5 Best Tempered Glass Basketball Hoops Review In 2023

They say a man is defined by the hoop he keeps.

In case you have a basketball hoop at home or office, and the purpose of keeping that hoop was only to have fun in your free time, I bet that it can be a polycarbonate or acrylic hoop.

Not many people get tempered glass hoop for homes or offices – what difference does it make to an employee or a kid what material is the backboard?

Tempered glass backboard? Different story.  This is professional material and from schools to colleges to NBA, this is the material those big and wide backboards/hoops are made of.

If you really want to get the most realistic experience while playing basketball, you will definitely have to opt for a hoop that has a glass backboard. Not only that, but a hoop with tempered glass will also allow you to understand the difficulties you might have to face when you play professionally.

This is a review and guide for the inquisitive ones.

Best Tempered Glass Basketball Goals

For this review and guide, I picked the top 5 products after much research and vetting. I hope these reviews will help you pick the best hoop for your leisure or professional training.

1. Pro Dunk Platinum –

This is one of the best-tempered glass outdoor basketball systems on Amazon. It has the perfect sizing for tournament-level games and training.

72” Backboard 

As it is said, the professional basketball training or tournament size for the backboard is 6 feet or 72 inches. This one is exactly 72” or 6’ in size. It is a gym or tournament-quality hoop made for adults. However, size can be adjusted for kids or teens as well.

8” x 6” Pole 

The pole of this thing is unlike 3 – 3.5” poles that you notice in the case of portable basketball setups. It is an extra wide and strong pole with 8” x 6” This means that even high winds would not be able to move it much.

Stainless Steel Hardware 

The whole thing is made of stainless steel. For further protection from weather and/or decay, they made the entire system zinc galvanized to make it even more rust-proof and moisture-proof. You can use the hardware with ease and with one handle you can customize height from 5’5” to 10’.

Rigid Rim with Nylon Net 

Where this setup lacks in terms of the professional standard is its rim. Tournament standard basketball is mostly played with a breakaway rim, but this setup comes with a rigid rim. However, it saves you a handful of dollars and for those who love rigid rims, this is perfect.

In-Ground Structure 

This setup is not a portable one. This one has to be fixed in the ground. And it is good because a professional training setup has to be very stable and unshakable. An in-ground setup with a very wide pole means zero shaking.

2. PROGOAL 72″ Wall Mounted Goal –

At the beginning of this game that we know as basketball, there were very simple setups. They just used to nail a hoop to a wall to play the game. This hoop brings the same sense of simplicity and minimalism to your home, office, or gym.

60” x 36” Backboard 

This board is near perfect for those who play at a professional level. It is a big 60” x 36” backboard. It especially hits the sweet spot for those who want a professional-style glass backboard at home. This hoop comes with a strong frame.

Telescopic Adjustable Frame 

The adjustable telescopic frame makes it super easy for you to mount this wall-mounted basketball backboard on a garage, gym, or driveway wall. It does not have as much space as a conventional hoop takes.

Adjustable Backboard Frame from 7’5” to 10’ 

This setup comes with an external compression size adjustment system. The built-in adjustment mechanism can be controlled from the ground and the height can go from 7’5” to 10’ maximum. Perfect for family and professional training.

Tempered Glass ½” Thicker than Others 

The best thing about this setup – one of the best features – is that its tempered glass backboard is ¼” thicker than most of the other hoop backboards. This takes care of the biggest concern of the target customers: the vulnerability of tempered glass.

Dual-Spring Breakaway Rim 

Another amazing thing that they did was to introduce a dual-spring (super easy and swift) breakaway rim to the setup. The breakaway rim is a professional standard rim, it is used for breakaway jumps and it reduces the chances of wrist injuries.

3. Pro Dunk Hercules – 

In case Pro Dunk’s professional/tournament-size goal was too big for you and you want something that can be used at home or office for personal fitness, this Pro Dunk basketball hoop is absolutely for you.

60” Backboard 

This is a 60” wide backboard that is considered ideal because of its durability and rebound effect. It is ½” thick – which is pretty standard for a professional-level basketball backboard. The frame is made of steel.

6” Wide Square Pole 

What makes this setup too good is the 6 inches wide pole. It is almost impossible for the backboard to move a lot in high winds. It is a one-piece pole made of industry-grade steel. The walls of the poles are of 7 gauge – rest assured you would not have any stability issues.

Gusset Padding and Outdoor Safety 

To further increase the quality of the experience that the user enjoys with this system, they made it safer and safer for families and people who love to train on this setup. The pole is a high-impact safety pole with gusset padding to protect players from any injuries.

