• This topic has 55 replies, 44 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by sc-xc.
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  • Talk to me about trampolines
  • swoosh
    Free Member

    We’ve cleared out a space in the garden for a trampoline for our daughter’s birthday but we’re not sure which type of trampoline to get. The space is round so we’re not looking at rectangular tramps. The round ones seem to fall into 2 types, those with the net inside the springs and those with the net outside the springs. I see a benefit with both (inside the springs mean legs can’t get stuck in the springs, outside the springs gives more room to use your arms). An 8ft tramp will fit easily in the space but a 10ft one might fit if we go for the ‘inside the springs’ type. Will a 10ft one give better bounce or is it just a case of a 10ft one being bigger but otherwise the same?

    Any tips would be gratefully received.

    WorldClassAccident
    Free Member

    According to statistics these were one of the top sources for broken bones in children and regularity was unaffected by lockdown. If you do get one, make sure your kids aren’t the smallest ones on it as the little ones are most likely to be broken.

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Any tips would be gratefully received.

    Don’t get one. Mrs FD has spent a few years as a trauma surgeon seeing the outcomes of kids using trampolines

    Research papers are being done to try and get trampoline centres banned

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    kayak23
    Full Member

    Purchase timing is key. The trampoline market is notorious for going up and down.

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    In ground seem much safer.. no trampoline to fall off or out of the door. You just have to dig a family sized grave hole for it to go over…

    tjagain
    Full Member

    toby1
    Full Member

    going up and down

    *applause*

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Go big or don’t bother. The kids grow. Never bounce two people of different weights – my friend broke his daughter’s legs doing that. Make sure there is a decent net. We had a jumpking 10×15 foot. More of a fight cage than trampoline. Never had an accident. They didn’t use it that much and it generally filled with leaf fall and sticks. We gave it away.

    By contrast, my nephew had a compound arm fracture from a trampoline centre. Traumatic for the kids and staff. It’s not uncommon.

    If you know your children, and they want gentle exercise, it’s no bad thing. If they are going to push things, I’d give it a miss. I would not buy a small one. And I would not let anyone on one without a net. In-ground won’t save you from hitting the ground hard when it goes wrong. A net inside the springs will. Jumpking are not cheap but they are well made and safe when used properly.

    howsyourdad1
    Free Member

    how old is your daughter?

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    Mrs Dubs is a PE teacher. I think I’m right in saying trampolining is the only sport their risk assessment requires them to recertify in regularly to be allowed to teach it.

    Obviously that’s big, dangerous, rectangular things in a gym, but she’s said to numerous friends not to get one for their kids in the garden unless they are super careful kids (as TiRed mentions above).

    fossy
    Full Member

    We finally sold ours on this year. Had a Telstar one that came with the net inside the springs – slightly safer.

    It originally had a ‘tent’ style circus cover over it. Lasted a few years, but the UV damaged the fabric. One of the kids friends thought, ‘oh I can jump and touch the roof’ and put his hand through the material.

    No accidents over the years, nor any ‘take offs’ in the wind as it was a heavy one.

    the-muffin-man
    Full Member

    My daughter fractured and dislocated her elbow falling off a trampoline. We still kept it and she also spent a couple of years having proper training at the local leisure centre and became rather good at it.

    They are good exercise and good fun. Kids create many ways to break bones – trampolines are just one of the options available!

    We had one of these and it lasted well…
    https://www.trampolinesonline.co.uk/shop/telstar-/10ft-telstar-vortex-black-edition-package/

    My daughter now works with and rides horses – they are a lot more dangerous! 🙂

    db
    Full Member

    Eldest daughter is a paediatric nurse, she says trampolines for kids is like alcohol for adults – single biggest cause of accidents!

    (and alcohol and trampolines for adults is the worst combination!)

