How to make a shade cover for a trampoline

Need a Shade Cover for Your Trampoline?

There’s no doubt that trampolines are great fun for both children and adults but if you’ve ever spent your summer days bouncing, you’ll know that the sun can get intensive at times. We all know the score about the old slip, slop, slap campaign but you need more than sun cream and a sun hat if you want to avoid harmful UV rays when you’re on your trampoline. Plus, other than shading you from the sun, there are other reasons why you may want to invest in a cover for your trampoline.

We’re going to look at reasons for needing a cover and how you can easily make one yourself.

Why You May Need a Trampoline Shade

There are several reasons why your trampoline may benefit from a shade cover:

To Provide Sun Protection

Of course, the most important reason to install a shade cover is to protect users from the sun. If you are looking for a commercially made shade, look for one that is marketed as having ‘UV protection’ but in any event, it should be made from an opaque material.

For complete protection from the sun, you may want to consider installing a tinted safety net all around your trampoline. An alternative solution would be to position your trampoline inside a trampoline tent.

To Keep it Free from Leaves

If you have multiple trees around your trampoline, they may provide an element of shade, but they’ll also end up shedding leaves onto your mat. One way to keep your trampoline free of leaves is with a shade cover.

As a Rain Cover

For those days when the sun doesn’t shine, your trampoline cover will do a great job of protecting the mat from the rain if it is made of waterproof material. However, waterproof fabric is also likely to reduce the airflow inside the trampoline and if not installed at an angle, the pooling of water may cause the poles to bend inwards.

Trampoline Shade Cover Solutions

If you’ve concluded that a shade cover would be of benefit, there are several solutions available.

Commercial Trampoline Sun Shades and Tents

These usually comprise a polyester roof which is held in place with enclosure poles. Some models will have an element of waterproofing and may even have channels for moisture drainage.

Other commercial options include trampoline tents. These come in all shapes and sizes and will do a good job of protecting your trampoline from the elements.

However, in our experience, not many manufacturers produce shade covers for trampolines. There is a local patent on them but also a relatively low demand. While a trampoline shade cover is great for families with little kids, once the kids start to grow, they run the risk of hitting the top with their heads as they bounce.

What’s more, there are many different trampoline designs. Different factories offer different accessories, and over time, trampoline owners will opt for generic accessories if their trampoline manufacturer/supplier doesn’t supply the accessory they require. This can lead to complications as even though the accessories may be quoted and referenced as being the same size as your trampoline, sometimes this isn’t the case and so they may not prove to be a good match.

As we’ve also already said, the reason for limited suppliers of an accessory may be due to local patents or the lack of demand for a product.

DIY Trampoline Shade Covers

If you’re having trouble finding a commercial shade cover for your trampoline, we can show you how to make one yourself.

How to make a trampoline Shade Cover

To make a generic fitting trampoline shade cover will you need to measure your trampoline diameter to the poles. (Before you start, you should read the steps below to check that this generic design will suit your trampoline as it will affect the supplies you will need to buy).

Once you have your measurements:

Make a trip to your local hardware store for some shade cloth. Bear in mind that a material that allows water and air through is better than a solid material such as a tarp. If water is allowed to pool on top of the cover it will bend the poles inwards over the trampoline.
You’ll also need a pack of brass eyelets. You’ll need one for each pole and the corresponding points on your shade cloth – so for example, if you have four poles you will need 8 eyelets.
You’ll also need a carabineer for each pole/shade connection, so once again, if there are four poles, you’ll need 4 carabineers.

Now you’re all ready to construct your shade.

Cut the shade cover material to fit either the mat size if you have an inside net or to the outside diameter if you have an outside net. If you want your shade to look good, you may want to hem the edges of the cover.
The next steps will depend on your trampoline and the process will be easier if you remove the net from the poles. Instead of eyelets, you may need to attach cable ties to something at the top of your net poles.
Fit a brass eyelet to the top of the net pole PVC excess seam as shown in the photo.
Once all eyelets are secured, then you can refit the net to the trampoline.
Lay out the shade cloth and be sure you are happy with the size and shape you have cut it to.
Measure and double-check before putting the eyelet into the shade cover. They should be placed approximately 15-20mm in from the edge of the material.
Now attach a carabineer to each eyelet and then to the corresponding pole.
When attached, your shade cover should look like this.

Sun Shade Sails

You can also fashion a simple trampoline shade cover from a commercial sunshade sail. Commercially made sunshade sails can be triangular or rectangular, are made of high-density polyethylene and may have UV protection built in. To utilise this kind of cover, position your trampoline between walls or buildings that are slightly higher than the safety net so that you can attach the sail to them. Anchoring it at an angle will enable leaves and rain to run off the cover and away from the trampoline itself.

Play Parachutes

It’s also possible to make a shade cover for your trampoline by using a play parachute – those huge, colourful, circular pieces of fabric used by kids to play games. They come in many different sizes and, as they are often made from nylon with a mesh insert at the centre, they will offer some protection from the sun but still allow some air to flow through.