Best Lawn Bowls for Indoors

What are the best rated lawn bowls woods for indoor carpets? Check out our top 6. Are yours on the list?

Top 6 Indoor lawn bowls

Brand	Model	Price
Taylor	Vector VS	£299.95
Taylor	Ace	£299.95
Drakes Pride	Professional	£279.90
Drakes Pride	Advantage	£219.90
Aero	Profile	£356.95
Henselite	Dreamline (Australia only)	AUS$689.00

Best Lawn Bowls for Indoors

Buying a new set of lawn bowls is an expensive business. So you want to make the right choice. In this guide we will look at the main criteria on which we evaluate indoor bowls, as well as giving our opinion on what we think are the best indoor bowls.

How are indoor bowls different?

There is no physical or structural difference between indoor models and outdoor models. They are essentially the same thing, however the main difference is in how they behave.

Indoor models will have a much narrower bias – they will not arch quite as much. This is due to the faster nature of indoor carpet compared to outdoor greens, so a narrower line is required. If you were to use an outdoor model on an indoor carpet you will probably find you would have to take such a wide line, that it would make drawing to the jack incredibly difficult.

Conversely, if you used a model designed for indoor carpet on an outdoor green you would have the opposite effect. Your line would be so narrow, it would almost be straight. You will be unable to draw around anything in front of the head, and will probably make everyone else annoyed.

Having noted this difference, it is important to see that there is a crossover point where certain models can be played in both conditions. A wide biased indoor bowl can be used outside if a narrower line is required. We will cover this when we come to these later on.

What to look for in an indoor lawn bowl

As we have already noted, there is nothing unusual about indoor bowl models. Therefore the attributes you are looking for will be the same as any other lawn bowl choice.

What style of play will you aim for? If you predominantly play lead you will want to look for a narrower biased bowl, conversely if you play a lot of skip, or singles games you will want a wider bowl to maneuver yourself around woods in the head. Finally, if you play a mixture, then a mid-biased bowl could suit. Good all-rounders are available, and will make transitioning between roles much easier.

Grip styles can vary depending on brands. As discussed in our guide for small hands certain grips can allow you to go up a size – which can be advantageous.

Other considerations

It is not uncommon for bowlers to play both indoor and outdoor, and unless you have the money to buy two sets of bowls – which many of us don’t! – then buying a crossover bowl will be necessary.

The down side to this is you will have to play with a wider biased indoor bowl than you may be used to – or want. So this must be factored into your decision.

Best Indoor Bowls

Here is our guide on the 6 best indoor lawn bowl models

Taylor Vector VS

One of our favourite models due to it’s versatility. Great for newer bowlers, and will have enough bias to play lead bowls outdoors

Taylor Ace

Will play wide on an indoor rink, and would be ideal for a skip, or for singles play. Will also be a great all-rounder for outdoor greens too.

There is a good reason why the Taylor Ace is one of the most popular models available today.

The Taylor Ace also has a strong second hand market, so a good set can be easily found for a reasonable price. The demand will remain strong, so they will unlikely lose their value over time.

Drakes Pride Professional

A great all-rounder. Will have a wider bias on indoor rink, so will be ideal for singles play. It also plays well on outdoor rinks too, so if a dual purpose bowl is required, the Professional should be high on your list.

Drakes Pride Advantage

The Advantage is Drakes Pride’s minimum bias bowl. It is made into a unique shape to make it perform better on fast, indoor surfaces.

As the narrowest model available, it will lend itself to lead players, and will achieve a far superior draw.

Aero Profile

The Profile model is Aero’s dedicated indoor model – designed to meet the needs of all players.

The draw line is even, and starts at the mid point of the arch, making it super reliable for lead bowlers. Also, the Profile will hold it’s line with minimal weight added, which is great when playing aggressive shots to remove bowls in the head.

We are also fans of the range of unique grips offered by Aero. Whilst these grips are in part designed to help with outdoor conditions, they also lend themselves to indoor bowlers who require an extra secure grip.

Henselite Dreamline

The Henselite Dreamline is a great all-round indoor bowl. It has a slightly wider bias than Henselite’s narrowest model – the ABT-evo, but not so much that it’s draw arch is affected.

Henseliete also offer their models with a flatter, narrower width profile to boast comfort and control of release. This is designed to aid consistency of release, preventing wobbles on your delivery.

Overview

All of the models outlined above are great choices. Here is our summary of which we believe are the “best in class indoor bowls”

Best narrow biased model – Drakes Pride Advantage

Best “crossover” model – Taylor Ace

Best all-round indoor bowl model – Henselite Dreamline