Nothing kills the mood at a garden party faster than an awkward lack of conversation.
No matter how carefully you curate the people attending an event, you can never tell if your guests’ shyness or nervousness is going to result in stretches of silence so excruciatingly long you’ll be wishing you spent the day getting a root canal.
And of course, it’s up to you, the host, to provide the spark the event needs.
You are responsible for introducing the missing ingredient that’ll convert a bashful group of people staring forlornly at their half-empty G&T glasses into a gaggle of chatterboxes exchanging witticisms and phone numbers.
Fortunately, this is why scientists invented games.
No, we’re not talking about Settlers of Catan or Pokemon Go. If this is where your brain went, why are you even considering throwing a garden party?
What you’re going to need is a physical, outdoor activity. One that turns partygoers who’d otherwise not exchange a word with each other into teammates. A game that turns friendly acquaintances into momentary rivals.
What you need is a game that’s easy to learn but full of strategy. A game that doesn’t take hours to finish and doesn’t need thousands of pieces of equipment.
What you need is Bocce Ball.
Nothing resurrects a dying outdoor event faster than a bit of friendly rivalry and bocce is genuinely one of the easiest ways to make this happen.
And don’t just take our word for it; bocce is one of the most popular games in the world and has its history in ancient Rome, where it is believed that soldiers played a rudimentary version of it to pass the time.
And those guys KNEW how to enjoy themselves!
As mentioned before, one of the reasons for Bocce’s popularity is how simple it is to get a game started. The equipment and space you need are very reasonable for an outdoor game.
In fact, all you need to start playing is a reasonably level stretch of earth and a bocce ball set.
Purists would insist that you play on a standard 90ft soil or asphalt court, but since very few of us have the time, money, or inclination to dig up our lawns, we’ll use this article to focus on the bare minimum you need to get playing: the set itself.
The 11 Best Bocce Ball Sets
We delved deep into the world of bocce to compile this list. Bocce is the third-most played sport in the world and it stands to reason that there will be an absolute avalanche of options out there.
Well, there’s no need to go scratching around the entire internet to find the top bocce ball set for your needs when we’ve done all the hard work for you.
Below are 11 of your top options – each one representing the top item in a specific category.
- GoSports 90mm Backyard Bocce Ball Set – Best for Casual Play
- GoSports 100mm Regulation Bocce Ball Set – Best Value for Money
- St Pierre Sports Professional Bocce Set – Most Elite Set
- GoSports 100mm Hardwood Bocce Set – Most Unique Set
- Hey! Play! Bocce Ball Set – Best Non-Regulation Set
- AmazonBasics Bocce Ball – Heaviest Set
- Franklin Sports Regulation Bocce Ball Set – Best for Beach Play
- Franklin Sports Starter Bocce Set – Best Starter Set
- Franklin Sports Advanced Bocce Ball Set – Most Affordable Professional Set
- Play Platoon Bocce Ball Set – Most Durable Set
- Playaboule 4 Color Lighted Bocce Set V3 DLX Glow – Best for Playing in the Dark.
1. GoSports 90mm Backyard Bocce Ball Set – Best for Casual Play
Diameter: 90mm
Weight: 1lb 11oz (765g)
Composition: Hard Resin or Soft Rubber
The GoSports 90mm Backyard set offers customers a choice of two materials, depending on where you’re more likely to play the game.
If you have a perfect outdoor setup offering a nice, even playing surface, opting for the hard resin set may be best. Especially if you prefer the satisfying, authentic sound the bocce balls make as they hit each other.
If you’re playing in a more confined or indoor space where you’re concerned with the hard bocce balls potentially causing damage, opt for the soft rubber set.
The great thing about having this choice is that you’re not compromising on one of the most important aspects of the ball: its heaviness.
A heavy ball is going to make decent contact with other balls and push them around the playing area, while a ball that’s too light won’t have that effect.
The GoSports 90mm soft rubber set is safer to use indoors and less likely to injure a toddler’s foot if it slips from their hand. But at the same time, you won’t be giving up one of the game’s most satisfying aspects: bossing it about by knocking your or your opponents’ balls around the playing area.
Bear in mind, though, that the soft rubber set is slightly more expensive than the hard resin set.
The balls in this set come in four colors, with each of the similarly colored balls having a unique grooved pattern (referred to as a “cut”) engraved into it. What this means is that the set can be played by big groups of up to eight players.
Another consideration with the GoSports 90mm Backyard Set is the non-regulation size of the bocce balls themselves. At 90mm in diameter, they are smaller than standard balls and won’t be the best bocce ball set for a player wanting to play competitively away from their backyard.
What this smaller size does mean, however, is that the ball will fit comfortably in the hands of younger or older players who may struggle with holding and throwing the standard ball size of 107mm.
SET INCLUDES:
- Eight balls: two red, two blue, two yellow, two green.
- 1 x 40mm white pallino.
- 1 x measuring rope.
- Soft canvas carrying case.
PROS:
- Choice of two materials.
- Ideal for big groups.
- Smaller balls ideal for younger or older players.
- Affordable price.
CONS:
- Non-standard sized bocce.
- Carrying case not particularly sturdy.
2. GoSports 100mm Regulation Bocce Ball Set – Best Value for Money
Diameter: 100mm
Weight: 2lb 5oz (1.05kg)
Composition: High-quality poly-resin
The GoSports 100mm is one of the most affordable bocce ball sets on our list that conforms to the sport’s official standards.
Not only is it the GoSports 100mm Regulation Set’s specifications and construction that gives it a sense of authenticity, but also the colors and engraving. The eight bocce balls come in two colors: red and green, with the standard square and circle cuts.
This represents the real deal: the same colors and cuts you’ll see Italian ladies and gentlemen play with along the streets of Napoli.
The balls are very attractive and have a high degree of gloss to the exterior, another thing that adds to their authenticity. The poly-resin material they have been crafted from also render them more durable than a cheaper or some similarly-priced bocce ball sets.
One of the benefits of selecting a bocce ball set with a slightly higher build-quality is the fact that they can be used on pretty much any standard surface without causing too much damage.
Players can also hit (or “spock”) their or their opponents’ bocce balls with confidence that damage is far less likely than with an inferior set.
That said, there certainly are better sets on our list, just not many in this price range.
SET INCLUDES:
- Eight balls: Four red and four green
- 1 x 45mm white pallino.
- 1 x measuring rope.
- Good quality bag with shoulder strap and ball-dividers.
PROS:
- Standard size and weight
- Good value for money
- Good build quality.
- Great carrying case.
CONS:
- Not as durable as some of the more expensive options on our list.