Kiddipedia
We know you want your kids to be safe, in everything they do. So do we. Every parent does. Which is why it’s so great that play equipment has come a long way in terms of safety since we were kids.
There are now safety standards for a whole bunch of different industries, which guides manufacturers and retailers in what’s okay and not okay, which is awesome!
But what do the safety standards actually mean, and how can you use it to guide your purchase decisions? We’ve got you covered, with this decoded version of the Australian Safety Standards for trampolines!
What you need to know
The safety standards aren’t super easy to find in full, but the most important thing you need to know as parents is that the safety standard for trampolines (AS 4989:2015) isn’t mandatory. In short, this means trampoline manufacturers don’t have to comply.
But the good news is that it’s in the best interests of each trampoline retailer or manufacturer to meet these standards. The standards set a benchmark after all, so it really is in their best interests to meet these benchmarks.
So that’s some good news for parents. The standards also draw attention to the importance of a few key safety features in trampolines… something that wasn’t really much of a discussion topic back in the day of the rusty old spring trampolines we all grew up on!
The bar has been raised
The latest revisions of the standards introduces the requirement for an enclosure around the trampoline, the ‘integrity’ of the structure of the trampoline and updates to the protection the product has from UVs (so it doesn’t break down quickly in the sun).
The standard also gives requirements for padding or protection to the jumper, from coming into contact with the springs, the frame or any hard impact surface. And it’s not enough to simply have the padding, to be fully compliant, it needs to meet set criteria to fully ‘pass’. So it’s a good news story here, raising the ‘standard’ (see what we did there) of trampolines and their safety.
So which trampolines meet the standards?
One thing that most of us are unaware of as parents (or were until you read this), is that there is no official ‘Safety Standard badge of approval’ from the Australian Standards Committee, that says “yes, this one trampoline definitely 100% meets all parts of the safety standards.”
But again, the positive: there are third parties that are independent who can conduct tests and investigations based on these standards – like the consumer group CHOICE®, who did just that.
CHOICE® has just recently completed another round of their famous independent safety testing, based on the current Australian Safety Standard for trampolines, (AS 4989:2015).
CHOICE® tested one model each for 8 prominent trampoline brands currently in the Australian market. Of all the trampolines tested, all models passed at least some of the standard’s tests, but only one model was found to pass all the tests – the Springfree Trampoline model (R79 Medium Round).
The Springfree Trampoline Medium Round is the only trampoline Recommended by CHOICE®. It received a great CHOICE® score of 93%
Go team Springfree!
Doing your Research
Our advice to you when looking to buy a safe trampoline, is to trust your instincts, and do your research.
You can’t always believe what you hear. The lack of an official ‘compliant’ badge for the safety standards means that any company can say they are compliant with the Australian trampoline safety standards… until proven otherwise and asked by the Australian Standard committee to refrain from stating their ‘compliance’.
So make sure you do your research into the various safety components of the trampolines you’re considering.
For example, many of the key safety aspects can look quite similar across different trampoline brands, but the underlying safety features can vary dramatically. Padding and an enclosure doesn’t necessarily mean protection from impacting a hard surface; it’s all in the design, the structure and the materials that make up a trampoline.
The World’s Safest Trampoline
And this is why Springfree Trampoline inventor, Dr Keith Alexander spent 15 years of research and design to re-engineer the traditional trampoline from the ground up to create the Springfree Trampoline.
Dr Keith Alexander’s revolutionary design removes all the hard impact points from the jumping surface, removing the need for springs and hard impact points entirely.
The unique, patented Springfree Trampoline design removes all the impact points that caused 90% of all product-related trampoline injuries, making Springfree Trampoline proudly the world’s safest trampoline.
Thank goodness trampolines have come such a long way since we were kids, you’ve now got all the tools you need to make the best decision for your family. A trampoline is the perfect addition to any backyard and the kids will love you for it. Happy shopping!
Enjoy reading this article?
You can view the CHOICE® Recommended Springfree Trampoline Medium Round on the Springfree website, learn more about our trampoline safety features, or call 1800 586 772.
You can also read the full results of the CHOICE® testing via the CHOICE® website.
You may also like to read:
The Top 5 Health Benefits of a Trampoline
How to Get Your Kids Outside and Active
Development of our Children’s Fine and Gross Motor Skills: We’re falling short
