I've heard talk about this board not being a "bristly board" but as I just use it to throw sharp things at I don't know if it is or even care. The darts stick and with it being used every few days over the past few weeks I've yet to see a dart fall due to hitting an already open hole. They seem to close up decently after removing the tip so it seems to operate as designed no matter the material. The best way I can describe it is between cork and a hardwood but more toward the wood side of things. I was wondering how well a dart would go into it but that fear quickly passed. The surface is "flocked" which in the end just means it feels like felt but isn't as soft.
My OCD gets tripped as the numbers go around when they get past horizontal they start tacking the "1"s upside down. I'm sure it's for rigidity and it looks like all boards do it but... it irks me. I think the only downside I've noticed is that the ring is just stapled on. Not in a cheap looking way but it means you can't easily rotate it to distribute the wear.
My family has had fun with it and the darts stick so I see no reason to not recommend to anyone. It's one of the cheapest out there while still making me happy so I'd say give it a try. I received this product at a discount in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.