MegaSlam vs Goalrilla Basketball Hoops

Two popular brands in the high-end residential basketball goal market are MegaSlam and Goalrilla. Although each of these brands produce high-quality hoops with great reviews, there are some notable differences between them that could impact your experience. The safety features, support ecosystem, and build quality of each hoop differ, so let’s break down these differences see how they affect the performance of each hoop.

Safety

One primary concern for many buyers is the safety features of their basketball hoop. After all, most customers intend for children to use the goal they buy. So what features are important to consider for safety, and how do both MegaSlam and Goalrilla hoops measure up?

ASTM Rating

The ASTM is an international organization that publishes safety standards for consumer products, including basketball hoops and related equipment. Because MegaSlam hoops can be adjusted down to 5’, they fail to meet the ASTM safety rating of a 6.6’ minimum height for the hoop. Goalrilla hoops do meet the ASTM requirements because they can only be brought down to a 7.5’ hoop height.

It may seem counterintuitive that fewer options would produce a safer hoop, but hoops that are set too low are a significant safety hazard to both people and property. 5’ is below the height of most cars, and below the average height for both men and women in the US. Since many people install basketball hoops along their driveways, it’s very likely that a person or a car could impact the hoop if it’s set to 5’. Another hazard that an overly-adjustable hoop could pose is that an adult or child adjusting adjusting the height could accidentally drop the backboard or rim onto another player that’s standing underneath it, which could cause serious facial, dental, or orthopedic injuries.These hazards are eliminated by Goalrilla’s hoop design which prevents the hoop and backboards from ever dropping below 7.5’.

Hoop Weight

MegaSlam advertises their hoops as being the heaviest on the market with the thickest steel. The truth is that weight does not always correspond to quality, and high weight can sometimes even negatively impact the safety of a product. For the safety of both installers and players, the weight of a hoop needs to occupy a sweet spot between too heavy to install or transport safely, and too light to prevent deformation if someone runs into the pole. Due to their optimal design, Goalrilla hoops occupy this sweet spot, while MegaSlam hoops are significantly heavier with no benefit to the players and are detrimentally heavy for installers or movers.

Build Quality

Some other concerns for those investigating a basketball hoop to purchase include its longevity and build quality. After all, most high-quality in-ground hoops are expected to maintain their performance and appearance for many years while being subjected to harsh sun, icy rain, and a variety of bugs and critters. Durable builds and strong warranties are must-haves for a good in-ground hoop. How does the build quality of MegaSlam and Goalrilla hoops compare?

MegaSlam uses stainless steel hardware (nuts, bolts, etc) in their hoops, while Goalrilla uses Xylan coatings on its hardware and poles. What’s the difference? Stainless-steel hardware is reasonably weather-resistant, but when used for components like bolts, it can be particularly susceptible to a process known as thread galling or cold welding. In short, thread galling occurs during the process of unscrewing or screwing in components, where the friction experienced by the metal threads causes them to break off or transfer material between the surfaces, seizing the component. Due to the lubricant and coatings on stainless steel, moving or repairing your MegaSlam hoop could be especially difficult (or even impossible without cutting bolts off) because you may have to contend with thread galling of the components.

Goalrilla follows the advice of fastener professionals and uses the anti-seize coating Xylan on all of their hardware, which makes galling significantly less likely to occur. Xylan is used extensively for corrosion and friction, and wear protection in the oil, gas, and automotive industries because it's so effective. So when you need to move your Goalrilla you won’t have to worry about permanently ruining your basketball hoop thanks to the Xylan coatings and you won't have to void your warranty by using bolt cutters to disassemble your hoop like on a MegaSlam. And the Xylan coating helps maintain the hoops outward appearance for years to come as well!

Support Ecosystem

Remember how MegaSlam hoops didn’t meet the ASTM safety ratings? As a result, many big-box retailers don’t want to accept any potential liability issues from carrying MegaSlam products. Thus, MegaSlam Hoops is an online-native company, meaning you won’t necessarily receive the same support from your local store that you would with Goalrilla Hoops, which are sold through physical distributors. For instance, after buying your MegaSlam hoop online, you’ll have to look through their online directory of local installers and reach out to them individually to get your hoop installed, moved, or repaired.

Because Goalrilla operates on a distributor model instead of selling their products online, the customer experience is significantly better. Their distributors (including us, Swings-n-Things!) are empowered to install, service, and repair their hoops in-house meaning you can walk into the store, purchase a hoop, and have it professionally installed by the store’s employees on the same day! Or if you need your hoop repaired or moved, you can just call us or reach out through our website to get the help you need immediately. And you wouldn’t have to call 20 different contractors you found on MegaSlam’s website to find someone who has expertise with the exact hoop you bought. The customer experience of Goalrilla hoops is much more personal and convenient.

The Takeaway

Ultimately, due to their impersonal customer support experience, inferior hardware design, and lack of ASTM safety rating, MegaSlam hoops just fall short of Goalrilla hoops in some key performance areas. When you’re comparing basketball hoops to purchase, look for Goalrilla hoops for the best overall experience. They have 25 years of experience and here at Swings-n-Things we believe they deliver on producing one of the best consumer basketball hoops on the market.