Outdoor sports have become more and more popular among the world, people start to regard health as primary matter and put more and more time in doing exercise. According to the investigation, there are about 400 million people take their interests in basketball, age ranges from small kids to elders. So do you like playing basketball? Have you ever dreamed of being a super NBA star?
Well, by stepping into the stage, you need to practice basketball day by day, especially when you are a pro. Instead of training and practicing basketball in court or gym, there is an easy way to do that, by getting a portable basketball hoop. So why portable basketball hoops?
Because they are movable, height-adjustable and flexible. What’s more, you can use them for practicing basketball skills whenever you want at home.
From kids to professional adult players, you can always find one best suitable portable basketball hoops.
In order to save your time and energy, in this article, we made the best portable basketball hoops review of 2021 that is available on the market now.
Best Portable Basketball Hoops 2021 Chart
Application of Portable Basketball Hoops
By users, they can be used for players of different ages and different levels of basketball playing. Kids can use small kids type to practice basketball step by step. For adults, no matter you are beginner, intermediate player, or professional players, you can always enjoy basketball with hoops.
By using places, there are indoor type and outdoor type. Indoor types are normally small, you can put it in your home or mount on the door. Outdoor types refer to a portable basketball hoop for the driveway. You can either put it in your backyard or driveway.
Why Do You Need a Portable Basketball Hoop?
For recreation
Basketball is one kind of outdoor sports that can play with friends or family. Most people think they do not have much time to spend with their family, then in such situations, you can get a portable basketball hoop.
For daily practice
If you are really fond of basketball and would like to practice your shooting skills every day, a portable basketball hoop will help. With it, you do not need to get to local gym or court, but feel free to train at home directly.
For kids entertainment
Among various portable basketball hoops, there is one type that is for youth or kids use. They are designed quite low but are also adjustable in height. With such portable basketball hoops for youth, your small athlete will enjoy the best basketball experience from small age.
Advantages Of Portable Basketball Hoops
1. Movable
Portable basketball hoops normally have two detachable wheels on the base, you can roll it around anywhere you want.
2. Height adjustable
Portable basketball hoops are designed to meet nearly all the demands, including both youth and adults. Their height can be adjusted to suit different levels. And the height range averages from 7.5 to 10 feet.
3. Can be stored indoor
One distinguish feature on it is its portability. Outdoor basketball hoops are easily get broken for severe outdoor weather such as wind or snow, with portable basketball hoop, you can roll it inside your garage to keep it stored. Thus service life of it is accordingly prolonged.
4. Bring fun
Apart from practice use, portable basketball hoops are most frequently used for family entertainment. With it placed in the backyard or driveway, you can enjoy basketball games with your friends and family any time.
Buying Guides on Getting Best Portable Basketball Hoops
Portable basketball hoops have many specifications before you get the best portable basketball system, you need to make clear of them. Followings are the basic knowledge you may need:
-Backboard
The backboard is the main factor on basketball hoops and also determines playing experience. On backboard, there are two factors you need to consider, one is size, while the other is backboard material.
1. Size
Regulation basketball backboard is 72 inches wide, but for portable basketball hoops, the average size is only 54 inch.
The larger backboard size is, the more chances you get on scoring the goal.
For different needs and levels of players, size of the backboard that suits you is also different.
The smallest portable basketball hoops for adults use that you can find is 44 inch, and largest one would be 60 inch, which is perfect for pro players.
However, if you want to get one for family recreation, we believe 52 inch basketball backboard will suit you best.
2. Backboard material
There are altogether three materials for basketball backboard, include polycarbonate, acrylic, and tempered glass.
For most of Lifetime portable basketball system and Some inexpensive Spalding basketball hoops, you will find polycarbonate is the main backboard material.
It is super durable and even stronger than acrylic. While the main drawback of it is bad performance in playing.
It shows the worst rebounding effect when the ball hits the backboard, and that’s why polycarbonate portable basketball hoop is only suitable for family recreation.
Acrylic backboard lies in the middle place between polycarbonate and tempered glass.
It is less durable than polycarbonate types but performs much better. Price of which is also a bit higher than polycarbonate portable basketball hoops.
If you take serious races frequently and live somewhere with severe weather conditions, a middle priced acrylic portable basketball hoop will be on your bet.
Among all the three backboard materials, what people especially pro players love most is tempered glass backboard, but its high expensive is also the reason why people take acrylic for substitution.
But if you a serious player, then it is totally worth investing such as pro type.
The rebounding effects and all other performance are the most brilliant. One large downside of tempered glass backboard is that it is easily broken.
Thus on getting a glass portable basketball hoop, you need to make sure it won’t get mistreated or tipped easily in daily use.
