You are here because you are planning to buy a trampoline for yourself or your loved ones. In this regard, we have called upon an expert in the world of the trampoline – Nolan Harris. In this interview, he guides us on many aspects to consider before buying a trampoline. Keep on reading it to get to know how to select a trampoline that suits your needs.
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Question: Hey Nolan! Could you please share with us your experience in dealing with trampolines and your research on it?
Answer:
Hey Sarah. I have been dealing with trampolines for the past decade now. I know each element in its assembling, manufacturing, and health benefits. Before I came into this field, I had a great interest in sports and physical health. I found myself getting more interest in unconventional means of sporting – gymnastics always fascinates me. The first time I had experience jumping on a trampoline, I got much tired and found out that 10 minutes of jumping on the trampoline is almost equivalent to 30 minutes of running – I was amazed. Consequently, I got one for myself and started to deal with it. Many friends and family members asked me to get them trampolines. This is how I entered and got a leading role in this field.
Question: Nolan, what is the significance of trampoline in one’s life according to you?
Answer:
Trampoline jumping is not only fun, it is also healthy, among other things it gets the circulation going, promotes coordination and trains the foot muscles. Nowadays you can trampoline jump on inflatables, in trampoline parks or in gymnastics clubs. However, it is much easier to have your own trampoline. Depending on the intention, age and ambition, there are different trampoline variants that are available. Each type of trampoline has a different selection and quality features.
Question: Nolan, which trampolines are suitable to place in the garden? Round, oval or rectangular trampoline?
Answer:
Trampolines for the garden come in different shapes and designs. The most common are round garden trampolines with a safety net. Oval and square trampolines are not that common and are usually more expensive. In contrast, only square trampolines are used in trampoline gymnastics. Where’s the difference? A round circle has the smallest circumference (edge) and therefore less space to attach springs to the jumping mat. A 2m diameter round trampoline has a circumference of 6.3m, whereas a square trampoline with a side length of 2m has a circumference of 8m. For children, however, it usually makes no difference, since they shouldn’t be doing somersaults on the trampoline anyway. In addition to the jumping power of the trampoline, it is mainly a question of what shape you like to stand in the garden and how much space you have.
Question: What size should the trampoline be? For two children?
Answer:
No child has ever complained that the trampoline was too big. But even a small trampoline is better than none. However, parents often make the mistake of thinking that one should buy a larger garden trampoline for two, three or more children. NO! If you want to avoid concussions and broken bones, you should observe the most important safety rule: only one child or person on the trampoline! No matter how big the trampoline is! The safest trampoline with edge cover and safety net is useless if two children collapse with momentum.
Usually, the size of the trampoline depends on the available space. It is essential to measure beforehand. It is important to note that there is at least one, better two meters of free space around the trampoline. It should also not necessarily be under trees where branches or bird droppings can fall.
Larger trampolines usually spring a little more gently and evenly. You should also keep in mind that the area increases exponentially with the diameter. A 3m trampoline has more than twice as much jumping surface as a 2m trampoline. If you have enough space, a trampoline with a diameter of 300-360cm is ideal. Much more than 400cm does not bring much for individual jumpers and prices rise rapidly from these sizes. As already mentioned, if you choose a Springfree trampoline you have a larger jumping surface with less space.
However, the size also has an influence on the maximum resilience of the trampoline and thus how soft or hard it springs.
Question: Nolan,how many kilos can the trampoline support? Kindly elaborate in detail.
Answer:
The more weight the trampoline can support is the better? No! As already said, no more than one person or more than one child should jump on the trampoline at the same time anyway. The garden trampoline should therefore not be able to withstand several adults.
Let’s imagine that a trampoline is set up so that a toddler weighing 20kg can jump optimally, which is the case with children’s trampolines indoors. These trampolines are only permitted from 30-50 kg. If a 100kg person stands on the jumping mat, the trampoline breaks.
The other way around, we take a fitness trampoline which is approved up to 150kg. Such a trampoline is very good for jumping for a 100kg person. For a child weighing 35kg, however, the jumping mat is stretched far too hard. Hopping is almost impossible.
