What are They?

Portable basketball hoops, just the name implies, are basketball hoops that are designed to be moved from spot to spot should you have the need. They are stabilized via a plastic base that can be filled with either sand or water. They typically have wheels on the front of the base that allows you to simply tilt the whole system forward and roll to the desired location.

What is Assembly Like?

The time required to assemble an portable basketball goal can vary widely. Some cheaper systems are extremely easy to build and can have you up and shooting hoops in under an hour. Other, more complicated portable basketball systems can have you working all day. It usually helps if you have your own set of tools to assemble a portable goal. The tools that usually come in the tool pack are usually very small and difficult to use, so having your own quality tools can speed assembly greatly.

Pros

The main advantage of portable units is that they are fairly easy to move around. And they also are typically a lot easier to assemble than in ground goals. While in ground systems usually require you to purchase extra cement, the only thing you need to add to a portable goal is water to fill the base. While in ground basketball goals make you wait a few days until the cement cures until you are able to ply on it, you can play on a portable goal on the first day that you purchase it.

Cons

Because they don’t have the advantage of being stabilized by cement, portable basketball goals usually wobble and vibrate more than in ground systems. And since a portable base can hold up as much weight as a cemented pole, the backboards on portable systems are typically a little smaller. On residential portable basketball systems, you usually don’t have the option of buying one with glass. And since they are totally stabilized in the ground, there is really no way to safely dunk on them.

Possible Basketball Accessories

Some portable basketball units come with latches that allow you to further stabilize the unit in a particular space. In order to use this features, you have to purchase a couple hooks and cement them into the ground.

As always, it’s a good idea to purchase a pole pad. It will help prevent injuries that can result from collision with the unit.

Anther popular accessory for portable basketball hoops is a Rolbak net. This is a net that stretches from the bottom of the backboard to the floor and helps prevent airballs form rolling into the sidewalk.