Do you love to take part in basketball games but cannot always make it to a standard court? If yes, then you might not have a choice than to create a makeshift basketball court. Now, a makeshift basketball court will not be complete without a basketball hoop. Since your home or play area cannot be converted to a standard basketball court, you will need to make use of a portable basketball hoop while playing.
Playing the game of basketball in your compound with a portable basketball hoop might sound very amazing. However, before doing this, you will need to cross the hurdle of getting the right portable basketball hoop. While it might seem like getting a portable basketball hoop is all about going to the market and making a purchase, in reality, it is not so easy.
There are lots of portable basketball hoops in the market, and this is a primary reason why getting the right portable basketball hoop is not the easiest thing to do.
If you must get the right portable basketball hoop, there are things you have to know. Some of them are the best portable basketball hoops, as well as the things to look out for when choosing a portable basketball hoop.
How to Choose a Portable Basketball Hoop
Will you be buying a portable basketball hoop anytime soon? There are things you will need to consider if you must make the right purchase. Let’s find out what these things are.
At What Level do you play?
The level at which you play is a strong determinant of the type of basketball hoop you will need. While an expert might need to play with a backboard that is up to 72 inches, as a learner, you will be wasting money if you purchase a portable basketball hoop that comes with a backboard that is up to 72 inches.
If you play professionally and need a portable basketball hoop to practice, you will be doing yourself a lot of favor by purchasing a portable basketball hoop that has all the features that are used in a standard game. This way, you will not have to go through an adjustment phase while in a professional sport.
In addition to coming with backboards that are 72 inches, the right portable basketball hoop for professionals come with sturdier poles, as well as bases. These go a long way in making the basketball hoop stay in shape after a series of dunks.
Your Play Area
The size of your play area is a significant factor to be considered when buying a portable basketball hoop. This is because a huge portable basketball hoop might seem great. It, however, might be too big for your play area and might end up taking all the space that you need to get other things done.
You will not have any problems with a big portable basketball hoop if your play area is huge; however, if all the space you have is a little garage, you will need to go for something small.
If you are not sure how to measure the space you require to house a portable basketball hoop in your compound conveniently, you simply need to consider the size of the base, the pole, the backboard, and the overhand.
Backboard
Different portable basketball hoops come with different types of backboards. These various backboards are made from different materials and are more suitable for people of particular ages. Some of the accessible materials used in making backboards are polyethylene, graphite, and acrylic.
Acrylic Backboards: Acrylic backboards can be used by beginners, as well as those playing at an intermediate level. When compared with other backboard materials, they are regarded as being classy. This material might not be suitable for experts as it cannot be trusted to rebound the ball rapidly. It, however, can be used for a long time as it hardly gets broken.
Polyethylene and Graphite Backboards: If you are looking to buy a portable basketball hoop for children, you will need to consider backboards made from graphite and polyethylene over those made from other materials. The reason for this is they are not as expensive as other backboard materials.
While graphite and polyethylene backboards are plastic, they do not get damaged easily. They are very durable and can, therefore, be used for a long time.
Although durable, backboards made from graphite and polyethylene are not the best for professionals as they do not offer the right rebound. Once a basketball comes in contact with this backboard, no rebound is produced. The ball simply falls to the ground. Due to this, it cannot be used by people that play basketball professionally.
Net
The net of a basketball hoop might not seem so important. It, however, is a factor you must consider when buying a hoop.
You can always choose between getting an adjustable net or a fixed net. While a fixed net might seem perfect for an adult, if children must make use of a basketball hoop, it is essential to purchasing one that has an adjustable net. With an adjustable net, your children can always make use of one basketball hoop as they grow.
On the other hand, if you purchase a fixed net, as soon as your children grow past a certain height, they will no longer be able to make use of it. Furthermore, when you buy a fixed net, it is either it is too low for adults or too high for children.
Apart from considering the adjustability of a net, you should also think about the material that was used in making it.
Various materials are used in making nets. Two of these materials are chain link and nylon. When you make use of a nylon net, you do not need to worry about it being affected by the rain as it is waterproof. Chain-link net, on the other hand, is more durable than nylon nets.
What Base Size is Ideal?
The base size of every portable basketball hoop plays a major role in how intense you can be when playing with it. While you might want to play some intense games with your basketball hoop, you will have to consider the part of your home you will place the basketball hoop once it is bought
If you need to make use of a hoop indoors, you will need some extra space. The space required for setting up a hoop is not just limited to the front of the hoop. The back of the hoop should also be considered.
