Lifetime 54″ Portable Basketball System Review & Giveaway

I was recently given the opportunity to review Lifetime Products 54″ Steel-Framed Acrylic Portable Basketball Hoop and let me just say that this basketball hoop is completely awesome!

It arrived in a large HEAVY box – which had the FedEx guy complaining that the stuff I order is too heavy.  The Mom in me wanted to tell him that he should be thankful because I usually use UPS, but instead I just politely asked him to bring the box inside of the garage for me.  I knew that this big box would have the kids totally flipping out when they got home from school!  First let me share with you about Lifetime.

About Lifetime Products:  In 1972 the founder of Lifetime Products wanted to have a sturdier basketball pole for his backyard. To accomplish this he purchased a piece of heavy-duty used pipe, a sheet of plywood, and a basketball rim. The result was a standard type of basketball hoop that he used in his backyard.

From this, he decided that there was potential for others to want something similar in their own yards.  He started out with an ad in a local newspaper and made his first sale.  He kept expanding into many more types of playground equipment, and several years later transformed the Basketball industry with the introduction of the “Quick Adjust basketball pole — the first complete basketball system you could raise up and down with a broomstick”.

“Today, Lifetime Products, Inc., has applied innovation and cutting-edge technology in plastics and metals to create a family of affordable lifestyle products that feature superior strength and durability. The world’s leading manufacturer of folding tables and Chairs, Lifetime was founded as the maker of portable basketball systems that revolutionized the industry with patented technology. With new offerings such as outdoor sheds and utility trailers, Lifetime continues to develop innovative products that outfit the lifestyles of today’s Americans.”

We received the Lifetime Products 54″ Steel-Framed Acrylic Portable Basketball Hoop, Model 71522 which includes the following:

•     Steel Frame Backboard:  54″ x 33″ x 1.5″ Powder-Coated Steel Frame with Clear Playing Surface
•     Acrylic Playing Surface:  4.75 mm EM5® Acrylic with Fade-Resistant Graphics
•     Slam-It Pro® Rim:  18″ Rim Made of 5/8″ Solid Steel with Wrap-Around Steel Brace – 150 g Net
•     Power Lift® Height Adjustment:  Effortless One-Hand Infinite Adjustable Settings from 7.5 to 10 Feet
•     3.5″ Round Pole:  3 pc., 3.5″ Diameter Powder-Coated Steel
•     Heavy-Duty Portable Base:  35-Gallon Heavy-Duty Portable (HDPE) Base, Fills with Sand or Water, Rolls to Desired Location
•     Warranty:  5-Year Limited

We waited for the weekend so that my husband could help us put it together.  You definitely want two adults for this job:

It took us about four hours to get it all assembled.  I just want to insert here that when it says to “not jam the poles together until instructed” well… they really mean that!  We unfortunately got a little ahead of ourselves and hubby jammed the poles together a bit too soon and unfortunately, we had the wrong holes lined up.  Once you jam the poles together, it’s just not that easy to get them apart.  So we ended up having to throw the pole in my vehicle and drive over to my husbands work truck.  We put the pole in his vice and were then able to pretty easily turn the pole so that the correct holes lined up.  Once we got back home, the rest of the assembly went pretty well.  There were a couple of times when it would have been handy to have a third adult to help, but it wasn’t necessary.  It does take two people to move it around so make sure you decide where you want the hoop to go, before you let your help leave!  We have tried ours out in a couple of different spots, but have finally settled on a perfect place and we have been playing daily for the past week or so!  Check out the final product:

 

My  Final Thoughts:  Since putting our hoop together, we have really been noticing some of the hoops that are up in our neighborhood (only portable hoops are allowed in our neighborhood).  Ours by far is the best looking hoop we have seen!    The backboard is much larger than many that we have seen and the whole system is made with superb quality!  I should mention that there are guards that go around the bottom half of the backboard that we have not put on yet.  I am waiting for my husband to bring home the right tool for us to add that on.

As far as the system itself, we can move it around pretty easily.  You can fill the base either with sand or with water and a touch of bleach.  We went with the water method and it was super easy to do.  The base, pole and backboard are very sturdy and I am sure will last for many years.  The spot that we have ours placed is pretty protected by bushes on one side and our house on the other, but even if it wasn’t, I would not be at all worried about it getting blown over by strong winds.  It will take some pretty serious weather for anything to even budge our hoop.  The height of the hoop is adjustable by 2 1/2 feet and is very easy to adjust up and down.  My kids have no problem doing it by themselves (although my 8 year old needs a little boost up to reach).  My husband, who has been an avid basketball player in the past is also very impressed with our Lifetime System.  He said it is one of the nicest he has used and can’t wait to get some good games going with some friends.

Our hoop will get lots of use because we have a ton of kids in our neighborhood.  I am thrilled with it because it gives the kids something else fun to do that is outdoors and active!  We have been shooting baskets daily and have already worked through the muscle soreness that comes with participating in a new sport.   As a Mom, I like to be the house where the kids like to hang out.  Nothing thrills me more than to see my girls and their friends being active and having a blast at the same time!

Where to Buy: You can purchase Lifetime products at stores like Academy Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods or Lifetime’s Official Online Store.

Win It: To help you get in the mood for NCAA March Madness and to help you get your family ready for spring time fun and fitness that can involve your whole family, Lifetime Products is sponsoring a fantastic giveaway of the same 54″ Portable Basketball System that I reviewed for one of our very luck readers! (APR $579.99)

Win It!

Mandatory Entry (must be done first): Visit Lifetime Products and then comment here with something else you found on the site that you would like to have.

Bonus Entries:

Follow Lifetime Products on Twitter and tweet the following (leave link in the comments): 

“I just entered the @MommyPR giveaway to WIN a  Lifetime Portable Basketball Hoop from @Lifetime365″

Like Lifetime Products on Facebook.

THESE ARE THE ONLY ENTRIES ALLOWED – THREE ENTRIES PER PERSON!

**Remember to leave one comment for each thing you do – this is your actual entry!

Open to Continental US only

Contest ends 11:59 pm Central Time on 3/12

*Information from www.lifetime.com

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Some information may have been used from the sponsors website, PR, or other provided material. (Giveaways- Odds of winning depend on the number of entries vs prizes. No purchase is ever needed or endorsed for an entry) The views and opinions expressed in this blog are purely my own and any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified by the above mentioned store, PR,or product designer. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or have any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other network. This post is solely the property of Mommy PR and/or its above sponsor.