How To Buy A Basketball Hoop

Purchasing a basketball hoop is actually a pretty straightforward process. The top priority is deciding how much money you are willing to spend on one. As with most products out there, the highest quality items tend to be the best. Basketball hoops are no exception.

Once you have set your budget, then you'll have to decide whether you want a portable, in-ground, or mounted hoop. A portable is ideal for anyone who doesn't want to install a hoop into the ground, or would prefer to move it around when necessary.

An in-ground hoop is ideal for performance because it provides the most stability. If this option is feasible, then this is probably the direction you'll want to go in.

A mounted hoop is suitable for those who don't have space on their driveway for a portable or in-ground. It can be placed on the side of your house or on the garage.

With everything being equal, the in-ground hoop is best. It actually will take up less space than a portable.

The only other big decision involves how big of a backboard you want to get. This is dictated by how much playing space you have. For instance, a typical two car driveway could accommodate a backboard size up to 60" in width. If you were to get a 72" hoop, it would be too big.

For a one car driveway, the biggest you'll want to go is 54" wide. This is still a pretty good size, and is big enough for shooting bank shots from different angles.

If however you have room for an actual basketball court in your backyard, or have a 3-car driveway, then a regulation sized 72" hoop is feasible. For the basketball purists, this is the way to go.

Quite honestly, once you have figured out budget, type, and backboard size, everything else takes care of itself.

The only other decision you might have to make is the backboard material. The best is tempered glass, which is reserved mainly for the upper level hoops. If you can afford it, then I would highly recommend it. This is the same material used on professional hoops.

You will see some that use acrylic, which is still a strong material. But it's not as durable, as it tends to scratch.

Polycarbonate is the other material that is most often see on mid to lower level hoops. This is a pretty strong material, and should last for quite awhile as long as it's not abused.