Lacrosse is one of the most active field sports today. One of the hardest parts about getting good at lacrosse is learning how precisely place your shots on goal past the goalie. The easiest way to get better at shooting, like with anything, is with practice. You can can practice basic cradling and passing drills, but without a lacrosse goal it’s hard to effectively improve your shooting skills.
Top Lacrosse Goals Comparison Chart
The problem when setting up a goal in your backyard is that you have to be able to do a few things on your own:
1. Set-up the Goal
2. Tear Down the Goal
3. Store the Goal
All of this can seem a little tedious, especially if you’re just looking for some backyard practice. So we’ve done some research to see what the best portable lacrosse goals are for this year.
Portable Lacrosse Goal Buying Guide
If you’ve never bought your own lacrosse goal purchasing one can seem a bit intimidating. There are a lot of different parts that go into the goal, and individually considering each of the parts can seem overwhelming. We’ve picked the major features that you need to consider when you’re purchasing a Lacrosse goal for your team or just backyard practice.
Netting Quality
Not all nets are created equal. This is especially true of lacrosse netting. Some of the netting on the lacrosse goals will fray easily or simply won’t attach easily to the frame. While other nets for lacrosse goals will only work for younger players. The netting simply won’t hold up to a forceful shot given by a high schooler or experienced player.
When you are looking at purchasing your own lacrosse goal you want to consider the material that the netting is made out of, as well as the thickness of the netting. Sometimes no matter the thickness of the netting it will still break because of the material. Some materials will hold up even though they are a bit thinner simply because they are better quality material.
Frame Quality and Design
The next thing that you need to consider when buying your own goals is the quality of the frame and what you need in that frame.
• Portability
• Easy Storage
• Permanent Set-up
• Easy Teardown
• Lightweight
These are all elements that you need to consider when purchasing your lacrosse goal. If your main need is portability, then you probably don’t need a solid steel frame non-collapsible lacrosse goal. You are not going to be able to move it anywhere, and it will be too heavy and too cumbersome to tear down and set up.
At the same time if you are teaching a younger team and you want them to be able to set up the field you may want a lightweight frame so that they can move the lacrosse goals around. Teaching the younger team to set up and tear down the field may be a more important objective than having a rugged lacrosse goal that won’t ever fall down.
When looking at the frame quality and design the most important thing to consider is what you will be using your lacrosse goal for and how often you will be moving your lacrosse goal.
Assembly
Granted every lacrosse goal is going to come in a box and you will have to set it up. Some lacrosse goals come in a snap-on design, others come meeting nuts and bolts, even still there are push-pin design assembly lacrosse goals. Each of these types of assembly is going to have a different function. If you know you’re going to be tearing down and moving your lacrosse goal frequently you might want to consider a snap-on design rather than a nut and bolt assembly process.
Some other things to consider when assembling your lacrosse goal.
Zip Ties
Most lacrosse goals come with ropes to tie the netting to the frame however this is time-consuming and can be very frustrating. What many experienced lacrosse players have done is simply used zip ties to connect the net to the frame. If you are using zip ties, you want to make sure that the frame is collapsible or when it is stored the net does not need to come off.
Bungie Cords
Bungee cords are another method for attaching the net to the frame. Typically the small bungee cords are going to be quick to assemble and disassemble. They should be considered if you need to take off the netting to move or store your lacrosse goal. If the net can remain attached during movement and storage than the zip ties or original ropes included should be fine.
Best Lacrosse Goal Reviews
Now it’s time to take a look at all of this year’s top-of-the-line lacrosse goals and see which ones are best. Some may work better under certain circumstances or for certain groups than others. Here were going to break down which goals are going to work best under which circumstances.
1. Bownet Portable Offical Size Goal
The Bownet lacrosse goal has a very easy set-up. The set up is designed to take 80 seconds according to the manufacturer. Most people found it took about five minutes the first time and about two minutes once they got the hang of it. Still, the setup time on this lacrosse goal is pretty outstanding.
