Rectangular Trampoline vs Round Trampoline: The Differences

rectangular trampoline vs round

I’ve owned a lot of trampolines, and I’ve had trampolines for a long time. However, I didn’t really see much difference between the different shapes when it came to trampolines. After all, you jump on your trampoline, and that is determined by the construction and the quality of the materials!

However, recently, I actually found the main differences that different shapes make. While they aren’t too large, they are still something you must keep in mind. Becoming a smart buyer consists of knowing all the features of your model before you go for it.

So, in today’s article here at Turf Mechanic, we are going to take a look at the main differences in the rectangular trampoline vs round trampoline debate. This article is going to be really informative, and we hope that you would read it till the very end- let’s get started, then!

Rectangular trampoline vs Round trampoline: The Differences

As I just remarked, both of them are trampolines and you can pretty much spend you life without knowing the differences at all. However, for being a smart buyer and to exercise smartly, you need to actually keep these in mind. These also help you determine which model is worth the price, so you might want to consider it to make the financial perspective a little more justified as well.

However, it is worth mentioning that while there are quite a few minor differences, most of them are based on the specific situations. However, here are some of the top differences in the Rectangular trampoline vs Round Trampoline debate that you might want to keep in mind:

Jumping Area and Bounce Quality

Jumping Area and Bounce quality are the first things that come to one’s mind when discussing trampolines. These actually differ quite a bit between these two kinds of trampolines.

With the round trampolines, you actually get a much higher jumping area overall. This makes these trampolines practically larger and more space effective. Naturally, when it comes to the rectangular models, you get a little less utility from your space- of course, they are still pretty large, but the round ones of the same size are generally a little larger.

Quoting Trampolines, who have done the math for you, we can say:

The most popular size round trampoline is 14′ round. Keep in mind that this is the size of the frame. Once you factor in the frame and springs, this now leaves you with a 12′ round jumping surface. If you are jumping in the center, this leaves you with 6′ all the way around you for safety.

Now, lets look at the most popular size rectangle trampoline, which is 6′ x 12′. Once you factor in 1 foot on each side for springs and frame, you are now left with a 4′ wide jump surface. This now leaves you with only 2 feet on each side of you before you would go into the springs or fall off the trampoline (provided you were not using a net)! If you went with the larger 7×14′ rectangle trampoline, this would only add 1/2 foot. This is not much. Now if you had 2 or more kids on the trampoline, you could see how injuries will happen quickly on a rectangle trampoline.

The bounce quality, on the other hand, although partially dependent on size, also depend on the shape. This is what most people and almost every kid out there is looking for, right? Well, turns out, the rectangular trampoline actually gives you a better bounce quality than the round ones. This is another thing that you might want to keep in mind when going out there to buy a trampoline and have to choose between the rectangular trampoline vs round trampoline.

Safety: Which one is the safer of the two?

Well, let’s begin by clarifying that both the choices are really safe, as safety is of paramount importance and every company pays attention to this factor when designing or making a model.

However, naturally, there are some more safety feature that just creep in with the design. While these might vary a little bit from model to model, the round models are generally considered to be the safer of these two. The main reason behind this is that the natural (comparatively) low bounce level makes these safer for kids as well as adults.

So, if you have a really naught kid that you’re getting a trampoline for, you might be better off buying a round trampoline, because you’d actually be able to relax a little more given the fact it won’t allow him to jump too high!

Weight Limitation: Do the limits vary?

Well, naturally, the two also have a little difference when it comes to the weight limits. This basically means that the maximum weight that they can carry varies a little bit- mostly owing to their structural differences (naturally, round and rectangular models can’t have the exact same structure!)

However, since the Rectangular trampolines are mostly used by athletes, these are actually designed to take on a little more load. If we take a look at the top limits for all the models out there, it’s pretty evident that the rectangular models are usually the ones that can boast of higher limits.

Quoting TheTrampolinemom on the exact weights, we can say:

Weight Limits for a Round Trampoline
8 to 10-foot trampolines: 200–250 pounds
12-foot trampolines: 250–300 pounds
14 to 16-foot trampolines: 250–400 pounds

Weight Limits for a Rectangular Trampoline
All trampoline sizes: 300-450 pounds

The main difference: Price and Quality

Now, the main things that matter when it comes to any list of differences are the price and quality. After all, most of the other things come only if you can afford to go with it, and if you’re satisfied with its overall quality and durability.

Now, the rectangular models are mostly made for professional gymnasts. And naturally, they do requite a higher level of quality than domestic trampolines because of obvious reasons. However, this also means that these products are actually made in much lower numbers, which gives their price a pretty big hike.

So, we generally find that the really good quality rectangular models are often a lot more expensive than the good quality round models. So, if you’re looking for a more reasonable pricing, the round models might be a better choice you. Naturally, if you’re looking for a better overall performance, the rectangular models might be your preference.

Quoting Trampolines.com:

Since rectangle trampolines are essentially built for gymnasts, they are usually built in low quantities.  This means the price of these will be higher.  Also, many are not designed for outdoor use, as they were built for gymnasiums.  Many of the outdoor rectangle trampolines are imported from China, leaving only the well-built outdoor rectangle trampolines to be as high as $2,000 to purchase.

Conclusion

Well, both the choices are really great and are better suited for specific uses. However, if you’re a general user like me, you might want to opt for the choice that is a little safer, a little better in terms of overall jumping area, as well as a little cheaper.

Keeping these factors in mind, I’d recommend the regular round models for a regular user like me.

If you’re a regular user, you might want to conserve space on your lawn too. I’d recommend going for a folding trampoline in this case. Click here to find out the best Folding trampolines available out there!

You can also see this post to see my full trampoline buyers guide to buying one for your backyard.

Naturally, if you’re a gymnast and you’re looking to put it through intense professional use, you might want to try going for the Rectangular model. These models cost a little more, but with the extra jump height, the better quality, and the distinct looks, I’d say that it’s worth going for!

Turf Mechanic is here for you!

Finally, we can conclude by saying that the right model for you is out there, and Turf Mechanic is here to help you find the right model for yourself! As lawn owners and trampoline owners ourselves, we understand your dream, and we are here to help you out with the right information that you’re looking for.

We also understand that you might still have a few questions for us. We tried to keep the article as comprehensive as possible, but a few questions might still arise in your mind. If there’s anything that you’d like to ask us, please feel free to reach out to us- we would love to hear from you! We here at Turf Mechanic are always here for you, so please do not hesitate in reaching out to us!

Finally, we would like to thank you for taking your time to read this article till the very end. We really hope that you found it to be informative, and that you would be able to use this information when making your purchase. We also hope to see you again on our next article! However, until we meet again, we wish you a great day, and recommend that you check out the following articles: