The 6 Best Tennis Ball Hoppers : Portable & Lightweight

tennis ball

Tennis ball hoppers are definitely essential to those playing a lot of tennis.

The hopper features an extremely basic design and it uses basic physics to help you pick up the balls on the court much faster and get ready for that next practice session or even to reload a tennis ball machine much faster.

Many people, especially the beginners, are not yet familiar with the hopper and they still use the old-fashioned method of simply walking around and manually picking up every ball.

But, this could actually impact your performance when practicing.

All of that bending over and picking up will eventually lead to some fatigue that will start setting in and this will definitely cause you to tire much faster and eventually, you will stop practicing to take a break.

We have decided to look at the best tennis ball hoppers and help you to find the most efficient as well as the most affordable hoppers to make your cleaning up process go that much faster.

We have also included a good buying guide that will show you some of the basics and allow you to get the best possible value for your money.

These things might not be that expensive, but in today’s struggling economy, no one wants to waste money on a worthless or useless product.


Key Features to Consider 

As with all things, you will need to know which features are the most important and which of these features will give you the most benefits when selecting a decent hopper.

The features we have selected here have been selected for you to get the most value out of your hopper and to ensure that you do not get fooled into buying something that will not make life easier.

Size

The size of the hopper is really important and the bigger the hopper is, the more balls you will be able to pick up with it.

Tennis ball hoppers also have a multi-functional purpose and they are not only ideal for picking up balls, but they also give you some decent storage space.

If the size and capacity of your hopper are large, you will be able to pick up more balls and also store multiple tennis balls without having to worry that they might get lost.

Usability

How is the tennis ball hopper used is also a really important question that you should ask yourself.

If the hopper is designed for you to pick up all of those balls, you should be able to do it easily and having wheels to push the hopper around will also help reduce the strain from carrying it as it gets heavier.

You will also be able to find extremely light hoppers that can be easily carried and since those balls are not really heavy, you will not be tiring yourself out during practice or drills.

Handling

Many of the top tennis ball hoppers will come with the handles in an adjustable form. This adjustability will allow you to not have to bend over and put the strain on your back every time you have to pick up the balls.

If the hopper is too short, you might need to bend over a lot and this will almost be the same as picking up all of the balls manually.

Durability

Since the tennis balls will basically be squeezing through the design to get on the inside, you should keep durability in mind.

As the metal or materials are squeezed, they will become weaker over time and they will eventually just snap.

While hoppers are not expensive, they will still need to be durable to give you long-term use and give you the best value for your money.

Assembly Process

Some hoppers do require you to self-assemble the hopper once you have purchased it. The screws and some of the tools are generally included, but if you do not know how to assemble it, you will need to find someone who does.

Luckily, there are also a few hoppers that do not have to be assembled and if they do, the instructions are generally clear and concise.

Stand Stability

Finally, you should look at the stand and especially the stability of the stand. It will not be of any use if the hopper consistently falls over when you are done picking up the balls.

Luckily most of the top tennis ball hoppers can be adjusted and they will allow you to easily and sufficiently pick up these tennis balls without any problems.

These five features are the general baseline of what you should be looking for when looking for a tennis ball hopper.

If you want to ensure that your hopper is functional, we would like to suggest that you cross-reference the entire hopper with this criterion.

This is also the criterion that we have used to judge the tennis ball hoppers on our list and ensure that you do get the best value for your money.

Benefits

We could not find any possible real cons of the tennis ball hopper, so we decided that we should educate you on some of the benefits.

The tennis ball hopper will make life so much easier for you and you will basically be able to get all of these benefits of the hopper at a really affordable price.

  • Fast and efficient cleaning up: The tennis ball hopper will allow you to quickly pick up all of the tennis balls and this will certainly make life so much easier for you. Once your machine is empty, you will be able to quickly reload and be ready to continue practicing to improve yourself.
  • Additional and secure storage: Tennis balls usually get lost when they are lying around and this is something that every tennis ball player hates. The hopper will not only allow you to quickly and efficiently pick up the tennis balls, but it will also enable you to store all of your tennis balls securely and carry them to your car.
  • No more extra fatigue when picking up the balls: Bending over and manually picking up each and every ball is not only a strenuous activity when you think about it, it is also really painful and fatiguing. With the hopper, you will reduce this added fatigue and nothing will bring you down or cause you to have problems when you are practicing for an important tournament.

These are only the top 3 benefits, but there are still many others that will make life so much easier for you. The tennis ball hopper does not have any real downsides and we do consider it to be a great investment if you are serious about tennis.


