Portable Basketball Hoops - An Important Checklist Before You Make that Purchase

            Looking for a basketball hoop for your driveway, but don’t want to have to deal with the hassle of cement installation?  Look no further than a portable basketball hoop.  They are extremely affordable, and even allow for homeowners to play basketball in their driveway without violating Homeowner Association rules.  Just shoot around during the day and roll it into your Garage during the evening.

But to make certain that you make the best purchase option possible, here is a few vital questions you have to ask yourself:

            What size is the backboard?

            The board size is generally a good sign of overall quality. The cheapest full size portable basketball hoops usually have boards in the vicinity of forty four or forty two inches, though kiddie toy basketball hoops can be smaller.  On the higher end, residential portable basketball hoops can have forty five or even sixty inch backboards.  If you are willing to spend a few thousand dollars, it is even possible to buy an NBA style portable basketball hoop with a seventy two inch backboard, though these models can be very large and cumbersome, and generally aren’t recommended unless you have a professional style court.

            What backboard material?

            If cost is your primary concern, you should probably opt for an affordable acrylic or graphite backboard.  They don’t offer the best quality rebound, but they work just fine if you just want to shoot around with your family and friend.  If you are hoping to get something a bit more durable for your portable basketball goal, you might instead opt for a polycarbonate backboard on your portable basketball system.  This material reacts a lot like acrylic, but it has the major advantage of being much stronger.

            What is the Basketball Hoop Overhang?

            The “overhang” or “offset” is defined as the distance from the basketball pole to the backboard.  If the backboard is attacked directly to the pole itself, then the overhang is zero.  However, if the portable basketball hoop comes with an adjustable bracket, the overhang can range anywhere from one foot to three feet on portable basketball goals.  The more overhang a basketball system offers, the better, because it decreases the odds of someone accidentally running into the pole and makes it easier to play underneath the hoop.  For added protection, you should consider purchasing a pole pad for your portable basketball pole.

            Exactly how big is the base?

            The base is the container on the bottom of the portable basketball goal that is designed to be filled with either sand or water.  The larger the base, the more there is to fill, and the more stable the basketball hoop will be overall.  You might also want to observe if there are any additional features on your basketball base that can make operation easier, such as a front handle for pulling the portable basketball hoop to a new location or even hooks that you can use to attach to the ground.

            Am I paying the right Price?

            Portable basketball hoops come in a broad variety of prices, so you need to know what is avialble so you don’t get ripped off.