How much does a good quality trampoline cost? What is quality in a trampoline?

How much does a good quality trampoline cost? And what is quality in a trampoline?

This is a great question and one that is asked all the time by everyone looking for a quality trampoline. Especially those who’ve had a cheap trampoline, often one bought on eBay from a bottom price seller or from a department store. Typically, they would have learnt that a baseline type trampoline isn’t suited to older kids who are heavier and use the trampoline very differently to small children.

Department store trampolines have a place in the market as first trampolines for little people - a toy not designed for excessive use or much weight load.

There are two main shapes of trampolines: round and rectangle. We will discuss both shapes here and what defines quality and what affects the price.

Round trampolines – quality and costs

Round trampolines have seen some changes to their designs in recent times. Many companies taking the humble trampoline into the 21^st century for sure, but not always taking quality or bounce on the journey. There is also the additional choice to make regarding whether to purchase a trampoline with or without springs.

Round spring trampolines

  Vuly - One company that has maintained a good aesthetic and quality is Vuly. An Australian company based in Brisbane, where both the designing and engineering is done. The trampolines are manufactured in a purpose built factory in China then globally distributed.

Aesthetics and quality on a Vuly Lift Pro spring trampoline are number one and safety is a strong focus. With an hourglass shape, no zip access and netting on the inside of the padding, they make for a very safe, good looking 21st-century trampoline with a dependable bounce.

The thicker the steel frame on a trampoline the better the bounce gets – Vuly use 2mm thick on their round trampolines. Many round trampolines lack bounce due to having a 1.5mm frame or less.

Vuly has a range of trampolines which meet different price points. When seeking quality with Vuly, go with their pro range. The value is better on the Lift Pro with improvements in the netting material, padding and powder coating. The bounce is the same on the Vuly Lift and their Lift Pro range though. Current Vuly Lift Pro pricing can be found here on our website. Approx Guide as of 2017 8ft $800 – 14ft $1200

Web and Warehouse – We have opted to keep the traditional look and design of our round trampolines, with outside nets and vertical poles. Our focus has been ensuring quality materials for parts and providing design inclusions. We have thick frames, drain holes in the thick padding and highest grade PVC used on trampolines. The padding has netting sewn at the front to form a barrier from springs so this meets Australian Safety Standards 2015 AS4989. All small incidental materials used on the netting, elastics, webbing, zip are all designed to last as long as the netting which is the only original material of our trampolines since we started importing in 2009. Netting poles are attached to the legs with eye bolts so the legs won’t lean over by themselves, providing great stability. Thick 2mm frame and 4cm diameter tubing gives strong tension to the frame and therefore a reliable, high-quality bounce. Current round trampoline pricing can be found here on our website - Approx price guide – April 2017 8ft $335 - $595 15ft

Round Trampolines with alternate spring styles.

There has been a push from a safety perspective for trampolines not to have traditional springs. Safety is number one, but the bounce is what dictates if the kids will use the trampoline frequently.

Vuly Thunder Pro – Wow what an impressive looking trampoline. It is all quality - strong and robust. It can even hold a car up. It uses the best technology practices in design and produce. The mat and netting are the same as what is on the Lift Pro. Aesthetically on point and guaranteed to look amazing in the garden or backyard. Thunder Pro has a better bounce than the previous Thunder Summer as the spring steel leaf springs are now made with pre-sprung steel. However, I would be really cautious buying it for little kids as the bounce is very reliant on weight on the trampoline. Kids from 6-12 do struggle to get height on it as they are typically very light therefore it is quite fatiguing for them to be on for long periods (we see this in our display all the time). The Thunder Pro is best suited to kids over 12 who have more weight behind them, also because it is such a solid structure it does take a lot of rough and tumble (wrestling and flipping/tricking practice) very well. This trampoline is ideal for kids of any age with Autistic Spectrum Disorders especially if they are inclined to use the trampoline excessively and also quite often at the edge of the mat which isn’t ideal for load bearing on springs.

Current pricing for Vuly Thunder Pros can be found here on our website - approx price guide April 2017 10ft $1800-$2800 14ft

Springfree is a brand we have never sold but have assembled quite a lot of and have experienced the bounce. I also watch a lot of youtube and Instagram videos where a lot of kids are on Springfree trampolines.

Quality has continued to improve which can be seen in both the powder coating and plastic of the frame. With these improvements, it is important to keep this in mind when you are looking through reviews - make sure to check the date to see what is more reliable to today's quality. Spring free is a high-quality brand using high-quality parts - I would say for smaller kids under 12. Feedback from older kids is that it isn’t a great bounce for high bounce tricks and the way in which the fibreglass rods move does give a knee rotation and twist to the base of the spine. Price guide April 2017 8ft $1500-$2700 13x13ft

Elastic Webbing in lieu of springs. For any brand, simply avoid this if the quality is what you’re looking for. If wanting a budget short-term “springless” trampoline for small children, they will do the job - just not for older kids.

Rectangle trampolines.

There are fewer choices to buy rectangle trampolines compared to those of round in Australia. This is because there has been a massive shift in demand to cheaper, lower grade, mass-produced round trampolines that package down neatly for freight and on pallets for warehousing.

There is a good article on the differences of round and rectangle you can read here.

