Outdoor Trampoline - anyone got one?

[User24689]

Thinking of getting a trampoline for DC for Christmas. Feels a bit extravagant as I know they are expensive but this year the garden has been so important for them and realised how much they prefer to be outside! They also always love them at friends houses.

Questions:

1. What size? Argos do a 8ft one for £100 which doesn't seem too bad. Kids are 5 and 3. Is 8ft big enough? Would quite like them to be able to go on together so not constantly policing turn taking.

1. If you have one, does it get used regularly enough to justify it taking up the space in the garden?

We have one, its important to have a proper cage/nets around the side for safety, we also have a rule that absolutely no toys ever are to go on the trampoline (no balls, no toy cars, no skipping ropes etc) and if the little kids are on it then everyone has to do little kid jumping, then the little kids stands at the side and the big kids can let loose. Ours is about 12ft, but we have 4 dc. We also have sand bags on the feet to protect it from wind blowing it over

Oh and also proper pads over the springs....nasty trapping hazards without pads

Get as big as you can fit in your garden. Even if they’re happy with 8ft now they will soon want bigger in order to do flips etc without hitting the edges. Also don’t get one like ours that has a net that actually curves inwards making the trampoline even smaller than it is.

Ours is 20 years old and still going strong
It is a rectangle TP and can take adult weight- so still used by our 20+ year olds and us sometimes

They are pricey but I would highly recommend an in-ground trampoline (one where you dig out the ground so that the trampoline is flush with the grass). We got one over 3 years ago and it's been used daily. It's really, really great, much safer and all the kids who come want one.

I’ve got a 10ft one and my son is out on it pretty much daily. Had it since he was 3 and loves it just as much now he’s 9.

I think we got a 12ft one and it was used a lot until dd was about 9 then she lost interest. Bear in mind they are an eyesore, take up a good chunk of your garden and ruin your grass. We were so so happy when we finally took it to the tip

We have a 10ft one from smyths which was £110 just before lockdown its so much better quality than the 8ft one we had before. I would recommend a 10ft if its for more than one kid.

We have an in ground one too and I would also recommend, much much safer. Capital play sell them but they a lot more expensive-but significantly less of an eyesore!

I thought it was not good practice to let more than one child jump on the trampoline at the same time.

When I was having my broken wrist fixed in A&E, the nurse said it was a nice change to have a fracture not related to a trampoline, and her work would be halved if they were banned.

She was probably exaggerating.

We have a 14ft one and it’s been the most used toy we’ve ever bought. It’s still going strong and we’ve had it years.
My children are now 11&8 and it has been a godsend throughout lockdown.
As a previous poster said ensure you buy one with a net and a cover over the springs.

We have two - one 10ft and one 14ft and they're by FAR the best investment we've ever made for the kids.

We are on our 3rd one ! 3 kids with big gap between 1st and 3rd .
Totally worth the money , went from 8ft to 10 ft. Number 2 was poorer quality.
I agree re net ,would not consider one without .
Don't let dogs go on it ! my big dog now banned due to claws making holes !
We are strict about the amount on at one time and no shoes.
My youngest has always used it to lie on to colour , read , just lie in the sun,not just for jumping.
Also i tell her to not do somersaults in case of neck injury ,she does the odd one !
All 3 have used it all through the year dry winters day inc'.

We are on our second and it still gets used regularly (same as above, big age gaps between kids). We have been eyeing up a rectangular one for next.
I would say get the largest size you can, obviously with net and such. Well worth the money imo.

I think 8ft is probably on the small side for two dc together. Ours is strictly, one child at a time, no toys, zips always closed - I have a relative who works in a&e who says the same as TrickyD

Our old trampoline had the safety net on the outside which meant that the kids could jump on the springs and pads could work loose.

Our newer one has the net inside the springs but it means we have to sweep out the leaves and mop it. The old one, we could just jump a few times and clear it. It’s definitely safer but a bit of a pain.

@Puffalicious @Whattodowithaminute those in ground ones look amazing. Did you dig out the ground yourself? It looks pretty deep!

We have a 14ft Plum rectangular one, much better than a round one for tricks and flips.
I’d go bigger than 8ft if you can, our first ever was an 8ft and my kids were 4 and 2 then and quickly outgrew it.

For 5 and 3 a 6ft one is fine even together so 8ft should be plenty, we have a tiny tiny garden though

@TrickyD She’s not exaggerating. Awful awful things. And yes I know that there is very much a confirmation bias but they are terrible injury generators

@Jedstre we had a digger on site for building work and used that. The company will install for you though.
We put a raised donut ring around the edge which was a good decision too, we only have a half net which protects the kids from the wall-I think you need at least 2m clearance from objects.

Thanks @Whattodowithaminute. We don’t have access for a digger and it suggests twice the price for installing as the cost of the trampoline. They do look amazing though.

We've got a 12ft one which is at the top of the garden so it's not in the way at all. Net all around and it's secured into the ground with spikes to stop it blowing away. We've had our neighbours trampoline over our garden a few times. Theirs eventually got ruined as it was not secured down. Ours was bigger so next doors kids used ours anyway. Well worth the money as it's there for years.

We have a 10 foot one. That seems okay for two children. Had an 8 ft one last time and that was too small for them both.

Jedstre we dug it out ourselves. Well, I say we, it was DH, exDH and DS who was 13 at the time. Took all day but was a lovely day and they said they enjoyed it. Ours is rectangular and no need for net as just a hedge to one side. It really is brilliant.