Two of the biggest names in residential basketball hoops are Spalding Vs. Lifetime. But which brand is the right one for your family’s court? Well, it really depends upon what kind of basketball hoop you want to get. Here’s a rundown of the best features that both brands offer so you can know what you are getting into.

Price

If you want to get a super cheap portable basketball system, your best bet would probably be a Spalding Basketball system. They have kiddie basketball hoops under $100 like the Huffy 58296 and also adult sized cheap hoops like the Spalding 61259

However, if you have your eye more on an In Ground Basketball System, you should instead look more closely at Lifetime Basketball Systems. One of the best selling basketball hoops on the market right now is the Lifetime 71793 Basketball System, and with good reason. For a basketball hoop under $300, there is just no better value.

Pole

The poles on Spalding and Lifetime Hoops under $300 are virtually the same: 16 or 18 gauge steel, 3.5 inches thick, three pieces and round. You start noticing a difference when you go up in price, like with the Spalding NBA 72307 Portable Basketball Hoop with 52 Inch Polycarbonate Backboard. This is a portable system with a four inch square pole and a forty gallon base, making it one of the most stable portable hoops in this price range.

Spalding also offers high quality mid range in ground basketball hoop system that features a four inch single piece pole: the Spalding 88369 In-Ground Basketball System with 60-Inch Acrylic Backboard. You will seriously be hard pressed to find a basketball hoop with this quality for a dime less.

Adjustment Systems

Adjustment is mostly a matter of opinion, but there is one kind you generally want to stay away from if you plan on adjusting your hoop often: the “broomstick handle” adjustment systems. These are found on the really cheap basketball hoops and are sometimes called “quick adjust” systems. They work fine if you just plan on keeping the basketball hoop at a single height for a long time, but they can be really frustrating if you wind up needing to adjust the height of the basketball hoop all the time.

One smart option in portable basketball hoops if you want an easy adjustment system at a cheap price is the Spalding 72354 Portable Basketball Hoop with 48 Inch Polycarbonate Backboard. If you want a somewhat higher end portable basketball hoop with an easy to use adjustment system, take a look at the Spalding 74467 Portable Basketball Hoop with 60 Inch Acrylic Backboard. The helix adjustment system is extremely easy to use, and the sixty inch backboard is a great deal at the price.

For in Ground Systems with easy adjustment systems, purchase the Reebok RBK 51781 In-Ground Basketball Hoop with 50 inch Shatter Guard Fusion Backboard by Lifetime. It’s a solid system with an easy to use pneumatic height adjust.

Backboards

For lower end systems, the rule of thumb is that polycarbonate is better than acrylic, and glass is better than polycarbonate. For one of the most affordable in ground glass basketball hoops you can buy, your best choice is the Spalding 88465G In Ground Basketball Hoop with 54 Inch Glass Backboard. But Lifetime offers a similar system in the Lifetime Competition Series 79971 In Ground Basketball Hoop with 54 Inch Tempered Glass Backboard. The lifetime system is slightly better because it comes with both a pole pad and a backboard pad, plus the it also has superior height.

The Bottom Line