Zinc Galvanized Hardware 

Just like the other Pro Dunk basketball setup that I’ve reviewed above, this one is also covered with zinc. A zing galvanized hardware is hard to catch rust, moisture, or similar problems.

Rigid Rim 

Just like the other Pro Dunk basketball setup, this one also comes with a rigid rim. I have already explained why breakaway rims are better than rigid ones – but rigid rims are more durable rims. We would have to give it to them.

4. Spalding The Beast –

It is not possible to make a list of the best basketball hoops and leave Spalding out of it. Spalding’s The Beast is one of the best portable basketball systems. In case you want a tempered glass backboard, but want it on a portable hoop, this one is simply the best.

60” x 36” Backboard 

This is also within the same category as the previously reviewed basketball setup was. This setup is made for families or workplaces where people want to have a taste of professional training while keeping things as fun as possible.

5” Thick Pole 

This basketball system has a 5” pole. We know that most portable basketball systems have roughly 3” to 3.5” thick poles. A solid, square, and thick pole on this one will ensure that the hoop will not move a lot – even in face of high winds. It is a very durable pole with height limits from 7’5” to 10”.

55 Gallons Base 

As I explained, this one is not a built-in ground basketball system. The purpose of portable hoops is to allow users to move the system from one place to another. 55 gallons is a big amount considering that many good-quality hoops come with roughly 40 gallons of capacity. This means that you would have a more stable playing experience.

Steel Pro Breakaway Rim 

This is just one of the reasons why I would call this one of the best of the best basketball systems. It comes with Spalding’s proprietary Steel Pro breakaway rim. It has hidden springs and hinges that allow the rim to bend under the weight of the player and then go back to its place.

Screw Jack System 

Last, but not least, this setup has a Screw Jack system to increase or decrease the height. It is a very easy system compared with that legendary telescopic style.

5. Spalding 54-Inch NBA System – 

In case, too big base and a few other distinguished features do not please you and you are looking for a kind of basketball setup that you can use at home or office – for recreational purposes, Spalding’s  NBA hoop is the best.

54” x 32” 

This is a relatively smaller backboard when you compare it with previously reviewed Spalding basketball setup. Not only the base is small, but the backboard is also not as big as the previous one.

Screw Jack Lift 

This basketball hoop also has a screw jack system. We’re not saying that telescopic system is bad, but there is no denying that the Screw Jack system makes it a piece of cake to decrease or increase the height of hoop. By the way, that customizable height is from 7’5” to 10” as usually.

Arena Slam Breakaway Rim 

This one is also equipped with Arena Slam breakaway rim. Irrespective of the name, this one is also a proprietary rim made by Spalding. It is a breakaway rim so I do not need to explain that it is the best for professional training.

Weather Protected Hardware 

The base as well as the pole and the rim are coated in weather-protective coating. The thick and square pole of the setup is covered with moisture and rust-proof coating.

40 Gallons Base 

This setup has a relatively beginner-level setup. It has got a 40 gallons based made out of industry-grade plastic. It does its job keeping the pole from moving a lot.

2 Factors To Consider While Buying

So …

In case there are people among you who still want to know what to look for when buying tempered glass backboard or hoop, this guide will help them.

Glass Backboard Size

Size matters …

At least in case of a shatter-proof glass backboard size matters a lot. In case you want a hoop for your home or office where the purpose is just recreational, you can go for a hoop with a small glass backboard.

However, in case you want a hoop for professional training, you must go for a big backboard – at least 60”. Well, at least you’d be able to use that for practice. In case you’re bent on professional setup, buy a setup with nothing less, but a 72” tempered glass backboard.

Thickness

Remember, These backboards are considered the best because they are used in international events as well as for professional training. However, this does not make them impossible to shatter.

People have reported incidents where the backboard shattered after constant hard hitting. This is where thickness comes into play.

Only a buy a tempered glass hoop if it has got good reviews, no complaints about its durability and if it is thicker than most of the tempered glass backboards that you can get within the same price.

Conclusion

Before I conclude and declare the best of the best 5 tempered glass basketball hoops, here is a little table to put things in perspective:

As per my understanding, Pro Dunk’s Platinum Hoop is the best because of massive, tournament size backboard and 1” thickness. As you can see, none of the other backboards either have full NBA width (72”) or the level of thickness (1”) that Pro Dunk’s winning hoop offers.

But if you think of any other basketball goal, then this might be the best fit for you. You can definitely opt for it as your preferences matter the most. It will certainly result in a negative way if you opt for a basketball hoop that you don’t like.