Portable pickleball nets bring the pickleball court from the club straight into your driveway, yard, or garage. Easy to set up and disassemble in less than 10 mins, you can have a pickleball court on the go anywhere and anytime you need it.
This year, the SwiftNet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net takes the top crown. It’s lightweight at 18lbs. It has an innovative net tensioning system and doesn’t have a center pole in the middle, so that means no cheap lets EVER.
It’s by far the most expensive net on this list. If you can’t fathom splashing that kind of cash, the 3.0 Portable Pickleball Net represents the best value net on the market.
In this buyer’s guide, we’ve analyzed 19 of the most popular portable pickleball nets on the market to come up with a definitive list of the best portable pickleball nets in 2023.
What’s Inside
Best Overall | Best Value | Official USAPA Net | Best Nets by Category |ACELETIQS | Budget Pick | Best for Families & Skinny singles | Best Net with Wheels | DULCE DOM | How We Picked | What to Look For | Cost | How to Setup
Things to Know
All our picks are USAPA regulation size. That means they are 22 feet wide. 36 inches tall at the ends and 34 inches tall at the center.
All listed portable nets come with a carry bag and their prices start at $69.99 at the low end and $369.99 at the top end.
Upon research, you should expect to pay around $150 for a good quality portable pickleball net.
Without further ado, here are our top 8 portable pickleball nets of 2023.
- SwiftNet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net System
- 3.0 Portable Pickleball Net
- OnCourt OffCourt Portable Pickleball Net
- ACELETIQS Portable Pickleball Net
- ZENY Portable Pickleball Net
- Playabouts Duo 2 in 1 Full or Half Court
- Franklin Sports Pickleball Net
- DULCE DOM Portable Pickleball Net
Best Overall – #1 Pick
SwiftNet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net System
No products found.
What people like
- Holds up in wind, sun and rain. Survives 15mph winds
- Can keep outside permanently without the need to assemble and disassemble.
- No center post, no sag or easy lets
- Customer support is good
- Manufacturer sells replacement parts too, so that’s easy to source
- Easy setup. Sub 5 mins.
- Lightweight. 17 – 18lbs
What people dislike
- Expensive
- Net may be a little low in the center, just about .5cm or thereabout.
- Net tensioning cord may fray in a year or 2.
Best Value – #2 Pick
3.0 Portable Pickleball Net System
No products found.
What people like
- Sturdy & strong.
- 3-4 minute set up.
- No velcro straps so it’s stronger than most.
- Tighter net, sturdier poles.
- Numbered parts and easy-to-assemble construction.
- Curved floor piece at end posts help maintain stability especially on uneven ground.
- Can easily withstand the elements.
What people dislike
- Net stitching may last only a short time.
- Price is a bit on the expensive end
Official USAPA Net – #3 Pick
Oncourt Offcourt “Picklenet” Portable Pickleball Net
No products found.
What people like
- 3 – 5 min setup and assembly.
- Official net of USA Pickleball, Pickleball Spain, and Pickleball England.
- USAPA store sells spare parts for the net.
- Comes with protective pads for the floor if you play indoors.
- Great support and 1 year warranty.
- Spacious bag.
- Holds in windy conditions.
What people dislike
- Not for wet conditions or to be permanently left outdoors
- Heavy weight at 23.1 lbs
- Will rust if you leave outside
If you want this net with wheels, get the Picklenet Deluxe. It’s made with carbon fiber alloy, so it’s lightweight. However, be prepared to pay more than double the price of this one for that.
Best Portable Pickleball Nets – By Buyer Persona
During our analysis, we stumbled upon an odd thing.
We realized that although we came up with the absolute best portable pickleball net around, it may not make sense for a particular type of buyer, for example, a student, a family with kids, a retiree, etc.
So, we have created the best portable nets for different buyer personas. We hope you find a persona that fits you and hopefully the best portable net for you.
| Category | Net |
| Best Overall | SwiftNet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net |
| Best Value | 3.0 Portable Pickleball Net |
| Budget Pick | ZENY Portable Pickleball Net |
| Best for Families with kids | Playabouts Duo 2 in 1 Portable Net |
| Best Lightweight Net | SwiftNet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net |
| Best Made in USA Net | SwiftNet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net |
| Best Portable Pickleball Net for Indoor | OnCourt OffCourt (Picklenet) Portable Pickleball Net |
| Best for those against cheap lets or W-shaped net | SwiftNet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net |
| Best 2 in 1 net | Playabouts Duo 2 in 1 Portable Net |
| Official USAPA Net | OnCourt OffCourt (Picklenet) Portable Pickleball Net |
| Best Portable Pickleball Net on Wheels | Franklin Sports Pickleball Net |
#4 Pick
ACELETIQS Portable Pickleball Net System
No products found.
What people like
- Easy to set up in 10 mins or so.
- Cheaper than most competitors.
- Comes with rubber court markings and measuring tape.
- Bright color for visibility in all conditions.
What people dislike
- Not great in windy conditions.
- The carrying case is lightweight and might tear when putting disassembled net back in case.
Budget Pick – #5 Pick
ZENY Portable Net System
No products found.
What people like
- Set up in 5 mins or less.
- Great price under $100.
- Big carry bag.
What people dislike
- The center pole may come 2” too tall. Will have to cut it down.
- Velcro at the ends of the net aren’t strong enough.
- Caps for the end and middle poles pop occasionally. Because they are painted black. Can be hard to find.
- Unlikely to hold up in rain and sun, so don’t get it if you plan on leaving outside permanently.
Best for Families & Skinny Singles – #6 Pick
PLAYABOUTS DUO 2 in 1 Portable Pickleball Net System
No products found.
What people like
- Great for pickleball singles play
- Great for children as you can use half court
- Great for small spaces.
- Small net is great for practicing and drills
- Good customer service
What people dislike
- Set-up instructions need to be more descriptive
- The bag separated at the seam on rare occasions
- Not great in windy conditions (15mph winds). 40 -50lb sandbags will do the trick.
- Velcro straps at ends of the net are not durable
- No warranty information
Best Net with Wheels – #7 Pick
Franklin Sports Portable Pickleball Net with wheels
No products found.
What people like
- Holds up in moderate wind
- Strong and sturdy
- Easy and quick set up
- Wheels make it easy to move
What people dislike
- Do not leave outside in the elements
- Heavyweight. 2 man job without the wheels
- W-shaped net with rod protruding in the middle
- On the more expensive side
#8 Pick
DULCE DOM Portable Pickleball Net
No products found.
What people like
- Court markings are helpful.
- Easy setup.
- Good customer service.
- Great price under $100.
What people dislike
- No written instructions, just pictures.
- Center pole may come 2” tall. Need to cut.
- Not to be kept permanently outdoors.
- No warranty information.
How we picked
Net quality
We looked at net quality. Most portable nets are either made of Nylon or Tetoron.
Net tension system
Portable nets on the market generally use velcro straps at the top corner of the net ends to maintain net tension. However, some nets use compression straps or net tensioning cord systems.
User Reviews
We poured over more than 2,000 user-generated reviews to condense and distill the performance of more than 19 portable nets.
Warranty
These days, cash is hard to come by. So, we picked nets that had useful warranties in case there were any issues. Some nets on the list come with lifetime, 60-day, 90-day, and 1-year warranties.
Price
Price didn’t start out to be a major deciding factor because we wanted to select the best. For categories like best value and budget, the price was important.
Weight
Net weight was a factor in selection. You want a lightweight, but not too light that it can’t stand any wind.
Net frame
Most portable nets are made from steel, aluminum, or carbon fiber. Carbon fiber/aluminum alloy frames are lighter than reinforced steel frames.
Ease of setup and instructions
A key factor in our selection was the speed and ease of setup, whether it was intuitive and clear from manuals, and if there was an instructional video from the manufacturer.
Support
When something goes wrong, you want to be safe in the knowledge that customer support is responsive, fast and helpful. Some manufacturers had great customer service, while others, not so much.
Carry Bag
A good carry bag is essential for a portable net on the go. Some bags come with wheels, others are spacious while some tear on first use.
Wind Capability
The all-weather pickleball player needs a net that can handle some wind. We measured net performance, especially against a benchmark of 15mph winds.
Extras
Sometimes, some nets have something special about them. Some features like 2 in 1 net, innovative net tension system, wheel support, made in USA, official USA Pickleball net, provision of measuring tape and court markings are some extras we considered when evaluating these portable nets.
