The Honest Batting Cage Netting Breakdown: Budget, Mid-Grade, and Done Right
Let's kill the confusion. Netting is where most cage builders either waste money buying cheap and replacing it constantly, or overspend on commercial-grade net for a cage that sees 3 hours of use a week. Here is the real breakdown by tier, with actual vendors and actual prices.
First — understand what the numbers mean
Batting cage netting is rated by twine thickness called ply or gauge. The higher the number, the thicker the twine, the stronger and longer-lasting the net.
#21 — light duty. Backyard tee work, young kids, no pitching machine.
#36 — recreational. Youth players, slower machines, moderate outdoor use.
#42 — serious. High school through adult, machines up to 80–90 mph, the MLB batting practice standard.
#60 — commercial. The minimum for any rental cage, daily heavy use, machines up to 100 mph.
#96 — professional facility. Overkill for 99% of backyard setups.
Also critical: material matters as much as gauge.
HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): naturally waterproof, UV-resistant, lower cost, slightly less durable than nylon at equivalent gauge. The right choice for outdoor cages in wet climates.
Nylon: stronger at equivalent gauge, better ball absorption, longer lifespan — but requires UV treatment or dipping to handle outdoor use. The right choice for covered and indoor setups or anywhere you want maximum longevity.
Polyester (West Coast Netting's specialty): stronger and more abrasion-resistant than nylon, excellent UV resistance. Less common but worth knowing about for high-wear applications.
TIER 1 — THE WALMART / AMAZON ROUTE
Best for: family-only backyard use, tee work, rec ball kids, no rental use
This is the Jones-Sports or Cimarron route. You will find #42 HDPE (marketed as 60-ply) nets for a 70x14x12 cage in the $650–$900 range on Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.
Jones-Sports #42 HDPE 60-ply (12x12x55): ~$600 on eBay
Cimarron #42 Twisted Poly (70x12x12): $859 on Walmart
SELECT Premium #42 HDPE (70x14x12): $889 from baseballbattingcages.com
What you get: a solid net for family use. UV and weather protection embedded during manufacturing (not a surface coating), decent rope borders, door flap included. Life expectancy: 5–8 years with family use, 2–4 years under regular rental traffic.
What you do not get: the rope border construction, custom sizing, or impact absorption quality of a commercial netting company. These nets are manufactured overseas, typically India or China, to a price point.
Bottom line: fine for a family cage. Not appropriate for a rental cage on CageList. If a renter is hitting 85 mph off a Hack Attack three times a week, this net will show wear in 18–24 months.
TIER 2 — THE MID-GRADE SWEET SPOT
Best for: serious family use, light rental hosting, travel ball players
This is where companies like Netting Pros, Batting Cages Inc., Practice Sports (FlexNets), and Anytime Baseball Supply live. You are getting a legitimate commercial-grade #42 true nylon net — not HDPE — with proper rope border construction, UV bonding, and a door system designed for daily use.
FlexNets #42 Nylon 12x14x70 (Practice Sports): ~$1,100–$1,300
Netting Pros #42 TK Nylon 12x14x70: ~$900–$1,100
Anytime Baseball Supply #42 Nylon 70ft: ~$950–$1,200
What you get: twisted knotted nylon construction, UV and weather resistant bonding built into the fiber — not a surface coat that flakes — proper rope borders, midline roof rope, and door flap with safety overlap. These are the nets that MLB teams use for batting practice tunnels.
Life expectancy: 6–10 years under moderate rental use. Backed by real warranties from companies with 20+ years in the industry.
This is the minimum acceptable net for a CageList rental cage.
TIER 3 — THE COMMERCIAL / DONE RIGHT ROUTE
Best for: rental hosts, two-tunnel setups, heavy daily use, covered structures with machine traffic
This is where you are looking at #60 true nylon from specialty netting companies. The price jump is real — but so is the difference.
Netting Pros #60 TK Nylon 12x14x70: $2,362 (confirmed current price)
FlexNets #60 Nylon (Practice Sports): $1,800–$2,200 depending on size
Better Baseball custom #60: quote-based, typically $1,800–$2,500
What you get: the commercial facility standard. This is what indoor training facilities, universities, and professional organizations install when they need a net to handle thousands of swings per week for a decade without replacement. Thicker twine means better ball absorption, less wear at contact points, and significantly longer life under heavy machine use.
Life expectancy: 10–15 years under daily commercial use. For a rental cage running 20–30 hours per week, you are buying this net once.
The ROI math: a $2,362 #60 net on a rental cage charging $50/hour and booking 20 hours per week pays for itself in 2.5 weeks of bookings. Over a 10-year lifespan it costs you $4.50 per week. The $889 HDPE net that needs replacing every 3 years under rental use costs you nearly the same over a decade — with the added risk of mid-session failure.
TIER 4 — CUSTOM NETTING COMPANIES
Best for: non-standard dimensions, two-tunnel builds, professional-grade builds, anyone who wants it done exactly right
If your cage is non-standard dimensions, you want the best possible construction, or you are building a multi-tunnel operation — go custom. These companies will spec your exact dimensions, advise on the right material for your specific use case, and manufacture to order.
The reputable custom netting companies in the US:
Christensen Net Works (cnwnetting.com) — USA-made, used by
colleges and pro organizations, custom batting cage and backstop specialists. Call for quote.
West Coast Netting (westcoastnetting.com) — manufactures in
polyester rather than nylon, which they argue (correctly) is stronger and more UV-resistant. Five knotted sizes from K21T through K96T. Custom dimensions, call for quote.
InCord (incord.com) — USA-made, ISO-certified manufacturing,
used by MLB facilities and universities. Premium tier, call for quote. Budget $2,500–$4,000+ for a custom 70x14x12 in their commercial spec.
US Netting (usnetting.com) — offers custom nylon netting
priced per square foot with an online calculator. Transparent pricing, good for comparison shopping.
On Deck Sports (ondecksports.com) — uses inside-out UV dyeing
technology, meaning UV protection is embedded into each strand rather than surface-coated. Ceiling ropes in both directions standard. Premium construction, $1,500–$2,500 range for a standard 70x14x12.
What custom gets you that off-the-shelf does not: exact dimensions with proper overhang built in, material selection advice from actual experts, superior rope border construction, and a manufacturer who stands behind the product long-term.
THE VERDICT FOR CAGELIST HOSTS
If you are building a rental cage and listing on CageList, here is the clear recommendation:
Minimum: #42 true nylon from a reputable mid-grade supplier (Netting Pros, Practice Sports, Batting Cages Inc.) — budget $900–$1,300 for a 70x14x12.
Recommended: #60 nylon from a specialty supplier (Netting Pros, Practice Sports, On Deck Sports) — budget $1,800–$2,400 for a 70x14x12.
Best: Custom spec from Christensen Net Works, West Coast Netting, InCord, or On Deck Sports — budget $2,000–$4,000 depending on dimensions and material spec.
Do not use HDPE/polyethylene nets from Amazon or Walmart for a rental cage. The cost savings over 3–5 years are negligible compared to the liability risk and the review damage from a net that shows wear or fails under regular rental use.
Buy the net once. Buy it right.
Ready to build a rental-ready cage? Find batting cage builders near you who spec and install nets for CageList hosts — or list your existing cage free and start earning today.
Not sure what your setup could earn? Run the ROI calculator — it takes under 3 minutes.
