Poolside Basketball Hoops | Product Comparison

Which of the 3 poolside basketball hoops that we carry is best for you?

To start off, Spalding and Lifetime Products, as I have mentioned before in other posts, are each others' main basketball equipment competitors. Because of this, many of the features and designs are very similar between the 3 products. I will simply go through a few features that are the same, and a few that are different to aid you in the selection process.

Spalding | Poolside Basketball Hoops.

Model Number: 77054.
Backboard Material: Eco-composite Plastic.
Adjustable rim height: Yes.
Pole Size and Shape: 3" diameter Round.
Rim: Breakaway.
Base: Portable.
Base Capacity: 28 gallons.

This poolside basketball hoop is great for any situation, in that it features higher end items such as a breakaway rim and a full size base. This unit also comes with a swimming pool basketball. With that said, you will get these added features at a premium costing you about 15-25 dollars more than the Lifetime 1306 Acrylic Backboard and about 30-40 more than the comparable 1301 Lifetime plastic backboard poolside baskeball system.

Lifetime Pool Side Basketball Hoops | 1306.

Model Number: 1306.
Backboard Material: Acrylic.
Adjustable rim height: Yes.
Pole Size and Shape: 3" diameter Round.
Rim: Static.
Base: Portable.
Base Capacity: 26 gallons.

The Lifetime 1306 Poolside Basketball system is the highest end swimming basketball hoops Lifetime Products offers. The unit save you some money as compared to the Spalding system or the Lifetime 1301 basketball system, while giving you a better backboard material as far as rebound goes. With this system compared to the 77054 you lose the breakaway rim and the size of the base is slightly smaller as well. You will also need a basketball since this unit does not come with one.

Lifetime Poolside Basketball Hoops | 1301.

Model Number: 1301.
Backboard Material: Polyethylene Plastic.
Adjustable rim height: Yes.
Pole Size and Shape: 3" diameter Round.
Rim: Static.
Base: Portable.
Base Capacity: 26 gallons.

This unit, while not having the same features as the 1306 and the 77054, is still a great unit for most situations. The pole size is still the same as the other units and the base is the same size as the 1306. Where you lose against both units is on the backboard material when compared to the 1306 pool side basketball system, and on the breakaway rim and base size on the 77054 poolside basektball hoop. All is not lost, however, as you will save anywhere from 20-25 dollars on this system compared to the 1306 and 30-40 dollars compared to the 77054.

So, what should you ask yourself before making a purchase? First, does price mattter to you? If not, than you can safely exclude the 1301. Second, what functionality is more important to you: breakaway rim or better rebound? If dunking is big for you, the 77054 is a great fit because of the breakaway rim. If the playability of the backboard is essential, than the 1306 is your best option there because of the acrylic backboard. Lastly, the size of the base is important in that the weight and stability increases with a larger base. The 77054 give you the largest base, but only by 2 gallons. In most cases this weight difference is minimal. The only reason to really want a larger base is if you anticipate very aggressive play, in which case the 77054 is your best bet. Please keep in mind that no matter how large the base, there is always a possibility of tipping the unit over so please never hang on the rim on any of these systems. Good luck shopping.

Related Poolside Basketball Goals Posts:
Poolside Basketball Hoops | Basketball Backboards | Types of Materials Comparison.
Lifetime Basketball | Spalding Comparison.
Basketball Hoop | Acrylic vs. Glass.

Basketball Backboards | Types of Materials Used

What material is best for your Basketball Backboards' system?

Basketball Backboards Overview:

I have previously posted on this information concerning basketball backboards' materials used on basketball systems. In this post I will try to go beyond what I had previously said and go into brand names and manufacturers.

Basketball backboards in the market currently have just about the exact same materials between manufacturers. These are mainly glass, acrylic, polycarbonate, and plastic. under each of these headings are several patented names, but not much real difference in construction.

Glass Basketball Backboards:

Glass is glass no matter who you go to for your basketball system. The only real things to be aware of when you are shopping for a your basketball hoop are: how thick is the glass, and how thick is the frame.

Thickness of the glass is important for many reasons, which I will not elaborate on too much here, but not for the rebound of the ball. Thicker glass typically only gets better strength in the event something were to collide with the backboard; i.e. a rock. Many salesmen will try to sell you on better rebound with more thickness, but this is not neccessarily the case. The bigger determining factor is actually the thickness of the frame. Typically, if you are getting a glass basketball backboard you ought to be getting one that has at least a 2 inch thick frame. This will assure you the most optimal rebound. Anything less than this will possibly cause a wiggle in the backboard throwing off your shot.

Acrylic Basketball Backboards:

Acrylic is considered to have the next best rebound, though the difference betwen arylic and polycarbonate rebounds is minimal. Acrylic backboards were more prevalent a few years back, but many manufacturers have moved away from their production in hopes of increasing the strength of the backboard using other materials. Just like glass, acrylic is acrylic except for this time there are some brand differences in the market. Whenever you see the word "fusion" in the name of a Lifetime basketball system, this always refers to acrylic. Spalding and Goalsetter each only use acrylic in the names, so there should not be any confusion with what are getting through these 2 suppliers.

Polycarbonate Backboards:

Polycarbonate was designed into basketball systems for its increased strength. Polycarbonate is said to be 30x stronger than comparable acrylic models. Acrylic, over time, has been known to crack when exposed to UV radiation after many years, thus losing its strength. Polycarbonate is supposed to eliminate this, creating a longer last basketball system. Polycarbonate is the same material used in the production of bullet proof glass, though none of the basketball systems, which use this material, would be considered bullet proof. Polycarbonate is mostly used by Lifetime Products and Spalding in some of their lower end systems. Polycarbonate is polycarbonate, but with Lifetime the patented name is Makrolon and Lexan. Spalding just refers to it as polycarbonate.

Plastic Backboards:

Plastic has the most diversity in available types, i.e. plastic is not the same plastic between suppliers. Lifetime Products uses what is called polyethylene plastic, which is a polymer of the alkene, ethylene. Spalding uses what they call eco-composite, which essentially is recycled plastics. Because of the source of the plastic used by Spalding is not really well known, it is hard to determine what is the plastic's chemical makeup. Both manufacturer's use this material to make a quick, cheap basketball backboard for their lowest end models. With this material you get the cheapest of options and a beginner system, but you also get a potentially very long life. As evidence of this, consider Lifetime Products claim of their plastic (HDPE), which they state ,"... will not fade, crack, or peel when exposed to the sunlight." Plastic would have what is considered the worst rebound of the choices already listed.

Hopefully this gets you a good feel of the materials available on basketball backboards. Please leave any comments if you have any questions or any other helpful differences you know of between these options.

Basketball Backboards Related Links:

Baskeball Hoop | Acrylic vs. Glass.
Portable Basketball Hoops.
Goalsetter | Mammoth Basketball Hoops.
98865 Basketball Backboards | Mammoth Style System.

Lifetime Storage Sheds vs. Other Vinyl or Resin Shed

We get a lot of questions from customers about how Lifetime Sheds stack up against other plastic or vinyl sheds. This is a particularly important to understand when one is considering a shed that will greatly enhance the longevity of the unit when compared with traditional wood sheds. It seems the best way to illustrate the difference is to explain the materials Lifetime Products uses in their construction. In particular, Lifetime uses what is called High Density Polyethylene Plastic (HDPE). This material has the longevity of plastics in general, but is more flexible than vinyl. This is not to say that Lifetime Sheds are weak in the least as the walls and roofing are all steel reinforced, along with the roof, which has all steel trusses.

