Written by Terry Smith

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UK’s best trampolines for kids and adults

This article was last updated on May 24th, 2022 at 10:12 am

Kids, both young and old, love bouncing on things and there’s nothing better to bounce on than a good outdoor trampoline, well other than a bouncy castle maybe 🙂 If you have more than a couple of children and the space to spare, you could go with a large outdoor trampoline so that the kids aren’t fighting over who gets to play on it first, and you can even join in the fun with them while getting fitter in the process. So I’ve tested the best trampolines available and I have to say the 8ft Kanga trampoline I tested that’s designed for kids comes up great – I even caught the wife on our trampoline through our security camera 😀

 

My kids testing our Kanga Trampoline 🙂

As you can see they absolutely loved it. But when I did my testing of trampolines – which was by and large the setup I did have some trouble so it’s worth watching my quick video – I really have trimmed it down as much as I can, so you can get a feel for what you’ll need tool wise and what setup actually entails.

Top Tip: After testing and setting up numerous trampolines it was apparently clear that a decent impact driver or cordless drill made life all that much easier. Almost all sets absolutely relied on a socket bit – normally 10mm and you need a decent posi drive screwdriver as well. 

Best trampoline overall: TecTake trampoline is currently out of stock so as a result the best alternative is the Kanga Trampoline. If they don’t come back in stock next time I update this review they will be removed!

Budget pick: ZERO GRAVITY High Spec Trampoline – nice for kids, one adult is possible too on the 14ft I’ve reviewed
Best trampoline for adults: TecTake Outdoor trampoline
Best alternative for adults: ZERO GRAVITY Ultima Rectangular Barrel Trampoline
Best trampoline for kids: Charles Bentley Monster Children’s 12ft Trampoline
Best alternative for kids: Beyondfashion 55″ 4.5FT Trampoline

We have taken a closer look at the best-selling trampolines available in the UK at the present time to see if they live up to expectations and have written up our thoughts regarding things like quality, size, and safety in our product reviews below. We hope that they will help you with your decision when it comes to buying the best outdoor trampoline for you and your family but if you’re still unsure please take a look at our best trampoline buyer’s guide to give you a better little nudge.

Best trampoline buyer’s guide

This buyer’s guide is here to point out a few factors you may want to think about before handing over your money for a trampoline. Things such as size, price, quality, shape, and other things are all highlighted here in some way in the hope that we can guide you towards the right purchase and leave you happy with your choice. Let’s begin with size.

What size is right for you?

When choosing the right size of trampoline there are others to consider that could limit what is practical. The main one is the size of your garden. Many people underestimate just how much space a large trampoline takes up after its been fully assembled and it can sometimes look like a bit of an eyesore if it is jammed into a garden that just isn’t big enough to house it properly.

Trampolines surprise you with how much space they take up

As you can see, even a 10ft trampoline over powers a narrow long garden!

Another thing that will affect the size of the trampoline that you should buy is the age, size, and number of children that will be using it. If you have a toddler or a child under 5 years old, there’s no point in buying a full size trampoline, probably you want to look at the Beyondfashion for them to bounce on when there are specific models that are more compact, not to mention cheaper, available.

Of course, older kids and teenagers will more than likely require the largest one you can afford and fit in your garden as smaller models just won’t take the battering that comes from teenagers.

What shape?

Trampolines can be round, oval, hexagonal, or rectangular shaped. The first three of these shapes are very little different in the quality of the bounce they provide and the shapes tend to be just for aesthetic reasons.

Rectangular trampolines are generally more bouncy and this is why they are used for gymnastics and people more experienced using a trampoline. They are usually more expensive than the other shapes too – however I found you a right bargain with the ZERO GRAVITY Ultima Rectangular Barrel Trampoline

Rectangular trampolines are generally better for bouncing and spring

Do you need a safety net?

