The 3 Best Trampolines of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter

Oct 17, 2024

By Burt Helm

A great trampoline should strike a balance between playfulness and practicality, with features that ensure the best bounce and the highest degree of safety possible.

Over the past year, we’ve built and bounced on nine backyard trampolines that meet ASTM safety specifications, to give families the jump on the best spring-powered exercise around. For most families, we recommend the JumpFlex Hero 14ft Trampoline, which offers the best balance of quality, safety, and performance.

This mid-range trampoline strikes the right balance of features, performance, safety, and price.

This higher-quality trampoline is built to provide the highest possible bounce, and it has the strongest baseline warranty of the trampolines we tested.

This trampoline offers a comparable jumping experience to its more expensive counterparts. But it may not last as long.

A full-size trampoline should be large enough to provide a quality bouncing experience, but it shouldn't be so big that it takes over the entire yard.

We tested only trampolines that meet international safety standards, and we compared padding, nets, and spring exposure during testing.

Trampolines can be pricey and difficult to assemble. They should be built to last (and have strong warranties in case they don’t).

Trampolines should, ideally, appeal to kids without being a total eyesore for adults.

Those looking for trampoline-park-level bouncing may want to spring for the Avyna Pro Line 14′ Trampoline. And families looking to get a few years’ worth of casual bouncing at a lower price could be perfectly happy with the Sportspower Bounce Pro 14′ Trampoline.

We also researched medical literature and spoke to orthopedists to assess the overall safety of bouncing on trampolines. We investigated how to ensure your insurance company doesn’t bounce you off your plan, and we looked into the rumor that some insurers use aerial footage to spot errant trampolines in policyholders’ yards (they do).

This mid-range trampoline strikes the right balance of features, performance, safety, and price.

The JumpFlex Hero 14ft Trampoline has appealing features for adults and kids alike. It provides a satisfying bouncing experience that holds up to those on the priciest models we tested, and it has safety features that parents can get excited about. The trampoline itself is relatively durable, and it’s backed by a solid warranty and a responsive customer service team.

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This higher-quality trampoline is built to provide the highest possible bounce, and it has the strongest baseline warranty of the trampolines we tested.

The Avyna Pro Line 14′ Trampoline is a bounce above our top pick, due in part to its larger spring size. It comes with accessories, such as a ladder and an anchor kit, that are not included with our other picks (our budget pick does not come with either, and our top pick comes with just a ladder). Its sleek monochrome design is more subdued than that of our other picks as well.

This trampoline offers a comparable jumping experience to its more expensive counterparts. But it may not last as long.

The Sportspower Bounce Pro 14′ Trampoline offers quality fun at a fraction of the price of our other picks. Its safety features are still designed to meet the same requirements as more expensive trampolines. And this was one of the easier trampolines to assemble.

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I’m a journalist with 20 years of experience, as well as a parent to an energetic 6-year-old.

For this guide:

This guide is for families looking for a recreational above-ground trampoline that kids and adults alike can bounce on and enjoy. Note, however, that full-size trampolines are not to be used by children under the age of 6, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Trampoline prices and quality levels vary widely, from around $200 for the cheapest models to over $20,000 for premium in-ground installations requiring extensive landscaping and excavation. This guide includes only above-ground trampolines that can be assembled without professional assistance.

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I initially investigated 37 trampoline brands, consulting with specialty retailers and manufacturers along the way. I reviewed multiple existing online buying guides and trampoline-themed discussion forums, and I read engineering journals to understand the physics behind what makes trampolines enjoyable.

I reviewed the ASTM safety standards, which mandate features such as padding over springs, a UV-resistant mat, and an enclosure, and I concluded that any trampoline we considered must comply. And among all of the different trampolines I tested, I determined that the following variables were key:

Size: Bigger is undoubtedly better when it comes to bounce quality, and larger trampolines provide more room for jumpers to enjoy. To strike a balance between the optimal size for bouncers and having any room left in the rest of the yard, however, I focused the majority of my tests on 14-foot round, above-ground trampolines (a common size available from nearly every recreational trampoline maker).

