MEEHYRE Kids Basketball Kit Review: cheap, simple, and kids actually wear it

I picked up this MEEHYRE kids basketball kit in Black-23 for a teenager who’s recently got into basketball. The goal was simple: find something he can trash around in at the park and in the garden without me stressing about ripping a £50 branded set. So I went for this Amazon best-seller instead of the big sports brands. No big expectations, just wanted something that fits, survives the wash, and doesn’t feel like a plastic bag.

After a few weeks of use – outdoor shooting, PE, and general messing around – I’ve got a pretty clear idea of what this kit is and what it isn’t. It’s a cheap, lightweight polyester set that does the job for training and casual wear. It’s not pro quality, it’s not going to impress brand snobs, but it’s honestly better than I thought for the price.

The kid using it is in the 11–14 years range they mention in the listing, fairly tall and slim. I paid attention to the sizing guide and other reviews saying it comes up fairly true to size but meant to be loose. That matches what I saw: it has that typical basketball loose fit without looking like a dress.

If you’re expecting big-brand finishing, you’ll be a bit disappointed. If you just need something breathable, quick to wash and dry, and cheap enough not to care too much about, this set makes sense. I’ll break down what worked well and what’s a bit meh, so you know what you’re buying into.

In terms of value, this is where the MEEHYRE kit makes the most sense. You’re paying a fraction of the price of a branded kids’ basketball set, and you’re getting a full outfit that looks like a proper jersey and shorts. For a growing child who might change size within a year or lose interest in basketball next season, that’s a sensible trade-off. You’re not sinking big money into something that might end up at the back of the wardrobe in six months.

When I compare it to supermarket sports kits and random unbranded stuff I’ve bought before, this one actually comes out slightly ahead. The fit is more basketball-specific, the design with the name and number is more fun for kids, and the quick-dry fabric makes laundry easier. Several Amazon buyers say it’s "great value" and I agree: for what you pay, you get a functional, kid-approved outfit that can handle playtime and PE.

Of course, there are compromises. The print isn’t premium, the fabric is thin, and you don’t get the brand recognition or long-term durability of big sports names. If you want something to last for years and still look sharp, you might prefer to invest more. But if your main goal is “cheap, looks cool, and the kid will wear it without complaining”, this hits the mark pretty well.

So, value-wise, I’d say it’s good bang for your buck if you keep your expectations realistic: it’s a budget kit that gets the job done. I wouldn’t buy it as a collector’s jersey or for high-level competition, but as a day-to-day set for training, holidays, or just running around the garden, it’s money well spent.

Design-wise, it’s pretty straightforward: sleeveless top, loose shorts, big number and name on the back. The Black-23 version is mostly black with printed details that copy the style of pro jerseys. Up close, you can tell it’s not official merch – the print is a bit basic and the fabric doesn’t have that premium texture – but on a kid running around the garden, it absolutely looks the part.

One thing I liked is that the cut is actually decent for basketball. The armholes are wide enough so the kid can shoot and dribble without feeling restricted, and the neckline doesn’t choke or sag too low. The shorts are long enough to feel like proper basketball shorts, not PE shorts, but they don’t drag under the knee either. That’s important because if they’re too long, kids trip or keep pulling them up. Here, the proportions are pretty solid.

The branding is minimal apart from the big name and number. No loud logos everywhere, no weird patterns. It’s mostly a clean, simple design. For kids, that’s a plus: it goes with any trainers, and they feel like they’re wearing a "real" jersey without caring that the brand is unknown. The colour black also hides dirt and grass stains fairly well, which is practical if your kid spends half their time on the ground.

On the downside, the printing quality is clearly budget. The "James" and 23 print feels like standard heat transfer. After a few washes, it’s still holding on, but I can see this being the first thing to crack or peel if you hammer it in the machine on hot. No fancy stitched numbers, no embroidery – just printed. For the price, I can live with that, but if you want something that looks premium up close, this isn’t it.

In terms of comfort, this kit is perfectly fine for kid use. The teenager I tested it with is quite fussy about clothes that feel heavy or tight, and he wore this for a full afternoon of shooting hoops and then just kept it on around the house. No complaints about rubbing, no comments about being too hot, which tells me the fit and fabric are doing their job.

The elastic waistband on the shorts is a big plus. It’s wide enough and stretchy enough to sit comfortably on the hips without digging in. There’s no complicated drawstring system, just a simple pull-on style, which is great for younger kids who don’t want to mess around. Because the sizing runs a bit loose (as it should for basketball), you get that relaxed fit that lets them move freely – jumping, running, stretching arms above the head, all fine. No tight spots under the arms or across the shoulders.

The polyester fabric is light, so it doesn’t cling too much when they sweat. Is it as breathable as a high-end sports top with mesh panels and fancy ventilation? No. But for regular kid activity – PE lessons, after-school clubs, garden play – it’s more than enough. Also, the lack of inner labels scratching the neck is a small but important detail; there’s nothing annoying rubbing when they move.

If I had to nitpick, the thinness of the fabric means in colder weather, it’s not great on its own. You’ll need a base layer or hoodie over it if they’re playing outside in autumn or winter. Also, if your child is very sensitive to synthetic fabrics and only likes cotton, they might not love the feel. But for most kids, I’d rate the comfort as solid: light, loose, and easy to wear for hours.

