After you’ve purchased a shiny new soccer ball and you’ve picked the right soccer ball size, you might want to look into some of the accessories available to help you maintain it. Other than a good supply of cotton rags to wipe your ball down and keep it clean after each use, there are a few other items that can help make life with soccer balls a bit easier.
Often the first things ball owner’s find they need are a decent low-pressure air gauge and a few air needles in order to keep the ball inflated to manufacturer or league specifications. Soccer ball dedicated air gauges usually feature a dial-type face with pressure readings from 0 to 20 lbs. Regular automotive tire pressure gauges are not accurate enough nor calibrated low enough to work at the pressures soccer balls utilize, however there are pen-style air gauges available for balls. Soccer ball air gauges are designed to be used in conjunction with air needles, and you will need air needles to inflate your ball as well as check the pressure. A pack of three or four air needles will cost only about $3-$5. Soccer ball air gauges can cost anywhere from $5 for an inexpensive pen-style unit up to $30 for a liquid-filled dial gauge.
If your new ball starts to deflate and sag you’ll need a soccer ball pump or compressor to keep it filled. Many sports equipment manufacturers offer compact ball pumps that work great and cost under $15. Lightweight battery-powered compressors can do the job with less effort though. These compressors need an automobile battery or auto cigarette lighter power receptacle to operate. The battery-powered compressors vary widely in price depending on the features included, but most are in the $25 to $75 price range. At the top end of the compressor scale are the A/C-powered, heavy-duty compressors. The big compressors require wall plug-in power and are not meant for portable use. The larger compressors can weigh over 10 pounds and cost over $300, making them best suited for shop, or clubhouse uses.
Another type of soccer ball accessory that you might have overlooked when you purchased your new ball are ball packs or bags. One individual soccer ball is pretty easy to keep track of and carry round. Soccer ball bags and packs are meant to make it easier to haul around multiple balls at one time, and are very useful for those team practice sessions. Ball carrying bags may be as simple as a large mesh net that expands to hold up to 8 balls, or more elaborate nylon vented style bags with additional accessory pouches. The simple nets bags often cost as little as $10, with most of the fancier bags selling from $25 to $50. Soccer ball backpacks are also available for hands-free ball transportation. The backpack style carriers carry from two to six balls and can range from $35 to $$60.
A few well-chosen accessories can help you maintain your soccer balls and make toting them around a lot easier too. You can start shopping for soccer ball accessories by brand or manufacturer, or by the type of accessory you are seeking (pumps, gauges, etc.). It should only take a few minutes to help you find the accessories that are just right for your soccer ball needs.
Now that you have a handy ball to kick around you might want to check out our other soccer articles that outlines all those confusing Soccer Terms so that you’ll be ready for a real game.
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