    🙂

    mahalo
    Full Member

    good to come on here and bounce around a few ideas

    Murray
    Full Member

    I’ve obviously been lucky – my girls spent most of ages 7 to 14 on the trampoline with no problems. We went for a 14ft trampoline with net inside the springs.

    thebibbles
    Full Member

    https://www.acon24.com/ are about the best you can get for home use without spending silly money. I think they now do a 10ft round one as well.

    mahalo
    Full Member

    they are all aesthetically abhorrent. especially when unused and neglected.

    i held out until we had an area of garden to accommodate one that was out of sight… tbf the kids do use it quite a lot. 12ft, net inside the springs job.

    simon_g
    Full Member

    We got a 10ft, and the sides bow outwards so it feels a bit roomier. Bigger definitely better for bounciness and having a bit more room if there’s more than one on. Plus most 8ft won’t take an adult’s weight.

    Fretted about the dangers, wasn’t that keen but grandparents wanted to get them one as a present. First few months it was one at a time only, they’ve had it drilled into them about closing the zip and being super careful when there’s more than one on there. If I hear them getting a bit too silly then I get them to do something else. Have got away with a few minor bumps only so far.

    In-ground would be great but you need loads of room around them and obviously a big hole that will drain. Our garden is clay so would be a pond within weeks.

    Whatever you get, make sure the manufacturer is good with spares – you will need a new net at some point (UV kills them) and maybe other bits too.

    stevemuzzy
    Free Member

    Supply will be a problem, it was tough to get one. We bought an 8ft, net inside springs and a tunnell entry as opposed to a zip that needs an adult to fasten.

    I have a play area i built for the kids and put rubber mulch all over it so they are safe from 2m fall (we have climbing wall as well outside) and the trampoline sits on this, held in place by large auger type screws.

    Used daily in the summer but a leaf trap in autumn and an ice creator in winter.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ-1RpuBwRI/?igshid=i0adj7gcpkfh

    Note for the critics this is all painted now 😉

    Murray
    Full Member

    @stevemuzzy – lovely play area, that’s really cool

    wsj1
    Free Member

    We’ve got a Jumpking here as well, you get what you pay for, highly recommended, spares readily available

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    We got an 8foot one for my daughter last year from Smyth’s toys. The space we have sited it wasn’t big enough for a 10ft but I would have preferred that, I think. If you have the space, I would go bigger.
    The trampoline has the net inside the springs & this seems the safer option to me. She generally bounces on it on her own, as we got it at the start of the pandemic last year so her mates haven’t been able to come round.
    I can see how it could get a bit dangerous with a few kids on it, particularly if they are being very boisterous.

    I screwed it down to the decking it sits on with large pipe clamps.

    wiggles
    Free Member

    Bought one in the first lockdown, took ages to get one after a failed order from Argos who took my money told me a delivery date and only told me they had cancelled the order when I called to ask why it wasn’t delivered.

    But has been a great source of exercise for the kids while being stuck at home so much this year can’t really think of anything else that could have done the same.

    Yes there’s a risk they can get injured, same thing as riding their bike or on their scooter in the skatepark etc but imo worth the risk Vs them being a lot less active.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    Our neighbours have an 8ft one – it doesn’t get used much as they are usually at ours playing on our 10ft one as it is much bouncier (anecdotal experience). Ours has the net outside of the sprung area as it was the only one we could afford but it’s been used regularly for the last six years without injury.

    Here’s my question though… my girls are now 11 and our trampoline is end of life due to age – would they get much use out of a new one or do older kids stop playing on them?

    Coyote
    Free Member

    We had a 14″ one with padding over springs and net surround. We replaced it with the same when it died. We only had one incident when the padding had been removed and the net failed, apart from that we had many years of run and exercise for the children. I get that there have probably been a large number of accidents amongst children but would be interested to know how many of these are down to mis-use or poor equipment.

    I would certainly recommend going big, children grown and they will use the space. From experience, the benefits out weigh the drawbacks.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    do older kids stop playing on them?

