Trampolines And Anchors – Why It’s Important

If you've picked up boxes that trampolines are shipped in, you may be a bit surprised at the weight. And if you consider that weight, you may be more surprised to find that you should anchor your trampoline. Here are some reasons that anchors are considered an important safety device and why you should be sure your trampoline is adequately fastened to the ground.

The first and foremost reason is safety. Sure, trampolines are naturally heavy, but they can also move from the weight of bouncing. If your children are small, they may not yet have enough weight to force the trampoline to move. But even a child of fifty pounds or so could move a trampoline, if they're bouncing high enough and hitting the mat with the correct force and direction. All it really takes to move a trampoline is to have sufficient weight hit the mat at an angle. A child bouncing from one side of the trampolines to the other may very well find that correct angle that makes the trampoline move.

Once the trampoline moves to the side, the danger is immediate. The jumper may very well come down at the very edge or even off the side of the trampoline. Many of the injuries from trampolines are caused by children who fall off. Anchoring the trampolines can eliminate one possible way a child can fall and injure himself.

The anchors become even more important if larger children or adults are going to be jumping. The additional weight adds to the chance that the trampoline can slide on impact.

Another important reason for anchoring trampolines has nothing to do with the safety of the children and everything to do with protecting your property. While trampolines are heavy, they are also very susceptible to winds. It doesn't take a hurricane or tornado to move trampolines. In fact, relatively low winds can fling trampolines from their normal resting spots. The potential for damage is not limited to the loss of the trampoline, though that's certainly a possibility.

What it means is that a decent wind can hurl your trampoline from your own yard into a neighbors, damaging property along the way. Anchors for trampolines may be included in your purchase, but don't count on it. You can purchase anchors from most retailers that sell trampolines. You'll find they are generally very easy to install - a good trade for the peace of mind anchors can provide.