Hi all , We are toying with the idea of a trampoline for the kids . Have seen a second hand one with no safety nets around it. Am I asking for trouble?

If it makes a difference , I would enforce a strict one in one out rule, like all the best / sh*ttiest nightclubs

A net can be bought seperately. If the tramampoline is cheap enough, why not?

They will fall off – guaranteed!

And they will disobey your rule the minute your back is turned!

Whether you consider this an acceptable risk is up to you. 😀

We had no net on ours for ages, they were careful. We added a net, they were no longer careful and we had more injuries than without.

Make of that what you will 😐

ROSPA say main cause of accidents is two playing at the same time . Seeing as one is 8 months old and would only really sit in it as we hold them up , that issue is kind of out . The other #lad is 4. ROSPA say children under 6 shouldn’t use them but what do they know ….?

Never had a net on ours. No problems until rocket jr used an old bmx bike with the wheels out to practice somersaults

We’ve had ours more than ten years, never had a net, never had an issue with falling off. Only injury we had was when my son decided (against advice) to bounce from standing to handstand, and snapped his arm off*. I think it’s good for them to learn to respect the fall risk. Don’t use it without the spring guard(replaceable, cheap on ebay, seem to last about 4 years)as sending a limb down that gap isn’t fun and the springs can give a nasty nip when climbing on and off.

*Elbow radial head fracture, not displaced thankfully, he heard it snap and came indoors and told me he’d broken it. Friday afternoon after school broke up for the summer, typical.

get a net.

you do not want to be taking friends and neighbours kids up a&e with broken limbs.

We have one with no net for 3+ years. At first we tried to be strict about numbers but then couldn’t be aresrd – always have piles of kids on the garden. Kids were 6 and 2 when we got it and no serious accidents – a fair few clatters but that’s it.

on the other hand, what could possibly go wrong?

ROSPA say children under 6 shouldn’t use them but what do they know ….?

We bought our son one for his first birthday (with a net). He toddled straight over to it, shimmied up the ladder and managed to pull the zip open, and started running and ‘bouncing’ (not getting any air at that age). He’d been on the daycare one since about ten months, usually as the youngest of two or three kids aged up to three. By the time he was three (still the youngest at the daycare) he was practising rugby tackles with seven-year olds on it!*

As above, the only injuries I know of from the daycare, friends with tramps and our own, are when there’s more than one kid on, and one accidentally gets a smack in the chops or a clash of heads, tongues/lips bitten etc.

Ours is one of the best investments we’ve made, our eldest has spent hundreds of hours on it, gets tons of exercise from it. Got to weigh up overall health benefits against the possible (and probably tiny) risk of occasional injury.

*in true STW fashion, I therefore know better than ROSPA, based on my one bit of anecdotal evidence 😉

I would say it is a big no no unless you can AND WILL get a safety net. A young chap a few doors down from my in-laws is paralysed from his neck down from coming off their trampoline and breaking his back. He was maybe 13 or so at the time. Just why would you risk it.

We had one(with a net)when the kids were wee. We got them trampoline lessons and they had great fun on it for many years(injury free). Once they were confident we could have ditched the net. Don’t let crowds of them and their mates on it, there lies A&E visits.

I like the idea of digging out a big round hole and putting it flush fitted with the surface.. Lot of digging though

My son has been diving for 5 years and I wouldn’t want him trying the double somersaults and twists etc without a net.

My old neighbours daughter was a PE teacher, pretty good athlete and did some trampolining as well. Came off, compound fracture of femur, MRSA, lost her leg, couldn’t do her job. I’m not a great fan of them.

Had ours for probably around 10 years.
Amazing fun, need to watch out for the adults hurting themselves more than the kids.
Dissuade them from using other kit to jump in from a greater height.
I think the most on there has been about 8, I don’t think they recommend that!
Makes them used to do flips, which is a good thing. Maybe not useful, but interesting!

4 year old 12 footer with net here. Desperate to get rid of it now as it spoils the view from the hot tub over the fields 🙄 kids wont have any of it so its staying.
Always had a net and its been replaced once with two spring covers, uv light is a bastard at rotting stuff.
Net has saved many an iinjury id say but if you don’t zip it up on new years eve your mates wife will fly out of it backwards whilst tipsy 😆
Home made sweeper game is one of the highlights but does create enough static to power derby and damages shins!

Even if they’re accomplished trampolinists why no net? It’s not hindering them and they’re human (I assume) so perfectly capable of making a mistake. I wear a bike helmet not because I think for a minute I’m going to come off my bike, but just in case I do. Really, is this ‘no safety measures’ thing some form of outdated macho ‘projection of manliness’ behaviour? I’m no risk averse H&S obsessed type, but sensible measures are just plain common sense especially when the stakes are potentially so high.

A flush one over a pit won’t necessarily be much better. They can still get some height off these trampolines, easily high enough to still do some damage.

I got a massive one (5m diameter) to convince the wife we should get a house with a big garden. We didn’t, so the trampoline stays at my mum’s in the country… Biggest issue I’ve seen is people (kids or adults) of substantially different mass jumping at the same time. If the heavier one produces ‘constructive interference’ (or something suitably sciencey) with the lighter one’s jumping then the latter goes flying. I’ve done it with my daughter and she nearly went over the net!!! And yes, you do have to close the net properly; same daughter jumped and shot straight through and hit the ground, rolling thankfully. Bloody good laugh though 😀

They are great fun and your kids will love it however as others have said get a net. My kids (7&4) love running around it as much as jumping and they’d be falling off all the time without the net.

We bought a jumpking 10ft one from ASDA a couple of years ago for £99 and its been great. Big enough for adults too rated at 150kg. Had a look and they don’t do the same brand but they have one that looks the same. You don’t need to spend loads and they do deteriorate over time. Also be aware you’ll need to keep moving it if its on your lawn otherwise the grass will die. Also we pack ours up over winter and keep it in the shed. Which reminds me its about time to get it out again!!

My lad’s little pal, managed to jump out of the silly small entrance opening in the net of our trampoline and broke his collar bone.

In all honestly it was a great piece of skill to get through that little gap… reckon if he tried to do it again he wouldnt be able to.

Kids aye ? … I like them, but I couldn’t eat a whole one

Without a net I reckon we’d have a loyalty card for the local A&E. I’m in no way averse to risk but in this instance I wouldn’t relax without it.

Despite my comments earlier, I’m glad we have a net and would always have one for young kids if for no other reason than the net can be used like an extra wrap-around tramp, for bouncing off.

Unsure where you are based, but we have one with a net which is being upgraded soon as it’s a bit small for my tribe and you’re more than welcome to have it FOC. Based in south bucks – Think it’s 10″ wide with an 8″ jumping area within the net.

It is not the nets that are dangerous, it is the trampoline itself.

Apparently they account for more breakages of bones in kids than any other toy/plaything. ie including bikes etc.

Ok net it is . As others have said I’m not risk averse at all , but in this instance it does feel more necessary than not .

I like the idea of digging out a big round hole and putting it flush fitted with the surface.. Lot of digging though

Great until the hole fills up with water.

Think you’ve made the right decision with a net. Trampolines do lead to injuries, used to work with a woman with a permanently injured spine from a trampoline accident. I did give in to pressure and get one for my kids though and up to about 12 they did use it – last year not really much – if they don’t use it this summer it’ll be going – such a monstrosity the garden will look empty withput it!