-Rim
There are three types of rims easily used on portable basketball hoops, different design of rim determines how much force it bears.
1. Standard rim
The standard orange rim is normally seen on inexpensive portable basketball system, it has no compression spring, thus hard dunking movement or over rim action will bring disastrous effects on it.
If you tend to get one for daily recreation without any dunking, and lacks much money, then you can get a portable basketball hoop system with a standard rim.
2. Compression breakaway rim
This rim, however, is far stronger than the standard rim. Its double compression springs in the rim protect hoops in over rim actions. But too frequent dunk may lead spring into sag easily.
However, this compression breakaway rim still has some bouncy effect in playing, which we dislike most, and exposed rim without cover gets rim into rust through long-time use.
3. Pro-style compression breakaway rim
If you are professional players, then you can never miss pro-style compression breakaway rim. There are also double compression springs in the rim, and steel metal is made as cover to protect rim from rusting.
It is the most stable type among three types and is capable of hard dunking. But still, we suggest not too much overhang or over rim actions by it for prolonging its service life.
-Base
Base is the primary element to keep hoop stable and sturdy. For all portable basketball hoops base, you need to fill in with enough water or sand, and surly, the larger capacity it has, the more sturdiness it will get.
The least expensive portable basketball hoops normally have 27 gallons of the base. They keep upright all the time in playing but may get tipped down in strong wind or other bad weathers.
Middle priced hoop system has a base of 30-40 gallons base, it is more sturdy and wiggles less during shots.
For larger base, you may like 50+ gallons large capacity base, it is super sturdy and can stay safely in place under any weather conditions. Of course, the only brand on making such large base portable basketball hoop is Spalding.
-Supporting pole
The sturdiness of a portable basketball hoop determines not only by the base, but also by supporting pole.
There are also three types pole on the market, which includes one-piece pole, two-piece pole and three-piece pole.
Let’s start with the three-piece pole, for it is the most commonly used type. Nearly all the portable basketball hoops use the three-piece pole, it is the weakest among the three types, but for residential use, they are strong enough.
The two-piece supporting pole is normally used on high-end portable basketball hoops, and by now, only Spalding “The Beast” adopts it. It is pretty strong and keeps the whole hoop super stable in using.
As for one piece supporting pole, you can hardly find in portable basketball hoop systems. It uses only on top of in-ground basketball hoops.
-Backboard bracing
A sturdy portable basketball hoop always has proper support bracing, it is generally connected to certain proportions of the backboard or lies parallel to the backboard, that consists of hard steel metal.
-Height adjustment
Nearly all the portable basketball hoops are height adjustable. For adult use, you can adjust it mostly from 7.5 to 10 feet. Even for kids use type, you can adjust the height with an improvement of children’s height and shot levels.
For different height adjustment types, we will discuss later.
Top 10 Best Portable Basketball Hoops Review
In order to help you get the best portable basketball hoop, we have made a review for you, they are selected according to different usages and performance. Go on reading and you will get the suitable one from our review:
1. Lifetime 1269 Pro Court Height Adjustable Portable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 44 inch |
| Backboard Material | Polycarbonate |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Classic rim |
This is the best portable basketball hoop to buy on the market of 2021 and is also the best selling type on Amazon.
44-inch polycarbonate backboard makes it super durable and long-lasting, a bit small for pro play but is perfect for family entertainment or daily recreation. With telescoping height adjustment, you are able to adjust the height from 7.5 feet to 10 feet in 6-inch increments. Clear backboard with fade-resistant graphic gives you the feel and look of a pro. If you are sick of putting the thing together, do not worry, assembly of it is quite easy, takes about 2 hours with the help of others.
Pros:
- Sturdy backboard
- Secure height adjustment mechanism
- 5 year limited manufacturer warranty
- Easy to assemble
- Well worth the price
Cons:
- The filler hols is quite small
- The water or sand in the base makes it hard to lift
- Not suitable for dunking
2. Spalding NBA Portable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 54 inch |
| Backboard Material | Acrylic |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Arena Slam breakaway rim |
| Base | 40 gallons |
This one we would like to recommend is an acrylic backboard type, it is super steady and fits pros who lack of enough money on tempered glass type.
Large 54-inch acrylic backboard shows excellent performance in bank shots and rebounding effects. Clear backboard with NBA signs on it gives you feel of a pro. Fond of dunking actions? Its pro-style compression breakaway rim helps realize your dream. Heavy-duty steel frame along with its large 40 gallons capacity base keeps it super sturdy when the ball hits the backboard. See the protective plate? That is one of Spalding hoops feature, it is used to guarantee your safety in playing. Anyway, this is definitely the most worth buying and best value portable basketball hoop if you need one for daily training.