Safety enhancements: Bouncing on a trampoline comes with inherent, unavoidable risk. But the standard and available safety options have come a long way in recent years. I focused on features that could get parents (almost) as excited as kids about trampolines.

Quality and resilience of materials: To ensure longevity for these often-pricy purchases, I looked for trampolines with heavy, thick steel frames, mats with multiple rows of reinforced stitching around the perimeter, sturdy steel V-rings joining the mat to the springs, ample padding, and an overall assembly of parts that fit together smoothly and tightly. All of the trampolines I tested (aside from the Springfree, which, incidentally, has no springs) used rust-resistant galvanized steel for the frame and springs.

Ease of assembly: Trampoline assembly is no small task. It can take a team of two between two and three hours to complete. And one wrong step can require you to remove 96 springs and untie and retie nearly 100 bow knots (I am speaking from personal experience).

Aesthetics: Any trampoline is going to become a large, likely prominent feature of your back yard that you can’t easily put away when you don’t feel like looking at it. So I considered the balance between aesthetic appeal for adults and tempting colors for kids.

Warranty: Trampolines can be a big purchase, both physically and financially, so a solid warranty is helpful. Nearly all of the trampolines we tested offered warranties of one year or more, but some for much longer. All of them stated that they do not cover damage from inclement weather, surface rust, or standard wear and tear—three leading causes of damage—with minor exceptions.

Accessories: Several models included stakes for securing the trampoline in high winds—something I found critical after having trampolines in my yard during a Maine winter. I considered whether or not trampolines came with essential, practical accessories, and optional fun ones, too.

I ultimately narrowed my original list down to nine well-reviewed models, ranging in diameter from 12 feet to 17 feet. With the help of friends and family, I assembled and tested these trampolines in my backyard in Maine. Three of the trampolines, assembled in October and November 2023, endured a full Maine winter. A significant windstorm destroyed one and damaged another, providing valuable insights into off-season care (and a big mangled mess of trampolines in the neighboring woods). I assembled the remaining trampolines in June and July 2024 and tested them with my 6-year-old son and other kids and adults from our neighborhood.

This mid-range trampoline strikes the right balance of features, performance, safety, and price.

The JumpFlex Hero 14ft Trampoline checks all of the boxes of what an above-ground full-size trampoline should be. It offers a better bounce than comparably priced trampolines, and it earns positive reviews related to its quality and safety features.

It has great bounce. The JumpFlex features the largest springs of any sub-$1,000 trampoline that I tested, measuring 7.1 inches, compared with the 5.5-inch length of some budget-tier trampolines. These added inches result in a noticeably bigger and smoother bounce. One grownup jumper described it as “more supple” than others, including our budget pick.

It’s designed with safety in mind. The frame of the JumpFlex Hero is particularly sturdy, relying on steel struts to connect two solid rings—one that connects to the spring and mat, and another that sits flush on the ground. This design provides increased ground contact, compared with the U-shaped sections used by lighter trampolines. The padding covering the JumpFlex springs is 15-mm thick, according to our measurements—almost half the thickness of our upgrade pick’s padding—but the placement of the netting helps keep jumpers away from the springs and poles.

It’s fairly durable, and repairable. The frame of the JumpFlex Hero 14′ is made of heavy, 2-mm thick powder-coated steel, the same thickness as the tubing used in the more expensive Berg and Avyna models. When a harsh Maine winter put these trampolines through the ultimate test, this one was slightly damaged, but not destroyed as some others were. JumpFlex’s customer service was responsive and helpful, providing a replacement pole and free anchor kit to secure the trampoline in the future (it addresses weather-related damage on a case-by-case basis).

It’s aesthetically pleasing. The JumpFlex Hero is attractive, as far as trampolines go. It features a jet-black mat, poles, and frame, complemented by a green-trimmed pad that matches the sold-separately slide and dunk hoop. I found this trampoline’s style rivaled that of even some of the pricier models we tested.