The reason Lifetime went to this material was to allow it to hold up better to day to day use and potential accidents. When talking to Lifetime Products about this material in particular, we discussed a test, though not entirely scientific, that was performed on HDPE and vinyl. The test consisted of people pitching baseballs as fast as they could against both of these materials. What they found was HDPE tended to absorb the impact of the baseball, never breaking it, and the vinyl tended to shatter due to its inherent rigidity. This test has plenty of application for day to day use with your shed. For instance, if the kids are out playing with a baseball, rocks, or any other hard object around the shed, it is likely if they were accidentally hit the shed, chances are you will not be replacing a wall. Or, if during your use you are storing something that is particularly hard to move around inside and were to hit the wall, chances are you will just have to maneuver it again instead of putting a hole through the wall. In general, these sheds are going to hold up better overall when compared to other vinyl and resin sheds.

Lifetime Basketball vs. Spalding Basketball

What are some differences between Lifetime Basketball and Spalding Basketball Products?

Lifetime Basketball Products and Spalding Sports are essentially direct competitors when it comes to residential basketball systems. They go after similar target markets, i.e. home and personal sport courts, and thus have very similar products. Some of the comparisons below for their basketball line jargon should be helpful.

Lifetime Products' Quick adjust is comparable to Spalding's Exacta-Height The Exacta-Height probably has the advantage over the Quick Adjust because the Exacta-height uses a handle, whereas the Quick adjust requires a broomstick. Both are difficult to use however.

Lifetime Products' Action Grip is comparable to the Helix Lift from Spalding. Both of these are squeeze handles that are gripped and then pushed up or down. These allow height adjustments with a little less effort The Quick Adjust and Exacta-height methods.

Lifetime Products' Power Lift is comparable to the Spalding's U-Turn mechanism. Both of these allow the user to move the hoop height up and down between 7.5 ft and 10 ft with infinite increments. Lifetime's Power Lift probably has the advantage in that they use the handle method that is used the Action Grip and Helix lift, but instead of moving in 6 inch increments, it allows the user to release the handle at any point, essentially giving you infinite height selection. The U-Turn system is a turn crank located below most backboards on the Spalding system. This mechanism tends to be more awkwardly placed and a little more tedious to use since you must turn the crank many times to move the backboard up and down.

If you have further comparisons that might be helpful for customer's information in purchasing, please leave your comments below.

Related Lifetime Basketball | Spalding Basketball Posts:

Lifetime Basketball | Atlas Product Comparison.

Folding Picnic Table

Lifetime Products Folding Picnic Table - Round Picnic Table

The Lifetime Folding Picnic Table features a great deal of ingenuity. There are essentially 3 different models offered, rectangular folding picnic table in green and putty colors, and a childrens folding picnic table. They also offer a round picnic table that has swivel benches for storage and seating purchases, but these do not fold.

We will make a quick comparison between the round picnic tables and the rectangular folding picnic tables. The round picnic tables have 3 benches separate from one another that can swivel in and out. This allow you to store these easier then if they didn't move and change seating configurations. While these are meant for adult heights and weights, because the seats can swivel in and out, smaller children can also take advantage of this picnic table. The rectangular folding picnic tables fold flat, unlike the round tables. They have longer benches and more surface area to eat on. They tend to be more bulky and heavier then the round tables. If you want kids to be able to sit at these tables, you will need to get the children's version.

Both products have a steel reinforced frame, and both have the Lifetime patented polyethylene plastic table top material. These are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. They are durable as we get a great deal of purchases and inquiries from camp grounds and similar businesses about these products.

View our Folding Picnic Table selection for additional specs and information.

Lifetime Basketball

Lifetime Basketball Hoop - Spalding Basketball System

Here is a quick comparison between Lifetime Basketball and Huffy / Spalding Basketball. Lifetime Basketball systems have overtaken the consumer basketball hoop industry. Because of this, Lifetime Products offers a far larger range in basketball hoops than is currently offered by Huffy. It is typically easier to find the right match with Lifetime hoops than with Huffy because of the larger selection. They offer many types of basketball backboard and rim combos to portable basketball hoops to inground basketball systems. And within each of these categories, Lifetime Basketball offers a large assortment of products from begginer level hoops to professional size glass backboard systems.

Huffy offers similar products but much fewer of them as compared with Lifetime Basketball. Huffy does offer great systems, since they have been around longer. They have major contracts with colleges and professional leagues to provide basketball equipment for stadiums. These things certainly make their line worth looking at and comparing. More on these products later.

