Trampoline Buying Guide: How to Buy the Right Trampoline for Your Family

trampoline buyers guide

What is the point have maintaining an awesome yard if you don’t get out into it regularly to enjoy it?

The kids can run through sprinklers in the hot summer months but you can really step it up a notch by adding play structures that your kids and their friends will love.

Sandboxes, playgrounds, and swing-sets are all awesome but if you have a trampoline then the kids will flip out… pun intended!

Here on Turf Mechanic I have a large portion of this site dedicated to trampolines.

You can easily run through the site page by page snagging tips on caring for your trampoline, maintaining the landscape around a trampoline, as well as shopping tips for your next trampoline.

On this page I am condensing all the info on buying and caring for your trampoline into one readable guide. You can then deep dive into any related topic covered elsewhere on the site.

Before we get to the meat of this buyer’s guide let’s start by indexing detailed posts on this subject that already exist on this site.

Lawn Care For The Yard Near Your Trampoline

Whether or not you already own a trampoline or are simply shopping for one it’s important to understand what they can do to your lawn and landscape. If you don’t own one yet then this thought process can be helpful in the section of a trampoline or the placement of it too.

What to Put Under a Trampoline

what to put under a trampolineIf you have a trampoline already or are just looking to make your purchase you should take a substantial amount of time to decide on where you are going to place that trampoline and how you are going to landscape below it, around it, and make it safe for regular use. Most adults are able to use trampoline safely but many times kids can do things that us parents shudder at. It’s imperative that you set your trampoline up so that it’s safe for the kids and pets. I’m an advocate for blocking off the underside of the trampoline with a fabric or wooden skirt or with dense vegetation but there are more things to consider. In this post I cover a lot of options for landscaping under your trampoline.


Do Trampolines Kill Grass?

do trampolines kill grassIf you are thinking about putting your trampoline directly in the middle of your lawn like most American households do then you should know that trampolines can easily kill the grass underneath it if you don’t plan on saving it or caring for it the right way. There are ways to keep the grass alive but you have to be quite regular with your lawn maintenance which will be different from the rest of your lawn care program.


How to Cut Grass Under a Trampoline

how to cut grass under a trampolineMany trampolines do not have grass under them due to a lack of sunlight and moisture or due to landscaping but if your trampoline setup comes complete with a full patch of turf grass right underneath the jumping zone then check out this article to learn the different ways to manage it all. You can adjust your own mower to do this or even pick up a manual hand tool or expensive robotic mower to get the job done.


Which Trampoline Should You Buy For Your Yard

After having considered what a trampoline will do to your yard it’s now time to go through the process of selecting one to buy. Your decision on which trampoline to buy will be affected greatly on the allotted space in your yard for the unit and the amount of people that may be on it at any one point in time. Obviously some trampolines cost more than others and some are safer than others so I hope you’ll dive into the following posts which should help you decide which size, shape, and price point you should be looking at when it comes to trampolines.

How Much Weight do Trampolines Hold
Rectangular vs Round Trampolines: The Differences
Best Trampolines That Fold Away
Best Mini Trampolines With Handlebars For Adults
Best Trampolines with Higher Weight Limits

How to Maintain Your Trampoline

Once you finally decide which one to buy and where to put it in your yard it’s now time to look into maintenance and how to keep your trampoline looking it’s best and staying it’s safest. The following posts on this site have do do with winter storage, maintenance and cleaning, and parts replacement. Each of these topics are important for the trampoline owner.

The Top Trampoline Covers for The Winter
Can You Use a Trampoline in the Winter?
How to Winterize a Trampoline
How Much Do Trampolines Typically Cost
Do Sprinklers Ruin Trampolines?
Trampoline Sprinkler System – Water Pressure Setup
How to Keep a Trampoline from Flying Away

As new articles go live I’ll link to them on this central guide.

Now let’s dive in.

Here’s what you need to know when shopping for a family trampoline.

The size shape and placement of the trampoline are going to dictate a lot about which trampoline you decide to buy.

If you have a sloped yard then you will have to level it out or dig into the hillside unless the slope is very slight. Make sure to see the following post for more instruction: Can You Place A Trampoline On A Sloped Yard

Aside from physical placement of the trampoline you need to assess the people that will be using the trampoline – how many of them will be on it at any given time and how heavy those people are.

More people (and heavier people) will require you to get a bigger trampoline in size and possibly a different shape. Oval trampolines are great for multiple adults for instance. See the following posts for more guidance in this area.

What Size Trampoline Should I Get
Oval vs Round Trampolines