It has strong warranty options. The JumpFlex Hero comes with a 10-year warranty for its frame, a five-year warranty for the jump mat and springs, and a one-year warranty for the spring pad, safety net, and accessories. For an additional fee (currently about $70), the company will provide a lifetime warranty that covers the entire trampoline.

The JumpFlex Hero also comes in a 12-foot and a 15-foot version. The 14-foot version has the highest rating on JumpFlex’s website.

It’s a pain to put together. It took a three-person team over two hours to build this trampoline. The company claims that the JumpFlex trampoline can be assembled in half the time of traditional models, since the frame has no welding or bolts. But they also say that assembly times may vary, which we found to be agonizingly true. And that’s not including the optional accessories, such as the Jumpslide (which was a huge hit with kids but not with the grownups who assembled it).

The add-ons add up quickly. While essential extras like the anchor kit are reasonably priced at $29 (comparable to generic trampoline stakes sold on Amazon), the company charges high prices for fun extras like the Projam basketball hoop ($89) and the Jumpslide ($159).

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This higher-quality trampoline is built to provide the highest possible bounce, and it has the strongest baseline warranty of the trampolines we tested.

The Avyna Pro Line 14′ Trampoline offers a significantly better bounce and a stronger warranty than any of the other 14-foot trampolines we tested. (It even earned the nickname “king jumper” among our young testers). But we didn’t love that its springs are inside the net, a seemingly unnecessary safety hazard.

Its bounce can’t be beat. No matter which part of the trampoline you bounce on, the Avyna Pro Line 14′ consistently out-bounces other models of its size (which tend to get stiffer the farther you jump from the center). Its 96 8.5-inch springs provide a much more satisfying jumping experience than our other picks. You bounce higher, the sweet spot on the trampoline is larger, and the transfer of power is smoother.

It comes with essential accessories. The Avyna is the only one of our picks that comes standard with both an anchor kit and ladder (you have to buy both the latter and the former separately for our budget pick, and our top pick comes with, well, just the latter).

It’s well made. The materials feel durable and designed to last. The jump mat has six rows of reinforced stitching binding the V-rings to the jumping area, and the padding is a cushy 25 mm thick—10 mm thicker than that of our top pick—and is covered by durable gray vinyl that fits cleanly and tightly over the surface.

It has the best warranty. Avyna offers the strongest baseline warranty of any company whose trampolines we tested. Its sturdy, heavy-gauge frame is the only one we tested that is backed by a lifetime warranty covering manufacturer defects. The springs are backed by a 10-year warranty, and all other parts are covered for three years.

The Avyna Pro Line also includes a 12-foot and a 15-foot trampoline, as well as several in-ground models.

The springs are inside the netting. Unlike our other picks, the springs and padding of the Avyna Pro Line are inside the net enclosure, meaning jumpers could potentially land on them while bouncing. The thicker padding may help to some extent, but we still found it to be an unnecessary design choice.

Assembly feels like rocket science. The assembly manual is minimal, and it’s seemingly aimed at professional trampoline installers—a job I will not be seeking after completion of this guide. It contains no written instructions, only diagrams, which didn’t always match the trampoline model we had. It also lacked key details, such as the position of holes on various frame segments.

This trampoline offers a comparable jumping experience to its more expensive counterparts. But it may not last as long.

The Sportspower Bounce Pro 14′ Trampoline feels stiffer to bounce on and a bit less durable overall than our top pick. But it was the best of the sub-$600 trampolines we tested, both in quality and in price. It meets the same safety specifications as both our top pick and upgrade pick. And it has several of the same features, both fun and non-negotiable.

Assembly was easier than with other models. While I would never describe trampoline assembly as “easy”—this one still took about two hours—the instructions were fairly straightforward, and we did not have to redo any steps.

It meets or exceeds the safety features of other picks. All of the trampolines that we tested meet the same ASTM safety requirements for the jump mat, padding, and net enclosure. But we appreciated that the springs of the Sportspower Bounce Pro are outside of the perimeter of the safety net, unlike on the Avyna Pro Line.

