Jumpy Joey's Trampoline Buying Guide

I'm always asked about advice when it comes to purchasing and assembling trampolines. Hopefully I can provide some valuable information below. Jumpy Joey has the AlleyOOP 10x17 Rectangle in his backyard!

Jumpy Joey installs trampolines professionally in all of the Dallas - Ft Worth Metroplex. We are passionate about our job and it shows in our attention to detail. We make sure all installations are built with the safety of your child in mind. We take all precautions necessary so that your child is never in danger and will always be able to play or practice safely. We do not require the homeowner to be home, as long as we can access the yards and the boxes.

​4 Trampoline Buying Categories

Trampoline Shape

Sometimes your yard shape will dictate the shapes you can place inside of it. Many narrow yards, might only hold a rectangular shape. The most popular (and usually less expensive) trampolines are round. There's also squares, ovals, and octagons. I find most ovals to lack bounce, as the manufacturer usually stretches a round shape into an oval. Squares, depend on the manufacturer, as some can sink in the middle, while others are very bouncy. Octagons are usually bouncy as they resemble multiple rectangles overlaid. However, you'll only find rectangles inside of gymnasiums and trampoline parks. Rectangles provide more bounce (on most brands), but will also come with a heftier price tag. I sell more rounds vs. rectangle trampolines, and rounds are very suitable for most uses. Some of the nicer brands I carry have 1 feature that sets them apart from most. The netting goes outside of the frame vs. to the edge of jumping surface. This makes a huge difference because it allows for not only more usable space, but also a resting spot for extra kids to sit / stand out of the way of the jumper, while helps improve the safety as well.

Trampoline Safety & Longevity

Let's face it, this is a big deal to many families. Trampolines have had a very bad reputation over the years as being unsafe. I've done my research & realized trampolines are not the most unsafe toy or sport that kids get involved in. Running, MMA, basketball, football, wrestling, gymnastics, skate boards, etc... all have more reported accidents than trampolines. A trampoline can be a safe toy if treated safely. 1 kid at a time following the rules & not horse-playing will almost always yield good results. The life of a trampoline comes down to "you get what you pay for". I tell parents quite often that "most" trampolines are safe the day you get them, but the quality will determine how long they remain that way. If you spend $300 on a trampoline, don't anticipate it to grow old with your kids. Also be prepared for many repairs over the years. The components most often replaced are the materials (netting, jumping mat, padding, and foam covering the poles). Resale value is very low for cheap trampolines. Check any classified ads section and you'll find a ton of trampolines falling apart generally going for Free - $200. If you spend $1,000 or more on a trampoline, you can rest assured that the trampoline can outlive your children's childhood, while also having a good resale value.

Trampoline Size

Size & Shape are 2 categories that often overlap one another. First you need to know the shape before determining the size. I usually always urge parents to go with a larger versus smaller size. This allows the kids to grow into the size, and a child will never complain that it's too large. When looking at a trampoline's size, just know that the measurements are based on the frame length. So for round it's the diameter, and for rectangles it's the length vs. width. The 4 most common shape / size combinations I usually encounter the most are: 10'x17' Rectangle (Regulation Size) 9'x15' Rectangle 14'-15' Round (Most Popular) ​12' Round Some of the nicer brands I carry have 1 feature that sets them apart from most. The netting goes outside of the frame vs. to the edge of jumping surface. This makes a huge difference because it allows for not only more usable space, but also a resting spot for extra kids to sit / stand out of the way of the jumper, while helps improve the safety as well. Brands that abide by this are JumpSport, AlleyOOP, and Texas Trampolines

Trampoline Budget

Perhaps I should have began here, as this category sometimes makes a $1,000+ trampoline out of reach for many families. For the families that value safety & longevity over anything else, anticipate the trampoline to cost more than $300, and not found at your nearest big box retailer. A little lesson about modern manufacturing, is that overseas manufacturers attempt to get away with as little as possible to still pass for a product. This is the case with most cheap brands. Expect cheap flimsy frames, thin small springs, hardly padded padding, thin netting material, thin enclosure poles and foam, and cheaply made jumping surfaces. Along with these cheap components, expect replacement pieces in the near future and higher likelihood of accidents! ​The most common cheap brands are: Skywalker, BouncePro, JumpPower, JumpZone, SportsPower, Propel, Pure Fun, ExacMe, Ultega, Upper Bounce and new brands come out under different names daily. The most common better brands are: JumpKing, Skybound, Acom, Air Master, Olympus Pro, Vuly, Springfree, JumpSport, AlleyOOP, Texas Trampolines, Magic Circle

Most Popular Trampolines

Prices shown are without assembly

$300ish - Skywalker 15' Round Trampoline & Enclosure

The #1 Round Trampoline in America is the Skywalker 15' Round Trampoline & Enclosure. I'll begin with a product I don't even carry, so hopefully you can see this list is unbiased. I've provided an Amazon Link to purchase the trampoline. The reason behind the popularity of this unit, is mainly the cost. This is a highly mass produced unit. I would rate it above most all department store brands. The assembly is not as time consuming as many other brands. It is not super bouncy with the smaller springs that are used, and unfortunately the net only goes to the edge of the jumping surface, rendering the padding outside of the net useless other than the doorway entry. This is about a 13' jumping surface. Skywalker makes a 14' round and a 12' round as well. Their quality is less than their popular 15' model.

