Note: Before reading this article, please understand that we are not, and cannot make medical recommendations about which form of exercise you or your children should partake in. While we have tried our best in this article to provide you with accurate information, we cannot guarantee there are no oversights or errors in our content.
Also note that while we believe trampolines are fairly safe if used properly, TeamTrampoline will not be held responsible for any injuries, damages, or fatalities you may sustain directly or indirectly via this article. We would give our kids a thumbs up for jumping on the trampoline, but any decisions you make for you or your child are at your own risk.
Are trampolines safe or are trampolines dangerous? It’s a question parents have been asking for decades. While the AAP (Amerian Academy of Pediatrics) strongly recommends against the use of recreational trampolines, many parents feel that bouncing around in the backyard is just harmless fun.
Who is right? Who is wrong? Unfortunately, things aren’t black and white. There isn’t a single clear answer to whether trampolines are safe or dangerous. We will do our best, however, in highlighting some facts and offering some perspectives that’ll help you decide whether you’ll allow your child to jump on a trampoline.
Before we can talk about whether the risks of jumping on a trampoline are worth it, we should identify just what those risks are. So, let’s first about the dangers of trampolines and the injuries that can occur if you or your loved ones are unlucky on the trampoline.
Why Trampolines Are Dangerous
While there are more people that get injured from swimming or playing football than jumping on trampolines, that’s probably because those activities are more popular than jumping on a trampoline! What is difficult to say, however, is whether jumping on a trampoline is riskier than other popular forms of exercise such as skateboarding, basketball, or hockey.
The point remains, however, that while trampolines aren’t exactly a red-alert daredevil DEATH is coming risk activity, trampolines DO pose a level of risk that warrants our attention.
Here are just a few of the injuries that might help show you why trampolines are dangerous:
- Broken Bones
- Cuts, Scrapes, Bruises
- Concussions, Head Trauma
- Sprains, Strains
- Cervical Spine Injuries
YIKES! Just reading cervical spine injuries hurts. As you can see, jumping on the trampoline is no joke. The risk of injury on trampolines is especially high when multiple people are jumping on the trampoline, or when people use their trampoline in unsafe ways (Yes, unfortunately, that means jumping off the roof onto the trampoline is out).
Injuries can be sustained in several other ways too. You could:
- Collide into another jumper
- Land awkwardly while jumping
- Land on your neck or back from a failed flip attempt
- Fall off the trampoline
- Have the trampoline collapse from underneath you
While some of these injuries are more common than others, at least some of these possibilities will be applicable to you regardless of your usage or play style. In fact, a 2015 report stated that there may have been over 100,000 patients treated in US hospital emergency departments as a result of trampoline injuries that year.
To give you some perspective that’s about one emergency visit to the hospital as a result of trampoline injuries for each resident of Boulder, Colorado. And if statistics turn you off, let’s simply leave it at trampolines cause a notable amount of serious injuries.
Enough of the fear-mongering though. Let’s talk about the other side of the story.
Why Trampolines Are Safe
Are trampolines safe? In the US these days, it’s quite rare to meet someone that has never jumped on a trampoline. Yes, most people aren’t everyday users, but the average member of the population has probably jumped on a trampoline at least a handful of times in their lives.
Yet, how many people do you know that have sustained serious injuries from jumping on a trampoline? 0? 1? 2? Sure, there’s an awareness gap here. You probably WON’T know if your colleague broke their arm from jumping on a trampoline as a kid.
The point remains, however, that while most of us have had lots of fun jumping on a trampoline at some point, not too many of us have been injured. The vast majority of people that jump on trampolines probably aren’t going to get seriously hurt.
This is especially true if you follow the guidelines in your trampoline’s user manual. Also, be sure to follow these guidelines if you’d like to minimize your chances of getting injured on the trampoline:
- Always have an adult supervise children that are playing
- Adults also shouldn’t use a trampoline without anyone’s notice (in case they land on their neck/back and suffer a concussion, or become paralyzed
- Flips and somersaults shouldn’t be performed unless one has had specific training in those maneuvers
- Only one person should jump on the trampoline at a time
- Regularly inspect the trampoline for defects or safety hazards
- Do not use the trampoline if it is damaged or faulty
- Do not perform dangerous or risky stunts
- Do not jump on the trampoline when it is wet
Are Trampolines Safe or Dangerous?
YES. NO. Uhmmm…. Really, there’s no clear answer here. Our balanced perspective is that life has an inherent level of risk. Getting in a car is risky, yet it’s something nearly all of us do each day. Swimming is similarly risky to trampolining, but most parents wouldn’t stop their children from swimming.
They would simply ensure their children took the proper safety precautions while swimming. In fact, we’d actually liken jumping on the trampoline to swimming or skateboarding.
Is there always a possibility for injury? Yes. On the other hand, jumping on a trampoline is probably a safer thrill-seeking alternative to base jumping, horse riding, or boxing.
Should you or your child jump on a trampoline? That’s only a decision that you can make. If you follow proper safety procedures on the trampoline, however, it’s far from a careless high-risk sport like running with the bulls.