It has a decent warranty. Sportspower provides a seven-year warranty for the trampoline’s steel frame, three years for the jump mat, and one year for the trampoline overall. The warranty does not cover weather-related damage or rust, but the company has made exceptions on a case-by-case basis. If you purchase the trampoline through a Sam’s Club membership, you can return or replace it for as long as your membership is active.

The Sportspower Bounce Pro also comes in a 15-foot model, which currently has one review.

It’s stiffer than other trampolines. The Sportspower Bounce Pro has only 72 5.5-inch springs—the fewest of the 14-foot trampolines we tested. So the jumping experience on this model is noticeably less bouncy, especially near the edges.

There are (almost) no frills. The Sportspower Bounce Pro doesn’t come with the same practical accessories, such as an anchor kit or a ladder, as our other picks, though it does come with a removable basketball hoop and basketball. However, because of this model’s starting price, you can purchase add-ons and still stay well below the cost of our other picks.

It feels flimsier than our other picks. This trampoline has a maximum load weight of 220 pounds, less than half of the JumpFlex Hero’s max load weight. The trampoline itself weighs in at less than 150 pounds, and some reviews raise concerns about the quality of the poles. While it is still designed to meet the same ASTM safety requirements as our other picks, it will likely have a shorter lifespan.

It’s available only through Sam’s Club. The Sportspower Bounce Pro is sold exclusively through Sam’s Club, a membership-only warehouse chain owned by Walmart Inc. Non-members can buy this trampoline online through Sam’s Club by signing up for a guest membership and paying an additional 10% service fee per order, plus shipping fees.

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If you want a full-size trampoline that fits in a smaller yard: The Springfree 8ft x 13ft Large Oval is a sleek, springless trampoline that instead relies on a layer of fiberglass rods. The Springfree was the most innovative and attractive of the trampolines we tested, and it is inherently more resilient than its springed counterparts. Springfree even claims that the trampoline doesn’t need to be disassembled for winter—an assertion that I can back up after a brutal Maine storm swept away two trampolines in my yard but barely moved this model.

But due to its oblong shape, its bounce wasn’t as satisfying as those of most of the round trampolines we tested, particularly at the points farthest from the center. (It does come in several other sizes in round, square, and oval configurations, which we have not tested.) And it was almost prohibitively difficult to assemble, due to its titular spring-free design—so much so that I would recommend professional installation if possible. Springfree offers a 10-year warranty that covers manufacturer defects in material and workmanship on all parts of its trampolines.

If you want a bigger trampoline with better bounce: The jumping experience on the Berg Grand Champion 17′ Oval Trampoline was superior to jumping experiences on other trampolines we tested, due in part to its larger size. Its spacious bounce pad and whopping 144 7.75-inch springs vaulted even our largest test jumpers skyward. But given how expensive this trampoline is, it has a weak warranty—just 10 years for the frame, five years for the springs, and two years for the padding and jump mat, compared with the similarly priced Avyna Pro Line 14′ Trampoline, which comes with a longer warranty across all parts. The Berg Champion line also has a 14-foot model, an 11-foot model, and a rectangular model, which we have not tested. None of our picks in this guide are available in a 17-foot version.

More than 800,000 children were injured as a result of trampoline use between 2009 and 2018, according to a 2022 study. And over 36,000 of them required hospitalization. A 2012 policy statement on trampoline safety, by the American Academy of Pediatrics, noted that the top cause of injury is multiple people jumping at the same time, particularly jumpers of disproportionate weights. Other top causes of injury include direct contact with the springs and frame and falls off of the trampoline.

The safety standards that have been developed in recent years are intended to mitigate some of these risks—namely the nets and pads keeping bouncers away from the frame and springs. But the AAP states that those may cause a “false sense of security,” and injuries do continue to occur even with increased safety features.

It’s safer to allow only one jumper at a time, to avoid flips or somersaults, and to always provide adult supervision. The CPSC also recommends that trampolines be placed away from any other structures or trees and that they should never be used during high winds. The CPSC also advises against using a ladder with trampolines, since they may allow small children to access trampolines unsupervised. No child under the age of 6 should use a full-size trampoline.

