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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 · Every pick built from the makers' own specs and install manuals

A suburban home with a basketball hoop at the top of the driveway beside the garage
rankings, head-to-heads and guides
126rankings, head-to-heads and guides
install manuals and maker pages quoted for hole and bag counts
44install manuals and maker pages quoted for hole and bag counts
hoops with a lifetime term on paper
8hoops with a lifetime term on paper
hoops and gear products researched and compared
135hoops and gear products researched and compared

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, hoops for a 6-year-old and for teens, hoops under $300, mini hoops, hoop height by age, and the best adjustable hoops.

    26 pages

    Top pick: Goalrilla FT60

    $2,379.75Amazon

    #ad · Price as of November 3, 2026 · 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, under $500, for kids, by brand, 60-inch and 72-inch, plus Goalrilla vs Goaliath, vs Silverback, vs Goalsetter, vs Pro Dunk and vs Mega Slam head-to-heads.

    28 pages

    Top pick: Goalrilla FT60

    $2,379.75Amazon

    #ad · Price as of November 3, 2026 · 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, the tempered-glass portables, wind and tipping, how to assemble one, Spalding vs Lifetime, and Silverback NXT vs SBX.

    20 pages

    Top pick: Silverback NXT 54 Portable

    $549.95Amazon

    #ad · Price as of November 3, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Silverback NXT 54 Portable

  • What the manual actually says

    Install & Setup

    Backboard size guide, 44 vs 48 and 54 vs 60 vs 72, glass vs acrylic vs polycarbonate, how to install an in-ground hoop, how deep to dig, how much concrete and which mix to buy, anchor kits, install cost, placement, sloped driveways, lifespan and rust.

    22 pages

    Top pick: Lifetime 90040 44-Inch Impact Portable

    Check price · Amazon

    #ad · Price as of November 3, 2026 · 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.

    8 pages

    Top pick: Dr. Dish iC3 Shot Trainer

    $399.99Amazon

    #ad · Price as of November 3, 2026 · 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.

    22 pages

    Top pick: Spalding Street Phantom Outdoor Basketball

    $23.74Amazon

    #ad · Price as of November 3, 2026 · 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 before a hoop earns a pick

  • 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.

  • One clear pick per driveway

    Every ranking ends in a named top pick for a specific slab and a specific player, with the buy button one click away and the price straight from today's listing. 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, ShotLoc guide and Kick Out under $50; a D-Man and pole pad under $150; an iC3, a 180 rim or a half-court 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 hoop light as the big one.

Latest

New and updated

  1. In-Ground Hoops

    Silverback vs Goalsetter: the Amazon default against the pole with a published wall thickness

    Updated November 2026

  2. Portable Hoops

    Silverback NXT 54 Portable review: the portable that is built like an in-ground, with one number missing

    Updated November 2026

  3. Driveway Gear

    Best basketball court tiles for a driveway, and how much slab you need before you order

    Updated November 2026

  4. Choosing a Hoop

    Best basketball hoop for a 12-year-old: the year the rim stops coming down

    Updated October 2026

  5. In-Ground Hoops

    Silverback SB60 review: the mid-price in-ground most driveways actually end up with

    Updated October 2026

  6. Install & Setup

    Can you put a basketball hoop on existing concrete? What the manuals actually require

    Updated October 2026

  7. In-Ground Hoops

    Goalrilla FT60 review: the hoop most driveways should buy, and the three things to know first

    Updated October 2026

  8. Driveway Gear

    Best driveway games for families, ranked by the slab each one needs

    Updated October 2026

  9. Driveway Gear

    Types of basketball rims, and which one your hoop actually has

    Updated October 2026

  10. Choosing a Hoop

    Best basketball hoop for an 8-year-old: eight feet now, ten feet later

    Updated October 2026

  11. Choosing a Hoop

    Does a basketball hoop increase home value? Here is what can actually be sourced

    Updated October 2026

  12. In-Ground Hoops

    Goalrilla vs Dominator: geometry against documentation

    Updated October 2026

  13. In-Ground Hoops

    Mega Slam vs Dominator: two regulation boards, two completely different purchases

    Updated October 2026

  14. In-Ground Hoops

    Goalsetter vs Lifetime: the same glass on two completely different poles

    Updated October 2026

  15. In-Ground Hoops

    Goaliath vs Goalsetter: half the price, or twice the pole

    Updated October 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