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To start training my kids pickleball, I realized that I needed a good pickleball hopper to play more balls faster. I have a hopper in my Erne pickleball machine, but it’s hard to move around effectively on the court, and the hopper is really just built for the balls to fire out.
Here’s what’s most important to find the best pickleball hopper, and then I’ll share the best one I found.
Top Pickleball Hopper Qualities
1. Durable construction
Firstly, you want a ball hopper that is going to last. So, I want a ball hopper that is heavier, not lighter. There are many Amazon pickleball hoppers, and here are the ranges of weights.
- 3.45 Kilograms
- 4.2 Kilograms
- 6.5 Kilograms
Here’s the picture of the option that I opted for:
Yes, it’s absolutely the 6.5 kilogram option, and I am so thankful that I did. The ball hopper is very sturdy, and you can tell that this will last from when my kids are 6 years old to 18 years old.
You can feel the construction in the wheels, the bag, and the sides that all make it work.
2. Easy Setup/Take Down
Next, you want something that is easy to setup and take down. When you’re on the courts, you don’t want some 10 step process that is going to take you 10 minutes to setup.
That means you have limited number of pieces in the box.
Just for reference, the I chose a pickleball hopper that took 1 minute and 52 seconds that I timed, and that was on my first time. I estimate that it could take me less going forward.
3. Ball Capacity
Finally, my Erne holds 150 pickleball balls, so I wanted a hopper that could hold at least 100 balls. Also, you should certainly check and find the best and most affordable outdoor balls when you’re purchasing in bulk.
I saw pickleball ball hoppers ranging from 20 balls to 170 balls, but I didn’t want something too bulky, so I opted for the option that could hold 120 balls.
That was more than enough for me, so let’s chat about the best overall pickleball hopper.
Best Overall Pickleball Hopper
The A11n Pickleball Hopper is the best overall pickleball hopper in my opinion. Firstly, the package only had a few parts when you open it, so I knew right away that setup and take down was going to be easy.
Secondly, at 6.5 kilograms, the a11n pickleball hopper is very sturdy and the wheels look very good. You also get the option to setup to look the wheels in place, which is crucial if you have kids and they like to move things around.
Finally, you would be extremely surprised that the A11n pickleball hopper is amazing, but also quite economical compared to other options.
For example, the official Franklin ball hopper weight 5.15 kilograms, and was almost $40 more than the A11n pickleball hopper, which may be why it has a 4.2 rating vs the 4.6 rating of the A11n pickleball hopper that you can often find under $100.
That’s a huge value.
Should You Purchase A Pickleball Hopper?
A pickleball hopper is essential if you are drilling or training someone. You can play many more balls in much less time, making your overall training time so much more efficient.
When you look for a pickleball hopper, look for a hopper that is durable, has easy setup and take down, and has a great ball capacity.
The A11n pickleball hopper met each of those criteria with flying colors, and plus, as you can see below, it’s kid approved.
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