It’s pretty undeniable that there are a lot of decisions to make when you look at all the hundreds of basketball hoops for sale. Should you get a portable or ground-based unit? Should you get a system with a square or round post? How big should it be?
But one of the most important decisions is what the material of the basketball backboard is. The four tabletop materials offered are molded plastic, acrylic, polycarbonate, and glass. So what is the difference between them and how do you know which one to get?
molded plastic
This is the cheapest basketball backboard and you typically see it on the less expensive systems. If you are an adult player who is interested in playing a good game of basketball, you should generally stay away from this material. It vibrates a lot and the fairly soft plastic just absorbs the force of the basketball when you shoot bench shots. That means instead of getting a good bounce, it just falls. However, if you’re buying for a child, this material is fine, as they don’t usually worry about having a high-quality bounce anyway.
Acrylic
A step up from molded plastic is the acrylic basketball backboard. It works a little better because it can be translucent, like professional systems, and acrylic is a slightly stiffer material. That works for you in two important ways. First of all, it means you can take bank shots without worrying so much about the ball falling down. And second, it makes it more durable, which means it can take a lot more abuse without cracking.
polycarbonate
Polycarbonate looks like acrylic, feels like acrylic, and plays like acrylic. So what is the difference? The difference is in the excessive durability of the material, which is especially important in mid-range basketball hoops where the backboards are relatively thin (about two to three eights of an inch). If you expect to play particularly rough on your basketball hoop, or even if you want an extra level of reassurance that your hoop is going to last a long time, polycarbonate is definitely the way to go.
Glass
Glass is the material they use in the NBA, college, and even on the vast majority of high school courts. The reason it remains so popular is because it is the stiffest material of all and therefore offers the most rebound.
However, buyers should note that systems at this level of quality are typically more expensive than acrylic or polycarbonate basketball hoops, typically costing at least $800 and often more. However, in terms of play, there is simply no comparison for the stiffness and rebound of a real glass basketball hoop.