The lacrosse goal is collapsible and it comes with the roller bag which makes it portable even for smaller people. The roller bag is made out of nylon and is designed for storage as well as transportation. The nice thing about this lacrosse goal is that it is designed with rubber feet so it can be used inside as well as outside, a feature that no other lacrosse goals had.
The frame poles are made out of steel giving it a sturdy feel even against tough shots. The net is durable and is designed to stand up to even in high school usage. It can withstand heavy shots to the netting. Despite the lack of a top bar, the lacrosse goal is still very stable. The netting is very durable and designed to withstand heavy shots because it uses energy absorption system to diffuse the ball energy.
Pros
- Easy Set Up
- Comes With Roller Bag
- Collapsible
Cons
- No Top Bar
This lacrosse goal is designed to be more of a permanent feature than a movable goal. It is full regulation size 6 feet high by 6 feet wide by 7 feet deep and it has the 1 ½ inch steel tubing rods. This is one sturdy net and you won’t complain because of its flimsiness or cheap feel. Although the setup time was not that long, because of its toughness and weight, this is not goal you want to move around a lot or collapse and re-set every day. It weighs 70 pounds assembled.
The tubing is 13-gauge orange powder-coated steel and the net is 4mm knotless nylon with a back pocket for a snug fit. The whole package comes with light weight ground anchors as well.
Pros
- High-Quality Frame
- Easy to Assemble
- High-Quality Netting
- Heavy weight – which is great while playing
Cons
• Heavy weight – which is not great for moving
• Storage May Be an Issue
The key to this net is to manage your expectations. It’s a good net for kids, but not so great for adults. The lower you keep the ball, the better (as you might expect). The reviews on this unit are mixed, but the majority of owners made it clear that is was a “good net for the money”. That usually means it’s not perfect, and some owners complained that it “broke” within a day or two, but that was using official full sized balls and an adult doing the throws.
It looks like this net is near perfect for those aged 6-12 for backyard practice, so anything use outside of this zone might result in disappointment.
It’s easy to set up and it sports a pro-ABS construction style that should last long if used with practice balls by a youth.
Pros
- Good Price Point
- Good looks
- Good value for younger players
Cons
- Not suitable for adult use
- Small
4. EZGoal Lacrosse Folding Goal with Backstop and Targets
This lacrosse goal comes with so many features that it seemed a little too good to be true. There is a backstop and to removable wings that are included with the EZGoal lacrosse goal. The wings and backstop are removable or foldable so you can get a wide variety of training options depending on what skills refocusing on.
The net has four corner pockets that are designed to catch and hold the lacrosse balls four corner shop training. This would be really good if the net was higher-quality. Unfortunately, the net gets holes when older lacrosse players shoot it. The netting would be good for younger lacrosse players just learning how to make shots but if you plan on using this set up for those who can take strong shots you will end up replacing the net.
The assembly is designed to be a no tool assembly and it’s supposed to fold and transport easily. While it does fold and transport easily and there is no tool set up the assembly was not as easy as the box claimed. The snap-together design is not the most difficult part of the assembly but rather leasing the netting to the frame is where people encounter the difficulty. Making set up easier on yourself can be done with either zip ties or bungee cords. Neither of which are included in the box.
Pros
• Corner Pockets
• Removable Backstop
• No tool set up
Cons
• Netting May Rip
• Difficult Assembly
5. Brine Backyard Lacrosse Goal
Brine is, of course, a name synonymous with Lacrosse so we’d expect a decent product. That’s exactly what we get – a decent product! It made our list because it has a very adequate level of quality and we love the name. It is official size (6′ x 6′ x7′) but the 2.5mm netting is not the best on the market (triple-stitched bound 2.5 mm high extension polyester net) and the red color means it can’t be used in official NCAA games that require an orange paint.
That said, it’s an overall sturdy goal that is meant to be more-or-less permanent or at least moveable in one piece in the back of a pickup truck rather than being disassembled.
Pros
- Iconic name brand
- Sturdy frame
- Light weight when needs to be moved but heavy weight enough for serious play or practice
Cons
• Slightly lower quality netting than other brands (thinner)
The lacrosse goal will tilt, fold up, and do all sorts of fancy things. Unfortunately, one of the things it doesn’t do is stand up to a well-thrown lacrosse shot. The frame and netting were said to withstand 90 mile-per-hour shots by it did not stand up to some of the more skilled shots that were made.
