Best Basketball Hoops

Portable basketball hoops are normally sold as a set - you get the pole, backboard and braces, rim and net, and the base unit that keeps the whole thing from tipping over. You will need two people two assemble one of these portable basketball sets, especially when moving it to an upright position. Some poles come in 2 or 3 pieces - if you have a choice, look for single pole designs as those are stronger and less likely to bend or rust at the joints. The base units are normally filled with water or sand, as a lot of weight is needed to stabilize the basket and keep it from moving or tipping when players come into contact with it. You can find real cheap portable basketball hoops for $50-$100, but plan on that being a throw away training basket for your small kids. A more probable starting price is around $250-$350 - that will get you a better built, sturdier basketball setup, likely with adjustable height. Adjusting the height of your basket is good both for smaller children, and for bigger kids that want to be able to dunk. Higher-end portable basketball hoops can run from $500-$1000 - one very sturdy model is the Spalding Beast ($999). A little smaller than an NBA regulation board (60" vs. 72"), the Beast is adjustable from 7.5 feet to 10 feet and features a breakaway rim. It's base is filled with 50 gallons of water to provide stability. The old standard is the house-mount (or wall mount) basket over the garage. For about $1000 you can get one with built in brackets and braces for mounting on the sloping edge of a roof, but the more common ones are the ones where the backboard mounts flush on the side of the house above a garage door. You can find these for about $150-$250.