I have installed more than 1,000 basketball hoops and this post is a collection of the hoops I feel are the best quality at the best price. Keep in mind, there are a ton of very, very fine basketball hoops on the market and the absence of any of those is not to disparage them. I just feel these are the best bangs for the buck.
If you have a question on any of these hoops or any others I’d be happy to help you and feel free to call me direct at 862-579-2291.
#1. The First Team Champ Series.
This is an excellent entry-level adjustable basketball hoop. I have this on here not only because it’s a good system but because it also comes in under the $1,000 price range, which is one of First Team’s best features.
Most basketball hoop manufacturer’s tend to want to streamline their business so they focus on one core piece and in the residential line they focus on the higher end hoop. First Team is known for having the largest selection of residential lines to include a very good selection under $1,000.
If money is a concern to you, the Champ Series is an excellent system and far superior to the big box hoops such as Lifetime and Spalding. I know money is a concern for many but the extra $100-200 for a 4″X4″, 11-gauge steel post that actually will last a lifetime, in my opinion, is well worth the extra money.
One item of note on the Champ is it raises and lowers by using a broomstick to push up on the backboard to raise it and using the same broomstick to depress a notch behind the backboard to lower it. It is of extremely high quality and is easily done by any parent or child roughly 10-years old or older. (See video for demonstration.)
Many homeowners prefer the hand-cranking system but, personally, I don’t see this as an issue as kids really don’t adjust the hoop height nearly as often as you may think.
Specs:
-Made in America
-4″X4″ 11-gauge steel post
-Broom handle height adjustment
-Available in 5 backboard sizes to include tempered-glass
-Competition-grade breakaway rim
Competitors in this price range:
Goalsetter- This is the only credible contender in this price range. The three systems listed below are not of the same quality as the First Team Champ or the Goalsetter Elite, not even close. The Goalsetter is a very good system as well. I prefer the Champ because it comes in a 36″X60 Tempered-glass backboard where the Goalsetter only comes in a 36″X48″ backboard.
Lifetime
Spalding
Goliath
#2
The First Team Sport Series
This is just a very basic fixed-height basketball system but that is its beauty. You’re not paying for any frills or things unneeded. As I like to tell people, “Larry Bird played on a dirt court with a fan-shaped backboard hung on a telephone pole.”
This system is perfect for families with older kids who already play on a regulation-height hoop yet don’t want to break their bank on a high-end basketball hoop.
Many of the lower costing hoops you see today are made of either extremely thin 16-gauge steel or, even worse, have multi-sleeve pole systems. All of these systems tell you to put concrete in the pole to reinforce the pole’s stability. So what they’re basically saying is the pole itself is not capable of standing on its own.
The First Team Sport Series is much different. It is very similar to old school hoops with its 4″X4″ 11-gauge steel post. Where the similarity with old school hoops lies is that both don’t cost much, have very basic designs and last FOREVER. The First Team Sport Series is a very simple hoop but very durable.
One item to note on this system is the backboard only comes in acrylic, which, in my opinion, is not a deal breaker. Tempered-glass is preferable. However, acrylic plays only slightly less than tempered-glass. This is the ideal hoop for families just looking to have a hoop and have fun. You can’t go wrong with it.
Specs:
-Made in America
-36″X48″, 36″X54″ and 36″X60″ Acrylic Backboard
-4″X4″ 11-gauge steel pole
-Competition quality rim
Competitors:
Porter Championship System– It is very rare to find companies still making fixed-height hoops so the competition in this realm is very, very thin. However, Porter makes a very good system as well. I’ve put The First Team Sport ahead of them mainly because the Porter system only comes with a backboard size of 36″X48″ where The Sport comes in 36″X54″ and 36″X60″.
I will itemize them but #3 through #5 are the entire line of American Eagle Basketball Goals.
This line of hoops, in my opinion, is an industry game changer. When I first found them and heard their specifications and what they have to offer I was very excited. As with all things, I tempered my expectations until I actually saw the product and when I did I was even more excited.
What they are offering is American manufacturing at factory-direct pricing. There is not one part of their system that is not equal to or better than anything else on the market and they’re doing it, right here in America, for less than the other companies are doing it in China. And the product is better.
In addition, I love their clear backboards. On many of the other systems you will notice the extension arms mount to a frame on the backboard. American Eagle Basketball Hoops mount to the frame on the outside of the backboard giving the homeowner a clear and unobstructed view.
One final quality I like about them is they have, BY FAR, the sturdiest height-adjustment system on the market. It’s a telescoping system, which is much more preferable to the quick-lever ones that tend to break, that raises the hoop from 10′ down to 6’6″.
#3
The American Eagle 38″ X 54″ Basketball Hoop
The American Eagle 54″ basketball goal is an extremely sturdy system that comes in at the ballpark price of $1,200. However, their specs of 7-gauge steel, one-piece pole and their best height-adjustment and anchor-kit systems on the market make it a $1,500-1,600 dollar system, easy. This system is way underpriced for its quality.
Specs:
-Made in America
-5″X5″ One-piece pole with 7-gauge galvanized steel
-38″X54″ .375-inch thick tempered-glass
-36″ Extension from the front of the post to the face of the backboard
-Competition-grade breakaway rim
Best competitors in this price range:
Goalrilla
First Team Challenger
#4
The American Eagle 60″X40″ Basketball Goal
[shopify product=http://www.homecourthoops.com/products/american-eagle-ah60]
This is an awesome system and comes in roughly $300-500 cheaper than its competitors. This is just hardcore construction-grade steel. What separates this from its competitors is the others typically have 11-gauge steel vice American Eagle’s 7-gauge steel and I also am blown away by the quality of their height-adjustment system.
Specs:
-Made in America
-6″X6″ One-piece pole with 7-gauge galvanized steel
-48″ overhang from the front of the post to the face of the backboard
-40″X60″ .375 thick tempered-glass backboard with clear backboard
-Competition-grade breakaway rim
-Adjusts from 10-6.6′
Best Competitors in this price range:
First Team Powerhouse 660
The Goalsetter Captain
#5
The American Eagle 72″ X 42″ tempered-glass system. This, like all the other hoops of this size, are monstrous systems and are all very, very nice. What separates this system from others is the fact that it’s so much more affordable, (In some cases $1,000 cheaper) than their competitors.
What also separates it is its clear backboard. Many of the other system in this price have their extension-arm systems mount to a frame on the backboard which, in my opinion, doesn’t look quite as nice as the clear backboard.
Specs:
-Made in America
-6″X8″ post
-42″ X 72″ Tempered-glass backboard
-1/2″ thick glass
-Adjusts from 10′ to 6’6″
-7-gauge galvanized steel
-Competition-quality rim
-Best height-adjustment system on the market
Competitors in this price range:
ProDunk Diamond
First Team Titan Arena
Barbarian