View our Lifetime Basketball line here.

View our products review for Lifetime Basketball Hoops.

Lifetime Products

Competitive Edge Products, Inc. supplier Lifetime Products

Lifetime Products is a leader in the basketball and table and chair industries. One thing that differentiates Lifetime Products from the rest of the basketball hoop industry is there large selection. Within their Lifetime Portable Basketball Hoop selection, they have a large variety of systems to choose from. These include children's basketball hoops all the way up to 54 inch backboard power lift systems extending up to 10 ft. high. The range of basketball systems from Lifetime Products that are inground are even more diverse. They have units as small as a 3 inch diameter 3 piece pole with a 42 inch backboard, to a full sized 6x6 inch post with a 72 inch glass backboard system. Whatever you are looking for in these systems you will likely find it. Lifetime Products also offers a 5 year warranty on most systems, and a limited lifetime warranty on their Mammoth Basketball Hoops.

In the table and chair category, Lifetime Products gets the nod for innovation and quality for a low price. Lifetime Products folding chairs are among the best their are. When comparing their contoured seating design with a padded seating, which is the design for most cases, the countour seat is far more comfortable than the padded seat. Both their folding chairs and folding tables are made from polyethylene plastic, which will not fade, crack or peel in the sunlight makes these products great for indoor and outdoor use. This material is also very easy to clean. The the only thing they have found so far that is difficult to get off this plastic is paint; other than that, no problem. Both the chairs and tables have a steel reinforced frame making them very sturdy and while Lifetime Products doesn't publish any weight limits on their products, we have seen some pretty heavy things on both the folding tables and folding chairs and not fold under the pressure.

We are one of the largest suppliers of Lifetime Products on the web. Check out our line and competitive pricing.

Lifetime Products Related Links:
Lifetime Products Folding Table.
Lifetime Products Picnic Tables.
Lifetime Products Storage Sheds.

Mammoth Basketball Hoop

Lifetime Products Mammoth Basketball Hoop features some of the finest consumer basketball systems there are. This will be a quick comparison guide for you as you look through the different systems.

The 98856 Mammoth Basketball Hoop is the smallest of the goals. It features all of the same mounting equipment as the 2 larger mammoth basketball hoops but differs in the size of its backboard. The backboard of the this hoop measures 54 inches wide, 36 inches high, and 2 inches thick. This backboard is made from tempered glass. You can view our Acrylic vs. Glass comparison posting here. The other difference you will see is the size of the basketball pole. The pole measures 5x5 inches square. This is a great introductory size mammoth basketball hoop.

The 98862 Mammoth Basketball Hoop is the mid range size system. The distinguishing difference with this basketball hoop is the size of the backboard once again. This backboard measures 60 inches wide and 38 inces high and is made from tempered glass. The pole size is the same as the 98856 mamoth basketball goal, 5x5 inches square. You jump up some 300-400 dollars to get the larger backboard but this will get you closer to the actual size of an institutional size system. If you want to get the larger size backboard but don't care about the material of the backboard, you might consider the 98865 basketball hoop, which features all of the mammoth basketball hoop equipment except the backboard is acrylic.

The 98874 Mammoth Basketball Hoop is the largest of these systems. This system features specs that are closest to an institutional system, i.e. NBA, NCAA, and most high school systems. The backboard is 72 inches wide and 42 inches high. You also will get in larger mounting post measuring 6x6 inches square for added stability. All other specs are similar in size.

Things in Common with all Mammoth Basketball Systems
- Mounting Equipment for the Backboard
- All Mammoth Basketball Hoops use the same 0090 anchor kit from Lifetime Products
- All Mammoth systems have glass backboards
- Limited Lifetime Warranty, compared to the typical 5 year warranty offered for most systems
- Height adjustments for the Rim have infinite leves from 7.5 feet to regulation 10 ft.

View our Mammoth Basketball Hoop listings and other accessories.