My daughter has recently started to want a trampoline because her friends have one in their yard and she finds it super enjoyable to jump on. This started me down a path of understanding what options were available and what is the best size for a trampoline for a family versus other uses.
What is the best size for a trampoline? For almost all families the best size for a trampoline will be the 12′ round trampoline as it is best suited for teenage use and for social gatherings and play. The 12′ round is amazing for the ability to give you bounce and to give hours of play, along with exhaust your kid.
When you are trying to choose which trampoline would be the best fit for you and possibly your family there are many options and each can have some pros and cons. We are going to dig in deeper below if anyone area specifically feels like an option clicks on the table of contents to be brought to that section!
What size trampoline is right for our family and our backyard?
There are a great many options available that can depend on multiple factors. Today we will be covering the four primary differences which will allow you to make the proper choice for your needs.
Four Primary Of Needs To Focus On:
- Area To Install: This will provide you a better understanding of the size you can purchase if you have 12′ you don’t want to purchase a 14′ trampoline.
- Family Size: You want to choose your trampoline based on the number of jumpers also as no one enjoys watching everyone else jump instead.
- Ages To Use: What is the intended age of the users of the trampoline, this question should be in the forefront of your decisions.
- Weight Supported: How much weight can the trampoline support at one time, two or three adults is a decent amount of weight.
Below we have jumped into guides as to each size and type of the trampolines which are commonly available. This is to help you compare and decide which is the best purchase for your needs!
When reading up on the subject from an array of websites the overall feel is that boys prefer round trampolines and as they age into teens move to like the larger rectangle-shaped trampolines. Boys love to just play randomly and play games like who can bounce the highest.
When talking about girls they couldn’t be more different on their typical choices for trampolines, they are more about dance and gymnastics and starting in specific corners are vital. Most girls have lighter frames than boys and this makes rectangles a better fit for them to get a better and higher bounce.
How To Choose The Best Size Trampoline
We are now going to dive into the deep end of the trampolines and start to look at them by type and shape and by size. This should help you dig into each and find your perfect fit for your use, this should help make the decision very easy and give you hours of enjoyment each day!
Round Trampolines
I remember the day my dad brought home our trampoline, being a young boy I was enamored with it and would play for hours. We had a smaller backyard than many, I grew up in Washington State and its evergreen forests which always encroached into our yard.
Nothing was as awesome though as jumping in tandem with another person and using them to spring you incredibly high, I honestly felt I could touch the clouds on many occasions!
8-10 Foot Trampolines
If your primary concern is for your kids to have a trampoline and you are limited in space then this 8-10′ range. This size is perfect for the smaller lots or backyards and families which may have younger kids as this is the size that is typically for one child at a time.
The reason you want to limit the jumpers on these smaller size trampolines is the is an increase in the chance that they could jump into each other and get injured.
Another benefit to the 8′ trampoline is that it is much lower to the ground so the weight of a jumper needs to be thought of as you could bottom out and hit the ground.
If you have space I would recommend the 10′ over the 8′ in almost all circumstances as it is a much better financial choice long term and will last you a very long time as a family activity. Though if space in the yard is your limitation then an 8′ trampoline is better than no trampoline!
12 Foot Rounds Trampolines
When you start increasing the size of the trampoline you begin to have additional options with the number of jumpers who can participate at the same time. On a 12′ foot trampoline this is typically two with plenty of space to not impact or jump into each other, this is a great choice for families with rambunctious boys.
This is is typically the best seller amongst all trampolines since it has a tremendous lifespan and is a great cost.
14+ Foot Round Trampolines
These are the biggest and craziest trampolines, many in the trampoline world call them “entertainers” due to their ability to support larger numbers of simultaneous jumpers. These trampolines aren’t for the faint of heart or wallet, they are typically for the people with money and yards in surplus.
These are perfect for larger families and are incredibly safe just due to their sheer size and space. They can fit multiple people safely to ensure that there is less chance for injury and problems.
Having a trampoline will allow the kids to be entertained for hours and keep them tuckered out so they are less wild in the evenings!
If you have kids over 10 and/or larger family size, in general, this may be the perfect fit for you to purchase. This is a perfect fit when you have social butterflies for children and they will want to have friends over frequently.
