Advice on choosing a trampoline -
Phone us NOW for more expert info!
Need urgent UK Delivery
within 24 hours? Usually
no problem, and no extra charge. For advice
on buying a Trampoline, call us 7 days a week on UK
Freephone 0800 01 88844
In recent years more and more families have become aware of the
long term benefits of having a trampoline in their garden - children
never seem to lose their enthusiasm for them, and parents are
finding a new form of fun exercise. However, there are many different
trampolines out there, and quality does vary quite considerably
- this can lead to some confusion and, especially for those buying
a trampoline for the first time, it can often be quite difficult
to know if the trampoline you have chosen really represents good
value for money. Here at uk-trampolines.com we sell one of the
broadest ranges of trampolines iun the UK and we understand the
differences between the various manufacturers and models very
well. Not being tied to any one particular range, we can therefore
expert advice with a level of impartiality that we are sure you
will find reassuring. Our sales team is always on hand to advise,
help and support customers who have bought, or are interested
in buying one.
How much should I spend on a trampoline?
Broadly speaking, there are three quality bands for trampolines.
The Super
Tramp range of trampolines clearly occupy the top band,
almost by themselves. These trampolines are strong with very good
bounce dynamics and the paddings around the edge of the trampolines
are probably second to none. Mid-range trampolines are probably
the most popular, since they combine both good performance and
more affordable prices. Mid-range trampolines include the
following: JumpKing
Airborne Trampolines , Proline
Trampolines , Ceetex
Premier Range and the Jaques
JumpStar Range. While there are subtle differences between
these trampolines (we will be happy explain these to you on the
phone), you will generally not make a mistake whichever of these
trampolines you decide to buy. The third band is what we term
Budget Trampolines. The number of budget trampolines available
on the market is increasing rapidly as companies try to cash in
on the trampoline boom, often with cheaply-made models whose quality
leaves a lot to be desired. We therefore advise our customers
to be wary of buying this sort of trampoline. Not only is performance
likely to be poor, but breakages may occur in the first year or
so, and spare parts may not be available. There are some budget
trampolines, however, that really do represent good value for
money. Our favourites are the JumpKing
Popular range, and the Power
Jumper trampoline from Trampolines Europe.
Which is the best trampoline for me?
It's very important to us that you buy the right trampoline. The
age and weight guides we give are maximums; remember that children
are growing rapidly. Will the trampoline be the right size for
them in 3 or 4 years time? We know from customers ringing up for
spare parts, that many customers wish to keep their trampolines
going even after 5 years. Is it really just the children that
are going to use it? Few teenagers and adults can resist the urge
to 'have a quick bounce!' The choice of our outdoor trampolines
falls into 3 categories:
Round trampolines
JumpKing
Airborne , Power
Jumper , Proline
, Super
Tramp , Ceetex
For general family fun in the garden, our round trampolines are
probably the best value for your money - in fact, we probably
sell more of these than any other trampoline. The most popular
sizes are 14 foot and 12 foot (this is the outside diameter of
the frame). People who buy 10 foot trampolines generally do so
owing to space limitations. In contrast to rectangular trampolines,
round trampolines are generally safer to use with a slower, less
powerful bounce which is more easily controlled than that of the
rectangular trampolines.
Children's Rectangular Trampolines
FROG
, SENIOR
15 , PRINCE
18 , KING
110 , AIRBOUND
Childrens rectangular trampolines are easy to move and take up
relatively little space. Rectangular trampolines such as the Prince
18 are ideally suited for children in the 7 to 11 age range and
tend to give them a better bounce than larger trampolines. However,
bear in mind that they are on average half the size of a standard
full sized trampoline designed for adult trampolining (with the
exception of the King 110). They have much smaller springs and
lighter frames and are not really suitable for adult use. Please
remember also that rectangular trampolines are designed for use
by only one person at a time.
Heavyweight
Trampolines
WALLABY
, KANGAROO
, SUPER
WALLABY , SUPER
KANGAROO , BOOMER
Our Super Tramp heavyweight rectangular trampolines are the rigid
outdoor equivalents of folding trampolines that you would normally
find in a sports hall or leisure centre. Designed to give a comparable
performance, they are properly suited for adult use, with bed
sizes and performance that allow for even the most advanced trampolining
moves. We also offer two large rectangular trampolines from Ceetex
which, although classed as mid-range trampolines, are certainly
worthy of consideration: AIRBOUND
Z-20 , AIRBOUND
Z-17
Who is going to use it?
Just the children, and their friends? Don't forget older brothers
& sisters or older members of your extended family. Will it be
used by adults?
What are the users' expectations?
Is it to be just a bouncy play area for several children at once
or is it for more sporting use by one at a time, i.e a young gymnast
?
Is it to be used by a child who trampolines as a sport?
Even if your trampolining child is only 9 or 10 years old and
quite light, you could possibly get away with buying a Prince
18 but do be aware that the 56 x 7 inch springs will be expected
to do much the same job as 100 or more 10.5 inch springs down
at the sports hall. Inevitably some of them will break.
Round or Rectangular?
If you want performance and serious airtime always choose rectangular.
Proper trampolines in sports halls have always been rectangular
because all the springs work at a different rate to give a quicker
response and a more powerful lift. For this reason we strongly
recommend only one user at a time on a rectangular trampoline.
On a round trampoline all the springs work at the same rate. Thus
the larger the trampoline the softer, slower and less high is
the bounce. Very safe though and ideal for multiple use, messing
about, and just having fun.
A Black Polymesh or 2-String bed?
As in so many cases there is a trade off between performance and
comfort. The 2-string bed being nylon and allowing a good through
flow of air will get you bouncing higher. It will dry out quicker
after rain. But it has a slightly rougher surface and may cause
"mat burns" i.e grazes to elbows and knees. You should also be
aware that swimming pool chlorine will shorten the life of your
2-string bed. The black mesh bed being polypropylene with absolutely
no extra elasticity and giving a poor through flow of air will
give you less lift. But its smooth surface will never graze even
the tenderest of skin.
Weight & Age limitation
Although we give you simple weight & age limits for each model
you must also consider experience, strength & skill too. The greater
the height attained by the bouncer, the bigger the loading on
the trampoline springs. So whilst someone may be technically under
the maximum recommended weight for a particular trampoline, If
they are very competent & fit, they could manage to overload the
springs. If in doubt always buy bigger, you will not regret it.
Spare Parts
Always make sure that you are able to buy spare parts for your
trampoline. Our experience shows that you may well need to buy
the odd spring or pad after about five years (for a good quality
trampoline). You need to make sure, therefore, that your trampoline
manufacturer will still be around after that time. The manufacturers
from whom we buy trampolines are all very welll established companies,
and we supply their full range of spare parts.
Guarantees and Breakages
Trampoline guarantees are usually specified for different parts
of the trampoline. A typical guarantee is 10 years for the frame,
5 years for the bed and springs, and 1 year on the pads. When
trampolines go down-hill is is not usually the frame that fails
- frames do not usually buckle or rust through (hence the long
guarantee). What does tend to happen is that the springs stretch
- in general, especially in the case of budget trampolines, the
longer and more numerous the springs, the longer the springs will
last. Irrespective of the length of the guarantee on the pads,
mid-range trampoline pads usually last a good 5 years. After this
period, although the pads may still offer satisfactory protection,
some customers buy new pads from us simply to make their trampoline
look "new" again.
|
|