Overall because of the fold of design, this has great storage abilities so if you’re not a year-round lacrosse player or you prefer to store when not in use this would be a great lacrosse school for you to purchase.
Pros
• Regulation Size
• Tilting System
• Folding Storage
Cons
• Setting up Rebounder is HARD
• Weak net
This lacrosse goal features corner pockets for training corner shots. The netting on the goal can’t hold up to the higher mile-per-hour shots. So it is better suited for younger players and those just learning how to play lacrosse. Because of the corner pockets being so open and easily seen it is great for beginners.
The nice thing about the pop-up design of this Champion lacrosse school is that the younger players can set it up and take it down all by themselves. There is no need to have the coach or mom and dad come out to set up the goal every time it needs to be used. It really is ideal for teaching younger children.
Pros
• Corner Pockets
• Easy Storage
• Easy Set up
Cons
• Not Good for Older Players
• Weak Netting
8. Gladiator Official Lacrosse Goal Net, Orange, 100% Steel Frame, 6 x 6-Foot
Pros
• Weighs Only 30-lbs.
• Easy Assembly
• Snap Together Design
Cons
• Netting Frays easily
• Not for Older Kids
9. Rukket Rip It! Portable Lacrosse Goal
The Rukket Rip It is a collapsible and lightweight lacrosse goal. It is a snap-on design so you don’t need any tools to set up and the assembly was easy and took little time. The frame is designed to be collapsible, but don’t let that full you. It still won’t fit into a car. The collapsibility is primarily for storage in a garage or equipment field and not for portability.
The netting on the Rukket is 3 mm braided polyester, and its leasing has cord snaps the corded snaps used attach the net to the frame were a little short, so, the zip ties or bungee cords may be necessary when setting up. Also, then netting is a little flimsy and may not hold up to the higher mile-per-hour shots.
Pros
• Folds Up
• Easy Assembly
• Lightweight
Cons
• No Case
• Won’t Fit in the Car
10. Crown Sporting Goods Lacrosse Goal
The Crown Sporting Goods Lacrosse Goal is designed at regulation size with a sturdy steel frame. The frame is one and a half inch diameter powder coated’s deal with a push pin set up for easy assembly. The assembly was truly easy and did not take any time.
Both the netting and the frame are heavy-duty and can hold up to shots from kids of all ages the only problem with the netting is that it may start to fray. So while your shots may not break, the net the net may fray on its own.
This is a good lacrosse goal for a backyard goal or field goal and since it can be used by all ages it is very convenient for coaches to teach multiple age groups.
Pros
• Regulation Size
• Push Pin Design
• All Ages
Cons
• Netting may fray
Which Goal For Me?
Choosing the lacrosse goal is ultimately going to come down to budget, space, and portability. The best lacrosse goal that we reviewed is going to be the Bownet portable goal. This lacrosse goal had everything that you could want.
• portable
• easy to assemble
• use it indoor and outdoor
• lightweight
While the design is a little different than what you see in a traditional lacrosse goal the Bownet still gives you everything that you need for a solid lacrosse game or shooting drills practice session.
If you are looking for a stay on the field goal that is going to take a good beating, meets the official dimensions, and doesn’t need to be moved then your best bet is going to be the SSG lacrosse goal. This lacrosse goal had high-quality netting, a solid frame, and it is definitely going to stand up to the test of time. If your coach or family that loves lacrosse and you don’t need to take your lacrosse goal down then this is going to be perfect for you.
Between these two lacrosse goals, you really have it all you can have the portable lacrosse goal or the sturdy stay in one place goal. But all of the goals reviewed here performed very well. Some of the nets needed a little work but they may be designed for younger lacrosse players and not designed to stand up to a hundred mile-per-hour shots. Choose the lacrosse goal that’s going to meet all of your needs and hit the lacrosse field knowing that you’re going to have a great game because you have a great lacrosse goal.