Pros:
- Quite stable
- The hoop is solid in all sorts of bad weathers
- Easy to lower or raise through the crank
- Great quality, no wobble
- Nice instructions
Cons:
- Requires two person on installing and takes about 4-5 hours
- Difficult to move once filling in with water or sand
3. Silverback NXT Portable Basketball Hoop
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 54 inch |
| Backboard Material | Polycarbonate |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Assemble Time | No more than 90 minutes |
If you intend to get one with advanced design, then Silverback NXT portable basketball hoop is the one that you must get, for it changes conventional way on designing it.
Chassis and main pole in linked directly to add strength and stability. Clear large 54-inch polycarbonate backboard brings arena at home. For reducing wiggling, it uses Infinity Edge Backboard technology to fold it backward. If you go out frequently and needs to keep it in the garage for storage, you can easily move it away with ErgoMove wheelbarrow design. Finding assembling so difficult on other portable basketball systems? Well, with this, you need only 90 minutes to put all things together. Easy operation height adjustment adds fun to kids also.
Pros:
- Backboard and base is quite sturdy, do not have any give
- Height adjustment is quite simple, one kid can do it by himself
- Easy assembling
- Instructions are pretty thorough
- High-quality constructions
Cons:
Some of the parts are mislabeled
4. Spalding 66291 Pro Slam Portable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 54 inch |
| Backboard Material | Acrylic |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Pro Slam breakaway rim |
| Base | 34 gallons |
If you attempt to get one best quality portable basketball hoop but lacks enough money, try this one. It is the cheapest type within Spalding yet still get the best performance for daily training use.
54-inch large acrylic backboard meets your demand of playing like in real court. Heavy-duty Pro Slam breakaway rim bears hard force on dunking actions. If you are worried that it wiggles much in playing, just look at its angled steel pole, it increases sturdiness to a large extent. 34 gallons capacity base can be filled with much water or sand. For users of different levels or ages, there is easy operated height lift adjustment mechanism to adjust it from 7.5 to 10 feet in 6-inch increments.
Pros:
- Excellent quality
- Heavy-duty, stable
- Portable and height adjustable
- Easy to raise
Cons:
- None of the hardware is labeled
- Takes about 6 hours on assembling
5. Lifetime 90022 Youth Basketball Hoop
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 32 inch |
| Backboard Material | Polycarbonate |
| Height | 5.5-7.5 feet |
| Base | 10 gallon |
| Rim | 15-inch folding rim |
Do you have kids at home? Do your little athlete needs one hoop for daily recreation? If so, this Lifetime 90022 youth portable basketball hoop will be on your interest.
32-inch polycarbonate small but sturdy backboard fits youth ages around 10 use. Colorful fade-resistant graphic raise up their interests largely. Folding rim with 15 inch makes it perfect for storing, but do not hang on rim for safety. All the parts are weather resistant and able to withstand harshest elements. Height adjustment from 5.5 to 7.5 feet in 6 increments meet users of kids from 4-10 years old. 10 gallons base make it quite sturdy in playing with enough water or sand filled in.
Pros:
- High-density polyethylene backboard makes it possible of being unbreakable
- graphics are screen-printed with UV-protected inks that last pretty long for outdoor use
- Three-piece round steel pole
- Easy to assemble
- Can be used both indoor and outdoor
Cons:
- The maximum height is only 7.5 inch, which is only suitable for youngsters around ten years old children
- Filler hole is quite small
- Bad instructions
- Mainly for recreational play
6. Lifetime 1221 Portable Basketball Hoop
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 44 inch |
| Backboard Material | Polycarbonate |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Black standard classic rim |
Still, think Lifetime 1269 portable basketball hoop price too high? Then you can choose this 1221 type, it is also the best selling type that ranks only second to 1269.
44-inch backboard with fade-resistant graphic shows good performance under its price, suitable for beginners and intermediate players. Polycarbonate materials show great durability but also lacks enough rebounding effect. For outdoor use, classic rim with all weather nylon net suits different weather conditions. From 7.5 to 10 feet, you are able to adjust goal height for different ages and levels of players. Of course, what attracts most and features most is its unbeatable price, all its parts and performance are well worth the price. By the way, assembling of it is quite easy, takes about 2 hours with the help of others.
Pros：
- Simple to set up
- Height is fairly adjustable
- Unbeatable price
Cons:
- The plastic base is thin and backboard is too light
- The ball bounces off the base easily
7. Lifetime 90023 Portable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 44 inch |
| Backboard Material | Acrylic |
| Height | 8-10 feet |
| Rim | Classic rim |
Want an acrylic backboard but lack of enough budget? You may interest in this Lifetime 90023 portable basketball hoop system. It is equipped with acrylic backboard yet still has cheap price.
