Getting more adept at dribbling and shooting perfect shots will certainly be important for any basketball enthusiast. However, for this purpose, you need a basketball hoop that requires a fair amount of time to search about it before you make a purchase. Being a fast-paced and massively engaging game, it does not allow you to make any mistakes. So, here I am going to add some factors, including backboards, that hugely affect your performance.
As per manufacturing, there are two major materials of the backboard that you might want to know about, and these materials are Acrylic and Polycarbonate. Most probably, these are the best choices to make for the player, yet it remains to uncover which backboard supports what kind of circumstances and what will be a better option to choose under specified conditions.
According to my personal experience, both of these boards are good enough but possess their own advantages and disadvantages. So, let us take into account the things that make these backboards worthwhile.
Acrylic & Polycarbonate Backboards Similarities & Differences
Other than the differences between these two backboards, it is true that they share a lot of similarities, such as both of these boards are made up of an excellent plastic material. They are strong enough to sustain millions of wild shots while offering the perfect bounce during the game.
At the same time, the longevity of service tenure of these two backboards has been greatly amazing, even under hard circumstances. So, I can say that these backboards are head-to-head competitors to each other in terms of durability that originated from their respective manufacturing materials.
1. Polycarbonate Backboards
Inarguably, polycarbonate is a stronger material than acrylic, and this is how it is portrayed among the public. The logical argument for this thing is that most bulletproof materials possess polycarbonate as the leading material. So, it becomes evident that polycarbonate material is stronger than its competitor and offers great durability.
But when polycarbonate boards are exposed to UV light, everything is changed, and the results are annoying. Under the UV light, the board starts fading, leaving its clear and clean look.
After some time, it becomes a yellow-stained backboard with a much lesser serving tenure expected by a polycarbonate backboard. Typically, the UV light softens up the material up to the extent where it starts losing its durability.
On the other hand, backboards made up of polycarbonate appear to be ideal for indoor use. If used indoors, these backboards fully retain their durability, which makes them massively lauded by users. With the perfect bouncing ability and matchless durability, polycarbonate board is known as the most liked backboard for indoor games.
Meanwhile, if not exposed to sunlight, polycarbonate board possesses the ability to serve five times more than the normal acrylic board. Hand in hand, this board is unlike to snap or crack even after years of use.
- Strong manufacturing material
- Excellent durability
- Best for indoor games
- Serves for five times more than acrylic board
- Unlikely to crack
- Perfect bouncing ability
- Only suitable for indoor uses
- Color fades if exposed to UV-light
- Life is compromised if used under the sun
2. Acrylic Backboards
After polycarbonate, the next choice for most people is an acrylic backboard. This is the most common and adopted backboard for outdoor basketball hoops – and the reason is that acrylic boards are inert against UV light. You can leave your basketball hoop with the acrylic board for weeks or even for months in exposure to the UV lights. Acrylic board has no impact of sunlight on its durability, and it retains its strength.
In general, if acrylic is compared with polycarbonate, the latter offers greater strength and durability. In the same way, if acrylic is compared with the glass backboard, it is much stronger than glass because it sustains greater blunt force impact. It means if we were to hit the fast-paced ball, it would not crack or shatter as the glass backboard might.
On the other hand, acrylic results in the form of a very light backboard. When players smash the board with a powerful hit of the ball, they expect the ball to bounce perfectly; however, the acrylic backboard appears to be a bit disappointing in this regard in comparison to the polycarbonate backboard.
So, it is certain that you may not like the bounce of your basketball from the acrylic backboard, and you need to spend a fair amount of time getting used to it.
In short, acrylic backboards are suitable for outdoor basketball courts because they show no change in their chemical and physical properties when exposed to UV light.
- No effect of sun light
- Perfect for outdoor basketball courts
- Stronger than glass and other conventional backboard materials
- Cracks and snaps are rare
- Promised durability
- Good manufacturing material
- Reduced bounce as compared to polycarbonate boards
- Lower in strength than polycarbonate backboards
Which Basketball Board Should I Use?
Which basketball board should I use? The answer to this question is hugely associated with your circumstances. For instance, if you are looking for a backboard to enjoy hooping on outdoor courts, you must not think about the polycarbonate backboard because it will start fading under the UV light, and you will not be able to have 100% value for your money.
However, if you want to buy a backboard for an indoor basketball hoop, polycarbonate boards are the best choice. While being used indoors, these backboards serve for a period five times more than the acrylic boards. Hand in hand, you get an ultra-bouncing experience with this board.
On the other hand, if you want a backboard for an outdoor court, an acrylic backboard will be a reasonable choice as it is resistant to UV light and shows no change in its physical or chemical properties. But you need to compromise over its reduced bouncing ability.
So, both of these basketball backboards have specific advantages and disadvantages, and it depends upon your circumstances which of these two backboards suits you the best.
Conclusion
Being a basketball lover and after experiencing a number of backboards of different materials, I concluded the above-mentioned points from years of my personal experience. I am sure that now you can make a better decision regarding the purchase of your backboard.
Please feel free to ask any question related to the basketball backboard!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What are the best backboards for general use?
For general public, there are three backboards that suit them the best due to multiple reasons. Following are the three backboards best for general use:
- Polycarbonate Backboard (for indoor use only)
- Acrylic backboard
- Tempered glass backboard
Q2. Do Acrylic Backboards turn yellow?
No, acrylic backboards do not turn yellow because they are resistant to the UV-light of sun. It does not matter whether you use acrylic board under the sun for weeks or months – its color will not fade.
Q3. Which backboard is better acrylic or polycarbonate?
Both the compounds are crystal clear. However, acrylic has an advantage over polycarbonate. It is weather-resistant and last for long without changing its shape or color.
Q4. Will polycarbonate yellow over time?
Yes, it turns yellow over time. Though polycarbonate is water-resistant, yet it turns its color in the long run.
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