Best basketball hoops [UK]: Basketball hoops and stands for kids and adults reviewed

Lifetime’s youth basketball system is available with two different shaped backboards: a standard rectangle one, and a fan shaped one; with the former costing around 20 pounds more than the latter. No matter which style you opt for, both backboards are thick, and moulded from high density polyethylene, and so are almost impossible to break under normal playing conditions. Both styles are also screen printed with inks that have been designed to be UV resistant and won’t fade if left outside.

This is a basketball hoop that your kids can grow with, not only thanks to the robust materials used for every part of this product, but because the main pole is telescopic and can be adjusted in 6-inch increments, from 1.67 metres to 2.28 metres. I really like this part of the design as it means that children of different ages can use it, and this increases its value for money rating, in my opinion.

The hoop stands on a freestanding base that can be filled with either sand or water. While this takes a little while to set up at first, it does mean that you don’t have to cement anything into the ground, which is a bonus.

The base does a good job of keeping everything solid, especially when filled with sand, and you can bounce the ball hard off the backboard without worrying if the whole thing will topple over, like with some hoops I’ve seen. This is designed for kids and young teens though, so don’t go trying to show off and slam dunk the ball and hang off the rim.

The only downside to this otherwise excellent basketball hoop, are the instructions. They make it an already tricky assembly job, more difficult than it should be. Thankfully though, there are multiple videos on tube that will walk you through the process of setting up this very same product.

One of the biggest problems you’ll find with hoops at home is the construction quality. Well I have to say the display4top Adjustable 179-209cm Portable Basketball Hoop does a great job of bridging this problem with half inch steel and thats on a reasonable budget price too. This is then backed by a solid couple of year guarantee – pretty easy to dish out when the build quality is decent so all in all, a sensible buy. There was a few issues with quality a few years ago when I initially wrote this review but for the most part the seller has sorted these and now well deserves it’s place amongst the top picks. But let’s get to the nitty gritty:

As far as setup there really isn’t much to this – the biggest issue is deciding whether you want to fill the base with water or sand. For me personally, I chose water as I didn’t have sand available at the time. the drawback is the water goes mouldy and green. If you don’t mind giving the base a shot of Algae killer once in a while it’s fine and in my opinion more sturdy as the water weighs more by volume. If leaks develops though or the base cracks over time (and they always do, it doesn’t matter water water filled base, this or a parasol base, they are all the same eventually! Filling with sand gives your base a second lease of life.

You’ll appreciate the wheels too. This really is a portable basketball hoop. Some brand themselves as portable but this really means it. Why do I make such a big deal out of that? Well, for a start the wheels are big enough you can pickup one side of the hoop and drag it about. The base when filled with water can be easily emptied or, given it isn’t that heavy can just be lugged about if you’re strong.

The adjustable height is great, but remember we are not talking about a full height basketball setup, this is for kids and youths, or adults that are playing with their kids. That is probably the biggest downside if you wanted to pick but not a terrible problem for sure.

Let’s be honest, when it comes to hobbies and interests, some kids change their minds like the wind. This leaves us parents with a bit of dilemma: Do we spend good money on the best equipment out there and hope our child doesn’t get bored after a week and never use it again? Or, do we buy the cheapest we can find, only for it to break in a week and have to buy a new one? Thankfully, there are products that are in the ‘goldilocks’ zone. They’re well built and won’t fall apart anytime soon, but they won’t cost you the earth either, and the Hudora All Stars basketball hoop is just such a product.

Like the Lifetime garden basketball hoop set, this one is freestanding on a base that should be filled with water or sand. The base has a set of plastic wheels on the front that make moving it around much easier once it’s filled. Also like the Lifetime product, the Hudora is height adjustable from 1.65 metres to 2.05 metres, giving you plenty of leeway when it comes to what age groups can use it.

Most of the materials used in the making of this product, from the thick plastic backboard, to the powder coated metal parts, feel very solid and durable, and not that far off much more expensive products.

So, where have the costs been cut? Well, from what I saw, it is in the fittings. Some of the screws and such that were supplied with the components are either low quality, or they are simply the wrong size! While this is annoying, it is a cheap and easy fix and only needs you to take a quick trip to B&Q to buy the correct ones.

The only other gripe I have is that the material the base is made from isn’t up to the same high standards as the other parts of the set, and this will probably be one of the first things to show wear and tear, but spare parts are readily available from Hudora if that should happen.