The Best Portable Basketball Hoops & Kids Basketball Hoop
Let’s walk through some of the best portable basketball hoops.
Lifetime 52 Inch Portable Basketball Hoop System
When playing a game of basketball with this loop, you can bank on its stability. It features a sturdy pole that ensures its backdrop is properly supported regardless of the intensity of the game
The backboard that is featured by this portable basketball hoop is durable and will not get shattered under the weight of a ball.
When you purchase this portable basketball hoop, you can be sure to get excellent value for your money. While it is not the cheapest portable basketball hoop in the market, you can be confident that any money you put into this basketball hoop will be worth it.
Pros
- This basketball hoop can be assembled very effortlessly
- Its backboard is very durable as it features a padded frame which makes it last for long
Con
- It does not offer rebounds
- Its springs can rust because they are left exposed.
Lifetime Portable Basketball hoop
Lifetime portable basketball hoop is one of the most popular portable basketball hoops. It comes with lots of useful features that make it stand out from other portable basketball hoops.
The pole that this basketball hoop comes with can be adjusted to meet your needs. You can make it as high as 10 feet and as low as 7.5 feet. This way, it can be conveniently used by adults and children.
While there are many great portable basketball hoops, a lot of these hoops can easily get affected by the weather. Lifetime portable basketball hoop is, however, different from these other portable basketball hoops as it is resistant to the weather. The fact that this basketball hoop is resistant to the weather means it can last for a longer time than other basketball hoops that get easily affected by the weather.
In addition to being resistant to the weather, Lifetime portable basketball hoop is made from top quality materials. Some of the materials it is made of which make it very durable are polyethylene and powder-coated steel.
Pros
- It does not get rusted
- It comes with wheels that help its mobility
Cons
- It is not very easy to assemble.
Spalding pro slam portable NBA 54” Angled Pole Backboard Basketball System
This is another fantastic product from the Spalding brand. It comes with lots of amazing features and is very affordable.
This basketball hoop can be easily adjusted. It also comes with a supportive pole, which makes it sturdy regardless of what height it gets adjusted to. As an owner of the Spalding pro slam portable NBA 54” angled portable backboard basketball system, you can make it as low as 7.5 feet and as high as 10 feet.
This basketball hoop comes with a transparent polycarbonate backboard that is 54 inches wide. Due to the quality of this backboard, rebounds are effortless. It is, therefore, suitable for learners, as well as experts.
Although this basketball hoop is sturdy, if you are looking to make it stronger, there is a way to get this done. Its plastic base is hollow. You can, therefore, add sand or water to it to make it stronger and, thus, provide better support for the hoop. If you do not want to keep it temporarily filled, you can fill it permanently with the use of cement.
Although filling its base with cement will provide better stability, you might not get the best from its portability. Going by this, if you intend to move it from time to time, it is best you make use of a temporary filler such as sand or water.
Pro
- Its height is adjustable
- It has a sturdy steel frame which provides adequate support
Con
It is not weather resistant.
Lifetime Height Adjustable Basketball System
The Lifetime height-adjustable basketball hoop can be enjoyed by both beginners and experts in the game of basketball. Just as its name states, it can be moved around very easily.
This basketball hoop is durable and compact. You do not always have to move this basketball hoop away from the open because you need to save its backboard. The reason for this is its backboard is resistant to the weather.
When making use of this basketball hoop, it is a lot easy to hit your target as its backboard features graphics that do not fade regardless of what the weather is like.
You do not have to be tall to make use of this basketball hoop. It comes with an adjustable rim. In addition to being adjustable, its rim can conveniently deal with the pressure associated with the game of basketball. This basketball hoop is supported by a sturdy pole. This implies that you do not need to worry about damaging it when you dunk.
Pros
- Its pole height can be adjusted
- Its backboard is of top quality
Con
It is difficult to set up
Lifetime 52 Inch Portable Basketball System
The Lifetime portable basketball system is durable, innovative, and portable. This basketball hoop features a duty base that takes unnecessary pressure off the hoop. Also, the fact that its base is very portable means you are not limited to using it in a sports center or the house. You can easily move it when going camping.
Although a portable basketball hoop, you can always get the NBA experience when playing a game with Lifetime portable basketball hoop. This is because its backboard is 72 inches by 42 inches which is the standard used in the NBA
While this basketball hoop gives you the feel of playing in the NBA, you do not have to be of standard basketball height to enjoy all that it has to offer. The reason for this is its height is adjustable. You can, therefore, conveniently play a game with this basketball hoop even if you are not tall.