Tennis Ball Hopper Reviews


 

1.   Wilson 75 Tennis Ball Pick Up Hopper

 

Wilson 75 Tennis Ball Pick Up Hopper

The Wilson 75 Tennis Ball Pick Up hopper is one of the most used tennis ball hoppers by professional players and coaches alike.

This portable basket is designed from durable, but lightweight graphite and will be very easy to carry when you are looking to move your balls to the court, or if you want to pick up all of the tennis balls you have practiced with.

The hopper can carry around 75 tennis balls and this will be enough to fill most of the basic tennis ball machines.

It can also easily set up into a lofted stand that will allow you to easily take the tennis balls from the basket and start practicing your shots.

Unfortunately, the basket must be assembled, but can also be disassembled if you are looking to save some space. Doing this is actually quite easy and the instructions are very clear.

Finally, this tennis ball hopper is really affordable and will be a great addition to your current tennis equipment.

The durability on this hopper is really good and if you are looking to get some great value for your money, you should really consider up this hopper. The brand is also really reputable and it is used by top tennis players as well.

Pros:

  • Durable and lightweight
  • Easy to use assembly instructions
  • Carries around 75 tennis balls
  • Really cheap

Cons:

  • Female players might still find it a little too heavy

 

AMAZON'S DEAL

 


 

2.   Tourna Pete Sampras Ballport

 

Tourna Ballport Tennis Ball Hopper Holds 80 Balls Durable and Lightweight – Black

 

Featuring a unique design, the Tourna Pete Sampras Ball port is one of the best-rated tennis ball hoppers on the market today.

The hopper was inspired by tennis pro Pete Sampras and he also gave a lot of input when it came to the overall design of the hopper.

The hopper is actually very durable and it has been made from heavy-duty polypropylene, but this does make it a little heavier to carry around.

One of the main features of this hopper is the overall durability and with no wires that can rust, you will certainly be using it for a long time. The handle can slide to adjust for height and these have all been patented.

After picking up the balls, you will also be able to lock the sliding mechanism and this will ensure that the tennis balls are never able to simply slip out.

This hopper can take about 80 tennis balls and this will be a decent amount to go practice with. The assembly part is also really easy and you can self-assemble this hopper in a matter of minutes.

If you need to get the balls, you can simply unlock the dispenser and they will come out one at a time to ensure that you do not have to go pick them up before practice.

The price on this hopper is a little expensive, but you will certainly be getting great value for your money.

The hopper is really durable and functional and you will be able to use is in almost any condition due to the fact that the wires will not easily rust. The hopper might just be a little too heavy to carry for the female players.

Pros:

  • Extremely durable
  • Very easy to assemble
  • Many patented features
  • Endorsed by a real tennis legend

Cons:

  • Quite expensive for a hopper
  • A little too heavy

AMAZON'S DEAL

 


 

3.   Gamma Sports Tennis Ballhoppers

 

Gamma Sports Ballhopper Premium Pro 75 HiRise Gold Tennis Ball Pickup – Professional & Heavy Duty Floating Wire Design, Weather-resistant Durable Coating, Hinged Lid to Prevent Spilling, Convenient Handles, Holds 75 Balls

 

The Gamma Sports Tennis Ballhoppers are actually more of a series than a single tennis ball hopper. These hoppers will come in various sizes and they have been constructed from extremely durable metals.

The metal has also been covered with a gold layer and this gold layer will be ideal for those looking to practice in the wet weather or of you accidentally do forget your hopper in the rain.

The hoppers will vary in sizes and they will also vary in price with the largest one being capable of storing up to 140 tennis balls.

This will be enough tennis balls for you to fill the entire tennis ball machine if you would buy a very large and more intricate machine.

The assembly of these hoppers is really easy and with the great instructions, you should not have any troubles when it comes to setting up the hopper as a storage basket.

The one thing we really love about the Gamma range is the fact that all of their hoppers are backed by a 100% money back guarantee if you are not happy or if the hopper does fail on you.

The hoppers also range in weight, but the smallest ones are really lightweight and they will be easy to be easy for even the smallest and weakest of women to carry.

The prices on these hoppers also vary depending on the size, but the general trend is that they are quite expensive and you definitely have to pay to have this quality, especially if you are looking for the larger hoppers.

We highly recommend these hoppers to those players who are really serious about tennis and love to play a lot.

Pros:

  • Great durability
  • Lightweight design
  • Good warranty included
  • Very easy to use and set up

Cons:

  • They are a little expensive

AMAZON'S DEAL

 


 

4.   Tourna Ballport Deluxe Cart with Wheels

 

Tourna Ballport Deluxe Tennis Ball Hopper with Wheels - Holds 80 Balls, Black

 

The Tourna Ballport Deluxe Cart with wheels is one of the tennis ball hoppers that will be ideal for those lazier individuals.

