The Importance of Trampoline Enclosures or “Safety First – Do I Need Trampoline Enclosure”?
Trampolines are an extremely fun way to have fun and exercise at the same time. However, especially considering that they are mostly used by kids, which makes safety is paramount. Kids often aren’t careful and don’t recognize the risks. This can be dangerous, especially on trampolines, as they can jump very high and risk serious injury if they land wrong.
As enclosure is one part of trampoline that a lot of people do not buy by default! Unfortunately, most trampoline accidents that happen on trampolines could be avoided just by securing jumpers with trampoline enclosures.
According to „Consumer Product Safety Review“ more than 25% of accidents happen because there were multiple jumpers on the trampoline and the second reason with almost the same percentage is falling off from trampoline which happens because there is no safety netting around it. Estimates say that every year 100 000 children are injured in the US. Good thing is that from all those injuries there were only six trampoline-related deaths from 1990.
The injuries on the trampoline were caused by: 
1. Colliding with another person while jumping or playing games on the trampoline
2. Landing improperly while jumping or doing stunts on the trampoline
3. Falling or jumping off the trampoline
4. Falling on the trampoline springs or frame
Enclosures to the Rescue
Fortunately, parents and kids are not left to their own devices. Most large trampolines these days come with a quality mesh enclosure that helps to provide a cushion and prevent your kid (or you) from falling off the trampoline and breaking your bones. The chance of impacting the hard parts of the frame is also significantly reduced.
Proper Enclosure
Not all enclosures are made the same. That’s why we take our time to review all enclosures we come across. For instance, the enclosure poles could be awkwardly curved and cause more harm than good. Or the mesh can be very weak and break easily. These are all risks that cheap trampolines bring.
A good enclosure should have a sturdy mesh and gently curved poles. The mesh should be sewn onto the mat so that the safety pads end up outside of the enclosure. This will prevent impact injuries with the trampoline frame. If you plan on letting your trampoline stay outside all year, take care to select a mesh that’s made of UV-resistant material. That way it won’t deteriorate after a single season.
Additionally, good safety measures are required to prevent your kids from opening the mesh when it’s dangerous and to prevent the enclosure from opening spontaneously. Most enclosures are closed with zippers, but most are also reinforced with Velcro strips or snap buckles (like on motorcycle helmets).
The net should attach to the enclosure safely and firmly. The connections should be reinforced. The poles should have some sort of padding to cushion any impacts. And regardless of this information, always supervise your children while they’re bouncing, so that you can react ASAP.
What to Buy
Generally, we find that the most cost-effective choice is to purchase a trampoline that already comes with the enclosure. Stand-alone enclosures are usually very expensive, with prices approaching half the price of a new trampoline. Also, they might not be a good fit and could only give you a false sense of security. That’s even more dangerous than jumping without an enclosure in the first place!
Our database of trampoline reviews is a good way to compare various trampolines and see which are the safest. Generally, the more expensive the model, the more safety features it has. This is unfortunate, but it’s also reality. All these little design choices cost money, and bargain bin trampolines do not offer an adequate level of safety. If you can get in on a discount at a big box store, it’s likely either unsafe or only marginally safe.
Online orders of proven brands are your best bet, so don’t wait and get a safe trampoline for yourself and your family… today!
How to choose a trampoline enclosure if you really need one?
Some of the more professional trampolines, like rectangular trampolines, often do not have trampoline enclosures included. Price is just one factor here. The bigger problem is that most rectangular trampolines are used by professionals or gymnasts who are more likely used to training without a safety net. Do not worry, you can still get one separately. It should at least be able to accommodate a 250 lbs jumper (in case of an adult jumping on a trampoline).
There are a lot of different enclosures available on the market – you just need to make sure that you measure it correctly – depends on type, shape, and size so make sure to have all the info ready.
(Note! If there are children who will use the trampoline, recreational use or for training, trampoline enclosure on any type of trampoline is a must)