Buying for a teenager who wants a full-size basketball hoop? Northern Stone are here with their adjustable, portable, basketball hoop system to help. The telescopic pole can be adjusted from a low 6.5 feet, to a regulation standard height of 10 feet, getting your teens ready for the big leagues.

The pole comes in three separate sections that slide together easily and then they connect to a portable base, just like with our previous two reviews. The Northern Stone base can be filled with either 80kg water, or 1000kg of sand, making it quite stable, even when the players are giving it a bit of a pounding. I did think the hole for filling the base was a bit on the small side, and this made filling it slower than it should have been, but the same can be said for most of these free standing basketball hoops made for gardens.

Constructed of high impact polyethylene plastic, the 44 inch backboard is really solid, and it’s plain black and white colour scheme looks simple, but professional. Probably something a teenager would choose over the bright colours meant for younger players.

The basketball rim is official size, and made from metal with a high quality, powder coated black finish, to help keep rust away. The net is nylon, and coloured red, white, and blue. This rim should hold up just fine to normal playing conditions, and has a nice bit of spring to it, but just like with other products like this, it will not withstand an adult or big teenager jumping up and grabbing the rim.

For a change, the instructions to help with assembly of this product were not overly confusing, and all the fittings needed were included and were the right sizes, so thumbs up there from me. The only fiddly part that needed two of us to get right, was attaching the rim to the headboard. But, with a little adjusting here and there, we managed to sort it out.

This is in the same price range as the Lifetime Youth basketball hoop, and is very similar in terms of quality. However, what this basketball hoop has going for it, is the ability to be extended to full, regulation, size.

If you’re starting your kids out young on their basketball journey, you could do a lot worse than getting them this adjustable kids basketball hoop from Wishtime. Aimed at younger players who are just starting out, the height of this product can be adjusted from as low as 120cm, for kids as young as three to try, or for older children, the height can be set at up to 168cm.

This is an extremely easy basketball hoop to put together and apart from filling the base, it only takes a matter of minutes to get set up. The base is shaped like a car tyre, which I thought was a little strange, but my friends seemed to really like the design. It is made from ABS plastic, and feels quite strong, particularly when filled with sand or water, and has a handy drainage hole that you can use when you want to store the basketball net until next spring or summer.

The good thing about these smaller basketball hoops, is that you can actually bring them inside easily and set them up in the kids bedroom, or a spare room or garage, so if your youngling is basketball mad, they can still get to practice, no matter what the weather.

The included ten inch hoop, and smaller sized ball, are obviously better for little kids, and they won’t struggle to use these like they would with full size equipment. There is an adapter included in the box for inflating the ball too.

Being a kid’s toy, rather than proper sports equipment, it is hard to say how long this will last. The materials used aren’t of the highest quality, but they aren’t bad for the price. I also think that this is only really good for children aged between 3 and 6, as anyone older than that will be able to produce a more powerful throw than I think the backboard can handle without wobbling dangerously.

For little children though, this is a good product. Just don’t expect it to be of a professional standard, or last forever.

As long as you don’t intend to adjust the height of your basketball hoop anytime soon, there are some advantages to buying a wall mounted basketball hoop and backboard over a freestanding one. Firstly, they are generally easier to set up, with less parts, and requiring only a few screws, bolts, etc. to secure them to your intended wall. You also don’t need to spend time filling any bases up with sand or water, and because the basketball hoop is mounted, it is obviously much stronger and sturdier, with no chance of wobbling or toppling when teenagers or adults play.

Of course, there are downsides too. The main ones are that changing the height entails more work than with a freestanding adjustable model, and then there is the noise of the impact of the ball against the backboard which will be heard inside the house if mounted on a main wall. My advice is to put it over a garage to avoid this.

While the quality of the 44 inch, UV resistant, backboard was good, as was the metal used for the rim, the fittings were either low quality, the wrong size, or missing, again! So annoying, but easily rectified.

The instructions weren’t all that much help either, but to be honest, a little common sense is all you need to put this basketball hoop up. Well, that and someone to help you.
This hoop and backboard comes with a 5 year warranty, which is reassuring, and to be fair the materials and construction did feel quite robust and durable. I was just annoyed with the fittings fiasco and had to mark it down a point or two for that. All being said, for around 55 pounds, this is a good basketball hoop for your garden, and should last a fair old while.