The Best Trampolines for Kids of All Ages
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When it comes to trampolines, the joy they provide and the benefits of active outdoor play often outweigh the safety concerns (from twisted ankles to more serious injuries). But once you decide to buy one, the primary goal should be to create the safest trampoline experience possible.
According toAmy A. Skaria, MD, sports-medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery, padding is key. “You want thick, well-fitted padding over the springs, frame, and hooks so kids are not landing on hard surfaces,” she says. Trampolines should also have netting all the way around the jump mat to help prevent kids from falling off, and the opening of that netting should have a secure closure, like a zipper with an added buckle. Skaria says these features can help reduce risk but that they work best when combined with good supervision and clear rules.
Margaret Siobhan Murphy-Zane, an orthopedic surgeon and associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, adds that the majority of trampoline-related injuries these days are “not the trampoline’s fault.” They happen most frequently when kids land awkwardly after being double-bounced (when one person lands on the mat just before another person sends them flying). The risk is highest when small children and adults jump together because of the weight difference; there’s even an injury known as a “trampoline fracture” because it happens so often in double-bounce scenarios. Otherwise, more serious head and neck injuries can happen when kids attempt tricks like flips or somersaults.
To help mitigate these risks, all of the experts I spoke to recommend that parents remain present to enforce the following rules: one jumper at a time, no tricks, and children should be 6 years old before they jump on full-size trampolines. That said, most of the people I know who own trampolines aren’t quite so strict. And it’s up to every family to find a balance between having fun and staying as safe as possible. Australia-based pediatric physiotherapistNicole Patessays that many older children are capable of understanding and sticking to ground rules like no rough play, no double-bouncing, and staying in their own space. And multiple kids of the same size and level of coordination is much less risky than multiple kids of very different sizes, like teens jumping together toddlers. “Your job isn’t to make your trampoline risk-free. It’s to keep the risk manageable,” Pates says.
The very best trampolines will have proven safety features and be sturdy enough to withstand rowdy kids and inclement weather with warranties in case something goes wrong. The rest will depend on the size of your backyard, the age of your kids, your particular design preferences, and your budget.
Best trampolines for toddlers
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Pates says small indoor trampolines with handlebars, like this one from Little Tikes, are excellent for young children who are still learning to jump independently and for toddler families with limited space. The bar gives jumpers something to hold on to while they build the strength and coordination to get both feet off the ground. “The bounce is gentler, the height is minimal, and the forces going through their little legs are much lower,” she says, adding that toddlers are more likely to get hurt jumping on trampolines because their bones are softer than older children’s and adult’s bones, so they absorb force differently.
My 3-year-old son jumps on a similar trampoline with a handlebar at his preschool, and we also have one in my apartment building’s communal playroom that is so popular kids will wait in line for a turn. This trampoline has a weight limit of 55 pounds.
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I first experienced the Jungle Jumparoo back in January when I took my son to an indoor play gym in Brooklyn called Kids Town Play Space. He loved jumping on it and using the detachable rope swing to zoom from one side to the other. My favorite things about it, though, were how stable it seemed and that, because it can’t create a double bounce like a traditional trampoline, it is safer for multiple kids to jump on together. Then I spoke toJackie Schear, an event planner who specializes in kids’ parties, about the Jumparoo. “I bought it five years ago for my best friend, who has four kids, and they are still using it,” she told me, adding that it was the second time she’d given one as a gift. The brand’s website says that while there is no weight limit (Schear’s friends’ oldest kid is 9 years old now and still loves bouncing on it), no more than eight kids (or four average-size adults) should jump on the full-size Jumparoo at a time (there’s also a mini-version). You can use it both indoors and outdoors.
Best trampoline for elementary-school kids
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When I asked parents about theexpensive toys that are actually worth buying, Milk Teeth co-founder Rebecca Calavan mentioned this beginner-friendly backyard trampoline that her then-5-year-old son loved jumping on. The trampoline is seven feet wide and 33 inches off the ground with a net on all sides. It has a weight capacity of 100 pounds.
Best full-size rectangular trampoline
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Avyna trampolines, especially the brand’s long rectangular ones, are a best seller fortrampolines.comco-owner and dad of three Brad Mills. “We get a lot of gymnastics moms looking for the best bounce and longest space for their kids to practice on,” he says, noting that a lot of his customers with older kids are opting foringround trampolinesbecause they look better and don’t necessarily need a net since they are level with the ground. What makes them worth the splurge is the double galvanized steel frame with a rust-resistant coating, which comes with a lifetime warranty. The jump mat and padding come with a three-year warranty, and the jump mat is designed to allow extra airflow, giving it a smooth, high bounce.
Mills also recommends rectangular trampolines more generally if you’re going to have multiple kids jumping because they offer multiple sweet spots and bounce zones, reducing the risk of collisions between jumpers. “Round trampolines tend to draw everyone into the center, but a rectangle trampoline gives kids more space to do their own thing,” he says.
Best (less expensive) full-size rectangular trampoline
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The Finnish brand Acon is also a solid choice for families who want a nice-looking rectangular trampoline. This one is 13 feet long with a high net and two layers — one mesh, one padded — covering the springs. It also has a unique dual-spring setup that lets you start off with a softer bounce experience for younger kids; as they get older, you can flip the mat and springs for a more intense bounce on the other side. This trampoline has a ten-year warranty for the frame and a five-year warranty for the springs and jumping mat. The net has a two-year warranty and everything else has a one-year warranty.
Best full-size round trampoline
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If you don’t need as much space, Avyna also makes this 14-foot round trampoline with many of the same features as the larger rectangular version above, including a sturdy double galvanized steel frame and springs, a weather resistant mat and net, a ten-year warranty, and a lockable safety entrance.
Best (less expensive) full-size round trampoline
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For folks on a smaller budget who still want a safe and durable option, Jump Flex is a reputable, well-reviewed brand. This model has a high weight capacity of 550 pounds, a net that attaches to the mat so the springs and padding are outside the jumping area, padded poles that curve away from the mat so you have more room to jump, and a double-ring frame for extra stability.
And while there are certainly many full-size trampolines that will cost you a lot less, the experts I spoke to all advised against buying from random Amazon brands or from the TikTok Shop. According to Pates, investing in a bigger trampoline that’s durable and will last for years is also a good way to get kids used to the ground rules early. “If you’ve got the outdoor space and you know your kids are going to grow into a bigger trampoline anyway, it might make more sense to go straight to the full size with a net enclosure and invest your energy into the teaching kids the rules and supervision from the start,” she says.
Best springless trampoline
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Springless trampolines are designed to eliminate the risk of little hands and feet getting caught in the springs. And even with padding covering those springs, Pates says this style is safer. Strategist writer Bella Druckman grew up jumping on a Springfree trampoline like this one, which uses a series of flexible rods set at an angle to give the jumping mat bounce. She says it’s very bouncy (though less so than a trampoline at a trampoline park) and fits her and her three siblings comfortably. “We’ve probably had it for about a decade and it’s survived Chicago snowstorms, polar vortexes, and a recent tree fall in our backyard. My grandparents had a very similar one when I was younger too,” she says. Druckman’s family trampoline is round, but I recommend going with an oval shape if possible, as several people, including Strategist deputy editor Simone Kitchens, whose 13-year-old niece got an oval trampoline during COVID lockdown, told me it’s a good middle ground for kids who want more space to try out gymnastics or use it as a stage for choreographed dance numbers. Plus this one comes with a free basketball-hoop attachment.
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