Skip to content
Rim&Rebound

Driveway basketball, for homeowners

The right hoop for your driveway, and what it takes to put it up.

In-ground or portable, 54 or 72, nine bags of concrete or eleven: sorted by the slab you actually have, with expert-level install guides from the makers' own manuals and the buy link one click away.

Find the right hoopInstall & setup guides

By Mike M. · Updated September 2026 · Units we claim to have tested: 0

A suburban home with a basketball hoop at the top of the driveway beside the garage
rankings, head-to-heads and guides
56rankings, head-to-heads and guides
install manuals and maker pages quoted for hole and bag counts
21install manuals and maker pages quoted for hole and bag counts
hoops with a lifetime term on paper
10hoops with a lifetime term on paper
units we claim to have tested
0units we claim to have tested

Six sections

Pick the decision you are making

  • Start with the driveway, not the catalog

    Choosing a Hoop

    Best driveway hoops overall, in-ground vs portable, which hoop to buy, brands explained, outdoor and kids' hoops by age, hoop height by age, and the best adjustable hoops.

    10 pages

    Top pick: Goalrilla FT60

    Check price · Amazon

    #ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Goalrilla FT60

  • Glass, steel and eleven bags of concrete

    In-Ground Hoops

    Best in-ground hoops overall, under $1,000, 60-inch and 72-inch, plus Goalrilla vs Goaliath, vs Silverback, vs Goalsetter, vs Pro Dunk and vs Mega Slam head-to-heads.

    9 pages

    Top pick: Goalrilla FT60

    Check price · Amazon

    #ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Goalrilla FT60

  • The base decides everything

    Portable Hoops

    Best portable hoops overall, under $200, under $500, for kids, 54-inch, wind and tipping, how to assemble one, Spalding vs Lifetime, and Silverback NXT vs SBX.

    9 pages

    Top pick: Silverback NXT 54 Portable

    Check price · Amazon

    #ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Silverback NXT 54 Portable

  • What the manual actually says

    Install & Setup

    Backboard size guide, 54 vs 60 vs 72, glass vs acrylic vs polycarbonate, how to install an in-ground hoop, how deep to dig, how much concrete, anchor kits, install cost, placement, sloped driveways, lifespan and rust.

    12 pages

    Top pick: Lifetime 90040 44-Inch Impact Portable

    Check price · Amazon

    #ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Lifetime 90040 44-Inch Impact Portable

  • More reps, fewer trips to the street

    Training Aids

    Best basketball rebounders and return nets, yard guards and driveway nets, shooting trainers, a Dr. Dish iC3 review, and training aids for kids.

    5 pages

    Top pick: Dr. Dish iC3 Shot Trainer

    Check price · Amazon

    #ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Dr. Dish iC3 Shot Trainer

  • Everything else on the slab

    Driveway Gear

    Best outdoor basketballs, ball size by age, replacement nets and rims, breakaway vs standard rims, hoop lights, court lines, chalk games, and gifts for basketball players, kids and dads.

    11 pages

    Top pick: Spalding Street Phantom Outdoor Basketball

    Check price · Amazon

    #ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Spalding Street Phantom Outdoor Basketball

Start here

The three questions every driveway asks first

  • Choosing a Hoop

    In-Ground vs Portable

    Stability, lifespan, install, cost, moving and warranty compared in one table from the makers' manuals and pages. In-ground if you own the slab and can dig; portable if you rent, cannot dig, or will move.

  • Install & Setup

    Backboard Size Guide

    44 to 72-inch backboards by driveway width, player and material in one table, with the makers' size ranges. Fifty-four for one car, 60 for two, 72 only past about 30 feet of width.

  • Install & Setup

    Installation Cost

    DIY materials from the manuals (9-11 bags, auger, level) versus a hired install (Thumbtack national average $130-$255, in-ground high), and four scenarios from a $570 direct-bury hoop to a contractor-installed 72.

Category winners

The #1 pick in every ranking, with a buy button

How we pick

What we check, and what we refuse to claim

  • The manual, not memory

    Hole size, bag count and cure time come from the maker's install manual or installation page, quoted with the date we read it and linked on every card. Eleven bags means Goalrilla said eleven.

  • The driveway comes first

    Width, slope, the garage door, the kids' ages and where the ball ends up decide the hoop before any spec does. Every ranking sorts by those, then by the catalog.

  • Warranties, quoted

    Every term is the maker's wording, including the exclusions: hanging on the rim, rust, glass. A lifetime term that voids on a dunk is worth knowing before the dunk.

  • No fake testing, no stale prices

    We haven't stood one of these up ourselves and we say so. Amazon prices change daily, so buttons say “check price” until a live feed exists. The rubrics.

Gift guides

Written for whoever is shopping for the player

  • Gift guide

    Gifts for Basketball Players

    Eight gifts for a player with a driveway hoop, by budget: a Street Phantom ball, Square Up strap and Kick Out under $50; a D-Man and pole pad under $150; an iC3, a 180 rim or a solar light as the big one. What to check first.

  • Gift guide

    Basketball Gifts for Kids

    Eight kids' gifts by age: a size 4-6 ball, Crayola chalk games, the SKLZ Shooting Target, a Little Tikes toddler hoop, a door mini hoop, a pole-mounted junior hoop, and a 44-inch Lifetime as the big gift.

  • Gift guide

    Basketball Gifts for Dads

    Nine gifts for the dad who runs the driveway hoop, by budget: net and locking handle under $30, Kick Out and composite ball under $50, stencil kit or D-Man under $150, yard guard or solar light as the big one.

Latest

New and updated

  1. Choosing a Hoop

    Best basketball hoops for a driveway, sorted by the driveway you actually have

    Updated September 2026

  2. Choosing a Hoop

    In-ground vs portable basketball hoop: which one for your driveway

    Updated September 2026

  3. Choosing a Hoop

    Which basketball hoop should I buy? Five questions, then one answer

    Updated September 2026

  4. Choosing a Hoop

    Basketball hoop brands explained: who makes what, and which tier you are looking at

    Updated September 2026

  5. Choosing a Hoop

    Best outdoor basketball hoops: seven that hold up to weather and hard play

    Updated September 2026

  6. Choosing a Hoop

    Best basketball hoops for kids, matched to how tall the rim should be at each age

    Updated September 2026

  7. Choosing a Hoop

    Best basketball hoop for a 5-year-old (and the two years after)

    Updated September 2026

  8. Choosing a Hoop

    Best basketball hoop for a 10-year-old: 9 feet now, 10 feet by middle school

    Updated September 2026

Every page on the site

How this site is funded

Reader-supported, and plain about it

Rim & Rebound earns affiliate commissions when you buy through some links. As an Amazon Associate, Rim & Rebound earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick, no brand pays for placement, and the direct-only makers we compare (Goalsetter, Pro Dunk, Mega Slam) pay us nothing. The site is published by Iron Mako Media.

Affiliate disclosure Editorial policy