The Best Basketball Hoop

Buying Guide

Keep your kids and their friends outdoors with a great basketball hoop at home. There are so many on the market, it’s a little tricky to decide which is best for you. With different brands, styles and sizes, you will want to consider your property and where it will be placed as well as the ages, heights and abilities of the ones who will be using it. Below are a few things to keep in mind when buying a basketball hoop for home recreation.

To start, you’ll want to decide if you want a portable hoop, an in-ground hoop or a wall-mounted hoop. There are pros and cons to each of these systems, as you’ll discover. Here’s how to determine which hoop is best for your lifestyle.

The portable hoops are made with a base that has an opening where you can fill it to stabilize it. The base of the hoop depends on the rest of the hoop materials. If it is a solid metal pole with a heavy glass backboard, the base will most likely be bigger and hold up to 42 gallons for the utmost stability. In addition, these hoops have an adjustable height, so you can change the setting depending on who is playing.

The portable hoop seems to be the most common choice among consumers because of the very fact that they are portable and can be moved to adjust to the position of the sun or for frequent movers. The con to the portable system is that they shake, so your game could be a little off with these types of hoops.

For a much more stable option, you’ll want to choose the in-ground hoop. With these systems, you’ll pour concrete in the ground and set the pole in the concrete. There are two cons to these hoops, first is getting the system to set level in the concrete, and second is that you cannot take it with you when you move. An excellent option for an in-ground hoop is the Silverback 60 inch In-Ground Basketball Hoop with Adjustable-Height Tempered Glass Backboard.

When you are serious about the accuracy of your game, you’ll want a wall-mounted hoop. These hoops are attached to your home, so there is no vibration or shaking when the ball is shot at it. These are perfect if you are not moving for a while and have a good space for it on your property. You can also choose wall-mounted hoops that are detachable and fold up for convenience and space-saving.

In addition to these three style options, you’ll want to consider the backboard material and size. An inexpensive option is a polycarbonate backboard. The pro is that it holds up for a long time. The con is that it does not create a super-accurate game because it is just plastic that vibrates and bends when hit with the ball.

The most recommended backboard material is glass. This is because it is extremely stable, so it won’t bend or vibrate. Most professional hoops and school gyms use glass backboards.

There are also acrylic backboards. The primary reason consumers choose acrylic is that it won’t shatter like glass. The con to an acrylic material is that it takes a beating from the sun and will need to be replaced much more frequently than a glass backboard. As for size, it really depends on how you play ball. If you are in competitive basketball sports, you will really want a regulation size, which is 72 inches wide and 42 inches tall. Younger kids are fine with 44 inches wide. However, teens practicing for their school team will do well with 48 inch to 50-inch wide backboard.

One more option you can choose when buying a basketball hoop is the rim type. There are standard rims with no bells and whistles. They are basic and offer an old fashioned hoop. The con is that these springs can be made poorly, and you’ll end up with too much slack in the hoop when you shoot.

The top-tier hoop is an enclosed spring breakaway rim. Just be careful when choosing this option because their quality depends on the materials used to make them, and often, the price is an indicator of the quality of the springs. The benefit of these is that the springs won’t rust as easily as the exposed spring hoops.

Be sure to take all these options into consideration when picking out a hoop for your family. Your lifestyle will determine exactly the things you need in a basketball hoop and this review can get you started in the right direction.

• The best basketball hoop for you really depends on the way you play basketball. Will you be dunking and playing hard, or playing more casual games?
• Though the price of basketball hoops can vary greatly, you’ll likely be able to find something within your budget.
• A basketball hoop should provide a fantastic outdoor experience for kid-friendly recreation, so remember to tailor your choice to your family’s needs.
• For a growing family, an adjustable height hoop is the best way to accommodate the growth and advancements.