Australian bean bag toss sets fall into two groups that happen to share a name. Toy sets are roughly 90 to 100cm long, played from about a metre away, and sold in the games aisle. Regulation sets are 122cm x 61cm, played from 8.23 metres, and are the actual sport.
Both are fine. They are just not the same purchase, and the listing rarely tells you which one you are looking at.
Nearly every Australian retailer sells something called a bean bag toss or bag toss. Kmart, Bunnings, Aldi, BCF, Rebel, Big W and Anaconda have all carried one. The catch is that the specifications vary enormously between them and the product names do not, so two sets described identically can be built to completely different sizes.
This is a checklist for reading past the name, using specs that retailers do publish.
How to compare a bean bag toss set on specifications
Five things decide whether a set is a toy, a decent backyard game, or something you could take to a tournament. Every one of them is usually findable on the product page if you know to look.
1. Board size
This is the single most useful number, because it tells you what the set is for.
Regulation, set by the American Cornhole Association, is 122cm x 61cm. Anything meaningfully smaller is a toy version, which is a perfectly reasonable thing to buy, but it will not prepare anyone for a real game and adults tend to lose interest in it quickly.
For a sense of the gap: Kmart's wooden bean bag toss lists its boards at 97.5cm long by 40cm wide, and its fabric six-bag set at 91cm by 60cm. Both are noticeably shorter and, in the wooden set's case, considerably narrower than regulation.
2. Playing distance
Check the instructions rather than the marketing. Regulation is 8.23 metres between front edges. Kmart's wooden set manual specifies playing from 1.0 metre apart, which tells you plainly it is designed as an indoor children's game rather than a lawn sport.
Neither is wrong. But if you are picturing a backyard match between adults, a set designed for a metre is not going to deliver it.
3. Number of bags
A proper game needs eight, four per side in two colours, so each side can see whose bag is whose when scoring. Six-bag sets exist, and they force you into three a side, which does not match any standard rule set.
Some sets ship with no bags at all. Worth checking before the boards arrive.
4. Bag size and weight
Regulation bags are 15cm square and weigh between roughly 400 and 460 grams. It sounds like a fussy detail and it is not. A bag much lighter than that skids off the back of the board or gets pushed off line by a breeze, and a bag much heavier lands dead instead of sliding towards the hole.
Weight is usually stated on the listing, and if you already own a set you can check it on the kitchen scales in about ten seconds.
5. What the boards are made of
Plywood with a solid timber frame is the standard for a real set, and the playing surface should be sanded smooth, because a rough one shreds bags and kills the slide the game depends on.
Fabric and plastic sets, like Kmart's polyester and polypropylene six-bag version, pack down small and are genuinely convenient. They just cannot produce the slide that makes cornhole a game of touch rather than luck.
Two details that separate a good timber set from a mediocre one: whether the legs fold, and whether there is a leg brace positioned low enough to stop bags disappearing underneath the board mid-round.
And one more: the warranty
Outdoor timber games live a hard life. A maker offering five years is making a statement about its construction that a maker offering none is also making.
Where Australians actually buy these
Worth knowing what each type of retailer tends to stock, so you can aim at the right shelf.
| Where | Generally stocks | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Kmart, Big W, Target | Compact toy sets, seasonal ranges under house brands like Anko | Board length and the distance the manual specifies |
| Aldi | Special-buy sets, often under the Crane label, in and out of stock fast | Bag count and bag weight |
| Bunnings | Varies by season, mostly outdoor and party ranges | Board size, and whether legs fold |
| BCF, Anaconda, Rebel | Camping and outdoor brands such as Verao, aimed at backyard play | Board size against 122cm x 61cm |
| Specialist games retailers | Regulation and tournament sets | Whether it states ACA or ACL compliance |
Ranges change constantly, so treat this as a guide to the type of set rather than a list of what is on the shelf this week. Take the checklist to the actual listing.
The one question that sorts it fastest. How far apart do the instructions say to put the boards? A set that says a metre is a children's game. A set that says 8.23 metres is a lawn sport. Everything else follows from that.
Cornhole Pro, ACA regulation set
Two boards at the full 122cm x 61cm with a 15cm hole, eight ACA-compliant bags at 425 to 454 grams, a rules card and a padded carry bag. Sanded plywood surface, solid pine folding legs, low leg brace, 5-year warranty and free delivery Australia-wide.
See the Cornhole Pro setWhich type should you buy?
Buy a toy set if it is mainly for children under about eight, it will be played indoors or on a balcony, and it needs to pack away small. They do that job well and there is no sense paying more for a job you do not have.
Buy a regulation set if adults will play it, if it is going in a backyard for summer, or if anyone in the house is likely to want a real game. Board length sets the arc you throw and hole size decides whether a good shot is rewarded or a lucky one is, so practising on the wrong size does not transfer.
The middle ground is where people waste money. A set that is nearly regulation size but not quite tends to satisfy nobody: too big to be a convenient kids' toy, too small to play the actual game on.
A checklist to take to the listing
- Board size, ideally 122cm x 61cm
- Hole diameter of 15cm, positioned 23cm from the top edge
- Eight bags, four per side in two colours
- Bag size of 15cm square, weighing roughly 400 to 460 grams
- Sanded plywood surface with a timber frame
- Folding legs and a carry bag
- A stated playing distance of 8.23 metres
- A warranty measured in years
If you would like the full measurements and where they come from, we have set them out with a diagram in what the bean bag toss game is actually called, and the rules and scoring are in how to play cornhole. If it is mainly for the children, twelve bean bag games for kids covers what you can do with a set of bags and not much else.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a bean bag toss board be?
Regulation is 122cm x 61cm, with a 15cm hole centred 23cm from the top edge, sitting 7.6cm off the ground at the front and 30.5cm at the back. Many Australian retail sets are smaller, around 90 to 100cm long, and are designed as children's toys rather than for the full game.
Is a Kmart bean bag toss the same as cornhole?
It is the same idea at a different scale. Kmart's wooden set lists boards at 97.5cm x 40cm and its manual specifies playing from 1.0 metre apart, where regulation cornhole is 122cm x 61cm played from 8.23 metres. It is a good indoor children's game rather than a lawn sport.
How many bean bags should come with a set?
Eight, in two colours, four per side. Six-bag sets force three a side, which does not match standard rules, and some sets include no bags at all.
How heavy should cornhole bags be?
Regulation bags are 15cm square and weigh between roughly 400 and 460 grams. Lighter bags skid off the back of the board or get pushed off line by a breeze, and heavier ones land dead rather than sliding towards the hole.
Can you use a smaller board to practise on?
Not really. Board length sets the arc your throw needs and the hole size decides how much a good shot is rewarded, so a throw grooved on a small board does not transfer to a regulation one.
Sources: Regulation dimensions from the American Cornhole Association. Retail specifications taken from manufacturers' own published product pages and manuals, current at time of writing. Ranges and specifications change, so check the listing in front of you.