Spalding Beast Portable Hoop Review: Beast Mode

 

Best Basketball Hoops Rating

Main Features

• Includes a 50 gallon base that can be filled with either fluid or sand
• Height of the Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball System can be easily adjusted from 7 and a half feet to 10 feet using the U-Turn Pro Lift system
• Features a base cover with a movable handle to make moving the hoop easier and acts as a rebounder during shooting sessions
• 60 Inch backboard is made of tempered glass and features an aluminum trim
• Pro-image breakaway rim that is gym quality with all-weather net to handle the elements of the outdoors
• Features a 5 inch, two-piece square support pole that is angled to minimize the chance for tipping or injury
• Includes two vertical steel supports to enhance the stability and performance of the backboard

Spalding the Beast Portable Basketball System:   9.5/10

If you are in the market for a premium portable basketball system that can take a beating and perform at a high level, then it may be time to consider picking up the Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball Hoop for Your driveway or home court.  This is the top of the line portable basketball system that Spalding produces and is arguably the best portable system that money can buy.  Compared to the Spalding The Beast Basketball Hoop some less expensive portable systems from Spalding include the Spalding 54″ Portable Basketball System and the Spalding Pro Slam.

Because of the high price of this hoop it should come as no surprise that the features included on this system are immense.  One thing that is obvious is that Spalding emphasized stability when it comes to the design of the Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball System.  The support pole is a “beastly” 5″ square all steel pole that is angled from the back of the base to the bottom of the backboard.

The angling of the support pole is crucial to maximizing stability and limiting the possibility of the hoop tipping by spreading out the system’s weight.  The base mount includes four struts that work to stabilize the unit and to further reinforce the hoop.  The Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball System offers a massive 50+ gallon base that can be filled with sand or fluid.  This is one of the largest bases we have seen on a recreational portable basketball system.  The base comes with rollers that help to make moving the Beast a cinch.

This basketball hoop has a backboard that is 60″ wide and 1/4″ thick, and is made of tempered glass.  The absolute top of the line in-ground systems feature backboards that are 1/2″ thick, however, for a portable system this backboard’s performance is superior to the competition.  Tempered glass is the costliest and highest performing backboard material available.

The breakaway rim is high performing and can withstand monster dunks, although we would never recommend hanging from a rim on a portable basketball system as a safety precaution.  Overall, you will not notice a difference between how this rim performs and the ones found in a high school gyms around the country.

The all-weather net that comes with the Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball Hoop is a standard feature on almost all outdoor basketball systems and will last for a few years before needing to be replaced.

We do wish this hoop had support pole and backboard padding.  For most homes this will not be an issue, especially due to the angled design of the support pole.  However, it may be worthwhile to pick up a support pole pad that fits this hoop if you do decid to select the Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball System for your home.

What We Like About This Hoop

• Likely the most stable portable basketball hoop that money can buy
• The wheels and base handle make moving this hoop significantly easier than other portable basketball systems
• The 60″ tempered glass backboard is one of the most heavy duty boards we have seen on a portable basketball hoop
• 50+ gallon base is also one of the largest available
• The rim is awesome and plays very similar to gym quality breakaway rims
• 5 year limited warranty will help to make you feel even more confident when purchasing this basketball system

What Would Make This Hoop Better

• Padding aligning the backboard and support pole would enhance the safety of the Spalding Beast Basketball Hoop
• The two-piece support pole system is high quality, but is not quite at the level of one-piece pole systems that are featured on the top of the line in-ground hoops like the Mammoth 98862 System
• This is one of the most expensive portable hoops available and may be hard on your wallet

What can we say, the Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball System is our pick for the best portable basketball system available.  We have rated it highly due to several factors including design (angled support pole, movable wheels, base handle, etc.), features (tempered glass backboard, breakaway rim, etc.) and the overall stability of the unit.  If you are looking for a hoop that is a little less expensive, but is still of good quality we recommend you take a closer look at the Spalding 60″ Portable Basketball System.