The kit is 100% polyester, which is pretty standard for cheap sportswear. If you’ve ever bought budget football or basketball kits from supermarkets or Amazon, you’ll know the feel: light, slightly shiny, and clearly synthetic. It’s not scratchy, but you can tell it’s not high-end technical fabric either. For a kids’ training set, it’s honestly fine.

The description talks about it being soft, skin-friendly, sweat-absorbing, and quick-drying. I’d say that’s mostly true, within reason. The fabric is smooth and my test kid didn’t complain about itchiness or irritation, even after wearing it outdoors for a couple of hours. It breathes reasonably well; he came back sweaty from playing, but the kit wasn’t sticking like cling film. After hanging it up, it dried in under an hour indoors, which is really handy if your child wants to wear it again the next day.

The material thickness is on the thinner side, which has pros and cons. On the plus side, it’s light and airy, great for summer or indoor sports halls. It also means it washes and dries very fast – several Amazon reviews mention this and I saw the same. On the downside, you can feel that it’s not super robust. It’s okay for normal play, but if your kid is constantly sliding on rough concrete, I wouldn’t be shocked to see snags or small pulls appear over time.

The brand mentions "reversible tricot t-shirt and pants" in the description, but in practice this set does not feel like a true reversible jersey with two different coloured sides. It’s more a standard single-sided polyester kit. So don’t expect two designs in one. Overall, materials are basic but practical: light, synthetic, easy-care. If you want thicker, more durable fabric, you’d probably need to pay more and go for a known sports brand.

On durability, you have to remember: this is a cheap polyester set made in China, not a premium team jersey. After several washes (standard 30–40°C machine cycles) and regular wear, the seams are still intact, no holes, no dramatic fraying. The fabric hasn’t shrunk or twisted, which is one of the benefits of polyester. So for now, it’s holding up as expected, maybe even a bit better than I thought given the price.

The print quality is where I expect wear to show first. The "James" and number 23 on the back are clearly printed on, not stitched. After a few washes, it’s still in one piece, but if you look closely you can see very slight signs that over time this could crack if you use high heat or tumble dry a lot. I’d strongly recommend washing it inside out and avoiding hot cycles or dryers if you want the print to last as long as possible.

Fabric-wise, it’s thin, so if your kid is the type who constantly slides on asphalt or catches on fences, don’t be surprised if you get some snags or pulled threads eventually. For normal school and park use, it should be fine. Several Amazon reviews mention that it “washes lovely” and “seems to be holding together” after multiple washes, and that matches my experience so far – no disasters, nothing falling apart suddenly.

Overall, I’d say durability is acceptable for the price. It’s not built like a tank, but it’s not disposable either. If your kid wears it regularly over a season, you’ll probably get your money’s worth. Just don’t expect it to look fresh and new after a year of heavy use like a higher-end kit might. For a budget training set, I’d call the durability decent but clearly limited by the thin material and basic printing.

Performance-wise, this kit is clearly built for casual basketball and general sports, not serious club-level gear. That said, for shooting around, school PE, and basic training, it does what it needs to do. The kid had full freedom of movement – no pulling at the shoulders, no shorts riding up too much when jumping. For layups, running back and forth, and basic drills, the clothing basically disappears, which is exactly what you want.

The breathability is decent. After a proper run-around session, he was sweaty but not complaining about being too hot under the kit. The fabric doesn’t trap heat like some thick cotton tops. Because it’s thin and synthetic, it wicks sweat away reasonably well and then dries quite fast once they stop moving. I wouldn’t call it advanced moisture management, but for the price bracket, it’s pretty solid.

One thing to know: there are no pockets in the shorts (at least not in the version we tested). For real basketball training, that’s actually fine and even better – no phones falling out, nothing flapping around. But if your kid wants to use these as everyday shorts to carry keys or a phone, that might annoy them a bit. For pure sports use, I don’t see it as a big issue.

Compared to branded kids’ basketball kits from Nike or Adidas that I’ve seen, you can feel the difference in fabric quality and stitching, but in actual use for a young player, the gap isn’t huge. For beginners or casual players, this is more than enough. For serious club players training multiple times a week, I’d probably go for something more durable and technical, but as a starter kit or backup outfit, this one works.

In the package, you get one sleeveless jersey and one pair of shorts. That’s it, no extras, no fancy packaging, just the kit in a plastic bag. For this price range, I don’t really expect more, and honestly, the kid tore it open and went straight to trying it on, so the unboxing experience doesn’t matter here. It’s clearly a no-frills product aimed at being worn, not Instagrammed.

The model I tested is the Black-23 version, which is clearly meant to nod to a certain famous player without using the official branding. On the back, you get a big "James" print and the number 23, which kids seem to like. It looks like a budget copy of an NBA jersey, but visually, it works. From a distance, it looks like a normal basketball kit, not some cheap costume, which is honestly all I was hoping for.

According to the listing, they do this set in multiple size ranges from 3–4 years up to 14–16 years. The one we used is listed as 11–14 years, and the measurements roughly match what’s on the Amazon page. For example, the 2X-Large they mention has a clothing length of about 65 cm and shorts around 48 cm. On a tall pre-teen, it comes down to just above the knee, which is about right for basketball. The fit is described as "fitted" but in reality it’s more of a classic loose sports fit.

This is clearly aimed at: parents who don’t want to pay full price for official jerseys, kids who are just starting basketball, or just need something sporty to throw on in summer. You’re not getting team logos, fancy fabrics, or pockets, but you do get a complete outfit that looks like a proper kit at a glance. For a low-budget training set, that’s basically the pitch.