This hopper is really similar to the Pete Sampras version, but we think it will be a little easier to use by most individuals.

The hopper is also constructed of durable polypropylene and it does not include any wires that can lead to potential rusting and damaging of the hopper.

The main selling point on this hopper is the fact that it has wheels that are included and these wheels will make the pickup process that much easier.

The hopper can hold up to 80 tennis balls of regular size and it is really easy to turn and maneuver to where you want to go.

The handles are also patented and they will lock in the up and down position to make the moving process more efficient.

One of the main things that we do like is the fact that you can choose to lock the entire mechanism and this will be great for those who are afraid of losing any tennis balls.

The entire cart is lightweight, but it is a little bit low down and you will need to bend over to get the balls.

This cart hopper is actually quite expensive, but we do recommend it and it will be especially efficient for women.

The hopper is really easy to use and you will be able to easily maneuver it and pick up all of the tennis balls that you have practiced with.

The main thing about these Tourna products is the great durability and the fact that they are impervious to the elements.

Pros:

  • Extremely durable
  • No assembly required
  • Great for women
  • Easy to maneuver

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Low down design

AMAZON'S DEAL

 


 

5.   HEAD 72 Pro Ball Basket

 

HEAD 72 Pro Tennis Ball Hopper - Lightweight Portable Pick Up Basket Holds 72 Balls

 

HEAD is another top brand that you should be looking at if you are interested in tennis equipment and the Head 72 Pro Ball Basket is the hopper that they have introduced to make life easier for you.

This hopper or basket is designed from basic metal materials and it includes a standard coating that will prevent any rust from setting in and damaging the overall basket.

This hopper can hold up to 72 tennis balls and this will be great for those who are planning to play with few balls. The hopper can also easily be lowered down to pick up the balls and then be set up as a stand again.

The only real problem we have found is the fact that the stand is not very stable and the handles cannot be adjusted when you are going to pick up those tennis balls.

We highly recommend this hopper for the low price tag, but it does lack a little when it comes to durability and this might be offsetting to a few players.

The hopper is not that heavy, but it might become too heavy for the smaller female players. If you are looking for a quick-buy tennis ball hopper, this hopper should be the ideal hopper for you.

Pros:

  • Simplistic design
  • No assembly required
  • Reasonably priced

Cons:

  • Not that durable
  • Only hold 72 balls

AMAZON'S DEAL

 


 

6.   Hoparazzi Pro Elite 125 Tennis Ball Basket

 

HOPARAZZI Elite 65 Tennis Ball Basket, Cobalt Blue

Last but certainly not least, we have the HOPARAZZI Pro Elite 125 Tennis ball basket and this hopper/basket is designed with great attention to detail.

The hopper is really durable and with the colored coating that can choose from, you will be able to leave the hopper in the weather and it will be impervious to the elements.

This hopper can pick up and store around 125 regular sized tennis balls and it includes small wheels that will make it easier for you to move around the court with when you are busy picking up those tennis balls.

There is a basic assembly process when it comes to setting up the hopper, but you can rest at ease and know that you will not need any advanced skills or tools to do this.

The one downside we did find with this hopper was the durability of the wheels as well as the ability to freely maneuver it around.

Since the wheels are straight, it can be frustrating if you are trying to turn and sometimes it might simply be easier to carry it.

This is really frustrating, but of you can deal with this, it should be the ideal hopper for a female player who is not that strong.

We highly recommend this hopper for the durability of the hopper itself and the amount of storage space it offers.

The hopper is quite expensive, but you will not have any additional costs, except if you are looking to change the wheels and make them better.

Pros:

  • Decent durability
  • Easy to adjust
  • No assembly required
  • Stores 125 balls

Cons:

  • Quite expensive
  • Lacks good maneuverability and wheel durability

AMAZON'S DEAL

 


Final Thoughts & Conclusion

We would like to thank you for reading this article and we certainly do hope that you have managed to find the ideal hopper that suits your needs and price tag.

We would like to highly recommend both the Tourna hoppers for their durability and functionality. These 32 hoppers have both been inspired by Pete Sampras and will be great for you to practice with.

Please share your thoughts on our selection in the comment section below and also be sure to let us know if you think we might have missed any of your favorite hoppers.

We are always willing to do some additional research and provide you with even better products.

 

 

Pete

My name's Pete Stec and I'm one of the owners here at SportConsumer.com and Sport Consumer Family (YouTube). My family and I invite you to travel our journey of wellness for your kids and family through nutrition and exercise while we continue to provide the very best reviews on the sports gear you need for serious competition or for your leisure activity!

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