In archery one speaks of the pulling force of the bow. The stronger a person, the more stable the bow can be. It is similar to trampolines. The less weight the children have, the less resilience the trampoline should be chosen to enable soft jumping. This is why the Crane Aldi trampolines are so popular with children, as they are only approved for up to 100kg, they are particularly soft for children. Unfortunately, according to my information, they do not withstand wind and weather as well. The manufacturing companies have recognized this and offer targeted trampolines for weight ranges from 20-90kg.
However, you can only compare trampolines with the same diameter. With a larger diameter, the maximum load capacity usually changes. In the middle of the jumping area, larger trampolines are usually always softer than smaller models. The 180cm and 251cm models are both approved up to 120kg. So you can assume that the 251cm model has softer springs, as it can only withstand as much as the 180cm garden trampoline with a significantly larger area. It is interesting that the 305cm trampoline can be loaded up to 160kg, the 366cm trampoline for children only up to 150kg. Here, too, it can be assumed that the 366cm model has softer springs than the 305cm garden trampoline. The 430cm trampoline is only approved for a maximum load of 130kg and is therefore probably best for children.
Question: Is it essential to secure the trampoline against storms?
Answer:
Owners are responsible for their flying trampolines! Fall and winter storms can make a trampoline fly. But a strong storm or gusts of wind are possible at any time of the year. A garden trampoline should therefore always be attached to the ground with ground anchors. Some people try sandbags, but with strong winds it takes a lot of very heavy sandbags to hold a trampoline firmly. A 2m diameter trampoline already offers 3m² of “sail area” and a 300cm diameter trampoline over 7m². With enough wind, enough to even let adults fly with you.
There are three designs to choose from for ground anchors. On the one hand spiral or corkscrew-shaped ground anchors and on the other hand screw anchors. There are also straight ground spikes, but they hardly help in a storm. Unfortunately, the ground anchors offered by trampoline manufacturers are often less good than those available in the construction & gardening sector. Unfortunately, these ground anchors also cost more.
If you are concerned with which storm protection ground anchor is best for the trampoline? That depends on the local soil. Anyone who has a heavy clay-stone floor will despair with a screw-in ground anchor. If the screw ground anchor hits a stone, it does not go any further. So in these cases the spiral ground anchors are better, they are much easier to screw into heavy clay soils and between stones. At the same time, the heavy ground provides enough support.
Question: Nolan Harris. Can you tell me what is the average lifespan of a trampoline?
Answer:
Unfortunately, many people have the wrong idea of the durability of a trampoline that is in the garden all year round. Rust on the trampoline frame is the smallest problem. All elastic parts made of plastic are the quickest to break. If the jumping mat and safety net last for 2 years, that’s already satisfactory. If they last 3-4 years, that’s good. However, “Trampoline Guide” recommends replacing the safety net every 2 years. If the jumping mat gets holes it is high time to replace them. However, it is safer to replace them every 2-3 years.
UV radiation from the sun: UV radiation not only causes sunburn and kills vampires, but also loves to destroy plastics. With UV-stabilized greenhouse film, you can be happy if it lasts 4-5 years before it becomes brittle. And the sun should only shine through the greenhouse film. Trampoline jumping mats and safety nets absorb full sunlight. Even those who are familiar with the maintenance of sailing boats will know how quickly UV radiation can decompose various plastic fabrics.
So if you set up the garden trampoline in the shade or cover the jumping mat when not in use, you can delay the decomposition. However, plasticizers in the plastic can escape from the plastic solely through heat.
Question: Nolan Harris, what is the effect of water, snow, and ice on a trampoline?
Answer:
Water, snow & ice: How do potholes and stone deserts arise? Split in by freezing water. The colder it is, the less elastic the jumping sheet is of course. A scarf soaked in water that freezes and freezes several times also suffers from small breaks and cracks. The more freeze and thaw episodes there are, the more tissue is damaged.
If dirt and leaves seal the trampoline’s jumping mat, a lot of rain can collect on the jumping mat so that it is tense for a long time. Unfortunately, a rain cover also means that rain can collect on the trampoline. Snow can pile up much higher on the trampoline. There may be so much snow at once that the maximum weight of the trampoline is reached before you can shovel down the snow.
Thanks, Nolan, See you soon.
It was Nolan Harris with answers to the most popular questions when choosing a trampoline.
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