Some people have asked me, what advantages are there to buying a basketball hoop online versus buying on in the store?

Here are my thoughts and reasons why I prefer to buy a hoop online:

1. Access to more options.  Consider for example the selection of inground basketball hoops. By my count there are over 20 and that list is growing.  If you go into your local sports store looking for an inground basketball hoop, you may have 5 or less to choose from probably from 2 or maybe 3 exclusive brands.  Had I not researched hoops online before I bought them, I wouldn’t have learned about the Silverback 60, which is one of the most popular online inground hoop systems for function, looks and price.  So, even if you do decide to buy a hoop in the store, check online first.
2. Reviews.  At the store, you will be able to talk to the store clerk.  Odds are he has never owned any of the basketball hoops before.  He will try his best to guide you to what you are looking for, but there will be something missing.  Online, you can research reviews from people that have actually owned and used the hoop.  Online reviews of basketball hoops are invaluable.
3. Return Policies: Check with your local store.  What is their return policy if the hoop is setup, you don’t like it and want to return it?  Odds are you are out of luck.  Amazon has the best return policy for basketball hoops and balls and it is way better than you will find in a store.
4. Assembly: Amazon won’t assemble your product.  Your local store won’t either.  It’s a wash.
5. Shipping & Price: Yes, you might lose out on shipping costs, but you will likely make it up with Amazon prices on hoops.

There are three times in a person’s life when they are generally in the market for a basketball hoop:

1. When they move into a new home.
2. When their children reach an age where they would like to start playing basketball.
3. When a Dad thinks his son is good enough to make the NBA.

Out of the three reasons, the #1 is the most common, followed by #2. My Dad is the the reason I wrote in #3 (and no I did not make the NBA or College, I did make my High School Varsity team and scored a career high 18 points in the first game). My love is shooting though. I figure on a statistical basis I can beat 7 out of 10 starting college basketball players in a game of Horse.

Home Owners Associations

Home owners associations are the bane of basketball hoop sales. Always check your home owners association bylaws prior to settling on a basketball hoop. Many associations will not allow you to put a “fixed basketball hoop” onto your property. Your only choice at this point is a Portable Basketball Hoop system of which at the current date, the highest rated Spalding portable basketball hoop is The Spalding Beast.

Driveway Basketball Hoops

Generally speaking, and more often than not, homeowners that want to put a basketball hoop onto their driveway will choose a Portable basketball hoop. However, this is not always the case. The benefits of having a portable hoop is that it can be stored away during the winter and can even be wheeled out into the street for a neighborhood basketball game. Often, a driveway is a perfect place for a smaller inground system like the Spalding Pro Image In Ground system. These are becoming more frequently seen in alot of neighborhoods. You get a lot of the benefits of an inground system, without overwhelming your driveway.

This is how your driveway would look with a smaller inground system Like the Spalding Pro Image In Ground system.

This is how your driveway may look with a portable basketball hoop Like The Spalding Beast.

Value over Price

Portable basketball hoop systems have a warranty life of about 5 years. However, if you buy a cheap one you will have to replace it within three years. My best advice, coming from a disinterested party, is to go ahead and buy yourself a nice portable system that will not need to be replaced so often. Our research shows that the Spalding portable hoop systems (although difficult to set up and occasional backboard problems) are the most reliable portable systems. Spalding Basketball Hoop System Reviews.

Really, if you are looking for a high value, high price portable hoop than you should go withThe Spalding Beast.

If you are looking for the Highest Value Highest Price inground system than you should go with Goalrilla.

Many of the cheap portable systems will have problems with leaking, cracking and general fatigue after the first few years, especially if they remain outside over the winter. Which brings me to the next point:

How to Winterize Your Basketball Hoop

Portable basketball hoops are much like sprinkler systems, you need to winterize them before they freeze and crack. If you have sand in the system, you don’t need to worry about it. If you have water in the base in the system than you should do one of two things:

1. If you are planning on using the hoop system over the winter, you should put Anti Freeze into the water. This is the Stuff that we have used. If you forget to put anti freeze into the base of the hoop system and it freezes, you will likely begin the spring with leaks and cracks in the base of the hoop. Once it starts leaking, it is not going to stop. You will need to throw away the hoop and buy a new one, or just live with the leaks.
2. You can drain the water, and bring the hoop inside the garage or shop.
3. Some people say that you need to take the net down for the winter. That is crap. The net can remain up over the winter. If it freezes off (which it wont), you can save up 5 bucks and buy a new net for the next year.

Do I need to Winterize my Inground basketball Hoop?
No.

What hoop should I buy for my outdoor basketball court?

You have an outdoor basketball court? You are luck and you are probably rich. We have a slanted driveway.
My friends had a full court basketball court in their paradise backyard when I was growing up. They had an overhead lighting system, They had Outdoor aluminum benches, and the Very best basketball Hoops. We would play there at least three times a week with Shaq rapping in the background.

This is basically what their backyard looked like:

So, when buying an inground basketball hoop, you should consider look, style, durability, cost and consumer reviews.

If you have the city’s best basketball court and are looking for the best looking basketball hoop, Goalrilla is for you. It not only looks the best, but it is the strongest, biggest and most like a real indoor gymnasium hoops on the market.

If you have an upper middle class basketball court and are looking for a high level hoop than the Spalding Arena View Hoop is the best hoop for you. It is sweet looking and very high class. To tell you the honest truth, some people prefer the look of this hoop over Goalrilla.

If you have a middle class basketball court than you need a really nice middle class inground basketball hoop. The Mammoth 98874 is the best hoop for you. It is perfect. Trust me, I own it.

If you have a lower class basketball court and still want a good hoop than you need the Spalding 88880G. It is middle of the road cost and high quality.

Basketball Hoop for Young Children

We have three children under 8 years old. They don’t have the strength to throw a ball up to a 10 foot high hoop. They prefer, with their friends to play on a smaller hoop that still looks and functions like a grown up hoop. The best, non expensive basketball hoop that I have found for younger children is the Lifetime Youth Portable Basketball System. It was easy for me to set up and I suck at setting up. It is sturdy and plays well. The older neighborhood boys were at our home playing with it and it stood up to their dunking and hanging on the rim. Really a good option.

In Summary…

So there you have it, the basics of buying a basketball hoop system for your backyard or driveway. Really, the goal should be, what kind of basketball hoop can I get that will allow my family to have a good time playing together? For that is the key.