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$600ish - Skywalker 9'x15' Rectangle Trampoline & Enclosure

The 9'x15' Rectangle unit is great for narrow yards, or those looking to get the least expensive rectangle. Skywalker also makes an 8'x14', but the 9'x15' is more popular in my findings. This unit will come in 3 large heavy boxes, and a lot of times these boxes receive damage in shipment, oftentimes leading to torn boxes, and potentially lost pieces. The assembly has a lot of nuts and bolts and drive most people nuts. Once completed in the presence of kids, I've gathered them complaining about the bounce being less than expected. Also, once again, the net only goes to the edge of the frame, so this is really about a 7'x12' jumping space, while making the padding useless other than the doorway entry.

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$1899 - AlleyOOP 14' Variable Bounce Trampoline & Enclosure

This is the most popular round trampoline made by AlleyOOP. This is a high quality round trampoline with a description similar to the rectangle model above. Once again green frame with green padding matches any landscape. Same tough enclosure system and netting is found on all AlleyOOP units. The 14' round space is completely usable as the netting goes outside of the frame. These are heavy gauge units with open weave nets that allow the wind to travel through, making it less likely to take off in a storm. The bounce on these units is remarkable and all kids that get an AlleyOOP only have great things to say about the. AlleyOOP makes a PowerBounce option (extra layer of springs) for this trampoline as well in both the 12' and 14' round units.

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$2449 - AlleyOOP 14' DoubleBounce Trampoline & Enclosure

This is the King Kong of round trampolines. This is the trampoline I personally have in my backyard. This is an extremely well made trampoline. All the best components are in use here. There are 2 jumping surfaces separated by about 8" of air cushion between them. This trampoline is very bouncy, and preferred by many YouTube trampoline enthusiasts! Recommended for active kids and teens. You will not find another trampoline like it, as it's very unique and patented. This trampoline excels on all trampoline safety tests. There is also a DoubleBounce PowerBounce option (2 jumping mats, extra layer of springs also) also available.

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$2999 - AlleyOOP 10'x17' Rectangle Trampoline & Enclosure

AlleyOOP stands for quality at every corner. This is a massive rectangle trampoline and extremely bouncy. The green powder coated frame, and green padding look really nice in any yard. The springs are long and bouncy, and the enclosure system is second to none. The netting is very sturdy and overlaps at the doorway eliminating a zippered net that kids forget to close. The netting also goes outside of the frame allowing the kids to utilize the padding as a resting space and really opening up the total usable space rather than causing a claustrophobic effect. If you have kids that watch YouTube, they've definitely heard of this trampoline. There is also a PowerBounce (extra layer of springs) version of this unit as well.

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$2849 - Texas Trampolines 15'x17' Trampoline & Enclosure

Talk about massive! This trampoline is very popular with people with a lot of space. Although no manufacturer can state several kids being allowed on a trampoline at a time, I believe it's obvious, this one will hold plenty. I've assembled and tested this one many times. Texas Trampolines makes terrific products, and they're made in the USA (Texas)! These trampolines are costly, but made with precision, and found in many gymnasiums and backyards across the world. The frames are very thick, and the springs are very bouncy. The padding is accessible from inside of the net, once again providing even more interior space, as the padding is thick enough to stand and sit on while another jumps. Installation is time consuming, but a super tough trampoline is awaiting its completion! Although this is the largest on they make, they also have the available sizes WITH & WITHOUT Enclosures (8'x13', 9'x15', 9'x17', 10'x17', 13'x13', 15'x15', 15'x17')

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$2399 - Springfree 13' Jumbo Square Trampoline & Enclosure

Springfree is a brand I'm often asked about. They spend a great amount of money on marketing, and really get their name out there to the consumers. I'm not fully onboard with Springfree units being worth their costs. These are expensive trampolines to simply have gotten rid of the springs out of the equation. They claim the springs cause the accidents, and I don't agree with that. Horse play and carelessness causes accidents. Keep in mind, most trampolines have the net go to where the jumping surface ends, eliminating contact with springs anyways. Getting past the marketing of these units, they are good quality materials being used. I don't feel as though these are as bouncy as good high end traditional trampolines, and you're also short changed on the bouncing space, as the net concaves inside (like an hour glass shape) eliminating the ability to comfortably jump on the edges. Once more than one child is inside of these units, they're always bouncing into one another without a resting spot. The manufacturer will warn against multiple kids at a time, and while that's a great idea, it almost always is a rule that gets broken once comfort sets in.

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