How Much is a Football & What You Should Expect To Pay For Each Type?

Like any other piece of sports equipment, a football's price can range depending on the quality of its material, who makes it, and where it is purchased. Here's what you can expect when looking for the right football to purchase.

How Much is an NFL Football?

Top Tier brands with Real Leather can charge around $100 per football. 

The Cheap PU or PVC Footballs can charge around $15 per football.

A high quality TPU football can charge around $40 per football. 

What types of football can you buy?

The main factor that affects the price of a football is the materials that it is made from. A common slang term for a football is "pigskin," but this is a little bit misleading. Today a lot of footballs are actually made out of cowhide or Lamb/Sheep Hide (Genuine Leather means it can come from any animal... not just cows. Maybe even leather from cats & dogs...) The history behind the term "pigskin" most likely comes from the fact that the first versions of a football were made out of a pig's bladder. These days, footballs use other materials, which we will cover below. 

Leather Footballs

Leather is considered by some to be the highest quality and is the standard material used for official NFL and NCAA footballs. A genuine leather football comes in at the highest price point of all the materials used. We know now that Genuine leather is usually not the best quality of leather and is a very chemically intensive process to bleach the leather. And usually uses so much chemicals the leather can't biodegrade.  Also leather is an outdated cruel practice. There are many alternatives that are just as good (if not better) that cause no harm to any animals.

Rubber or Synthetic Leather Footballs

A prominent alternative to real leather is synthetic leather. These footballs come at a much cheaper price point, but are still durable, have a great grip, and feel similar to their real leather counterparts. Synthetic leather footballs make a great option for a practice or a pickup game or to use at home. However a lot of these synthetic leathers are made of PU leather (polyurethane). PU can be toxic and studies have shown it can cause respiratory problems in Children. These balls should be avoided when you can. Not to mention they will never biodegrade and sit in landfills forever. 

Eco-Friendly TPU Leather Footballs

Last but not least, TPU Leather is a leather substitute that is eco-friendly and makes a great football. TPU Leather footballs have the feel and toughness of a real leather football, but have the upside of being vegan and eco-friendly. TPU has less of an impact on the environment than many other leather substitutes because it is free of heavy metals and solvents which can be harmful for the environment. Shop Cruelty-Free Footballs