Best Basketball Mouthguards
Best mouthguards for basketball in 2023
When it comes to basketball, the use of mouthguards has flown under the radar for quite some time. Being technically classified as a "non-contact sport", athletes are not required to wear a mouthguard in basketball.
However, research in recent years has revealed that basketball players are at a very high risk of dental injuries. In fact, a USC study has proven that basketball players have a 10% higher risk of sustaining a dental injury when in season and are five times more likely than football players to suffer a dental injury in a game.
The question has for a long time remained: Do basketball players need to wear a mouthpiece?
The answer is inevitably: Yes.
In basketball, dental injuries are easily preventable! By using a mouthguard, you will be able to protect your teeth from the impact of elbows, hands and other court related objects. There is a scientifically backed reason why more and more NBA players wear mouthguards these days — they work!
The best basketball mouthguard will provide the athlete with as much protection as he can afford without negatively affecting the natural ability to speak, breath and move on the court.
So, the best sports mouthguard for basketball players has to be light and unrestrictive when inserted in the mouth.
To find the top pick and to ensure our results were as reliable as possible, we chose 20 players and tested 10 different mouthguards across multiple brands for almost 20 hours’ worth of court time.
At the end of the testing phase, we asked the athletes to review and rank the mouthguards from best to worst and the results were very conclusive.
From the 10 tested mouthguards over the 20 hours of data collection, the top 3 basketball mouthguards were ranked as followed:
Let’s take a look at our favorite picks on the market and what makes them better than the rest!
BASKETBALL MOUTHGUARD - ATHLETES CHOICE
Topping our ranks is the ZERO™ mouth guard, the thinnest mouthguard on the market. The Zero mouthguard is lightweight, and amazing to wear. Its ultra-thin design makes it hardly noticeable when in the mouth and is the perfect choice for athletes that dislike the feel of bulky mouthguards.
The low-profile design also makes breathing and speaking with team mates extremely easy while wearing it.
With an increasingly good reputation amongst beginner and professional athletes, this mouthguard has been demonstrating it can withstand impact at all levels of the game. What makes this guard so impressive is the craftsmanship involved in the designing of the mouthguard.
The Nxtrnd ZERO™ is a high quality guards designed to provide enhanced protection and performance. At Nxtrnd, we focus on producing thin, durable and easy to mold guards that could easily be mistaken for a $300 custom fit mouth guard made by a dentist.
The ZERO™ only drew positive reviews and feedback including comments such as "Super easy to form and won’t come out of your mouth, it's also super durable and feels thicker than it looks when you use it." A point guard commented, "Best fitting mouth guard I have ever had. Doesn’t feel bulky like most mouth guards and I sound pretty much normal talking."
To summarize, the Nxtrnd ZERO™ was the highest scoring mouthguard in all criteria we tested. Ranging from protection to comfort and price, all players that carried out the 20 hours of testing concluded that the ZERO was the mouth guard that delivered the most performance and durability while remaining very affordable.
BASKETBALL MOUTHGUARD - 2ND BEST
Popularized by an athlete who is possibly the most well-known current NBA player, Stephen Curry can almost always be seen chewing a clear mouth guard during his training and game appearances.
Having gained enormous attention over recent years amongst high school, college, and NBA players alike. The Nxtrnd brand is known for high quality sports mouthguards and the Classic mouthguard is another great model to the lineup.
The Nxtrnd Classic™ is a customizable boil and bite mouthguard featuring a unique high quality EVA material blend that is 38% more impact absorbent than its competitors.
Its soft gel liner allows high impact absorption as well as a snug fit against teeth for optimal user comfort. The mouthguard is BPA, PVC and Latex free and can be used by women, men and children over the age of 11.
The key feature of the Classic mouthguard is its unique material allowing an incredibly comfortable fit. The texture of the material and design of the guard was very well received by our reviewers "The mouthpiece is outstanding, you can easily breathe through it, and so you don’t have to take it out to call plays and talk between play as much!"
"This is probably the most comfortable mouthguard I've ever bought. This is the best mouthguard ever and I'll be looking good during games! ".
Comfort and high breathability were mentioned by almost all our reviewers. The pros of this mouthguard far outweigh the cons and the reputation the Classic has gathered in the space is one that has been reinforced by many athletes.
The Nxtrnd Classic Basketball mouthguard is an excellent choice for all positions, mainly due to our innovative EVA material delivering high protection, wearer comfort and the enhanced breathability mentioned above.
For around $16, every Classic mouthguard package comes with 2 mouth guards and a sleek mouth guard case to help prevent mouthguard damage and bacteria build up.
In addition, Nxtrnd offers an Unlimited Defective Warranty on all their mouthguards.
BASKETBALL MOUTHGUARD - 3RD BEST
Very few brands offer the same level of protection from design and innovation as that provided by the Nxtrnd Rush Mouthguard.
If you're looking for a maximum protection mouthguard, the Nxtrnd RUSH™ is the model for you. Designed for the harsh impacts of combat sports like boxing and MMA, this mouthguard is bombproof and will easily protect you when a hard elbow hits your front teeth. The unique material and design this guard features has made it not only safe, but extremely comfortable and breathable as well.
Specially designed with an innovative dual layer system and signature EVA moldable liner to form to your teeth and gum lines, the Rush offers a tight and comfortable fit. Additionally, this mouthguard has a heavy-duty exoskeletal impact blocking frame which can withstand the biggest direct impacts and blows the court can deliver.
Because of these two features, the Rush model was ranked 3rd best closely after the Classic mouthguard. This mouthguard leads the market category for sport mouthguards when it comes to breathability because of it’s under carriage channel system that boasts airflow and aids air intake.
Overall, the Rush™ mouthguard is a high performance mouthguard designed for the elite athlete. Thanks to its groundbreaking design and protection, the Rush has brought modern technology to the world of mouthguards redefining mouth protection in the impact sports world.
At Nxtrnd, we also guarantees that our products are BPA free and offer an unlimited warranty on all our mouthguards.
HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT MOUTHGUARD
A good mouthguard should never hinder your breathing and should always fit comfortably against your teeth without having to hold it in. At Nxtrnd, regardless of your age or skill level, we recommend an athlete always wear a well-fitted mouthguard when participating in his sport.
To learn more about Nxtrnd Mouthguards and to find a guard specifically designed for your sport, please click here.