44-inch backboard size is the smallest among portable basketball hoops but suits beginner use perfectly. Little graphics with clear backboard gives the look and feel of pro glass. With a broomstick height adjustable system, you are able to adjust it from 8 to 10 feetsimply with a broomstick or a post. Pole is offset a good distance from the backboard and makes it super sturdy in playing. In terms of assembly, it may cost some type, for the instruction it gives is quite poor, but videos on YouTube or Amazon will be a great help.
Pros:
- Pretty sturdy for regular play
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to adjust the height
- Excellent quality
Cons:
- A bit difficult in filling the sand
- Poor instructions
8. Spalding NBA Hybrid Portable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 54 inch |
| Backboard Material | Acrylic |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Arena Slam breakaway rim |
| Base | 40 gallons |
If you are searching for an excellent acrylic portable basketball hoop in substitution of tempered glass type, you can never miss Spalding NBA Hybrid portable basketball system.
Large acrylic backboard with 54 inch offers you more bank shots and brilliant rebounding effects. What features most is its ultimate hybrid base, able to fill with 200 lbs of sand or gravel, and 19 gallons of water. For this special design, moving it around can be an easy task, you can just put sandbag away before moving. The removable lid serves both as a cover on base and as rebounder setting on the front of the pole. Its arena breakaway rim is capable enough on dunking or over rim actions. Angled pole also adds its sturdiness.
Pros:
- Equipped with breakaway rim, enabling monstrous dunk
- Shake just slightly
- Sturdy and has nice bounce to it
- Nice quality
- Height adjustment crank works pretty well
Cons:
Bad instruction
9. Spalding NBA “The Beast” 74560 Portable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 60 inch |
| Backboard Material | Glass |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Pro Image breakaway basketball rim |
| Base | 50+ gallons |
Here comes with Spalding “The Beast” portable basketball hoop, we rank it here at ninth position does not mean it has bad performance, on the contrary, it can be regarded as a perfect portable basketball hoop except for its price.
It is the only portable basketball hoop with 60 inches tempered glass backboard, making you feel as if you are playing real one in court. All the rebounding effects and bank shots are quite the same as one in gym. Another worth praising feature is its large 50+ gallons capacity base, of course, is also the largest one, thus you can hardly feel any wiggle in playing. 2 piece 5-inch square angled pole contributes a lot to keep it steady. For dunk actions, pro image breakaway rim with all-weather nylon net helps protects hoop in over rim movement. In a word, if you have enough budget, buy this one directly and you will never regret.
Pros:
- Easy to move
- Good quality, long service life
- Pretty easy to adjust the height
- Heavy base, quiet and sturdy backboard
- Excellent service, promise to replace glass under five year warranty
- Well worth the price
Cons:
- Putting parts together is a bit difficult, takes at least two people on installing
- Filling the base with sand also takes much hours
10. Lifetime 71524 XL Height Adjustable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 54 inch |
| Backboard Material | Polycarbonate |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Slam-It Pro Rim |
| Base | 35 gallons |
The last one we would like to recommend to you is Lifetime 71524 XL portable basketball hoop. One good feature on it is large 54 inch backboard, providing more chances of scoring the goal.
With polycarbonate backboard, it is virtually unbreakable even when you trip it down. Clear backboard design with black fade resistant graphic looks pretty real as in gym or court. With easy operation power lift height adjustment mechanism, even small kids can play with it in a minimum height of 7.5 feet. All the primary parts on the hoop are all-weather resistant, able to withstand various weather conditions outside. For stability and sturdy, it has 35 gallons capacity base that can be filled with water or sand.
Pros:
- Perfect working performance
- Easy to adjust the height of backboard, you can just squeeze it up and down to adjust the height, hydraulic system
- Large backboard size (54 inches)
- Both bring fun to adult and children
- Totally worth the price
Cons:
- Takes about 2 or 3 hours on assembling
- Shakes quite hard when the ball hits the backboard or rim
What’s Down on Portable Basketball Hoops
1. Unstable
Compared with in-ground basketball hoop or pro basketball hoop in court, portable types wiggle much in play. When the ball hits the backboard, hoop shakes and results in lots of “give”. When this occurs, the original feel of the basketball system gets lost.
2. Occupy much space
In order to keep a stable, portable basketball system has a large base which is filled with water or sand. The large base occupies more space than in-ground types.
Best Basketball Hoop Brands – Lifetime, Spalding Or Silverback?
