2 steps to buying the right basketball
Buying a basketball isn’t as easy as it sounds. Not everyone is the same, so not everyone needs the same basketball. One person plays indoors, another outdoors. There’s even a difference between balls for men, women and kids. I can already hear you thinking: “How do I know what kind of basketball to buy?” We at Burned Sports have years of experience selling basketball gear, and we’ll make sure that after these 2 steps you know exactly what ball you need.
1. What size basketball do I need?
The size and weight of a basketball can depend on whether you need a men’s, women’s or kids’ ball. Here is an overview of the sizes and ages, based on the NBB guidelines (Dutch Basketball Federation).
Size 5 is for girls up to 14 and boys up to 12.
Size 6 is for girls from 14 and boys from 12. This is the largest size in women’s basketball, so even senior women play with a size 6.
Size 7 is for boys from 14. This is the largest size in men’s basketball, and it’s used by all ages from 14 up.
On our website you can set a filter: set it to the size you want and you’ll see all the balls that fall within that category.
2. What surface do you play basketball on?
There are different basketballs, and they’re made of different materials too. Each of those materials suits a different surface, such as hardwood or asphalt. Hardwood is often used for indoor basketball courts, and asphalt is often found outside on the local court. There are indoor, outdoor and indoor/outdoor balls. But what surface do you play on, and which ball goes with it? We answer that question here.
An indoor ball is often made of leather or synthetic leather. Because of the leather, the ball is a bit softer and has better grip. That does mean you can’t play with it on asphalt, because the leather will wear and lose its grip. An indoor ball also has an inner bladder, so it loses its shape less quickly. Because almost all games are played indoors, most game balls are made of better-quality leather and are often more expensive too.
So if you play indoors a lot, like a soft ball with lots of grip and want a ball that keeps its shape for a long time, go for an indoor basketball.
An outdoor ball is made of rubber. Rubber is a slightly harder material and wears less quickly, so you can play with it on asphalt. Rubber does have less grip than leather, though, and can sometimes feel a bit like a bouncy ball. An outdoor ball also has no inner bladder, so it loses its shape faster.
Do you play on a local court or in the street more often, and do you need a ball you’ll enjoy for a long time? Then an outdoor basketball is for you.
An indoor/outdoor ball is a mix of both. It’s made of composite leather, which is a mix of leather and rubber. That makes it feel more like a leather ball, so it also has more grip than a rubber ball. It also wears less quickly on asphalt than an indoor ball, but a bit faster than an outdoor ball.
Do you play both indoors and outdoors, and are you looking for a ball you can use on both surfaces? Then look for an indoor/outdoor basketball.
If you look on our website under the heading “Basketball” and then go to “Basketballs,” you can click on indoor, outdoor or indoor/outdoor to see an overview of all our balls in that category. You can also stop by our store for personal advice.
