The Evolution of Safe Trampoline Design

Trampolines are a great outdoor activity. They promote a fun and active lifestyle. However, if you pay attention to the news you can probably recall several incidents involving trampoline injury. Thousands of people are injured yearly. Sadly, there are no improvements to or advances in trampoline safety standards in the US. Trampoline designers have made a few sundry attempts to address this problem — traditionally by installing weak foam padding around the springs and frame that lost most of its absorbency after initial contact.

While they are fun to jump on, trampolines come with a list of possible injuries and even the risk of death. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, accidental deaths on trampolines can occur by:

• Bouncing into another person
• Not properly landing while jumping or doing stunts
• Falling or jumping off of the trampoline
• Falling on the springs or frame of the trampoline

Indeed, from 2000-2009, there were 22 deaths in the US resulting from these types of occurrences.  There have been so few trampoline safety improvements over the years that when one finally came along, people took notice. Based on the designs of a mechanical engineer and proactive parent from New Zealand, Springfree Trampoline introduced a series of design improvements that have completely changed the game.

One interesting and unique improvement is the SoftEdge mat. This innovative mat absorbs 30 times the amount of shock than traditional trampoline pads. Combine this with the removal of the springs from the trampoline equation and the concealment of the frame beneath the surface, and suddenly you’ve removed 90% of product-related injury. This is why the hidden frame approach works the best — and only Springfree uses this approach. This method eliminates the need for springs.  It also reduces the potential threat of jumpers coming into contact with the frame. This means that when you buy a 10ft trampoline at Springfree Trampoline you are interacting with composite rods beneath the mat, rather than dangerous springs on a horizontal plane with the mat. This makes the experience safer than ever before.

In 2006, 80 percent of trampolines came with safety nets. While this helped to reduce the injuries resulting from falling to the ground, new dangers were created due to the risk of colliding with the support bars of the net. This is why Springfree has introduced the FlexiNet enclosure — which uses pliable composite rods in place of rigid steel poles which help to guide bouncers safely back to the mat. These poles are curved outwards and act as a guiding mechanism instead of a potential threat.

After safety concerns, your next question should concern quality manufacturing. If you are searching for safe trampoline alternative for you family, you don’t want to have to replace it every year. Every quality piece of athletic equipment needs to be made with highest quality materials where each component is thoroughly tested on-site for quality assurance. Quality trampoline parts will also be able to withstand the hot summers and wet winters, without losing any structural integrity. Make sure to find a company with a weather resistant guarantee to ensure that you aren’t buying another trampoline in a few short years. Follow these steps, and you’re sure to find the right trampoline for your backyard in no time.