Court tiles vs concrete, acrylic & turf

There are four realistic ways to surface a backyard court. We sell one of them, but you'll make a better decision (and trust the answer more) if we lay out all four honestly.

Bare concrete

The cheapest playable option — if you already have a slab, it costs nothing. The trade-offs are real though: it's hard on knees and ankles over long sessions, slippery the moment it's wet, hot in summer, and any crack or repair patch becomes part of the court. Painted lines wear and need redoing. For a casual shoot-around it's fine; for daily play it punishes joints.

Acrylic coating systems

The surface used on many tournament courts — and on a perfect, purpose-built slab it plays beautifully. The honest catch list: it needs a near-perfect new slab (acrylic telegraphs every flaw), professional installation, and it's a coating — when the slab moves or cracks, the surface cracks with it, and resurfacing every several years is part of the deal. It's also permanent: pick wrong and you're recoating, not unclipping.

Synthetic turf

Soft underfoot and great for kids' play areas or putting greens. But ball response is the problem for court sports — bounce is slow and inconsistent, which rules it out for basketball and serious pickleball. Sand infill also migrates and needs topping up.

Interlocking court tiles

• ✓Cushioned, consistent bounce — 93% ball rebound with impact absorption concrete can't offer
• ✓Free-draining — playable minutes after rain instead of squeegeeing a flooded slab
• ✓DIY install in a weekend on an existing slab or driveway — no trades, no curing
• ✓Repairable tile-by-tile — damage means one tile pops out, not a resurfacing quote
• ✓Line markings made into the tile at the factory — never repainted
• ✓Unclips if you move or re-design — the court isn't married to the slab