What to look for in an outdoor trampoline?

[Teaching3bears]

I am thinking of getting one.  I feel better if it is not too high off the ground.  They look safer though some have lower netting.  Our backyard is small and pretty uneven.  I am looking at a few models.  Some have feet and some have bars that go along the ground.  I am confused by the sizing they describe.   My sons are teens who are under 130 pounds and under 5’8.  My oldest has special needs and might overbounce if he is feeling hyper so safety is important.  

[LAS in LA]

Covered springs and tall netting would be my requirements.

[itsheresomewhere]

A friend has one that is a no springs model.  They love it and without the springs don’t have to worry about the her teen DS suddenly deciding to fixate on the springs. He has some special needs and sometimes can fixate on an object. 
 

Tall netting and a cover for the springs is a must. I assume you will have the yard level in the area for the trampoline otherwise I wouldn’t get one until the area for the trampoline was pretty level.

Edited March 21, 2021 by itsheresomewhere

[Ottakee]

Check weight ratings.  We have a heavy duty model that supports 500+ pounds.    The larger the mat and the higher the net the safer in my opinion.

[TexasProud]

Good health and liability insurance!

[kiwik]

The 8 foot ones are low enough to the ground to not need a ladder.  Bigger than that they need more ground clearance. The springless are supposed to be safest but are out of my price range and hard to set up yourself.  Check weight capacity and how much space you have.  Our first was 8 foot but are new one is 10 foot that is as much as we can fit.  They all come with spring covers and a net here but this time we didn't install the net due to the way it is used.

[prairiewindmomma]

I have seen them buried so that they are roughly level with the ground.

[Lecka]

I have also seen buried.  I have seen weed cover put down also, and have seen it look really nice.  
 

If they are on it at the same time, big kids bouncing can make each other bounce really high.

I had really strict rules for how many people could be on at the same time.

For “big jumps” only one at a time.  
 

My oldest had teen friends over though and they were responsible, they weren’t doing big jumps and didn’t need to be told.  
 

But when he was 11-12 he was NOT responsible and it was really not safe for him to jump with another person, if he was jumping as hard as he could.

 

[Lecka]

I feel like I have seen buried with sand around it, but I am not sure. 

[Lecka]

I don’t remember exactly what they did, but we had a neighbor who did buried and then had all kinds of weeds growing up the sides.  I think he redid the whole thing with weed cover and then sand along the edges.  

[BlsdMama]

14 hours ago, LAS in LA said:

Covered springs and tall netting would be my requirements.

This. 
And if you live out in the country with no windbreak - sandbags, straps, and in ground tethering hooks. We’ve lost two so far.  👀 

[BlsdMama]

18 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I feel like I have seen buried with sand around it, but I am not sure. 

You know, I initially really liked this idea, but I question it with teens. 
 

The hole is going to be wet and assessing the legs for rust and stability is going to be incredibly difficult. Plus I haven’t seen them netted. Jumping 5’ in the air and coming down on compacted dirt would be hard unless you took the sand out quite a ways. 
Just an additional thought. 

[itsheresomewhere]

49 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

This. 
And if you live out in the country with no windbreak - sandbags, straps, and in ground tethering hooks. We’ve lost two so far.  👀 

This is needed everywhere.  I watched my neighbor’s trampoline just “hop” over the fence on a windy day.  

[LAS in LA]

And I’d also assess the trampoline placement and what ideas it might inspire. Our teenage neighbors in IL used to jump out of their 2nd floor windows and off the garage roof onto the trampoline (before their parents got home from work). 😬

[KungFuPanda]

Check your homeowners insurance.  For some it's no big deal, some will give you a small charge, and some will cancel you.  I wanted one once but dh vetoed because he worked with someone whose teenager broke their neck on theirs.  It was just too tragic and close to home for us to move forward.