PORTABLE] With a weight of 2 kg and a length of 11inch*11inch*4inch after folding, this Corn Hole Boards are more lightweight and portable than other Cornhole Game in the market. A handy and funny Bean Bag Toss Game in indoor, outdoor and travelling activities.
• [STRONG AND DURABLE] Made by the high elastic flat wire, which can be folded for more than 1000 times.Fabrics with anti-skid treatment handle the issue of bags skid on surface effectively.By 300D poly fabric makes it durable and tear-resistant.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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GoSports Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set - Choose Between 4'x2' or 3'x2' Game Boards - Includes Set of 8 Corn Hole Toss Bags

• 100% SOLID WOOD: Premium craftsmanship boards, varnished surface (easily painted or customized) made using pine wood frames and featuring mitered corner joints. Boards are also 100% ready to use without additional work required
• REGULATION SIZE: Full Cornhole set includes 2 regulation size (4 feet x 2 feet) Cornhole boards for authentic gameplay, 8 all-weather regulation bean bags, carrying case, bean bag tote and rules
• EVENT DAY FAVORITE: Hours of fun with friends and family at tournaments, tailgates, holiday weekends, cookouts, campsites, and more

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Minwax 63010444 Fast Drying Polyurethane Clear Finish, quart, Satin

• Provides long-lasting beauty and protection to any interior wood surface
• Among the most durable coatings for wood protection
• Ideal for woodworking, furniture, doors, cabinets and floors

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American Cornhole Association Official Cornhole Board and Bags Set with Vintage American Flag Design -Bean Bag Toss Outdoor Game - Made with Heavy Duty Solid Wood - ACA Regulation Size for Tournaments

• THE OFFICIAL CORNHOLE SET: The only Cornhole board made by the official governing body of Cornhole, the American Cornhole Association. Get your new Cornhole board from a trusted source. Our premium set comes with 2 solid wood boards and 8 regulation bags in patriotic Stars and Stripes Colors.

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Buying Guide Cornhole Boards of 2020

When you’re in the market for a new cornhole set, you definitely don’t want to go cheap. Consider that you’ll be using this board for years, so with that in mind, material and construction are important. Additionally, if you want your games to be on the level, you’ll want a cornhole board with the right dimensions. Paint is also important if you want a regulation board backed by the American Cornhole Association (ACA). We’re going to go into the details so that you can purchase the right cornhole set for your needs.

The Material Construction

If you’re looking to have a board accepted by the ACA, then it’ll have to be made of a half-inch of plywood or other wooden material. Ideally, the wood should minimize the amount of bounce on a bag as you toss it. As a result, you can experience more accuracy in your games. If you’re playing in tournaments, you may be better suited to a board with a wooden construction that inhibits bouncing. On the other hand, if your goal is just backyard fun, any material will do it.

The Right Surface

In addition to the inhibition of a bag’s bouncing, the surface of the board should also have the right texture. The correct texture ensures that the bag doesn’t slide once it lands. As a rule, look for boards that have a smooth texture, and it should also be free of any imperfections. As a result, all can have a fair game that’s free of blemishes that can affect scoring.

Siding Count

When determining the score, it can be hard to determine whether a bag has fallen through the cornhole or whether it simply landed underneath the board during a toss. For this reason, many tournament organizations and professional players prefer a board that has some siding that can prevent a bag from landing underneath the board. These siding areas don’t have to be large; they have to provide a barrier for poorly tossed bags.

Best paint for cornhole boards

As you may have noticed from our guide, some products come with designs like the American flag and other visuals. Despite these purely aesthetic concessions, the ACA and other tournament organizations have requirements that you should consider if you’re thinking about playing competitively. The preferred color is white, but other colors easily seen are allowed. Additionally, latex-based high gloss paints are preferred as long as they don’t cause excess sliding.

Other Cornhole Types

As you might’ve noticed from our fifth product, not every cornhole set is made of wood or other hard material. The product from Himal is a canvas-like material, which allows it to be collapsible and portable. These cornhole sets are versatile and allow you to carry them from place to place and practice on the go.

While you won’t necessarily see these types in an ACA game, they’re a great way to hone your skills.

Types of Bags

All of the products that we have featured in our guide come pre-equipped with cornhole bags. The bags that a set comes with should have certain features to ensure a good game. When purchasing a new set, try to purchase one that has features that support your game such as:

All-Weather Performance

Rain happens, and when it does, the last thing you want is to experience reduced accuracy when you’re playing cornhole. For this reason, many manufacturers produce all-weather bean bags that won’t get soaked in the rain. Also, bags that aren’t all-weather tend to become damaged due to the excess moisture. When this happens, the lifetime of the bag goes down. As a general rule, it’s a safer bet to ensure that any set you purchase has bags that can handle bad weather.

