How to Choose a Backgammon Set: Wood, Size & Budget

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world — 5,000 years of history. Choosing the right board means securing hundreds of hours of enjoyment. Here is our complete guide.

Table des matières

Why invest in a beautiful backgammon board?

As with chess, quality matters. Before you buy a backgammon set, check the quality of the hinges and the interior felt — the materials transform the playing experience. A wooden board. A wooden backgammon set offers a warm, solid feel, with inlaid points and weighty checkers, giving a tactile and visual pleasure that a plastic travel set simply cannot match.

What’s more, a beautiful backgammon board is a decorative object in its own right, adorning a coffee table or bookshelf with elegance.

The essential criteria

The wood

Walnut, maple, oak, ash: the finest woods offer durability, beauty and a pleasant feel. Avoid MDF or low-grade plywood.

The size. The dimensions of a backgammon set range from 25 cm (travel) to 60 cm (tournament)

Standard: 45-50 cm closed, 50-55 cm open. Travel: 25-35 cm. Tournament: 55-60 cm. Size determines playing comfort.

The checkers

Wood, resin or stone: checkers should be heavy and stable. Ideal diameter: 3.5 to 4 cm for a standard board.

The dice

Balanced precision dice, ideally 16 mm. Some premium sets include a leather dice cup for an elegantly noisy roll.

The different price ranges

Range	Price	Materials	Who it’s for
Entry level	€30 – €80	Composite wood, plastic, faux leather	Beginners, travel, children
Mid-range	€80 – €200	Solid wood, inlaid points, resin checkers	Regular players, decoration
High-end	€200 – €500	Solid walnut/maple, fine marquetry, stone checkers	Enthusiasts, prestige gifts
Prestige	€500+	Precious woods, mother-of-pearl, premium leather	Collectors, works of art

Travel backgammon vs living room backgammon

A travel board folds up and is easy to carry, while a living room board stays in place and favours aesthetics. Ideally, you would own both: a compact model for travelling and a beautiful set for the home.

🎲 Backgammon is often played in the evening among friends. Choose a board where the sound of the checkers and dice is pleasing — it’s an important part of the enjoyment. Solid wood boards have a satisfying “clack” that plastic simply doesn’t.

Our selection

Discover our backgammon collection: a range of boards in fine wood, checkers in resin or stone, and beautifully finished details. Every set is designed for both the pleasure of play and interior decoration.

Backgammon belongs to the great family of traditional wooden games that have endured through the centuries. If you’re looking for other classics, explore our range of other games: draughts, dominoes, mahjong and more.

Buying tip: If you’re torn between two sizes, always choose the larger one. A spacious board is more comfortable to play on, more pleasing to look at and more satisfying to use day to day.

Backgammon is the most sociable of board games: simple enough for a relaxed evening, deep enough for a lifetime’s passion.

— Le Palais des Échecs