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Buying an outdoor portable basketball hoop is one thing but, installing it is a whole other project in itself. To try and clear the uncertainty and confusion that surrounds buying and installing an outdoor basketball hoop, we have put together the ultimate guide to help. First, you will find our outdoor portable basketball hoop buying guide and then we will dive right into the setting up process.
Buying An Outdoor Portable Basketball Hoop
Buying an outdoor portable basketball hoop isn’t quite as straight forward as simply choosing one that you like. There are many other things to consider before making the purchase. The first place to start would be deciding where it is going to go. Admittedly, it is a portable basketball hoop that we are talking about but even so, the location that you have in mind may have restrictions. You will want to ensure that the space you have in mind has enough height as well as enough playing room for its purposes. There are backboards and fittings and all sorts of things that can affect what type of basketball hoop you get so remember, figure out where you want to put it first.
Backboards
You may already know this but there are three main materials that backboards are made from. Each of them has a different effect on the ball and each of them has varying price tags.
Tempered Glass
This is the top of the range of backboard material. All professional basketball games will have a tempered glass backboard and, of course, it is the most expensive. They are also pretty hard to come across as well. If you have the space and the budget for a tempered glass basketball backboard then you will likely need to find a specialized seller.
Acrylic
Acrylic backboards are easily the most common ones. They are lightweight and perform pretty similar to that of tempered glass. In terms of price, they can still fetch a pretty penny but are nowhere near as expensive as tempered glass ones.
Polycarbonate
Still durable and fairly similar to acrylic ones Polycarbonate is a lower-end backboard.
Other Important Things To Consider
So, you know which type of basketball hoop you want and you know where you want to put it, simply right? Not quite. There are still a few other things that you should be aware of.
Weather Resistant
Outdoor basketball hoops aren’t going to last forever but they should last a long while. Always make sure that they are weather-resistant for long levity.
Rim Size
An official basketball rim measures 18 inches in diameter. Therefore you will want to ensure that the rim on your portable outdoor basketball hoop measures the same.
Nets
The net on your basketball hoop will need to be replaced from time to time. Because of this, look into how easy it is to attach or detach a basketball net from the hoop.
Reviews
The best way to find out how good an outdoor basketball hoop really is is to read reviews from other customers. That way you will get a good idea of how well the product matches up to expectations.
Outdoor Basketball Hoop Installation Guide
Ok so, here comes the slightly trickier part. Sometimes outdoor portable basketball hoops come with easy to follow instructions. But, then there are outdoor basketball hoops that come with the most complicated instructions ever and the process ends up taking a ridiculous amount of time. This guide might not be suitable for every outdoor adjustable basketball hoop but it should be able to help if you get really stuck.
Pole Sections
You may find that the pole for your basketball hoop system is in different sections. If so then locate the middle and top sections. Most of the time these systems extend like a telescope so you will need to feed the sections through one another without pulling them through completely. Once you have done this you will then need to secure them using bolts, nuts, and washers.
The Base Setup
Some basketball systems will require the setup of the base. If you have metal braces for your base then these will need to be secured together. Most of the time these types of metal brace systems will fit together in the shape of a triangle. They then are attached to the top of the plastic base where you will find grooves for them. You may also need to secure metal braces to the underside of the base.
Fitting the Pole Into The Base
This will vary depending on which system you have. Some setups will have a fitting for the pole to slip into the base and others will have a construction that attaches to the pole. Getting to this point usually means that the complexity is behind you but if you are still unsure of which system you have, then refer to the picture on the front. If the pole is secured outside of the base then there will probably be two braces on either side that need to be secured, a total of four. Once you have completed that you just need to attach the wheels.
Backboard and Rim Assembly
Most of the time the basketball rim will have brackets attached that slot into the bottom of the backboard. Once you have pushed the brackets of the rim through, you will then need to push it onto the top of the pole. After that, you need to secure them all together with the bolts. There are typically two bolts attaching the top of the pole to the backboard and two bolts either side of the rim bracket attaching it to the top of the pole. One of the last steps will be to install the backboard braces to the support pole. This just provides more stability to the basketball hoop.
Once you’ve followed those steps it should be a simple case of attaching the net, standing the outdoor portable basketball hoop upright, and filling the base. To provide weighted support most basketball hoop bases are filled up with either water or sand. If you have any issues with the installation of your outdoor portable basketball hoop we highly recommend contacting the seller or manufacturer.