While it is indeed amazing that this basketball hoop can be adjusted, there is one more thing. The way it gets adjusted is different from the way some other basketball hoops get adjusted. You do not need to go through a lot of stress to adjust this basketball hoop. The reason is it makes use of a screw jack adjustment technique which can be handled easily by both adults and children.
Pros
- It can be set up very effortlessly
- Its frame and backboard are sturdy
- It has great graphics
Cons
- Its base tends to leak
Lifetime 90040 Height Adjustable
This basketball hoop might be very famous for being portable. That, however, is just one of the things it is famous for. Lifetime 900400 height adjustable basketball hoop can be easily adjusted to whatever height you consider convenient. In addition to being adjustable to suit the height of its owner, you can be certain to enjoy the use of this basketball hoop regardless of what the weather is like.
This basketball hoop has lots of features that make it ideal for playing the game of basketball in the rainy season. Its frame is made from stainless steel. This means you will not need to worry about it getting rusted. Also, is net is made from nylon, which makes it impossible for it to get soaked in water.
Pros
- It is very portable
- Its height is adjustable
Con
- It is not suitable for dunking as its rim lacks breakaway spring support.
Silverback NXT Portable Height
With the Silverback NXT portable basketball hoop, you can enjoy the game of basketball without having to do so much maintenance. This basketball hoop has an adjustable height. Due to this, if you are not tall enough to enjoy the game of basketball with a standard basketball hoop height, you can always get this adjusted to the height that suits you.
Featured by this basketball hoop is a small base. While it might appear like it lacks stability because of the size of its base, this small base size makes it ideal for playing basketball in areas that are not big.
While playing basketball, you will not need to worry about the hoop falling. The reason for this is its core is hollow, you can, therefore, fill it with sand or water.
This hoop is light and can be moved around very easily. Prior to being filled with sand or water, it has a weight of 79.39kg.
When setting up this hoop, you do not have to go through the length of time that you would with other hoops. The instructions contained in its manual are clear. Due to this, you can set it up completely in 90 minutes.
Pros
- It is very lightweight
- It has a stable profile
Con
- For the price this portable basketball hoop is sold for, its rim is of low quality
Spalding NBA “The Beast” Portable Basketball
This portable basketball hoop comes with lots of features that you can depend on to have a wonderful experience when playing basketball.
Its base features four wheels. In addition to this, its base has a design that makes it fillable. This goes a long way in providing stability and great support for the pole housing the backboard.
Spalding NBA has a 60-inch backboard, which is made of tempered glass. In addition to being 60 inches wide and made from tempered glass, the backboard that comes with this portable basketball loop has a thickness of ¼ inches. Due to this, it can be considered to be at par with the quality of the tempered glass used in making the backboard of basketball hoops used in the NBA.
This basketball hoop is portable, and that is the reason it is in this article in the first place. It, however, is not just portable. It comes with wheels that make moving it from one place to another really easy.
Pros
- It is great for large driveways
- It has a broad base design which provides ample support.
Con
- Its base is prone to leakage.
- Its wheels cannot be used when the surface is not even.
Spalding 66291 Pro Slam Portable Basketball System
The Spalding 66291 pro slam portable basketball hoop is one you can rely on when looking to get a portable basketball hoop that is durable. It has an acrylic backboard which is 54 inches in size and is framed with steel. Furthermore, its gallon base is fillable. This base has a capacity of 34 liters and can be filled with either sand or water. Whatever you choose to fill it with is up to you. Once its base is filled, you will enjoy a good level of stability when playing a game.
You do not need to be careful when making shots with this portable basketball hoop. This is because its backboard which is made from acrylic is shatterproof. The implication of this is you can always make rebound shots. In addition to being made of acrylic material, the backboard has extra padding which always keeps it in place regardless of the intensity of your shots.
While the quality of the backboard that comes with a portable basketball hoop is great, there is more. The backboard that comes with Spalding 6621 pro slam features an NBA logo. This, therefore, gives it a professional feel even if you are not playing in the NBA.
If you own this portable basketball hoop, you do not have to be careful when dunking. Its rim was designed to stay strong even after numerous dunks.
Pro
It is great for dunks
It is made from high-quality materials
Con
- The backboard could scratch
- It is not weatherproof.