Finding the Right Trampoline for You and Your Family

Every day more families across the UK are waking up to the benefits of owning a trampoline for their garden or backyard. They are great for keeping adults and children alike fit and healthy, as well as providing hours of fun for all the family. Nowadays, there are some fantastic value trampolines out there, at more competitive prices than ever before. 

Faced with all this choice, however, it can be tricky to choose the right trampoline for your home. Here's a brief guide to picking the best trampoline for you and yours – ensuring your choice will be safe, sturdy and hard-wearing – as well as great fun for the kids!

Safety first

With such potential for gymnastic fun, also comes the potential for accidents. Respected groups such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) offer useful safety guidelines for trampoline use, but when it comes to buying a trampoline, the simple answer is price and quality go together. The cheapest trampolines are made with lower quality materials and the frame is more likely to fall to bits after a few years.

More importantly from a safety point of view, injury-preventing features such as netting, ladders and safety skirts are less likely to rip or fray, keeping your children safe as they bounce! The best trampolines come with a five-year guarantee for the frame and meet all British and European safety standards. Try highly respected brands such as Jumpking, whose JumpPOD Deluxe comes in a variety of sizes and features a full safety enclosure, ladder and shoe net.

Getting the size right

Everyone has different space requirements for their trampoline, whether it be the size of their garden or their family. Luckily, trampolines are available in a wide range of standard sizes, usually 8ft, 10ft, 12ft, 13ft, 14ft and 15ft in diameter. These sizes are ideal for most people's requirements, and best of all it means that if accessories or replacement components are ever required, then they are inexpensive and easy to find.  

When it comes to small gardens and small children, then 8ft trampolines are ideal – and also make good fitness trampolines for adults. Try checking out the Telstar CLASSIC Jump Capsule or  PLUM Whirlwind. For larger spaces, bigger kids and teens, trampolines 12ft and above Cortez deluxe are a good choice. 

The specialist option

Some people want a trampoline purely to take advantage of its unique and powerful capabilities as piece of exercise equipment. Mini fitness trampolines are the perfect choice here, such as the MINI Jogger. These are great help for a whole range of fitness and physiotherapeutic activities, including cardio workouts, improving balance and co-ordination, weight loss and increased muscle mass. Just remember – unlike larger family models, fitness trampolines should not be left outdoors.

A few thoughts on accessories

we've already mentioned the safety accessories (which should more properly be considered essentials), but there are some others to consider, such as Circus tent covers to protect from rain, frost and snow, and a tie down anchor kit to stop the whole thing blowing away in strong winds. Safety skirts are also useful for families with pets, to prevent them running under the trampoline when in use and risking injury.