Rectangle Trampolines
Rectangle trampolines are more springy for those who are lighter, they also tend to be more for those who are dance-oriented and or acrobatics or gymnastically inclined. This style of a trampoline can be a perfect fit when you have an odd-sized yard they are narrower where 8′ would be too much.
7x10ft Rectangle Trampoline
This size trampoline is ideal for fitting into your yard next to a garden shed or near your kids swing set, they are very small and compact which allows them to have a similar use the round 8′ or 10′ round trampoline. For a smaller trampoline, the limit for jumpers should be one at a time also on this size of a trampoline.
This size is ideal for installation in the ground, they are small and simple to place and don’t require as much excavation.
8x12ft Rectangle Trampoline
This is the perfect size for tweens and older, they will be a great trampoline which will provide years of use as your kids get older. If your kids are into gymnastics then you will come to find out that this is the most common size used for juniors to practice their routines on.
This rectangle trampoline also provides you an amazingly high jump since the springs are closer to you on 2 sides. This would be ideal as an in-ground trampoline as it would allow for easy installation and long-lasting fun.
9x14ft Rectangle Trampoline
This is more oriented towards kids aiming to perform in gymnastics who need space to learn flips and land safely. The smaller trampoline is just too short to land some of these routines so you would want to aim towards purchasing this size for your gymnast in training.
Also if you wanted to have a trampoline for multiple kids in your family to use this is an awesome choice as it is big enough to allow two jumpers to play at the same time, unlike the smaller trampoline. This size trampoline also tends to perform well in-ground and has a stronger frame in most instances along with higher quality pads to keep the kids safe.
14x16ft Rectangle Trampoline
This is very close to being a square and not a rectangle, this large surface area helps when you want to have multiple bouncers on it at the same time. This size of trampoline is amazing even with 3+ people on it at the same time.
This trampoline is a perfect match for multiple games you could play while bouncing, from soccer to wrestling and beyond.
This trampoline will have all the neighborhood kids wanting to come over and play so be ready to start hosting the sleepovers! When you have a trampoline this size it becomes too difficult to move if you want to mow underneath you will need to drop the lawnmower down. We would suggest looking to make this space a rock garden or something similar to avoid this.
This style of a trampoline is the choice for a number of cheerleading kids. This is due to it being ideal for tumbling and practicing techniques that are ultimate to be used directly on the floor once they are confident.
10 X 17 Rectangular Trampoline (Olympic size)
This is for the most dedicated of parents with a gigantic backyard and kids who have started to turn at least 8-9 years old. If younger than that you won’t be able to get much bounce out of this trampoline due to the sheer size.
When you compare this size to a real gymnastics based trampoline you will find it has a little less bounce. If your kids are under 80-90 pounds I would most definitely look at another size trampoline as this won’t work well for them.
This is an excellent trampoline for general family use and self-invented or other style ball games. A heavy-duty frame makes this a long term back yard investment that will pay dividends for years to come.
Additional Information From YouTube on Choosing a Trampoline
Trampolines By Age
Below we offer an option that would work for each age range where you can get the best use of the trampolines and get the value you pay for. Each of these will be great for hours of outdoor fun and play with the kids and adults alike!
Younger Age Group – Toddlers
For toddlers, you may be best suited to get one of the exercise style trampolines that are 4′ or less which will allow for a more controlled interaction. Trampolines this size are very inexpensive and are able to be easily stored for use, we prefer this Skywalker model on Amazon.
Teens Age Group
This is the most all over the place age range, they will want to have parties and will prefer to have friends over to jump. They also need a larger jump surface than younger kids which leads you to look at either a round trampoline like this or a square model like this.
Adult Age Group
This group is the most diverse as almost any specified trampoline above will be a perfect fit, adults typically view things pragmatically and instead look to the overall cost. If you plan on parties then you want to aim at the mid to larger range to allow for multiple jumpers, like with this option.
Final Thoughts
Choosing your trampoline isn’t something that is too risky if you aren’t sure then it is always better to buy one size up or larger. This allows you to enjoy it for a much longer time without growing out of it. This is the most frequent complaint I read from people is that they bought one which was only good for a year or two.
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