When purchasing a new basketball goal, understanding the difference between an acrylic vs. glass backboard is important. Choosing the right backboard helps potentially extend the life of your system. Because there are quite a few factors to consider when deciding what works best for the space, players, and budget, this article will address the pros and cons of each type of backboard.

Tempered Glass Backboards

Pros

Most high school gyms, college arenas, and professional stadiums use tempered glass backboards for their indoor courts. The glass backboards are hardened to withstand all the punishment of fast action games. Constructed in a similar fashion as the side windows on your vehicle, tempered glass is incredibly scratch, scuff, and UV ray resistant. Thus, the backboards are easy to clean and maintain a good-as-new appearance year after year. Beyond their good looks, competitive players favor tempered glass over acrylic because the stiffness of the material offers unmatched, consistent ball rebound performance shot after shot.

Cons

However, tempered glass backboards also have a few drawbacks for the customer to take into account. For one, they are more expensive to produce than their acrylic counterparts. Plus, glass is much heavier than plastic which makes the systems with glass more difficult to move. Another possible downside is that tempered glass is less durable than acrylic. Therefore, the location of the basketball goal is something to consider. Glass backboards may shatter if hard objects such as rocks or BBs come in contact with the surface. On the plus side, tempered glass is also known as “safety glass,” which breaks into small marble-sized pieces, minimizing injuries if a break should occur.

Acrylic Backboards

Pros

Acrylic backboards are constructed from thick, clear plastic, and are an economical choice for indoor and outdoor hoops. From a distance, it is nearly impossible to distinguish them from tempered glass backboards. Because acrylic plastic is much lighter and more durable than tempered glass, shipping costs, installation, and portability are key factors to consider. Another pro is that plastic withstands impact from rocks, BBs, and stray baseballs more frequently than glass backboards. So, if your basketball goal will be in an unsupervised location that outsiders can easily access, acrylic may be the better option. 

Cons

On the downside, acrylic backboards are more susceptible to scratches and scuffing from play. Up close, tempered glass looks like new while acrylic shows wear-and-tear over time. Another thing to consider is how the ball bounces off the backboard. When it comes to acrylic plastic, the backboard flexes upon basketball impact since it is not as stiff as tempered glass. This causes acrylic backboards to provide approximately 85% the amount of rebound action as its tempered counterpart.

Acrylic vs. Glass Backboard Summary

Ultimately, acrylic and glass backboards both provide many years of enjoyment for anyone from pint-sized ballers to professional players. However, to get the longest life out of your new system, remember to consider the importance of the following factors when choosing acrylic vs. glass backboard:

• Location
• Portability
• Players
• Budget

With these factors in mind, you’ll surely get the most out of your new basketball system.

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