TRAMPOLINES - GET BOUNCING

Trampolines are great way to get kids off the screens and outside. They help with fitness, are easy use, and are virtually maintenance free. Most of all, they provide hours and hours of fun for kids of all ages, even adults too.

Trampolines are a great starting place for youngsters if they are planning a move into gymnastics or action sports later in life. They help improve aerial and special awareness, which can be really important and a head start in learning other sports. Let's take a look at the two main spring types of trampolines available and what to look for when buying a trampoline.

1. SPACE AND SIZE

When making your trampoline purchase it's important to think about the yard area or space you have available to place the trampoline in, this will often help dictate the final purchase size. It's not quite as simple as bigger is better, you also need to think about how the trampoline will fit into your existing space. Will the kids still have room to run around the equipment? Is the trampoline positioned away from tree branches with falling leaves? You want to make sure there is still room in the garden for other activities and use, as well as a great trampoline space for the kids.

The most popular shape is round trampolines. These come in the basic mat diameter sizes of 8ft, 10ft, 12ft, 14ft and 16ft. The most popular sizes are 10ft, 12ft and 14ft. These sizes fit well into the average size kiwi yard. They give kids plenty of mat space to have some fun, progress in their jumping skills and stay safe. The 8ft is slightly on the small side, especially as your kids grow, but they are a very handy if you have a limited space to use them in. The 14ft and 16ft is on the big side of things. If you have plenty of space and multiple kids lining up for use, this could be a great option to look at.

2. METAL SPRING TRAMPOLINES

This is the traditional trampoline construction method where multiple steel springs are connected to the frame perimeter, stretching to connect to the bouncing matt, literally providing spring to the mat and user.

These days, there is a big focus on safety. All our Torpedo7 spring trampolines have enclosed safety nets, spring pads, pads on the net poles, ladders, and an entry in the safety net for the user.

These types of trampolines are constructed with high grade galvanized tubing either 1.5mm or 2mm thick, making them strong enough to support weights of up to 150kg. The spring style trampolines are great value for money and usually sit at the lower end and middle of the pricing scale. Both our Big Bounce and Air Max trampoline brands in this style come with 5-year frame, 3-year mat and 1-year pad warranties.

Metal Spring Trampolines

3. LEAF SPRING OR 'SPRING-LESS' TRAMPOLINES

These are a relatively new construction style for trampolines and effectively create a spring- less set up. The method uses a collection of leaf springs that support the mats perimeter, providing more vertical bounce than steel springs. The advantage of this style is that the matt reaches right to the edge of the safety net area, effectively giving you more bounce area for a smaller equipment footprint.

The Vuly range of leaf spring trampolines look really great. They are still heavy duty, but have more sleek, modern, looking lines. This means they can still be fun for the kids without being an eyesore in the garden. With no stretchy steel springs, they have less parts, which make them easier to install. With less moving parts they are slightly safer too. The Vuly range of 10ft and 12ft diameter leaf spring trampolines sit at the upper end of the pricing scale but are high quality, look great, come with a fun printed mat, and take weights of up to 150kg.

Spring-Less Trampolines

4. ACCESSORIES

Now that you have your trampoline up and the kids are bouncing, why not add some accessories to make it easier to use and even more fun for them. The Big Bounce shoe bag is a handy little storage bag that clips into the trampoline frame and lets kids store their shoes in neat little compartments before entering the safety net. Now for the fun, no trampoline is complete without a basketball hoop. These are great for kids, it improves their balls skills and reflexes. It also means they will likely be on the trampoline for longer, just trying to perfect their 3-pointer. Vuly has shade shelters available for both our stocked sizes of trampolines and a very handy if you have sun sensitive kids, or just want to supply a shaded play area.

Hoot Sets

Shoe Bag

5. CARE AND SAFETY

Always inspect the trampoline before each use for worn, broken or missing parts. A number of conditions could arise that may increase your chances of getting injured so please be aware of and check for the following:

Over time if you find that surface rust appears on the frame it can be removed with a wire brush or coarse sandpaper and then treated with a cold galvanizing spray (readily available at hardware stores).

6. HAVE FUN!

Trampolines are pieces of equipment that whole family can enjoy. They are relatively cheap for the amount of use hours use you'll get from them, they get kids outdoors, and most importantly, they are fun. Time to get bouncing!

All Trampolines