Portable Pickleball Net Buyers Guide – What to look for in a pickleball net
So here’s what you should consider and look for when deciding on buying a portable net:
- Durable, strong, high-quality hardware: Generally you should avoid plastic. The highest quality net hardware is made of steel and carbon fiber. Powder-coating metal is good for protecting the metal against corrosion. You want it to be strong enough to stand up against wear and tear, wind, and the stress of the net.
- Know what you are buying it for: is this for a tournament? for your kids in the driveway? for an indoor court? for light practice? That will dictate how robust you want the net to be and, obviously, your budget.
- Portability and Weight: If you’re going to be carting a net around back and forth, get a lighter net. At the same time, some bags come with wheels which makes even the heavier nets easy to move around.
- USAPA Standard measurements: the USAPA standard dictates that a net be 22 feet wide, 36 inches at the sides of the net and 34 inches at the center. Not all nets follow that standard, so if that’s important keep an eye out for USAPA standard measurements.
- Wheels on the net itself: a few nets have wheels on them which allows them to very easily move them around, put them away, shift them where they’re needed.
- Design: The two best designs are by Swiftnet which uses a sweeping carbon fiber supporting brace that goes across the net and Picklenet’s patented oval tubing. Just about all of the other designs for net hardware involve simple metal tubing that may twist. Also, look out for the feet on the side poles – some may cause a tripping hazard.
- Net Tension: you want the top of the net to be tight, not loose and floppy. With some nets this can degrade over time, so eventually you might need to get a replacement net for your portable net.
- Center pole, base support, and strap: A central pole and strap generally help keep the net taut and at the right height. Further, having a central support base helps keep the net stable. However, the central fiberglass rod may rise higher than it should thus, affecting dinks and causing unearned points.
- Ease of setup and taking down: Some nets are easier to set up and take down. If it’s indoors and you don’t have to move it often then it’s not much of an issue. But if it’s outdoors you should generally be setting these up and taking them down whenever you play because these are portable and temporary nets. They are not generally made to be left outdoors. You can leave them outdoors but the net will degrade much more quickly.
How much do pickleball nets cost?
Portable pickleball net prices range from $35 all the way up to $1,500.
The cheapest nets are under $90 but you get what you pay for. Half nets and very cheaply made full nets cost about $50. They will be more flimsy, may blow over in the wind, might have sagging nets, and will be lower quality.
The sweet spot for good nets that aren’t too expensive is between $150 and $200.
At the high end nets will run you about $300.
Finally, you get to the pro-grade portable nets that are $1,500.
How do you set up a portable pickleball net?
Here is a summary of the steps as recommended by OnCourt OffCourt for putting together their PickleNet:
- Put the base frame together and making sure the parts are inserted fully into one another.
- Position the 2 end bases 22 feet apart with the center support halfway between them
- Insert each of the inter-locking steel tubes and then connect 3 straight poles (with no end caps) on each side to the center base.
- Insert two vertical net post poles that have end caps into each end base. Your frame is now assembled!
- Slide the net sleeves over each vertical net post.
- Insert the center strap rod through the rectangular opening in the center support base. Attach the velcro around small round vertical pole.
- Use adjustable net straps to create straight net appearance. To accomplish this, loop black adjustment straps through “D” ring and then back around pole to secure with velcro at desired tension.
- Now you are basically all set up — the center of the net should be 34 inches and at one foot inwards from the end of the net on each side, the net height should be a regulation 36 inches. To adjust this height, slide the net sleeve up or down as needed.
But the best way is to show you. Here is a video showing you how to set up one of my top picks in 3 minutes 35 seconds, the PickleNet.
Final Word
These are our overall top picks for the best portable pickleball nets. You can’t really go wrong with any of the portable nets on this list.
Sure, some nets here are better than others. The Swiftnet 2.1 Portable Pickleball Net is our #1 pick if money is no object. But, the 3.0 Portable Pickleball Net is the best option if you’re looking for great value.
In the end, you will just have to decide which net fits your life situation, budget, and intended use. Then, you can get to the more important things in pickleball: winning and having fun on the court.
If you’re looking for something more permanent: check out How to Build a Pickleball Court.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API