The Quick Verdict
Get The Net Return Mini. It lists at $549, and it publishes a room requirement, a 225 mph ball-speed rating, and a 3-year warranty — and it assembles in about 5 minutes without tools. The Spornia SPG-5 Compact lists at $249.99 and folds into a carry bag, which makes it the pick if portability is the whole point. For a permanent bay, The Net Return Mini is the default. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Both nets include ball return and both exclude side barriers from the base price — those are separate purchases on either side. Neither publishes a stored size. Both can be used indoors or outdoors, and both ship with the frame hardware you need to get started.
Where They Differ
The Room Question
This is where the gap is sharpest. The Net Return Mini publishes a room requirement: 7 ft wide, 7 ft ceiling, 14 ft deep (the maker flags these as approximate). That's the figure to tape-measure before you order. The Spornia SPG-5 Compact publishes nothing on this — no ceiling height, no depth, no width. The SPG-5's footprint is 5 ft 6 in on all three sides, but that's the frame, not the space a swing needs. Spornia doesn't say what that space is, so there's no way to confirm fit from the spec sheet alone.
Size and Rating
The Net Return Mini stands 5 ft wide by 6 ft tall by 3 ft 6 in deep. The SPG-5 is 5 ft 6 in wide, 5 ft 6 in tall, and 5 ft 6 in deep — wider and deeper, but shorter. At 6 ft tall, the Mini gives you a little more vertical catching area; at 5 ft wide, it's the narrower of the two, which means a heel or toe shot is more likely to miss the net entirely.
The Net Return Mini carries a 225 mph ball-speed rating on the netting. Spornia publishes no ball-speed rating for the SPG-5 Compact. That's not a knock on the netting's construction — it's just a number Spornia doesn't put on the page.
Warranty and Weight
The warranty difference is real. The Net Return Mini covers 3 years (the FAQ adds "or 250,000 shots, whichever comes first" — which is the Home and Pro Series language, worth confirming for the Mini specifically). The SPG-5's cover is split: 1-year limited on the frame, 60-day limited on the netting. On a hitting net that second figure is the one that counts, because the netting is what the ball hits.
The SPG-5 is 8 lbs lighter — 16 lbs versus 24 lbs, though Spornia's own comparison table says 15 — and folds into a carry bag that ships in the box. It also includes a Bulls Eye target sheet and a chipping basket, neither of which the Mini comes with. The Mini's base price gets you the net and the aluminum frame with color-coded connectors. Side barriers are $149 extra on the Mini; a side net extension is a separate add-on for the SPG-5.
Price
At list, the gap is $299.01. The SPG-5 Compact lists at $249.99; The Net Return Mini lists at $549.
Who Should Buy Which
Get The Net Return Mini if:
- You're setting up a fixed hitting bay and need to verify ceiling and depth before you order
- You want a published ball-speed rating on the netting
- You plan to leave it assembled and hit regularly — the 3-year warranty and no-tools 5-minute setup fit that use case
- A 7 ft ceiling is workable; that's the lowest published requirement of any net in this category
Get the Spornia SPG-5 Compact if:
- Portability matters — it folds, comes with a carry bag, and weighs 16 lbs
- You're hitting wedges and irons in a backyard or at a location that changes
- The $300 list-price difference is meaningful and you don't need a published room requirement or ball-speed rating
- You want a target sheet and chipping basket included without a separate purchase
The Bottom Line
Both nets return the ball and both leave side barriers as an upgrade. The SPG-5 lists for less and weighs 8 lbs less. But The Net Return Mini tells you what room it needs, rates its netting at 225 mph, and backs it with a 3-year warranty. For a dedicated indoor bay, those three things are worth knowing — and the SPG-5 doesn't give you any of them. If portability is the actual job, get the SPG-5. If you're building something permanent, the answer is pretty clear.