In my opinion, unless your kids are very experienced with trampolines and over the age of 10, you are better off with a model that has a good quality safety net around it. The net should be made of a tear-proof material and supported by a strong frame, and if the kids who will be using it are very young, a net that is enclosed on the inside of the spring area is much safer.

If you are not impressed with the quality of your safety net when it arrives, you can always buy a better replacement online relatively inexpensively.

How much should you spend on a trampoline?

It all depends on the size and quality of the trampoline. As a general idea though, I wouldn’t want to spend less than 300- 400 pounds on a large (4-5 metres) round or hexagonal trampoline as I just wouldn’t trust the quality of anything cheaper unless it was heavily discounted in a sale. The bottom end is the ZERO GRAVITY and at the top is the best TecTake.

Trampolines for little kids can cost as little as £80 pounds but for a good toddler’s model with an enclosure that will last you a while, expect to pay at least a hundred pounds and the Beyondfashion which is a nice pick is more still.

If you’re serious about getting a very high quality trampoline, you should look for a rectangular one that will cost you over a thousand pounds at least.

Other features

For longevity you should look for trampolines that have stainless steel, or galvanised steel legs and frames that will not rust up at the first hint of rain. If there is a ladder to get into the trampoline, that should also be weather protected.

Padded areas to cover the springs are important for trampolines for smaller kids, as are padded support bars around the safety net.

Ground anchors and guy straps included in the packaging are also things to look out for or you’ll have to buy them separately.

What can I say. The kids absolutely love this new trampoline and my tests so far are showing me that now it is setup, it was well worth that 4 hours of misery 😀 And let’s start with that. Setup is a bit of a pig. We spent a good 4 hours getting this trampoline together. But in fairness, when I compare this to the other tests, it is pretty much in line. My absolute horror gripe is how difficult the instructions are to understand when setting up the base. You absolutely must have your vertical sections of the frame with 3 holes on the left and two on the right.

Kanga trampoline setup – when we tested the setup the hardest part is knowing to have three holes on the left and two on the right in the upright frame support

Once you get those frames screwed together the outer sections slot together pretty nicely to be fair. The jumping mat is pretty straightforward. An absolute top tip that I learned from testing, and it’s the same with all the other top trampolines, is that you’ll really want to put the jumping mat on loosely with a spring every half a dozen sections. Then come back and back fill all the other springs. My video shows this but so does an image quite nicely:

Only put a few springs to hold the jumping mat in place first and then back fill all the gaps – note these need to be aligned so don’t make that mistake

From here the only other stumbling block is the string that secures the base of the net to the jumping mat – this must be woven in tandem and close to each of the spring rings otherwise you won’t have enough string, and worse it will pull the net out of shape.

Make sure you weave the string through the net near to the eye consistently or it’ll pull the net out of shape

After that the uprights and the net are easy. But what you really want to pay special attention to is how you bolt it to the ground. The rods that twist into the ground were difficult to get in but that’s the whole point, they are stopping your trampoline blow away 🙂

Here’s a quick look – I just tied them down rather than try to use the belt system – mainly because the buckles (like the ones you get on bags to adjust the length of your holder) didn’t seem all that sturdy:

You must tie down your trampoline to stop it moving while the kids are bouncing or it blows away

But once those miseries are out the way of installing, it’s all uphill. The kids jumped into the wall of mesh – I cringed thinking this trampoline would roll over and couldn’t take it. Pat myself on the back for the decent install of the anchors, as well as the kit for providing adequate anchors:

As you can see my kids don’t hold back, there’s about 100kg on there all going for it and it’s held up very nicely so far. I told them to really give it some to test it out and it certainly held up to the challenge. But rest assured, if it break or something changes this article will be updated instantly to reflect that!

It comes with a ladder that you can’t see in picture, I just didn’t bother. All of my kids can get up on the jumping mat easily from the 5 year old, to the 7 and 9 year old.

