More than you ever wanted to know...but worth the read!
Nylon is certainly stronger...and more expensive than Poly.
Net strength is measured as tensile strength. Tensile strength is the measure of 1 single strand of material that is stretched vertically and then measured digitally to the point that the strand snaps.
So, for example, if you are considering purchasing one of our #36 heavier duty nets, one single strand of this material will break when 320 lbs of resistance is applied to it...as opposed to our standard #21 net which will break when 220 lbs of resistance is applied.
How does this affect you? The heavier the net, the more useful years you may get from your batting cage (and this will vary by amount of use, climate and whether you take your net during an off season...especially you live in a colder northern climate.
Longest Lasting...more money – for pro quality!
Poly Nets are actually a plastic that is melted and then extruded into strands.
Those strands are then twisted, braided and or knotted into many uses including netting for many industries from sporting uses like volleyball, tennis, golf...plus baseball and softball of course...to uses in the fishing industry. Because it starts being formed as a liquid, it is easy to add color (black in most cases) as well as UV protection material...so each strand always stays black without fading AND the UV protection really lasts...giving you many seasons of use!
Being that it is a plastic, it will not absorb water or add unwanted weight to your cage frame.
It also weighs less than Nylon and may last longer in areas of real temperature swings and of course, in rainy parts of the country!
The downside of Poly is that it is a bit stiff and is not as easy to repair as nylon.
Best Price...for a very good material
For Backyard Use - I say that you should buy the best that your budget will allow...considering the features and benefits of either material...both have plenty of good reasons to own them. I don't believe that a player will become a much better hitter considering how long his cage is...but I do know that if it is not useable due to holes in the material... the player cannot use it and ultimately suffers the loss.
So, when in doubt... a shorter cage with a heavier net is definitely the way to go!
For Indoor Training Facilities - Nylon is the #1 choice for heaviest use facilities but we have had terrific response to heavier weighted poly nets.
For Team Use - Again, nylon may be the 1st choice, but a poly #36 net is a great alternative, especially where budget, heavy sun area or wet climates are concerned
The above is a guide of facts and figures and is meant as only a guide. Whichever net you purchase from Baseball Tips or Softball Tips, you will get a great deal of quality for your money. Much of these products are produced overseas and frankly not all retailers of these products are as honest with their specifications as I would hope. I can only speak for our nets and believe in the manufacturing and quality of our offerings!
You are not going to have the ability to test for high tensile strength nor is there any other universal method of comparing apples to apples... all other numbers and letters or names implying strength and longer-lasting materials are really just marketing terms that various companies use to market themselves… total confusion to the shopper!
The higher the number, the stronger & heavier the net… the heavier the net, the longer it should last!
Purchase up to your budget from people who handle a lot of net...when in doubt, purchase a heavier net with a shorter cage...then get out and hit!
Ask your questions prior to purchasing if you are still uncomfortable.
Call us toll free anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM Eeaster Time at 800 487 7432.
Remember, you don’t want to buy this stuff twice!
I hope we can earn your business!
--JP
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