Now that you’ve chosen a trampoline, and perhaps even assembled it, you might be wondering if your new trampoline needs to be broken in.
New trampolines don’t need to be broken in after a couple of initial bounces. You might want to do a few lighter bounces to make sure you have assembled the frame well. However, once you know the frame is secure, you can bounce as deeply as you want.
There are a couple of things to check before you start bouncing, as well as troubleshooting, and I’ll go through these below.
What To Check Before Breaking In A New Trampoline?
Broadly, new outdoor trampolines are good to go as soon as they are assembled.
Here are the exact words from an expert:
Trampolines are generally ready to go/ready to be bounced on after the assembly is completed. You will get a good bounce straight from the get-go.
Alannah, Web and Warehouse
However, at the moment that you finish assembly, you definitely want to run a few pre-bounce checks. This will help to reassure you that the trampoline won’t tilt, wobble or even collapse.
Start by grabbing hold of the frame, and giving the trampoline a good push and tug backwards and forwards. You are looking to see if there is any movement in the legs or the frame.
If there is any movement, this absolutely needs to be tightened before anyone gets one. If it is still a bit jiggly, undo the screw or bolt entirely, and start again. It may have just been off the thread enough to not be secure.
Once the frame is solid, take hold of each of the safety net poles, and give them a good pull one by one. Again, if any of the bolts wobble and move too much, tighten them further.
Now look at each of the springs. The mat should be tight and appear super inviting. Give each spring a little pull upwards just to ensure that it doesn’t come out of the holes. Ensure the ladder is securely in place.
You are now good to jump on the trampoline.
Taking The First Bounce On A New Trampoline
Climb up onto the trampoline. If the trampoline is not a surprise for the kids, I’d probably send one of the lighter kids up to test it first.
Give the trampoline a couple of gentle bounces. If it holds without moving around, you are now good to go. Move onto deeper bounces.
Troubleshooting: Why Is My Brand New Trampoline Not Bouncy?
The bounce of a trampoline is generally given by the springs.
Wrong Size Trampoline for the Weight
If you have bought a good quality trampoline, it might be that you have purchased the wrong size trampoline for the weight of the kids.
It’s common to see little kids unsuccessfully try to jump on an enormous trampoline.
The parents think they’re doing the right thing by getting the biggest, best and baddest trampoline out there for their little kids. But in fact, they have made it impossible for the kids to jump. They just don’t have enough weight up to move the springs, and so they can’t get a bounce.
You may need a smaller trampoline, or wait until the kids get heavier.
See this article about getting the right size trampoline for your kids.
Wrong Springs
It’s also possible that you have purchased a trampoline where the springs are not very ‘springy’.
If you have a thin wire and a small coil size, there won’t be very much spring rebound capacity.
The thicker the wire, and the larger the coil size, the more spring rebound capacity you’ll have.
You may be able to solve this by getting replacement springs that are thicker and fatter.
In summary
Trampolines don’t need to be broken in, but you should run a couple of pre-bounce checks to make sure you have assembled it correctly.
