How we score
One score out of 10 per hoop, from a formula you can check line by line.
Every hoop on In-Ground Basketball Hoops gets exactly one score, the same on every page. It comes from 7 criteria, each rated from 0 to 10 on a fixed scale and weighted as below. One sentence on method: we compare what each maker publishes (product pages, spec charts, FAQs, installation guides and warranty terms) rather than installing the hoops ourselves. Prices were last checked on November 12, 2026.
The 7 criteria
| Criterion | Weight | How it is rated |
|---|---|---|
| Price (dated, US) | 20% | Price ÷ the median price of all hoops we compare ($1,899.97): 0.35× → 10, 0.6× → 9, 1× → 7, 1.6× → 5, 2.6× → 3. Sale prices count as shown on the day we checked; concrete, installation and options are left out. |
| Backboard size and material | 20% | Board width: 48" → 5, 54" → 6.5, 60" → 8, 72" → 9.5. Material: glass +0, acrylic -1.5, poly -3. Glass thickness: 1/2" +0.5, 3/8" +0, 5/16" -0.5. Capped at 10. |
| Pole size and steel gauge | 20% | Mean side of the pole section: 3.5" → 3, 4" → 5, 5" → 7, 5.5" → 7.75, 6" → 8.5, 7" → 9.5, plus 1.5 for 5-gauge steel, 1 for 7-gauge steel when the maker publishes the gauge. Capped at 10. |
| Warranty | 15% | 1 years → 3, 3 years → 5, 5 years → 6.5, limited lifetime → 10. |
| Overhang (play space under the rim) | 10% | Distance from the pole to the face of the board: 2 ft → 5, 2.5 ft → 6.5, 3 ft → 8, 4 ft → 10. |
| Lowest rim height | 10% | The lowest rim height (every hoop reaches 10 ft): 5 ft → 10, 6 ft → 9, 6.67 ft → 8, 7 ft → 7, 7.5 ft → 6. |
| Mounting (anchor kit or not) | 5% | Bolt-down anchor kit → 10 (the hoop can be leveled and moved later), ground sleeve → 7, direct bury → 5. |
Values between two anchor points are interpolated in a straight line; values beyond the ends take the end score.
When a maker says nothing
A criterion the maker does not state scores 2/10. We can't give credit for something nobody has published, and it is fair to every brand: publish the figure and the score moves. A hoop needs a published price and at least 5 stated criteria to be scored at all.
The editorial scale
The weighted average gives a raw score. Every hoop we list is a serious current option, so the displayed score is placed on an editorial scale: displayed = 7.5 + 0.52 × (raw − 5.2), kept between 7.5 and 9.6 and rounded to one decimal. The order of the raw scores never changes. Labels: Excellent from 9.0, Very good from 8.5, Good from 8.0, Fair below.
Today the formula puts the Pro Dunk THOR Platinum first, at 9.5/10.
Rankings by need
Our rankings for a specific need use the same criterion values with different weights. Those weights only set the order of that ranking; the score shown next to each hoop is always its one overall score.
| Ranking | Price | Backboard size and material | Pole size and steel gauge | Warranty | Overhang | Lowest rim height | Mounting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 20% | 20% | 20% | 15% | 10% | 10% | 5% |
| Driveway fit | 25% | 10% | 20% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 5% |
| Backboard-first | 15% | 35% | 20% | 15% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Regulation play | 15% | 25% | 30% | 15% | 10% | 0% | 5% |
| Growing-kids fit | 20% | 10% | 15% | 15% | 5% | 30% | 5% |
| Budget fit | 50% | 15% | 10% | 10% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Prices
Prices are in US dollars, read on each maker's own US store: Pro Dunk, Goalsetter, Goalrilla, Lifetime, Spalding. Goaliath and Silverback hoops are sold on goalrilla.com. Each review gives the source, the date and the listed price when a sale is shown. Concrete, installation, pads sold separately and options are never folded into the price we score.
Installation and safety
We quote hole sizes, concrete and curing times from the makers' own guides, with links. Your hoop's manual is the reference. Call 811 before you dig, and follow the manual for the footing and the curing time.
Money
Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our scores. A brand cannot pay to move a hoop up. See the disclosure.