If I had a young family I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this, and the 6ft version would be ample if you only have a couple of young kids and not to mention will save you plenty of money!

If the top pick is a bit on the pricey side and you’re hoping for something that won’t break the bank then the ZERO GRAVITY High Spec Trampoline might work. It’s a bit misleading off the bat – suggesting 500kg but that’s not the actual weight limit, that’s what it’s been tested to. The actual weight limits are:

6ft is 50KG, 8ft is 75KG , and 10ft and up is 100KG

So you can see why that is a bit difficult to follow. You’ve got a nice bit of EPE foam on this – not as thick as the TecTake but overall still pretty good. The safety net is pretty nice too. the way the poles arch inward give it extra strength in the event your child falls into the netting (or you if you weight under 100kg 🙂 )

The multiple size options give you sensible choices – I chose to review the 14ft because it’s the biggest in their range – you can go all the way down to 6ft for considerably less money. The leg supports are nice galvanised – and it’s the higher quality 6 leg setup

One thing to be wary of with the big units is weight you’re talking about 70kg which is not mucking about – you’ll need two people to move this about and setup – the problem with needing the base to be one unit for strength is the handling – one it gets to the position you want in the garden that’ll pretty much be it.

There’s a few complaints of broken mats and springs that have torn which seem legitimate – if you exceed the weight rating or put this through it’s full paces frequently my feeling is it won’t hold up – but if you’ve got younger kids, not teens this is probably the best bargain in the UK at the moment.

Pros:

  • Most of the experience of a high end trampoline for much less money
  • Safety netting works to catch your kids well
  • 100kg plenty on the 14ft model

Cons:

  • Some known failures – customer services seem pretty fair at replacing parts

3. Charles Bentley Monster Children's 12ft Trampoline with Safety Net Enclosure

This is another excellent trampoline for those of you with larger gardens and families. It has been made to incredibly good standards and provides both safety and durability at a very reasonable price. Everything from the polypropylene mesh jumping mat to the seams and zipped entranceway is of top quality and you can see there has been good workmanship involved.

Charles Bentley trampoline’s safety net is made from a dense tear proof material and has padded support posts that are angled in at the top to provide more stability for the net using eyelets, and this also gives the trampoline a nice aesthetic.

The whole outer edge of the trampoline has been covered in soft EPE foam and again the stitching is of the highest quality and unlikely to fray after some heavy use.

There are six large supports that you don’t have to worry about getting rusty in the winter weather as they are made of galvanised steel that has also been powder coated. This double treatment should ensure that these legs, as well as the free ladder which is made of the same material, will last you for a long while to come.

The high quality springs are in place to give you the confidence to really get your bounce on without worrying about it not being able to take your weight. We had two large adults really going for it on this trampoline and never once did we feel anything but safe and secure.

When it came to putting this thing together, I was happy to see that the overall quality of the trampoline had been continued in the engineering and everything fitted into place without any issues and the screws provided weren’t the cheap, useless type that you sometimes get and were more than up to the job. The instructions were in german though which wasn’t exactly helpful but it was easy enough to work out for anyone with an ounce of common sense.

Included with the trampoline were ground anchors and straps for even more stability. This is a great piece of engineering and design. This trampoline is strong, stable, and very safe for both children and adults to use. You would usually expect to pay a lot more than the asking for something of this quality and that makes it a bargain but not without flaws.

One thing I didn’t like despite assembly being what I would call easy – it still was more difficult than some that I have put together over the years. And beware – it arrives as one lump package which is fine for two people but at 54kg it’s too much on your own even if strong – it’s awkward to carry

Pros:

  • Well priced
  • Very suitable for kids
  • Up to 150kg weight rating

Cons:

  • Heavy for one person to setup
  • Not the easiest assembly I’ve ever had

ZERO GRAVITY’s 15ft rectangular trampoline with premium enclosure is a quality piece of kit and well worth the slightly higher price tag than some of its closest competitors.