Searching for best portable basketball hoops, you need to first get familiar with brands quality. Getting a trusted brand, and you have large proportion of finding the best suitable basketball hoop.
Nowadays, there are three best basketball hoop brands that are highly trusted and praised on the market. In terms of portable types, we would like to suggest Lifetime, Spalding and Silverback. So which brand is the best? Which exactly should I Choose? We will give a brief introduction on each of the brands and make a comparison for you.
Lifetime
The brand Lifetime origins a dedicated father as well as a fan of basketball who exerted to producing the best quality and durable basketball hoop for his family. He started the company in 1986 and constantly made innovations on basketball hoops.
Lifetime first innovated high adjustment system and then produced the first portable basketball hoops. Thus in this term, Lifetime is actually a starter on portable basketball hoops that we use today.
One great feature of Lifetime portable basketball hoops are polycarbonate backboard, which is super durable and long-lasting. Thus the prices of them are also relatively cheap. All the performance determines that it is a brilliant brand for beginners or intermediate players to choose.
The most recommended Lifetime portable basketball hoop is 1269 type and 1221 pro court type, which you can get detailed introductions from our reviews. You may also know more about the brand information from clicking the picture below.
Spalding
History of Spalding is quite long, it started with Albert Goodwill Spalding who began his baseball players. At the beginning, Spalding focused on his attention on baseball and baseball gloves, he even wrote a book on rules on baseball. Then the brand Spalding broadened its products range to football and basketball.
Spalding basketball backboard becomes official backboard of NBA and NCAA Final Four Tournament in 2009. And that is why Spalding portable basketball hoops are the only types that able to print NBA mark on their backboards.
Under its professional experience in offering backboards and basketballs for official games use, Spalding portable basketball hoops are mostly acrylic and tempered glass type. Rebounding effects are brilliant and that is why it is a perfect brand for pros.
If you want to get best Spalding portable basketball hoops, we strongly suggest “The Beast” for you. And of course, there are also excellent less expensive types such as Hybrid or 54 inches. For more about Spalding, you may click here or click the picture below.
Silverback
Silverback is not technically a portable basketball hoop brand, it dedicates mainly on in-ground basketball hoops. Hot selling type includes its 54 inches and 60 inches in-ground basketball hoops.
On a portable basketball hoop, it is now famous mainly for NXT portable basketball hoop. Perhaps with the background of being expert on the in-ground type, Silverback pays more attention on sturdiness and solves the problem on mobility.
Design of Silverback NXT portable basketball hoops is a great innovation on portable basketball hoops and brings light on portable basketball hoops market. If you have an interest in that, please feel free to get more information through here.
Lifetime vs. Spalding
There is only one product on Silverback portable basketball hoop, so here we just make a comparison on Lifetime and Spalding. Both of them are leading brands and are totally worth trusting. So what’s the main difference between them? Let’s discuss it from different aspects.
1. Hoops quality level
The primary reason for being reliable portable basketball hoops brands are the quality level of their products, both brands do pretty well on the item. If using under instructions, they can be used for a long time.
2. Types
Both Spalding and Lifetime portable basketball hoops have various types that can be chosen. From 44 inches to 54-inch backboard, from classic rim to pro-style compression breakaway rim, you can always find the one suits you best.
3. Warranty
For most portable basketball hoops, warranty time is 5 year, so do the two brands.
4. Users
Suitable users of two portable basketball brands can be different, Lifetime portable types suit beginners for intermediate players who would like to get family entertainment at home. While Spalding portable basketball hoops are the perfect choice for pro players on practicing basketball skills.
5. Materials adopted
Lifetime portable basketball hoops are mostly polycarbonate backboard, it is pretty durable and thus lasts longer. On the other hand, Spalding adopts acrylic and tempered glass backboard, not as durable as polycarbonate, but shows great performance.
6. Using time
Using the time of portable basketball hoops are determined by both products quality and usage. Both types are in excellent quality level. For usage, remember to use strictly under instructions or manufacturer’s suggestion, then you will get a long-lasting hoop.
7. Reliability
In terms of reliability, it is really hard to say which is more reliable, for both of them are well praised on both quality level and services.
8. Price
The price level of the two brands is different because of their aim users and materials. Lifetime regards beginners as their aim players and suggests use their products mainly for daily recreation, thus prices of which are relatively low.
While, on the other hand, Spalding portable basketball hoops are designed for pro players on basketball training, all the materials it uses to meet the demand of pro, thus the prices are quite expensive.
Therefore, the main differences between the two brands are on backboard materials, prices and users, on choosing one best portable basketball hoops brand, you should take your budget and usage into consideration.
