Trampoline Safety Features You’re Going to Want

When it comes to emergency room injuries, trampolines are one of the most dangerous items of sports and exercise equipment that can be owned. Tens of thousands of people go to emergency rooms every year to be treated for injuries that were sustained while using a trampoline.

With the right safety features, the risk of suffering an injury on a trampoline can be reduced. Nothing can eliminate every possible scenario for injury, but these features will certainly help everyone be able to walk away from trampolining or rebounding consistently.

1. Spring Protection

Trampolines require some form of spring to provide the lift necessary to make a person become airborne. At the bare minimum, there should be some type of covering over the springs to prevent pinching. Padding or a mat is an even better option. For the best spring protection, look at a trampoline that uses composite rods underneath the frame to provide lift instead of a metal coil spring.

2. Frame Protection

The traditional trampoline offers an exposed metal frame that can be very painful if landed upon. To prevent this from happening, some type of protection against hitting the frame should come with the trampoline. That might mean having a safety net or enclosure for the trampoline. Some models actually place the frame beneath the jumping surface of the trampoline so that jumpers can’t hit it, no matter how hard they might try.

3. Mat or Pad Composition

If your trampoline does come with hard edges, then you need to have a soft impact product installed on top of it for safety. If you’re using foam pads, look for a product that provides at least 1-inch padding at the bare minimum. Two inches or thicker is a better option. You can also find trampolines that have a soft edge that doesn’t require patting or a protective mat, which eliminates the threat of a hard edge in the first place.

4. Pole Padding

If you do have a safety enclosure with your new trampoline, then look at the composition of the poles that are enclosed. Many models use rigid poles, made from steel, to reinforce the strength of the netting around the trampoline. The goal of this design is to funnel a jumper back to the center of the trampoline if they impact the product. You’ll want to have padding around these poles to prevent an injury.

5. Flexible Netting

For best results, flexible netting with your trampoline enclosure will provide the best possible results. Instead of rebounding a user toward a potential injury, a flexible net catches the jumper and provides support so that body control can be achieved once again.

Where you place your trampoline is also important. Keep it away from any property structures, trees, or bodies of water for the best possible jumping experience. This will also prevent many common forms of non-use damage that occurs to this type of equipment.

When using a trampoline, think safety. Whether you’re using one of the best rebounders for trampoline exercise or a traditional recreational trampoline, each safety feature included is worth its investment.