Polycarbonate portable basketball hoop is the most common type that people would buy for daily recreation. It weights light, durable and of course, cheaper than other types of basketball hoops. Thus most portable basketball hoops for youth or kids are polycarbonate material.
A portable basketball hoop brings convenience to people, it saves us time in going to the gym every day for practicing basketball, and we can have an enjoyable time with our family or friends whenever we want.
Buying the best quality polycarbonate portable basketball hoop, and you can enjoy it for long times. Then how to choose it? And which levels of people does it suit? Please go on reading and we will give you the answers as follow.
What Are the Best Polycarbonate Portable Basketball Hoops on the Market?
Acrylic vs. Polycarbonate Portable Basketball Hoop
An acrylic portable basketball hoop is a middle-level hoop both in performance and price. It is more expensive than polycarbonate but is not as durable as that. If you are middle-level players aiming to improve your shooting skills or need to get competitive basketball games with friends frequently. Then the acrylic portable basketball hoop is more suitable. Also, as the price is not too high, it is even widely bought by professional players in the replacement of expensive glass one.
On the other hand, polycarbonate, we do not suggest you get one if you are a professional, for its rebounding effects are too weak. But for beginners who would like to practice shooting or have more fun time with family, then polycarbonate portable basketball hoop is of course on your disk. It is super durable, no matter how many times you trip hoop down, the backboard will never get broken. And the price of which is quite low, ranking the lowest among the three materials, so you wouldn’t feel regret once you bought it home and play for a short period of time.
Anyway, both of the two types have their pros and cons, if you are beginners, get polycarbonate one. For middle levels, try acrylic type. And by the way, if you are professional players who want to get a large improvement in basketball skills, you may have an interest in the glass portable basketball hoop review we made for you.
Pros And Cons Of Polycarbonate Portable Basketball Hoop
Pros:
- Durable
- Long lasting
- Cheap
- Wide range of applications
- Perfect for beginners or youth
Cons:
- Light-weighted
- Weak rebounding effects
Tips On Choosing Polycarbonate Portable Basketball Hoop
There are many portable basketball hoop brands on the market, such as Lifetime, Spalding, Silverback, Benlet, etc. And each of the brands has different sorts of products, so how do you whether it suits you well? Here, we will give you some tips on choosing the best polycarbonate portable basketball hoop.
1. Usage
Portable basketball hoops can be roughly divided into two types according to users, one is for kids or youth, while the other is for adults.
Portable basketball hoop for youth or for kids are normally short, the maximum height of the hoop is 7.5 feet, some are even as tall as 8 years old kids. It is used mainly for entertainment, offering a hoop for small kids to play with, kind of like a toy to them. So for these kinds of hoops, you need to choose the one that is colorful, stable, and has perfect height range suits your kids.
The other one, however, is what we lay much emphasis on, portable basketball hoops for adults, or say, for practicing basketball skills. It is tall and sturdy, uses regulation basketballs, and serves basically the same functions as those in gym or court. If you are getting one for this aim, then all the following factors are what you need to take care of before buying.
2. Size
Backboard sizes of portable basketball hoops diverse from 44 inches to 60 inches. The regulation backboard size is 72 inches. The wider backboard is, the more possibility it gets on scoring the goal. If you use it for training, we would like to suggest 54 inches or even 60 backboards for you, but 60-inch types are more expensive. For family entertainment, you can buy a cheap 44 inch or 52-inch types.
3. Sturdiness
All the polycarbonate portable basketball hoops wiggle in playing because they weigh light. But some shake so hard that results in many “give” when the ball hits the backboard, it is of course not suitable for one to train his or her basketball skills. Finding one with a sturdy structure and wiggle less when the ball hits the board can do a great help in playing.
4. Mobility
One reason people choose portable basketball hoop instead of in-ground type is it is movable. Without being fixed forever by cement, portable basketball hoop can be moved around because of its two detachable wheels. However, not all things are easy to move with wheels. A hoop with a heavy base can be quite hard in rolling. But mostly, the whole hoop structure affects mobility. Compared with conventional straight pole hoops, angled pole portable basketball hoop is harder to roll around. You need to tilt the whole thing backward with two people, one pull ahead while the other one pushes backward.
5. Assemble time
The most headache thing on a portable basketball hoop is the assembling of it. Most polycarbonate types take about 4-6 hours on putting it together, and once you encounter one with bad instructions, all day long, you may struggle with it. If you are sick of putting things together, then get one with less to assemble time. Make sure you have a partner to help you, for assembling a portable basketball hoop is never an individual job.
Best Polycarbonate Portable Basketball Hoops Review
After getting basic knowledge on choosing, we picked out several best polycarbonate portable basketball hoops that are worth buying for you:
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 most hot-selling polycarbonate portable basketball hoop and is the most recommended one. The backboard inch, however, is a bit small, only 44 inches. But with high-density polycarbonate material on the backboard, it is super durable and virtually unbreakable.
