The Best Basketball Hoops for Your Pool

Among the best ways you can spruce up your backyard pool entertainment is with the addition of a water-centric basketball hoop. Everyone loves a good game of HORSE, and everyone loves going for a swim on a warm day. Combine the two, and you get the peak of water sporting fun. Still, you should consider a variety of factors before leaping into a purchase, so here are a few considerations and options you should check out for warm pool days ahead.

What to Look for in Your Next Pool Hoop

Consider these factors when making a selection:

• Style: When selecting a basketball hoop system for your pool, it’s important to remember that there are two styles you’re most likely to come across: the fixed poolside hoop and the roaming hoop. A fixed poolside hoop is often made from durable plastic materials and needs to be weighed down for proper playtime. This added weight makes it more durable for dunking than a roaming hoop, which tends to be inflatable. However, while not consistently fixed in an upright position, a roaming hoop can still take on a fair amount of roughhousing given its malleable frame.
• Safety Construction: What purchasing a basketball hoop for your pool can really boil down to is age-appropriateness and how safe the system is for specific age demographics. Lightweight hoops with buoyant properties are ideal for every user, but they’re especially necessary for younger children. Poolside hoops are crafted well and heavy, and it’s that heavy side that may cause injury for younger children. Inflatable hoops can also be pushed around the pool easily, ensuring your kids won’t get caught on them while swimming or diving.
• The Add-Ons: Finally, it’s always crucial to seek an option that knows how to provide optimal bang for your buck in the fun department. Every hoop system will include a basketball, but what about the systems that offer you two balls? A basketball air pump? An additional gaming system altogether? Try to find the right balance between premium and value for you.

Best Poolside Hoop: GoSports Splash Hoop PRO

Packaged in robust red and blue shades that really know how to capture the spirit of hot days by the pool, this GoSports Splash Hoop PRO is the best of a large bunch in terms of quality, value, and sleek appearances. This hoop is intended to hug the side of the pool so that users can enjoy a quick pickup game without ever leaving the shallow end of the water. From the tip of the backboard to the bottom of the base, this hoop system stands 40 inches tall and features a 14-inch wide hoop for efficient scoring. Its base is hollow upon setup, but once users have filled it with the necessary amount of water, this system will weigh 50 pounds, making it secure and stable enough to handle any windmill dunks you launch its way.

Best Budget Poolside: SwimWays Poolside Basketball Game

A moderately sized hoop system that’s suitable for less hearty competition but still an apt choice for practicing your in-pool jump shot, this SwimWays Poolside Basketball Game offers users a tool-free assembly that’s appropriate for children as young as 6 years old. This is another poolside hoop working at its best once its base is filled with the maximum amount of water, taking it from being topple-prone to sturdy and heavy-duty across the 22-inch backboard. A smaller but noteworthy consideration is the built-in ball rest at the back of the base. Users can plop the included basketball down here whenever the game isn’t in play, but they can also keep it there long term to avoid tracking water droplets into the house.

Best Roaming Hoop: GoSports Splash Hoop 360 Floating Pool Basketball Game

A highly durable roaming basketball hoop that’s packaged in a fiery cherry red finish, this GoSports Splash Hoop offers users a uniquely exciting way to play basketball. Rather than hug the side of the pool like traditional options, a roaming basketball hoop provides 360 degrees of hoop accessibility, meaning you can take your buzzer-beating shots from anywhere in the pool. This hoop system is designed to withstand a lifetime of moments in the water, featuring lightweight PVC piping construction and foam guards that weigh no more than 5 pounds once fully set up. Also included in this bundle are two inflatable basketballs and an emergency ball pump.

Best Budget Roaming: Intex Floating Hoop

An ideal choice for youngsters and those who cannot pass up a good bargain, this Intex Floating Hoop is among the most affordable and simplest basketball systems you could toss into the middle of your pool. As compared to options that require minor assembly, all this roaming hoop needs is a few puffs, and its inflatable frame will be plump and ready to go. While the hoop is constructed from trusted vinyl materials, floaties can take on damage over time. That’s why this system includes a repair patch, so you can keep playing after a minor system surgery rather than deal with a constantly deflating hoop.

Best Hoop Bundle: JOYIN Inflatable Pool Float Set

Bringing you more than just a roaming basketball system, these Inflatable Volleyball Net & Basketball Hoops from JOYIN offer two fun family games at an immensely affordable price. Whereas some pool basketball systems can run you a decent chunk of cash for just a single product, this bundle brings you an inflatable volleyball net and an inflatable basketball hoop for significantly less money out of your wallet. You’re getting the best of both sporting worlds here because while two people duke it out on the water court, several others can get their own game of water volleyball going. Additionally, both hoop and net products feature quality raft-like material that’s intended to stand the test of time in the water and under the sun.