    We didn’t buy ours until the kids were the age yours is now. We moved to a house with a large garden – in fact that was one condition of the house choice. But you need a BIG one for teenagers. They enjoyed it. I did too. It was well-made and robust. It also came apart easily after seven years when we freecycled it.

    innit_gareth
    Free Member

    We have a spring free one. It’s good to bounce on and ‘safer’ than most.

    It was pricey, but cheaper than a bike and gets used a lot more. Bearing in mind we’ll have this for 10 yrs + didn’t mind spending the extra.

    ads678
    Full Member

    Love all the “don’t get one they’re dangerous” on a mountain bike forum!!

    We have a Jumpking oval one and its great. Had a right job buying it last year, no stock for months over lockdown 1. Got a new stock alert from John Lewis, bought it within minutes and minutes later no stock again!!

    yetidave
    Free Member

    one bouncing at a time, net always on, make sure the entrance is closed properly before bouncing as they do tend to fly out if not shut. Warm up. etc etc. Our kids love ours, great exercise, spend hours on it. Not had any A&E trips yet. One of our friends however was bouncing with a pal at the same time. She went to sit down as the surface was coming up, her elbow took all the load and shattered.

    swoosh
    Free Member

    how old is your daughter?

    She’s about to be 7. Older brother is 9.

    Thanks for all the comments and help. Think 10ft with net inside is the way to go then.

    5lab
    Full Member

    I put a nice sunken trampoline in our garden a couple of years ago – the kids love it and go on it more (I think) than a netted one as they can just run over and bounce.

    so far there’s only been one broken leg (tib & fib) on it, so I don’t think that’s too bad?

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    OP
    Make sure you peg it down 😉

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    so far there’s only been one broken leg (tib & fib) on it, so I don’t think that’s too bad?

    100% hit rate :))

    hugo
    Free Member

    Research papers are being done to try and get trampoline centres banned

    I agree. I work in a school and we joke (correctly) every time a kid has a cast that they got it at Bounce, a hugely popular local trampoline centre.

    At a trampoline agility place where you land at angles, may miss the soft bit, and are travelling laterally at speed is lethal. I won’t do it as I like my ACLs the way they are.

    However, I have a trampoline for my kids.

    Reason being is that it’s just that, a trampoline. Full net all round, nothing but the soft bit to land on, etc. Definitely a few bumps from each other but it’s not comparable.

    It’s a bit like not letting your kid ride a bike because mass start downhill events are dangerous.

    Back on topic, I’ve got a decathlon one and they’re decent. The 240 is fine for 2 smaller kids but over maybe 7 then you want the next step up. More bounce and more space.

    5lab
    Full Member

    100% hit rate :))

    well there’s 2 kids and they’ve each got two legs, so I’m working on 25% 😉

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Every day’s a school day.

    I thought Trampoline was what you used to clean homeless people.

    sockpuppet
    Full Member

    Bigger is better if you can, and will be played with longer.

    As for the risk, a large fraction of the accidents are kids falling off while climbing in/out the doors, so get the ladder if offered, and think about where the door goes & its surrounding & levels.

    With a net & one jumping at once they’re not (statistically) that risky.

    The ground level/net-free ones look better, but don’t save the bouncer from bouncing off the bouncy bit and landing unexpectedly on non-bouncy things.

    As for…

    they are all aesthetically abhorrent

    … fine they don’t look great, but that’s a bit much,

    twistedpencil
    Full Member

    Sink it into the ground then your kids can use it to ride over and launch into the air off it on their bikes! During lockdown one my lad was clearing the whole trampoline on his mtb. He’s disappointed that I’ve finally got round to sorting the levels out in the autumn and removed the kicker 🙂

    oldtennisshoes
    Full Member

    @cougar 😂

    When the cast came off miss OTS leg after she broke it skiing, the physio recommended getting a trampoline to help with rehab.

    Coyote
    Free Member

    I thought Trampoline was what you used to clean homeless people.

    Well it made me laugh. So much so, I’m gonna steal it for future use. 🤣

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