Factors You Need to Consider on Buying Best Portable Basketball Hoops
1. Price
As the saying goes, you buy what you pay, the more expensive the hoop is, the better performance you will get. But on deciding which exactly to buy, you need to consider your budget and always buy one within your budget range.
For those wish to get the most brilliant type and are also willing to invest large money on it, of course, you can get “The Beast”. But if short of money, you can choose the best suitable one in our best price portable basketball hoop reviews.
Besides, we have picked a worth-buying type in different price levels, from where you can select casually.
2. Local weather
Portable basketball hoop needs to be placed outdoor for long period of time, many severe weather conditions will get the disastrous effect on it. If you live somewhere with frequent strong wind, then you should get one with large base.
For humidity areas, wet air is easily getting steel parts of hoop rust. In such conditions, you need to get one with pro-style breakaway rim, it has protection cover to prevent it from rusting.
Here is a small tip, if it gets strong wind outside, adjust your hoop height to the lowest setting, the gravity will help protect it from tipping over.
3. Needs
Make clear of your needs on getting portable basketball hoops, if you are using it for family entertainment, then you can get a cheap one. But if you are a serious basketball player who wants to improve your basketball skills at home, then do not waste your money on a cheap one, because you may find it not suitable and need to get another with better performance and higher price.
The portable basketball hoops sold on the market are normally high even in minimum height setting, which is not suitable for small kids age under 6 use. If you are buying for your little athlete, you may consider portable basketball hoop for youth use.
4. Mobility
Being a portable basketball hoop, mobility is the primary advantage that it should get. But actually, after filling in the base with at least 27 gallons of water or sand, it is definitely more difficult to move than you imagine.
So if you intend to move it around frequently, then get one that moves easily. By the way, those with angled poles are much more difficult to move than conventional straight poles.
5. Assembly
According to the feedback of users, the most headache matter on portable basketball hoop system is assembly. Most of the hoops take around 4-6 hours on putting them together, once you get one with bad instructions, your whole day wastes on assembling it.
Some types of hoops focused on the problems and shortened assembly time for you, such as Silverback NXT.
Assemble a portable basketball hoop is never an individual job, you need to get someone for help in some crucial processes.
6. Durability
If under great care and correct using, a portable basketball hoop last for several years. For getting a super durable one, you may choose polycarbonate type, even it tips down, you can never worry that it gets broken.
Portable Basketball Hoop Price
Portable basketball hoop price is mainly determined by its performance and material it uses. Polycarbonate types is the cheapest but the least in performance, acrylic type ranks the middle.
Tempered glass types, however, has the excellent performance and feels like real, but you need to go deep into your wallet on buying them.
Cheap portable basketball hoop does not always mean bad quality, different price levels of hoops just meet different needs.
To save your time, we have made reviews on portable basketball hoops under $200, under $300 and under 500. So you can choose one with your budget.
If you find it trouble on doing it, we listed a chart as follow and picked out the most worth buying type in each different price level for you:
High Level Price Around $1000
Middle Level Price Around $500
Least Expensive Price Around $300
Basketball Hoop Types
There are three types of basketball hoops that are available on the market, they are portable type, in-ground type, and wall-mounted type. So what are the differences among the three?
-Portable basketball hoop
As we discussed before, a portable basketball hoop is movable, with two detachable wheels on the base, you can roll it anywhere you want. The sturdiness of the whole hoop relies mainly on the large base of it, you need to fill in with at least 27 gallons water or sand.
It is stable enough for outdoor use but may wiggle or shake a bit when ball hits the backboard. Of course, the better materials it uses, the better performance it gets. While the base supports all weight of hoop, it also occupies much space.
-In-ground basketball hoop
In-ground basketball hoop tends to be more stable than portable type, but it needs to be cemented into the ground, which means, once you fix it well, it can hardly be moved again.
It shakes less in playing and feels more like a pro in court. But compared with portable types, the price of which is also higher accordingly.
-Wall-mounted basketball hoop
This is always regarded as the last choice among three types. The goal can be set on the wall, saves much floor space for no base needed. It can be mounted on the side of the house, garage, or outdoor wall.
Portable Basketball Hoop Or In-Ground Basketball Hoop?
As we have just talked about, portable basketball hoop system and in-ground basketball hoops are two main outdoor hoops for residential use. They both made into regulation types.
The portable basketball hoop is movable and can be rolled into the garage for storage. It shakes and wiggles a bit in playing, has more bouncy effects and has the potential of tipping over in bad weather conditions. Its large base occupies much floor space. Besides, it is pretty suitable for beginners.
