Looking at getting a decent size trampoline for the kids

There are two concrete pads at the back of the garden, so they could stand on this. One is square with a side being just below 3m, the other is rectangular with the short side being just over 3m. We also have a decent bit of space in front of those so could easily fit a bigger one, plus a garden with fake grass that it could sit on

Most importantly needs to be decent quality, oldest is 9 and youngest is nearly 2 so planning on it being used for a good many years.

I have three kids and it’ll need to be able to cope with all three on it. Potentially with a adult-sized child 🙂 messing around with them, not necessarily jumping with them, just mucking around.

Any recommendations or tips?

We have a Plum trampoline, nets and the padded cover have needed replacing but it’s the best part of ten years old and has had loads of use. Ours is on grass with marquee pegs anchoring it and it’s never moved.

Any recommendations or tips?

Take a book to pass the time when you’re waiting in A&E.

Jesus Perchy, thats like whispering candyman three times into the mirror – stop it! 😆

Best I can recommend, to at least mitigate ‘The Perchy Factor’, is to get a rectangular one. Round ones result in all bouncers being directed towards the middle, rectangular ones don’t. they have multiple bouncing zones.

Now, the downside is that this results in a significantly more effective ‘bounce’ which can then presents its own risk.

We’ve had a 14ft Telstar for about ten years. Net and pads replaced a few times but still going strong. Doesn’t get used so much now but was used for exactly what you are talking about!

IF you have loads of space, get a mahoosive one with the nets *inside* the springs and padded zone?

Plum here too … still going 8 years later with no signs that it’ll not do another 8.

Has outlasted the climbing frame/swing set and used much more, although padded surround and net has been changed, but they are cheap enough to replace.

Much like the pool thread from the other day…. your kids will love it !!

Have fun

Oh … mine’s on concrete, with one of those interlocking foam squares folded up under each support (was a short term solution but has worked well enough not to have changed, guess it doesn’t look too great, could have cut them in half and then stuck together ? ) with a bags of sand over each to weigh it down and it’s never moved.

Good luck

Really good advice about the oval shape, thanks. Doesn’t matter how many times I’d say only one at a time, they’re all going to want to get on there. Oval shape sounds better

And net inside the springs also good, thanks. Looking at Telstar now

Take a book to pass the time when you’re waiting in A&E.

^^That will be waiting for the adults,that after having had too much hero juice decide to show the kids how it’s done. 🙂 🙂

Yeah we got ours with a net outside – it gives you a bigger effective area but it’s not as safe…

Had this Telstar one since the Christmas before last:

https://www.telstartrampolines.co.uk/shop/trampolines/9-x-13ft-oval-telstar-vortex-black-edition-package/#contentbottom

Copes well with myself and two kids and still looks pretty much new after a quick wipe down.

I’ve just seen the elite rectangular one. It’s more but it gives you the corners to jump in, and it’s got a bit weight limit – 150kg. That’s pretty much me and the wife jumping!

I have three kids and it’ll need to be able to cope with all three on it. Potentially with a adult-sized child 🙂 messing around with them, not necessarily jumping with them, just mucking around.

Just no. Absolutely no.

Daughter’s school friends Dad is an A&E consultant (haven’t seen him in over a year, apart from on TV looking exhausted) but before you-know-what he said there was a steady stream of customers from the local AirHop (which is supposed to be a controlled environment) as well as the garden market.

More than one at a time and the risk isn’t collisions, it’s the double bounce effect. A trampoline works by absorbing your weight as you land on it and then giving it back to you, so as you land it decelerates you controllably to a stop, and then reverses.

If you’re landing as someone else has already landed, if you time it wrong not only are you coming down onto a surface that won’t absorb your weight, you can be landing on a surface that’s coming up at you with substantial energy, increasing the impact force substantially.

He’s seen kids (and adults) with shattered ankles, lower limbs, etc., where they aren’t strong enough for that impact.

I’ve just dismantled ours after 10 years good service (Jumpking enclosed type, FWIW) but no double bouncing has been allowed at all.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6555216/

Period of study 18mo approx so ‘only’ 1 per week but from a commercial and hence controlled facility. But an injury requiring surgical intervention nearly every month on average!!

A total of 71 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 20 (7-48). Soft tissue sprains (n=29, 41%) and fractures (n=25, 35%) were the most common injuries, with the majority occurring in the lower limb. Two patients sustained open tibial fractures necessitating transfer to level 1 trauma centres. Fourteen patients (20%) underwent surgery, predominantly requiring open reduction and internal fixation. Overall, 18 patients (25%) required admission to hospital with mean length of stay of 2 days. The cost for pre-hospital, emergency and in-patient care amounted to over £80,000.

You won’t find anywhere that says more than 1 person at a time is safe. My boys and their pals are all bouncing away, then one falls, and the others subject them to a full bounce rag-dolling. Not pleasant, and I sometimes have to issue a warning. Goodness know what happens when unmonitored. Think about padding on the floor around the exit area – the door. Make sure it is spirit-level level. Tie it down well.

We have one broken wrist in the street at the moment due to trampoline accident. Fell out the door whilst in a sleeping bag…

He’s seen kids (and adults) with shattered ankles, lower limbs, etc., where they aren’t strong enough for that impact.

I used to be a trampoline coach at uni (long story!), one of our squad members had this, was bouncing away (admittedly, pretty high – our team placed high nationally) got the double bounce effect, snapped his leg clean in two (90 degrees compound fracture at the shin apparently) and nearly bled out on the trampoline bed. Thankfully made a full recovery but there was a *lot* of blood and apparently it was touch and go. Glad I didn’t go to training that day!

I have nothing to add, but any mention of trampolines on STW reminds me of wrightyson’s ”putting up a trampoline on a stormy Christmas Eve” night thread. It was hilarious. 😀

Have a think about anchoring it down; they can fly impressively well if a strong wind can get underneath where its placed.

@ewan

my arse is knitting buttons. A team mate did that at football once; most of the other players on the pitch had to walk away, we had to keep him laid down so he couldn’t see it. He had no pain to start with (I think so bad your brain can’t process it and shuts it down) but by the time the ambulance arrived was screaming!

Never want to see that again.

Yeah I wasn’t there thankfully, just heard about it, and saw him after the fact. Suffice to say he gave up trampolining and has a *massive* scar. Didn’t seem to put the rest of us off for some reason!

We got one with a tunnel entry (so no zip to forget to close) and net inside the springs.

It sits in a mini playpark with 100mm deep rubber chippings beneath it.

Anyone over 5 needs to bounce alone and it has limited bounce depth so smashy shin injury is limited.

So it’s safeish but i still reckon its just time before there is more than an owie…

On the other side its used every day and the kids get plenty exercise on it.

As above. Never, ever let your 9 year old in there with the 2 year old… Too much uncontrolled energy and difference in mass.

We had a £100 Area one, lasted really well, binned it last year as the kids had out grown it. I used to take the netting down and padding off each winter to reduce the sail effect and it helped keep it looking ok. Our kids and friends spent more time just sitting and lying in it as it was comfy, with the sides up up it was almost den like.