Portable Basketball Hoops - How to Get the Best Value for Your Home Basketball Court

Want all the advantages and fun of playing basketball at your home without having to worry about installing an in ground system in the ground? Then a portable basketball goal is probably the best way to go. Rather than cementing straight into the ground, these basketball hoops are stabilized by a basketball base that is designed to roll away to a new location whenever you need it to.

While these can be great deals, you need to ask yourself a few questions to guarantee you are getting the best portable basketball hoops for you.

What is the best sized backboard?

If you plan on practicing your bank shot and other pro style moves, you better try to get as large of a backboard as you possibly can. For a true NBA style experience, you need to get the official 72 inch backboards, though you should be warned that these can run in thousands of dollars. However, most high quality basketball manufacturers also offer sixty inch basketball backboards that gives you a fantastic high end experience without the hefty price tag. If you are instead looking for a pretty cheap portable basketball system that you can roll out occasionally, there are lots of smaller systems, like forty eight inch basketball backboards and fifty four inch backboards, that can fit within any family’s budget.

What is the best basketball backboard material?

If you are hoping to get an affordable basketball hoop, you will probably be most interested in either a molded plastic, acrylic, or polycarbonate portable basketball hoop. Molded plastic isn’t a very stable material, and gives far below average rebound, so you should only consider it if it is the only backboard that fits in your budget. Acrylic is much better, and polycarbonate is even better, because it operates a lot like acrylic except it has the advantage of being much more durable. However, if you can fit it within your budget, you should try to get a glass backboard on your portable basketball hoop. It has the advantage of being the most rigid material used for basketball boards and unlike acrylic, it doesn’t yellow or get discolored as it ages.

What is the Overhang?

The length between the basketball pole and backboard is called the "overhang," though this is sometimes referred to as the "offset." This can range anywhere from nothing, when the backboard is attached straight onto the pole without a bracket, or usually up to three feet on portable basketball hoops. The larger the overhang, the safer and more fun it is to play on your portable basketball system.

How big is the Base?

The base is a plastic container that you fill with either sand or water. The more sand or water that your base can hold, the heavier it will be, and the more stable the system will be overall. You should also check out any special features that the base on the portable basketball system might have. For example, some portable basketball hoops have a handle on the front of the base that makes it a lot easier to pull the entire system to a brand new location. This can be especially helpful if you plan on moving the basketball system often.

Am I getting the best price?

Some portable basketball hoops are definitely a better value than others, so you need to make certain to educate yourself on the variety of hoops available to make sure you get one that can last you for years.

To learn more about the best portable basketball hoops.