The graphic on it is printed by fade-resistant ink, even for long time use, it still looks new. If you want one with the feel and look like glass, then this also meets your demand. The clear backboard gives you wonderful sights when placed on your driveway or backyard.
Classic orange steel rim is set with an all-weather nylon net, 3 piece steel pole also increases the sturdiness. It is just one for recreation or for training shooting skills, too hard push may get it broken, thus we do not suggest any dunking movements for your safety.
From 7.5 to 10 feet, you can adjust any height that suits you most. For youth use, the adjustable-height also serves as the standard for each level, a portable basketball hoop is able to grow together with youth. If you are worried about assembling, while, whole assemble is quite simple and easy to handle, it takes only 2 hours to put all things together with detailed instructions.
Pros:
- Super easy to assemble
- Backboard is sturdy
- Height adjustment is secure
- diameter of the hoop is 19 inches , meet the needs of higher scoring games
Cons:
- The filler hols is quite small
- The height adjustment is not as easy to operate, you need to tilt whole thing down and then do it
- Not suitable for dunking
2. 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 |
This polycarbonate portable basketball hoop is quite different from other types, where you can see directly from appearance. Actually, it is a kind of innovative portable basketball hoop.
Most users especially those who fond of basketball games enjoy rebounding effects, that give the feel and look of a pro. One biggest feature is its Infinity Edge Backboard that folds backward, it increases rigidity and also rebound effects in playing.
Still equipped with polycarbonate backboard, it is much more stable and sturdy than conventional types. Because of its Stabili-Frame structure, it needs no sand or water to fill in the base. Steel chassis and main pole are directly connected.
If comparing with any other portable basketball hoops, you will see the wheels are the biggest. The stand of the base helps balance weight and makes it much easier to move around. And for assembling? Silverback has really considered the factor and designed it as a super easy assemble type. It is said only 90 minutes, and you are able to do it all.
Pros:
- Polycarbonate material
- 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
3. Lifetime 1221 Portable Basketball Hoop
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 44 inch |
| Backboard Material | Polycarbonate |
| Height | 7.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Black standard classic rim |
Like Lifetime 1269 portable basketball hoop, this is also listed on the hot-selling type. Most of the performances and design are the same as that but is a lot cheaper. Thus if you lack enough budget, you may consider this one.
Its polycarbonate backboard weights a bit light but is super sturdy, able to use a long time if under good care. The backboard is printed by graphic, making it more lively and more attractive. With fade-resistant ink, the graphic will not get faded by sunlight or complicated outdoor weather.
It is also equipped with classic rim, all-weather resistant but is not suitable for dunking. Height of it can also adjust from 7.5 to 10 feet through a telescoping height adjustment mechanism. The operation of it is super easy, and you do not need to tilt the whole thing down as 1269 types.
Another thing we would like to tell you about it is easy to set up it. It takes 2-4 hours on doing it, and instructions are pretty clear. But you will need a partner to help you in some crucial process.
Pros：
- Simple to set up
- Height is fairly adjustable
- Unbeatable price
Cons:
- The plastic base is thin and backboard is too light
- Ball bounces off the base easily
4. Lifetime 90040 Height Adjustable Portable Basketball System
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Backboard Size | 44 inch |
| Backboard Material | Polycarbonate |
| Height | 8.5-10 feet |
| Rim | Black standard classic rim |
| Base | 27 gallons |
If you get tired of glass look backboard and would like to try something cool, then consider this type. The colorful graphic is more attractive to youth and adds their interest in practicing it for a long time
Also, the backboard is small 44 inches, but high-density polyethylene material keeps it super sturdy and strong. Classic rim with all-weather nylon net is equipped.
The capacity of the base is 27 gallons, you need to fill in water or sand to keep stable. The filling hole is a bit small, thus you need to take much time on it. Once filled in, it becomes quite sturdy for outdoor use.
Height adjustment ranges from 7.5 to 10 feet, you can adjust it in 6-inch increments through telescoping mechanism. If you want one that is totally made in the USA, then it meets your demand. 18-inch black solid steel rim and 1/2 inch steel braces are all American made.
Pros:
- Easy adjustment
- Easy to put apart
- Full-sized ball hoop
- Sturdy enough
- Perfect for driveway
Cons:
- Do not bounce much
- Need 2 people on assembling
Summary
| Best | Type |
| Best selling type | Lifetime 1269 Portable Basketball System |
| Best technological type | Silverback NXT Portable Basketball Hoop |
| Best worth buying for recreation | Lifetime 1221 Portable Basketball Hoop |
| Best one for beginner | Lifetime 90040 Portable Basketball System |
Polycarbonate portable basketball hoop is the most sturdy and also cheapest type, for some, they are stronger than acrylic. Thus if you intend to get one for kids or youth, or want to have a much fun time with your friends or family, you can choose the most affordable polycarbonate portable basketball hoop. For more detailed information on them, please check freely on Amazon.