It is an all-weather trampoline that can be left outside all year round without suffering any damage. This is a good thing, as this large trampoline is not exactly portable and needs to stay where it once assembled.

To help fight off the effects of the weather the ten row stitched PP bounce mat has been treated so that it won’t fade or deteriorate under intense UV rays, and the 110 top quality springs are made of galvanised steel so there’s no way they will be rusting in the rain. The 45mm metal pipes that make up the main frame of this top notch trampoline are also made of galvanised steel.

Like the TecTake trampoline we just reviewed, this one screams quality all the way down to the smallest details like the stitching on the padded areas but without the big price tag.

I would say that the safety net on this model felt the best quality of all the trampolines we tested. I can’t say for sure why, it just felt stronger while still having enough play in the material to make a crash landing a soft experience. Also, for added safety the net is fitted right on the edges of the bounce mat and away from the springs.

This is an extremely strong trampoline for the price and can easily take multiple teenagers or adults using it at the same time. It also provides a great bounce so you can get some serious airtime to pull off those secret moves you’ve been hiding from the kids.

It takes about 2 hours to put the ZERO GRAVITY trampoline together with a hand but that’s not exactly going at full speed and allows for a few cups of tea in the process. All the pieces needed for assembly are there and everything goes together as it was supposed to but the instructions are a real pain – it felt like there were missing parts but I did work it out in the end. I am not quite sure how you’re supposed to build the base frame and then pull the mat / strings together, I’d give you a warning to start setting up the mat as you put the legs together so you haven’t got to get 2 two people to pull the mat taunt as you place in the springs.

This is an outstanding trampoline that can be used by the whole family from little kids to the largest adults. Its build quality is excellent and will last you a very long time even if you don’t try that hard to maintain it. With a bit of TLC, it’ll last for years.

Pros:

  • Nice rectangular barrel shape good for awkward spaces
  • Decent padding and nice spring
  • Clearly built for heavier use

Cons:

  • As usual instruction on setup didn’t make much sense but you’ll get there

Looking for a trampoline for your toddler? Well, then you might just be interested in our next review- Beyondfashion’s 4.5ft trampoline.

If you’ve got kids between the ages of 2-4, you can be sure that they will love this well designed kid’s trampoline which can be set up both indoors and outside in the garden.

Obviously, when we are thinking about toddlers and very young children, we need to be thinking about what safety measures are incorporated into the design of the trampoline and Beyondfashion seem to have given this some thought.

For a start, not only are the springs safely covered up by foam filled plastic covers, the safety mesh netting is actually fixed inside of those springs so there’s no way for the children to accidentally get their hands or feet anywhere near them.

The safety net is held in place by a sturdy steel pole frame that has also been covered in soft foam to protect your child from any unfortunate bumps, and there is even netting around the lower edge of the trampoline and attached to the legs to stop your toddler doing what toddlers love to do- crawl underneath things they shouldn’t. At least with this net in place it’ll stop them from getting bounced upon by their friend, brother, or sister.

Even very young kids should be able to climb their way into this trampoline without any assistance from you thanks to the jump mat being low to the ground and the zipped entranceway in the safety net being a large arch shape.

Being only 4.5ft in diameter and having a max load of around 60 pounds, this is not suited for older kids or multiple children playing in it at once. This is designed for young kids to play in solo, and if used for that purpose it is a very good product.

The only thing I will knock this down a point for is that there are no anchors included in the packaging so you will need to go out and buy some. Then again they are not expensive and easy to find.

Beyondfashion 55

Pros:

  • Lovely little unit for younger kids
  • Well priced
  • Decent net quality

Cons:

  • Other options for kids like the Charles Bentley seem better

Next we are up with TecTake’s outdoor trampoline set which is currently out of stock but I am hopeful it’ll be back soon and an excellent choice for those looking for a larger trampoline. With a four and a half diameter, it is certainly large enough to accommodate more than one kid bouncing around without them bumping into each other constantly and even big enough for mum or dad to get in there and show off their best summersaults.

