9 out 10 trampolines failed CHOICE safety tests

It’s such a simple concept, but a trampoline can bring so much joy to kids and families. Not to mention some much-needed time outdoors away from screens. 

With lots of brands on the market, it can be hard to know which one to buy for your kids. 

The bad news is that if you are buying a trampoline in Australia, the safety of many trampolines is questionable.

Consumer advocacy group CHOICE recently conducted their own trampoline consumer safety tests – and the results weren’t good!

“Our trampoline safety tests look at how children can use the product in real life as well as how the trampoline performs if you follow all safety instructions,” says CHOICE testing expert, Chris Barnes.

“We look at what can happen if children bounce against the enclosure net or land hard on the padding.”

One trampoline out of 10 passed

Surprisingly, there was only one trampoline out of 10 passed all safety tests: the Springfree R79. It scored 90% when tested to the voluntary Australian safety standard, while eight models had serious safety failures. 

“Based on our safety testing, CHOICE has found that the Springfree R79 is the best model we’ve tested because of its strong, durable frame and enclosure, and the way in which the trampoline protects the user from any impacts against the frame, mat or enclosure,” says Barnes.

“There are no significant entrapment hazards and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.”

In second place was the Jumpflex Flex100. It passed the main structural safety tests, but CHOICE said there were some minor safety issues.

So why the terrible results? 

The biggest issue when it comes to buying a trampoline is that safety standards in Australia are voluntary.

“Unfortunately, the current Australian standard for trampolines is only voluntary, which means manufacturers are not required by law to meet it,” says Barnes.

“Serious safety failures”

As for the rest of the trampolines tested, here are the remaining models that CHOICE reveals as having safety issues. 

“The remaining eight trampolines that we tested all had serious safety failures, which included serious entrapment hazards, padding or enclosures that didn’t stand up to durability testing and structural failures,” said Barnes. 

• Kahuna Classic 10ft
• Kmart 12ft Springless 
• Lifespan HyperJump3
• Little Nation 10ft Trampoline
• OzTrampolines Summit
• Plum Space Zone V3 30212
• Premier Trampolines 10ft Premier with Net & Ladder
• Vuly Thunder Medium 

Trampoline safety tips

A Kidsafe report for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recommends the following safety advice:

• an adult must supervise at all times 
• children under 6 years old should not use the trampoline
• only one child at a time should use the trampoline.