Briefly though

• Rectangle trampolines need stronger, thicker steel, due to the long straight sides of the shape. A quality one will last longer than a round trampoline and as a result of it taking years more for them to rust through.
• They are typically more expensive compared to round not only due to the steel weight content but because of freight.
• To keep the integrity of the shape and maximum strength in a rectangle trampoline, the packaging is bulkier to hold the longer pieces compared to round ones.
• Round trampoline pieces can be quite short by equivalent and tessellate well in a carton.
• Bulkier cartons per trampoline compared to equivalent round trampoline does mean importing a lot fewer rectangle trampolines in a container compared to round ones. This also transpires over to freight costs to customer’s doors as well.
• The bounce is better on a rectangle trampoline as a user has the benefit of the length while getting the bounce as if on a smaller trampoline (taken by the width and their comparable weight).
• An injury is of greater possibility on a rectangle trampoline when more than one person is on at a time. The double bounce factor will affect the smaller user and it is they who are more likely to be injured.
• However, these short-term cost issues are being outweighed by the immense use they get and the bounce that they deliver.
• Very popular with gymnasts, cheerleaders, parkour/flipping kids and pretty much any sport training teens - snowboarding and skateboarding included.

Mr. Trampoline in Melbourne or Topline Trampolines in Brisbane are to be strongly considered if you are after the “you beaut” competition grade trampoline. Both are Australian made and will supply and install an Olympic grade in-ground trampoline for you, pricing for assembly can be a large factor to consider, however. The 2 string mat used will last for decades if cared for properly. We recently saw one that has been really well cared for and it was almost 50 years old. So for that type of quality, there is a price to match. For some, this is the right trampoline, and for those of us who have friends with one, it is outside to the trampoline we go when we visit.

There is usually a trade-off with performance, for the extra bounce height gained a string mat is not as smooth on the feet or body and neither of these brands comes with a net. Therefore, they don't comply with the current Australian Standards AS4989 2015. Range or choices – up to $6500 10x17ft plus installation

<“Web and Warehouse” rectangle trampolines are a high standard for what is often referred to as a Gtramp (Garden trampoline) with a focus on safety and on bounce quality. Ours are currently the only rectangle trampolines in Australia with AS4989  2015 Certification. They have springs for bounce as springs do still deliver the best bounce for trampolines, bearing in mind Olympic and competition trampolines still use springs.

To assist with the bounce we have a unique power curve in the long frame rail which essentially applies tension. This means that when you bounce down on the mat the frame will give inward a little but then at that moment all the frame wants to do is pop back out. So once the user starts to rebound up, the frame realigns and with that gives the mat a flick which hits the feet of the user and assists the user upward with extra oomph.

Meeting Australian Standards mean there is no access for kids to get caught in the springs due to the padding having netting sewn into the front and attach to the mat. Our design also accommodates a very strong and robust netting design - designed for teens who do give the netting a workout. There is an option for high bounce mats as well, which do give a higher bounce with less airflow resistance so the bounce is easier and allows the user to bounce for longer before fatiguing.

All specifications and prices can be found on our website. Price guide – April 2017 – 7x10ft $600 - $1900 14x16ft

Other brands - There are numerous rectangle trampoline suppliers in Australia, most are lacking in some aspects of specifications on their website for direct comparisons.

What to look for in quality in other brands for round and rectangle trampolines

There are other reputable brands in the trampoline market. The best way to know if you are getting quality is to look at specifications. If the company isn’t showing its specifications clearly for you to compare then maybe they are hiding something.

Here are some of the main things you will be wanting to look out for and ask about for quality and performance to base your cost analysis on is:

• Frame thickness  Round - 2mm thick steel and 4cm diameter, this is especially important on 12 and 14ft + trampolines.  Rectangle 2.5mm this steel and 5+ cm diameter tubing.
• Frame joints should be “T” piece so the frame won’t bow in half like a big taco.
• Frame pieces to be one piece for strength between legs.
• Netting and 0.55mm padding PVC is durable to meet UV standards in Australia.
• Does the trampoline meet the current Australian standards which were released in 2015? They are known to be the toughest trampoline standards worldwide to meet, 2015 has many changes from the 2006 Australian Standards that some suppliers currently have. There are many more that are not actually tested to Australian Standards at all, they may refer to a TUV or GS certification that was originally certifying trampolines in other countries.
• USA woven matting, which needs to feel smooth to touch. The Chinese copy often sold as the USA woven matting has a rougher finish and when looked at closely with a magnifying glass you can see it hasn’t been heat rolled as well as the true branded material, it tends to go grey and struggles to last (we know; we were caught with this material from our first factory).
• A company warranty and ability to supply spare parts over the long haul is very valuable, as parts across brands can be difficult to match. We receive requests daily from frustrated trampoline owners who can't source the spares from their original supplier and many resort to starting again and buying another trampoline instead.
• In general, the pads and net sizes are reasonably compatible between the numerous manufacturers however a major issue is the compatibility of the jumping mats.

Scroll down for further information around quality and pros and cons of different designs and features of trampolines. If you still would like to discuss with someone your own personal trampoline requirements and would like further clarity on trampoline quality and costs please feel free to message us here or phone (03) 5292 1100

• Some pros and cons of shapes
• Australian standards
• Frames
• Padding
• Netting