Which Trampoline?

Buying a trampoline is an important decision as a good trampoline will last many years and provide you and your family with many hours of safe, healthy fun.

There are many different shapes, sizes and makes of trampolines available and, as trampoline pioneers in the UK, we can offer some useful advice towards selecting the best trampoline for your needs.

Which Shape? There are two main shapes of trampoline - round and oval. Each of these shapes will provide excellent trampolining and years of enjoyment. However, apart from the aesthetic look, each trampoline shape has some subtle differences you should be aware of.
		Round Trampolines On a round trampoline, the best bounce is in the middle, with an even pull on all the springs. For a single user the bounce is as good as you get on any shape of trampoline. If you're going to allow more than one child on the trampoline at the same time, bear in mind that especially if the users are of different weights they can be pulled towards the middle of the trampoline
		Oval Trampolines An oval trampoline offers two different jump areas, one at either end of the trampoline. If you are going to allow two users, an oval trampoline is a good idea. The shape of an oval also means that it slots in to the corner of the average British garden with less wasted space around it than with a round trampoline.

Which Size?

The larger a trampoline is, the safer it is and the more fun it is, so always buy as large a trampoline as your garden and budget will allow. As a rough guide:

Round Trampolines
8ft	Under 8
10ft	Under 13
12ft & 14ft	Teenagers	View Round Trampolines

Oval Trampolines
11.5ft x 8ft	Under 8
13ft x 9ft	Under 13
15ft x 10ft	Teenagers	View Oval Trampolines

Which Manufacturer?

		Jumpking Trampolines have been made for over 50 years now and they are a huge global brand, making 60% of the world’s trampolines. Unique Pod design An incredibly strong frame Vast Choice Mid-priced Classic range and top-end Deluxe and Super Deluxe modles Helpful UK office, excellent after sales services and no call centres! Masters of Innovation – first to make an oval trampoine

		TP Trampolines have long been one of the top selling trampoline ranges in the UK. The new TP Genius trampoline range exemplifies TP's commitment to quality at a great price Innovative SurroundSafe enclosure Four popular sizes, 8ft, 10ft, 12ft and 14ft Welded construction for ease of assembly - no nuts and bolts UK office for local support and warranty

		Springfree Trampolines - as the name suggests, a trampoline without metal springs, using fiberglass rods in their place. Overall quality – undoubtedly one of the best made trampolines we have ever come across No external springs means more bounce area for the space Beautiful soft bounce More expensive, but worth the money

Trampoline Safety

When trampolines first became popular about 10 years ago the British media published a great deal of information regarding the number of accidents that occurred on trampolines. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA ) published figures for 2002 that 11,000 people had been injured by trampolines.

However, please bear in mind that since these early days a number of factors have greatly lessened the number of accidents:

The use of safety enclosures – in 2003 for every 10 trampolines that we sold, we only sold 2 surrounds ie only 20% of trampolines had enclosures. In 2011 every trampoline that we sold was sold with an enclosure.
Build quality – in the early days there were quite a few outfits selling fairly cheap and low-quality trampolines that offered little protection to the user
Awareness – as parents have come to learn of the potential for accidents, they have become more safety conscious
More expensive, but worth the money

Please follow our advice and have many accident free trampolining years…

Location, Ground Preparation and Assembly

Location
Think about where you are going to place the trampoline in your garden.

Use a large enough area free of potential hazards, such as fences, hedges or trees
Ideally put the trampoline on grass or bark or other materials that produce a cushioning effect.
If you do put the trampoline on concrete or another hard surface put crash mats by the entrance way
A 'safe fall zone' of at least 2.0 metres should be around the outside of the trampoline, so keep this area clear
Do not store anything under the trampoline

Please follow our advice and have many accident free trampolining years…

Ground Preparation
Think about where you are going to place the trampoline in your garden.

Trampolines have a rigid steel frame so need to be on relatively flat and even ground. The ground does not need to be 100% flat nor even – liken it to putting a patio table up ie once you wiggle it about you normally find a suitable spot.

Ideally your trampoline will be on a soft surface such as grass or bark. If you are going to site it on a patio or decking, ensure that you have safety mats around it, especially by the entrance way.

Assembly
Putting up a trampoline does take a couple of hours and depending on the make and model can be a physically demanding task. That said, trampolines are designed for self-assembly and most households are quite capable of putting up their own trampoline. It's certainly easier with two people. Very few tools are needed and all the manufacturers that we work with provide a spring-pulling tool to assist with attaching the springs.

For those customers that do not fancy taking on the challenge of trampoline assembly, we offer an assembly service throughout London and the South East.

Can I dig my trampoline in ?
Some customers dig their trampoline in to the ground and this is becoming more and more popular. We have a whole section dedicated to this:

In-ground Trampolines

Using your trampoline

For safe and enjoyable use of your trampoline, please follow our simple tips:

		Regularly check that there are no holes in the jump mat and that the frame is safely locked together Ensure your children know the risks of not using the trampoline properly Set some simple rules so everyone knows what they should and shouldn't be doing – always bounce in the middle, never jump off, stand back when someone else is using it and never go under the trampoline when it's in use Remove all jewellery or clothing that could catch Don't have more than one person on at once Always keep a watch over children using a trampoline Don't allow somersaults – they may seem fun, but if you want to do that, it's best to go to an organised club Don't allow bouncing as a way of exiting trampoline Only let children aged under six to use trampolines designed for their age

Maintenance & Replacement Parts

Good quality trampolines can happily be left uncovered all year. A cover will help to keep your trampoline clean and dry but is not needed in order to protect the trampoline.

However, the frame pads and jump mat can get a little grubby and the best way to clean them is with hot water and a very mild detergent. Avoid using high pressure washers or bleach based cleaners and ensure that any detergent is washed off.

Different parts of your trampoline will weather sooner than others and some parts will be more prone to general wear and tear than others:

		Jump Mat Good quality jump mats are made of polypropylene which is almost indestructible, so your jump mat should easily last 10 years. If it has had a lot of heavy usage it may start to sag a bit after 5 years as the material can start to stretch.

		Frame Pads Frame pads can deteriorate depending on the quality of the materials used. A good quality frame-pad, made of heavy duty PVC will last far longer than a cheaper set made of PE. Expect an average set of pads to last about 4 years before they start to wear out.

		Framework & Springs All the trampolines that we sell use premium grade steel that is fully galvanized inside and out. As a result, though a small amount of surface rust may appear, there should be no rust in the steel itself. As a result you can expect your frame and springs to last at least 10-15 years.

		Netting Enclosure netting is one part of your trampoline that you need to keep an eye on. If your children are particularly boisterous they can rip the netting. Even good quality nets made of polypropylene may tear. That said a good net should last 3-5 years.

And finally...

Please do call us on 01276 855600 or email info@capitalplay.co.uk for any advice or help. We've been selling trampolines of all shapes and sizes since 2002 so like to think that we know what we are talking about.

Please also remember that we have many trampolines on display at our Surrey Display Site. You are welcome to try them out and we are on-hand to help advise as to which trampoline to buy. At any time we have over 150 trampolines in stock so you can either take your trampoline home with you or we can arrange same or next day delivery.

Which Trampoline?

Category Navigation: