Saturday, February 21, 2009

Consider Age And Saftey When Choosing A Trampoline For Children

By Jane Bracken

If you are looking into purchasing a trampoline for your family but you have children; there are many things you need to consider. Age is one of them, and safety is the second. Both of these issues often times prevent families from enjoying a trampoline as they are scared to even purchase one.

Common injuries on the trampoline usually are all related to three things. One being the jumper fell off, the second is the jumper collided with something or someone else, and lastly is they got snagged on the springs. However there are many ways a parent can limit all of these injuries for their child.

There are a variety of models for different purposes; there are large trampolines that can accommodate a number of children at once; there are trampolines with handle for children under 10. Being informed is the best policy when choosing a trampoline that is right for your children.

Larger trampolines can be over 14-feet wide, and come in a variety of shapes. It is commonly thought that round and octagonal trampolines produce the best results. Corners do complicate safety issues by creating an area of the trampoline mat with two sides connecting to the frame instead of one. If worried about spring injuries, a square or rectangular trampoline may not be the right for your children.

Today manufactures have started to provide protection from the springs. They are called spring covers, a piece of plastic that wraps all the way around the trampoline and covers all the springs. Often times they are reinforced by foam or some type of padding. These are not all that reliable as they often shift and jar when someone is jumping which opens up the potential of spring injury. Spring covers are great for older jumpers as they understand the risks of being near the cover.

Normally when you purchase a trampoline with a spring cover you get another added benefit - enclosures. This is a netting that is designed specifically to keep the jumper in the trampoline and not flying out of it. No matter the size of your trampoline, they are available and great for any age. Not only will you be protecting your children from spring injuries but also from falling out.

Sadly, enclosures do not always suffice. Older or larger children do have the chance of falling through the netting to potentially severe injury. Even with the secured area inside, they are not safe for all children. If you have smaller children, you cannot go wrong with an enclosed trampoline.

Say you have a toddler or any child that is under the age of ten; there is a high ring of doubt about owning a trampoline. However there are now trampolines with handle - small, compact, safe, and stable. They are small enough to be put indoors and are by far the safest trampoline for any toddler. They reside only a few inches off of the ground to prevent falling injuries and they do not contain any springs.

A springless trampoline, when used in conjunction with the safety equipment mentioned above, can eliminate many safety issues will also being a longer-lasting, more cost effective choice in trampolines. These trampolines replace springs with elastic bands, which are inexpensive to replace and last longer than the conventional metal springs. These elastic bands eliminate all possibility of jumpers injuring themselves from coming in contact with the springs because there are none! Because of the reduced weight, a springless trampoline costs less to ship through the mail. This reduced weight also makes storing the trampoline in the winter much easier. These attributes make a springless trampoline an excellent choice for children of any age. - 15438

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