Regulation Sizing

Learning to play cornhole is about being able to control the bag so that it lands where you want it. For this reason, your bag should be of the standard sizing so that you can be ready for local tournaments. Events will invariably have ACA-certified bags, and the last thing you want is not to be accustomed to this sizing.

A Carrying Bag

Many manufacturers also opt to include a carrying bag with the bean bags included in cornhole sets. A quality bag keeps your bean bags together much easier and allows you to take them with you.

An additional bag feature that you can consider includes light-up LED lighting, which allows you to play in the dark. Also, some pros consider all-weather resin filled bags to be the best for cornhole play. Just remember, bags are an integral part of the game, so purchase sets that include great bags for your game.

Final Thoughts

Playing cornhole is great exercise, is easy to learn, and is very fun for anyone playing with friends or family. Each of the products that we’ve covered in this guide is excellent for learning and playing the game. We’ve selected two products that we prefer above others. These products are the Tailgating Pros 4’x2′ & 3’x2′ Cornhole Boards and the GoSports Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set.

Both of these cornhole board sets have regulation sizing and have high-quality surfaces for playing the game. They both also fold up fairly neatly and provide an ADA-compliant game. These are relatively lightweight and easy to use as well.

How to play Cornhole game

My task is to teach you all the ins and outs of cornhole. So kick off your shoes, grab a cold one, and enjoy the five-step program that we’ve created for you on this beautiful game.

1. Cornhole boards

Cornhole boards should be placed on a flat surface 27 feet apart front to front. And if kids only are playing, make sure the boards are 15 feet apart. The cornhole boards surface should be two feet by four feet.

If you don’t know which board you need, read my review Best Cornhole Boards

2. Cornhole bags

The cornhole bags. There should be eight bags, four bags of each color, and each team gets four of the same colored bags. Each bag should be 6 inches by 6 inches and have one pound of corn inserted into each cornhole bag.

3. Cornhole game play

You can play cornhole a number of different ways, and typically you play with partners. Partners shall stand at opposite cornhole boxes on the same side and face each other. So there is no advantage given to one team. Each cornhole team shall have four bags of one color. All eight cornhole bags begin at one end. A coin flip or rock, paper, scissors, shall determine which cornhole team has honors in round one. One of the partners on the team who has honors shall begin play by throwing a cornhole bag at the opposite corn hole blocks.

The game continues by alternating throws between two opponent players until all eight cornhole bags have been thrown. A cornhole player may throw from anywhere behind the front of the cornhole blocks they’re throwing from. There’s an imaginary line, and if crossed while throwing, then the shot does not count and cannot be thrown again in that round. If a cornhole bag hits the ground and then bounces up onto the board, that bag shall be taken off the playing surface and not counted.

The next round starts when the other cornhole player on the team which has honors throws the first cornhole bag.

How to win? The cornhole game continues until one team reaches 21 points or more. Now, this is a much faster way to play, especially for tournaments.

How to win alternatives for tournaments, leagues, private events, and nightly play. The cornhole game continues until one team reaches 21 points exactly. If a team goes over 21, then it will go back to 15 and play continues.

4. Fouls.

A foul occurs when any of the following happens:

A cornhole player’s foot goes past the foot foul line, termed a foot foul.

If a player goes out of turn.

The player who caused the foul loses the throw when the foul occurred, and the bag shall be removed if it landed on the playing surface.

5. Scoring.

The score shall be taken after all cornhole bags have been thrown for a round. Points shall be awarded as follows:

Three points for a cornhole bag that goes through the hole.

Two points for a cornhole bag that is hanged in the hole, which is leaner.

One point for a bag that is on the playing surface.

One point for a cornhole bag that is hanging off the edge, but not touching the ground.

Now there are zero points awarded for a bag that is on the playing surface but is also touching the ground and zero points for a cornhole bag that is hanging off the edge but is also resting on another cornhole bag that is on the ground.

Cancellation. The cornhole team with the highest round score adds a difference of the two scores to the game score.

Example, if team A has six points for that round and team B only has four points, then team A will be awarded the difference, which is two points for that round, and team B receives no points in that round, and the scoring team, the team who was awarded the two points, they go first in the next round.

The cornhole team who wins the round is given honors to throw first in the next round. If both cornhole teams have the same round score, then the game score stays the same and the honors stay with the team who had the previous round.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and all of the ends and outs of cornhole.

GoSports Solid Wood Premium Cornhole Set

$119.99

9.4

Regulation size board

10.0/10

Bag quality

10.0/10

Wood quality

10.0/10

Carrying case

7.5/10

Pros

• Fairly lightweight cornhole boards
• Regulation weight bean bags
• Weather-proof bags
• Easy to paint wood

Cons

• No carrying case for board
• Bean bag case feels cheap
• Wood may need a finish

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