There’s no reason to hold back on this trampoline either, it is very strong when assembled correctly and the 375cm polypropylene mesh jumping mat, supported by 96 high quality springs, will easily withstand a belly flop or two from a 95kg adult (trust me on that one).

Safety is always at the top of the agenda when we think about our kids and the toys they play with and there are some good features with this trampoline. The springs around the edges of the mat are covered by EPE foam padded covers to prevent your children accidentally trapping their skin in them, tripping over, or slipping through the gaps.

There is also a safety net surrounding the trampoline with a zipper on the opening to stop people falling out, and in addition to this the support posts for the safety net have also been covered in padding.

The whole trampoline sits on top of six, stainless steel, w-shaped legs that do a great job of keeping everything sturdy and in place, and because the trampoline is around 90cm off the ground, TecTAke have included a ladder, also made of stainless steel, to make getting in this trampoline easier.

Instructions and tools for assembly are also included and for the most part they were ok, but I would recommend looking online for a tutorial video anyway as they are always better than written instructions, even with printed images.

This trampoline might not be the cheapest one out there but it is fairly priced for the size and quality and also has some good safety features. Definitely worth considering if you want a good sized model.

Pros:

  • Very lovely quality
  • Well built and sensible to assemble – (I’ve put loads together and this wasn’t bad, not the worst)
  • EPE foam thickest around edges for safety when compared to other trampolines

Cons:

  • Have to pay up to get quality I’m afraid
  • Not in stock currently so maybe a wait

Affordable, compact, and great for kids aged 3-6, is how I would describe the Ancheer kid’s trampoline. At 56” x 36” it shouldn’t be too hard to find a spot in your yard for this trampoline and despite its smaller proportions, the oval shape actually allows more than enough room for two kids to bounce on it at the same time. The polypropylene jump mat and high quality springs allow a maximum load weight of 100 kilograms so a single adult could use this for exercise if they wish too.

In the centre is a large, padded bar that goes across the whole width of the trampoline and this is great for younger kids, who haven’t quite got their balance sorted yet, to hold onto for support while they bounce. The bar is padded in the middle for safety and is also height adjustable from 37.8 to 50 inches.

There is no safety net around this trampoline but it only stands seven inches off the ground so there’s no real need to worry, but you still might want to keep an eye on your child if they are under 3 years old. Surrounding it with sand is also another good idea if you want to be extra careful.

Like most other kids’ trampolines there is a padded PVC cover for the outer edges to stop injuries caused by the springs. This cover also protects the springs from the rain and therefore stops them rusting prematurely.

There were quite a few different components to fit together when this trampoline arrived and it took a little while to put it together. Once up though, it was stable on the rubber tipped steel legs and provided enough support to put the mind at ease.

So, if you are in the market for a small sized trampoline for your younger kids that can also double up a piece of exercise equipment for you, you might want to consider this one from Ancheer.

Pros:

  • Ideal if your kid wants a basketball hoop to practice and mess about
  • Good for fitness
  • Fun unit that saves space

Cons:

  • Kids seem to lose interest quickly without a larger setup

Conclusion

If space is limited in your garden, can’t really afford a large model, or you have younger kids that don’t need a huge trampoline to play on, there are more compact options available and even really small trampolines with handles to hold on to for your youngest children.

Trampoline for kids

About Terry Smith

I’m Terry Smith from gardentoolbox.co.uk, a professional landscape designer, hobbyist gardener, and barbecue fanatic with 20 years experience building and restoring. So as you go through my site you'll watch me document some of the professional garden installs I make as well as the major projects I take on at home. While sharing those experiences and guiding you, I'll be recommending some great tools I use to enable this along the way so you can really buy in confidence. Always feel free to pop me a message: info@gardentoolbox.co.uk

View all posts by Terry Smith

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