An in-ground basketball hoop is more stable and sturdy, it shakes less and has few bouncy effects, gives the feel of a pro. But it needs to be fixed by cement and is not movable. The assembling time is also longer than the portable type. It suits intermediate or high-level players most.
Thus when you decide on which exactly types to get, you may consider if you intend to move it frequently. Also, average portable basketball hoops are a lot cheaper than in-ground type, for family recreation, you may get a portable one. But if you want to get real playing experience at home and are not intend to move after assembling, in-ground is more suitable for you.
Portable Basketball Hoop for Youth vs. For Adult
The portable basketball hoop is actually suited to different ages and different levels of players. But for little kids, even on the minimum height, the goal is still too high for them to shot. In such conditions, many brands produced portable basketball hoops for youth, and also for kids.
For youth type, suitable users age range from 4-10 years old. They are typically low but can be adjusted pretty high with adjustment mechanism. Most of which are polycarbonate backboard and are cheaper than those for adults. All the structures are the same as adult-use type expects with a smaller inch backboard and a smaller capacity base.
For kids with even younger age, there are basketball hoop toys, instead of real basketball, a toy ball is needed on the shot. The height of it is accordingly lower that within small kids reach.
For adults use, we have introduced to you by this whole article. And be sure to buy one according to your basic need and budget.
Mini Portable Basketball Hoop vs. Full-Sized Portable Basketball Hoop
When it refers to the mini portable basketball hoop, we normally mean the mini wall mounted types and small size one for kids use.
Mini type can be mounted on your indoor wall, the backboard is super small and meets your demands of daily recreation indoor. Because of its small shape, you can also take it with you on traveling or other business. Some of them are small enough to be packed into a suitcase.
The mini portable basketball hoop for kids use, of course, is the small type suitable for kids ages around 2-4. The weight light and serve more like a toy to entertain your little babies.
Full-sized portable basketball hoops refer to hoops for adults, with backboards size from 44 inches to 60 inches.
Best Size Portable Basketball Hoop
There are different sizes of portable basketball hoops as we described before. Regulation backboard for official races are 72 inches wide, for a portable basketball hoop, maximum backboard reaches only 60 inches.
The minimum backboard of the portable basketball hoop is 44 inch, other sizes of backboard include 48 inches, 50 inches, 52 inches, 54 inches and 60 inches.
Here we picked one best hoop for you to choose on different sizes of the backboard as follow:
- Best 44-inch portable basketball system – Lifetime 1269 Pro Court Portable Basketball System
- Best 48-inch portable basketball system – Lifetime 51550 Portable Basketball Hoop
- Best 50-inch portable basketball hoop – Lifetime 71566 Portable Basketball Hoop
- Best 52-inch portable basketball hoop – Lifetime 71286 XL Portable Basketball System
- Best portable basketball hoop 54 inch – Spalding NBA Hybrid Portable Basketball System
- Best 60-inch portable basketball hoop – Spalding NBA “The Beast” 74560 Portable Basketball System
Best Portable Adjustable Basketball Hoop
All the portable basketball hoops height can be adjusted, but the design of each height adjust mechanism is different. Here we will introduce several common used height adjustment mechanism on the market.
1. Telescoping pole
This is the easiest and most commonly used lift mechanism on cheap portable basketball hoops, in doing this, you need to lean the hoop over and unscrew a bolt. After adjusting the height up and down, you need to re-insert the knob.
Through this mechanism, you are able to adjust the height of hoop from 7.5 to 10 feet (some are from 8 to 10) in 6 increments.
2. Broomstick adjustment
This portable basketball hoop height adjustment mechanism is quite easy to operate, even small kids can do it. In adjusting hoop height, you need a pole or a broomstick to unlock the ratchet behind the backboard and then adjust it.
This is also frequently used on inexpensive portable basketball hoops.
3. Trigger handle
This mechanism set a handle on the pole behind the backboard, by moving the handle up and down, channel slides up and down accordingly and then you can adjust the height easily. The backboard stabilized once you release the trigger.
As the operation is easy, it is also called one-hand height adjustment.
4. Pneumatic lever
Always choose pneumatic lever if all the other factors meet your demand. Pneumatic lever is also known as gas shock or hydraulic system. By squeezing the handle, gas pressure starts and adjusts the hoop high or low. Unlike another mechanism that adjusts in 6-inch increment, it allows for infinite increments. Anytime you release the handle, it stabilizes to a certain height.
This system is regarded as the safest type, it will prevent the goal simply dropping to its lowest height if you hand slips.
5. Screw jack
This system is by far the most durable yet most inconvenient type. Normally, the goal of the basketball hoop is fitted with threaded support, on adjusting the height, you need to turn the screw jack in one way or another.