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Before buying a trampoline, you may want to check your homeowner’s insurance policy or consult your insurance agent. Some policies don’t cover homes with trampolines at all (and there have even been reports of insurance companies using aerial footage to identify trampolines in homeowners’ yards). However, many policies do allow trampolines or will cover them with the purchase of an additional rider.

The Skywalker 15’ Round Trampoline was the easiest trampoline to assemble. It has straightforward instructions as well as a clever design: The mat’s sewn-in warning labels also help you align the mat properly with the frame and net enclosure. Skywalker promises that no additional tools are needed to build this model, besides the flimsy ones it provides. I ended up needing a power screwdriver to complete installation. This larger model also boasted 96 6.63-inch springs, providing a tremendously high bounce that kids loved. However, once assembled, the Skywalker was seriously creaky—the noise was unnerving enough that we cut this model out of the running.

Kids loved the look of the Jumpzylla 12’ Trampoline, which was bright yellow and included a playful monkey logo on the center of the mat, but it does not necessarily blend into most backyard designs. It’s comparable in quality to the other budget-tier options; however, it had the worst warranty of the bunch (just 1 year) and an instruction manual that repeatedly frustrated and confused the adult builders.

This Amazon trampoline is marketed by a vendor called BestMassage, which also sells massage chairs. Unlike most other trampolines we tested, it arrived in one large box. However, the box couldn’t hold the weight, and the trampoline arrived with the box partially open and springs scattered across my driveway. Aside from this fiasco, there wasn’t anything to differentiate it from other budget picks; the Sportspower Bounce Pro offered more consistent quality at a better price.

The Zupapa Saffun Outdoor Trampoline includes many helpful accessories—a ladder, an anchor kit, a blue vinyl cover, fabric gloves for installation, and even a pair of grippy socks for bouncing. However, the winter windstorm damaged the Zupapa beyond repair, and customer service was difficult to contact for help or to consult about replacement.

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Proper care and maintenance can extend the life of a trampoline. We found no companies that offer weather-related warranties (though some companies make exceptions on a case-by-case basis), so it’s important to protect this purchase from whatever elements affect your yard.

The makers of most trampolines we tested recommend removing the mat during inclement-weather months. A cover (available for purchase from several of the brands we recommend or from third-party retailers) can keep debris, such as sharp twigs and sappy leaves, off the mat. Sweeping while bouncing is tricky, as is removing debris through a net enclosure.

The Springfree is the only trampoline we’ve seen that, according to the company, can be used throughout the winter or with shoes on. Most other trampoline makers recommend removing the mat during inclement months. This is straightforward to do using the spring tool included in all of our picks, though it is a bit time-consuming.

Anchor kits, sold by trampoline manufacturers or third-party retailers, may help reduce the risk of your trampoline getting swept away by wind. Note, however, that these are solely intended to secure trampolines themselves, and also note that trampolines should never be used when there is high wind or other inclement weather.

This guide was edited by Alison Rochford and Kalee Thompson.

Dr. Susannah Briskin, assistant professor of pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University; fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics, email interview, August 7, 2024

Dr. Yahya Ibrahim, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, video interview, June 24, 2024

Dr. Sharven Taghavi, associate professor and section chief, acute care surgery, Tulane School of Medicine, video interview, June 25, 2024

Gabriela Berbece, manager, MRK Global (Jumpzylla), video interview, January 11, 2024

Brad Mills, co-founder, Trampolines.com, video interview, October 23, 2023

Michael Crane, chair of subcommittee F08.17 on Trampolines, ASTM International, video interview, September 14, 2023

Lana LeGrand, director of marketing, Goba Sports Group (Springfree), video interview, September 14, 2023

Burt Helm

Burt Helm is a journalist with 20 years of experience specializing in investigative narratives about startups. For Wirecutter, he tapped his undergraduate physics degree for the first time in years, using Hooke’s law to calculate spring constants and energy transfer—all to analyze “positive emotional response” (aka fun) with backyard trampolines.

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