Are you a basketball lover and curious to know in-depth information about basketball? So first topic that comes to mind What is the difference between Indoor and outdoor basketball and What factors make them different from each other?
In this article, we will discuss the differences between outdoor and indoor basketball.
Main Difference Between Indoor And Outdoor Basketball
Apparently, they look the same, if you see them from the distance but still there are a few differences between them. First of all, the texture of the basketball is, indoor basketball has a soft outer covering while outdoor basketball has a hard one. There are primary factors that explain the outdoor vs indoor difference between basketballs.
- Material
- Durability
- Performance and Grip
- Feel
- Price Range
Material
The main and obvious difference is the material in the basketball balls. The material used to manufacture the indoor basketball is leather.
Leather is strong and stretchable material which gives it a soft texture. The leather usually comes from Horween Leather Company. Because of this factor, indoor basketball is easy to grip and dribble. Hence, it is played on indoor basketball courts that are made of hardwood. Leather is excellent for indoor professional games.
Composite leather is used for indoor and outdoor basketball to play on both courts.
While Outdoor basketball is manufactured from either composite or rubber material. This material makes it quite hard to deal with the harsh and rough surfaces of outdoor courts. Outdoor courts and streets are built with concrete, hence the ball should be hard and durable. These balls feel hard because of its strong cover that shows their longevity.
Durability
Basketball indoors and outdoors both are durable if they are used in their places. Because they are designed according to their courts. Indoor courts are made of hardwood while outdoor courts are made of concrete material. You can’t use the indoor basketball on the outdoor courts or streets. If you use indoor basketball on the outdoor court it will not last long, there is a fear of ball splitting and cracking because indoor basketballs are soft and made of leather and designed to be used on indoor courts.
But if you use outdoor basketball on the indoor court, you don’t need to worry about ball cracking because it is built hard and tough to withstand the rough surface of outdoor courts.
Outdoor basketballs are more durable than indoor basketball because of their hard outer covering which protects them from the harsh concrete material of outdoor courts or streets.
Indoor basketballs are less durable because of their leather material. They can’t bear the harsh surface of the outdoor court.
Performance and Grip
Because of the leather material, indoor basketballs can be gripped easily. These balls contain small pebbles on the outer surface which keep your palm away from sweating during shooting and provide a good grip. Due to this reason, indoor basketball is better than outdoor basketball.
While Outdoor basketballs are hard, contain large pebbles on the outer surface, and focus less on feel and grip. That’s why they don’t perform well as indoor basketballs do.
Feel
The feel of the ball should be soft, sticky, and suitable for the game. The feel of Indoor basketball is soft and comfortable to grip because of leather while outdoor basketball is hard due to its composite or rubber material.
Price Range
The material used in making balls is responsible for their prices. Indoor basketballs are comparatively more expensive than outdoor basketballs due to their material. Leather is more costly than rubber or composite material that’s why indoor basketball is more expensive than the other one.
A good quality indoor basketball costs $100 or more than it. While you can get a good quality outdoor basketball from $30 to $50. The quality of the ball also depends on the price. The more you spend the money, the better the quality of the ball will be.
What Is The Best Outdoor & Indoor Basketball Brands?
Spalding is considered to be the best basketball brand and it is one of the most popular basketball brands. It serves NBA games by providing its well-performed basketballs. There are also other best basketball brands:
Wilson
Nike
Molten
Mikasa
Basketball Brand For Indoor Games
There are best basketball brands for indoor games are:
Spalding precision indoor Basketball.
Wilson Evolution Game Basketball.
Molten X-Series GG7X Indoor Basketball
The Nike Elite Tournament Basketball
Basketball Brand For Outdoor Games
There are best outdoor basketball brands for games are:
Spalding NBA Zio indoor outdoor basketball
Nike Elite All-Court Outdoor Basketball
Wilson NCAA USA Replica Game Basketball
FAQS
1. How do you know if a basketball is indoor or outdoor?
To distinguish the balls, the main element to notice is the material. Indoor basketball is usually manufactured by using full-grain leather. So it feels soft and tacky. On the other hand, Outdoor basketball feels hard because of the rubber material.
2. Which one is more durable Indoor or outdoor basketball?
Indoor basketballs are less durable because their outer covering is soft so it can’t bear the harshness and roughness of outdoor courts or streets.
3. Which one is best for professional basketball games indoor or outdoor basketball?
Indoor basketballs are usually used for professional games because of their good grip and feel.
5. Which basketball brand is best to purchase balls from?
There are a few well-known basketball brands such as Wilson Evolution, Spalding Precision, Wilson NBA Authentic, Molten X-Series GG7X, etc.
6. What happens if you use indoor basketball on outdoor basketball?
Due to its soft material, indoor basketballs don’t last longer they will be cracked and split because outdoor courts are quite hard and harsh for indoor basketballs.
7. Which things should notice before purchasing the basketballs?
There are a few factors that should be noticed before purchasing a basketball like its material, durability, performance, feel, and grip.
8. How long does an outdoor basketball last?
Due to its hard surface, it can maintain its durability for three to six months. Harder models can last longer up to a year or more.