Simple direction makes it quite tedious on doing it, it is also frequently used in middle level or high-end portable basketball hoops.
Advantages of Portable Adjustable Basketball Hoop
The regulation basketball hoop in gym or court is set to a certain height and is not allowed to adjust the height causally. Thus for some youth, the high goal makes them impossible to train. By getting the best portable adjustable basketball hoop, you can improve your basketball skills step by step. First, as beginners, you can adjust it to the lowest height, and with your improvement, adjust the height accordingly. Then finally, you are able to get used to regulation height.
Besides, a portable basketball hoop is normally put outdoor either on driveway or backyard, when severe weather such as strong wind occurs, it gives large force on hoop. Adjustable portable basketball hoops allow you to adjust it to minimum height, by using the power of gravity, the hoop can be protected to some extent.
In a word, getting a best portable basketball hoop system, you are able to improve your skills step by step, protects hoop in various weather conditions, and also, it fits users of different levels and different ages.
Portable Basketball Hoops Assembly
Assembling a portable basketball hoop can really be a headache thing to do for most users, but actually, if you read the instructions carefully, you may find it super easy, time-consuming but not complicated. All you need to do is patiently read instructions, get the tools you need, check the part you need, and find someone to help with you. With a different design of portable basketball hoops, assembly time is also different, varies from 2 hours to 8 hours even.
There will always be video instructions on YouTube or on Amazon that you can find easily. Again, read the instructions first! You definitely do not want to put it together and take it apart again and again.
Portable Basketball Hoop System Maintenance
Safety is the primary thing on using portable basketball hoop, thus regular maintenance on it is a must thing to do. Here are some tips we offer for you:
- Take care of the rim. Rim is the easiest part to get broken because of dunking movements. If it is spring compression type, check whether the spring gets sags, replace it immediately for safety if so.
- Clean the hoop regular. Poles, backboard and base all need to be clean regularly. You can use the way you clean the room, or vehicle cleaning agents can be a great help.
- Remove nets for storage. If you need to go out for travelling or decide not to play it for a long time, try to remove the nylon net and store it indoor for its durability.
- Lubricate parts after a long time using.
- Check the rust parts. If it gets rust somewhere, remove the rust with emery cloth. Once rust penetrated to pole area, replace it with a new one.
- Check and tighten nuts and bolts regularly.
- If you use water to fill in the base, check the water level frequently.
Tips on Using Portable Basketball Hoops
On Buying:
- Be sure to check there are wheels set on the base, it helps a lot on moving it around.
- Try to get a portable basketball hoop system with the protective plate in front of the base, many injuries occur when players tripping into the base. Besides, the plate serves as a rebounder to some extent, helps prolong playing time.
On Using:
- If you use water as filling item, be sure to add antifreeze inside in winter or cold weathers.
- Fill the base with enough water or sand before assembly
- Do not stand on the base
- Do not hang on the rim
- Reduce dunking movement
- Do not climb on the base or stand
- Make sure it is put somewhere flat and safe
How We Pick Best Portable Basketball Hoops?
In order to help you save much time and energy, we made this best portable basketball hoops review for you, but how can we ensure the recommended types are in best performance? And how we picked them out from so many brands and so many types?
Well, the first thing we would do is, of course, knowing all sorts of basketball hoops knowledge, after that, we read users reviews from different websites, magazines, and other sources. We made clear of the pros and cons of each type and made comparisons among them.
Apart from getting knowledge from users, we also get in touch with different manufacturers to ask in detail on the specifications of their products. Then through investigation, we picked out some types.
There are many factors that we will mainly focus on choosing the best portable basketball hoops for you, including price, usage, safety, quality level, brand qualifications, overall performance, and assembly.
If you have more interested in how we picked best portable basketball hoops and want to know who we are, please find more in about us.
Summary
| Best | Type |
| Most cost-effective one | Lifetime 1269 Pro Court Height Adjustable Portable Basketball System |
| Best acrylic portable basketball hoop | Spalding NBA Portable Basketball System |
| Most innovative type | Silverback NXT Portable Basketball Hoop |
| Best one for youth use | Lifetime 90022 Youth Basketball Hoop |
| Elite one among portable basketball hoops | Spalding NBA “The Beast” 74560 Portable Basketball System |
Basketball serves as one of the popular sports around the world, brings much fun to each family, the innovation of portable basketball hoop also make practicing it more convenient and simple.
A best portable basketball hoop is definitely able to meet your demands for suitable performance and your budget. Apart from the best portable basketball hoops system review we made for you, there are also many other types that are available on the market, if you intend to get more information or want the detailed price list, please feel free to check on Amazon.
