Sports

The Perfect Pump: 4 Tips For Buying The Best Basketball Inflation Needle

Basketball is easily one of the most accessible sports to play at home. All you need is a backyard, driveway, or any clear space as well as a ball and hoop and you can work on your game as much you please! It’s for this reason that the basketball hoop is ubiquitous to Aussie homes as BBQ or Hills Hoist.

What’s more, any home with a ball and hoop needs a top quality inflation needle ready to go at all times. Without a high quality inflation needle, you might find yourself with a deflated pill when you’re really feeling the urge to get into the driveway and work on your jump shot.

But there are always a few things to look out for when buying an inflation needle. This is especially so as there are a lot of cheap brands out there flogging inflation needles at dodgy sports stores.

With this in mind, here are four things to look out for when buying your a top of the range basketball pump:

  • Durability

The first thing you want to look for in your inflation needle is durability. The best place to find durable inflation needles is through the most reputable sports stores and manufacturers. A top quality inflation needle is sure to last you many a ball pump up and be there when you want to practice your fade, free-throw, jump shot etc.

Conversely, a poor quality inflation needle will quickly depreciate. You can expect quick corrosion as it will be unable to handle the changing temperatures it will likely experience in your garage. What’s more, subpar inflation needles are produced with dodgy materials, furthering the rapid deterioration process!

  • Look for pressure gauges

Sure, a stand inflation needle is great for pumping up your ball (they’re also a lot cheaper!). However, if you’re looking for a top quality solution that is going to give you the perfect pounds per square inch (PSI) with every pump then you should definitely look for one with a gauge.

Your ball should have a PSI of between seven to nine with eight being ideal. Naturally, it is impossible to know the PSI without a gauge and for this reason you should always look for an inflation needle with this essential appendage.

  • Brand reputation

As aforementioned, you want to choose a model from a brand with a top quality reputation. Because, after all, cheap, random brands typically use dodgy materials that corrode after a short period of time. What’s more, they are easily susceptible to falling apart, further making them just another piece of garbage you don’t need lying around the home!

Conversely, a quality inflation needle is sure to provide you with countless uses over many years of backyard balling. You can trust that they are made with the highest quality materials that aren’t prone to deteriorating after just a few uses and that you will enjoy the inflation needle for many years to come.

  • Convenient storage

Finally, you’re not pumping up your car tires, so you don’t need a model that is going to take up heaps of space. It’s a basketball, and it doesn’t require a massive contraption to ensure that it reaches the right PSI and is ready for use. As such, you should look for a small, compact model that is going to fit snugly in your garage without any hassles!