The Trampoline Guys

Similar to last year when Costco started carrying the combo kit with the Jumbo Round (13’) with the Flexr Hoop and Step, they came out with this new combo a few week ago for a brand new model: Jumbo Rectangle (11x13’) with Flexr Hoop and Step. These have been selling fast, if you are on the fence but looking to purchase new this provides significant savings. Comparatively, the next size up is the Jumbo Square (13x13) and to get that extra 26 sq feet (which is honestly a hardly noticeable difference at these sizes) with the hoop and steps you would have to pay an additional $1500 or so. These models have also been going on sale periodically, last one was $300 off at Costco, which is pretty unheard of!

Not a pad advertisement from Costco 😂, I am just really happy with the models they are carrying!

Conversely, you can also still get he Medium Round 10’ kit with the hoop and step, they have not been carrying the Jumbo Round so far this spring. The 10’ version is pretty decent, but it is only $300 less than the Jumbo Rectangle, so if you have the space I highly recommend getting the larger one, since it is impossible for kids to grow out of it

A long overdue review of the new combo kit from Costco: they are amazing value!

Earlier this year Costco started carrying a new package which included the 13’ Jumbo Round trampoline, Flexr Hoop and Flexr Step (ladder). My mouth dropped when I heard the price on this, the whole package is $1800 currently, here is a link if it is still active:

https://www.costco.ca/springfree-13-ft-jumbo-round-trampoline-bundle.product.4000308132.html

This particular model was only made available in Canada for about two weeks a few years ago, though it was accessible in the US all the while, so they are not common to see here, but if you have the yard space this is a fantastic model to get. It is a similar overall size to the Jumbo Square, but if you were to purchase that model, and add on the step and hoop you’d be looking at nearly DOUBLE the cost, so this is a fantastic deal!

The also redesigned the Flexr Hoop for this special combo, at this writing the new model was not listed still on their website for whatever reason. I would say that it is about as bizarre to put together as the previous version 😂. The exception being that it is now almost impossible to put together incorrectly (it is the most frequently incorrect assembled item from DIYers) but it remains a bit odd in its assembly, and if done wrong it will sort of point downward too much and there is no longer a vertical adjustment possible. However, they have done away with the necessity for zip ties holding portions together and I believe it is now going be way more robust than previously versions.

Other points of note for this model are that they have also improved/reinforced the zipper in the net and it looks super “beefy” now, which is great since this is one of the only weak points on any models.

All in all I would say it is a really amazing deal! They have not been in Costco for 15 years, and the last models they sold there are still in use today, so I definitely give it two thumbs and big toes up.

Helpful tip of the day (ok I could say tip of the year based on how often I post things here 🤪)…

If you are assembling your own Springfree trampoline, whether new or old there is a super important step we take every time and I have been recently finding more often that when folks DIY the assembly it is often overlooked.

The concern is with the mat rod holders - the small plastic pieces inside the mat that the white rods click into. These pieces are designed to be able to have a bit of motion, but the issue comes in when they have slipped out of the right spot. I will try and find a photo to show what I mean as it’s kind of hard to describe exactly.

Essentially there is a bit of a “tongue” on each piece which is supposed to be on the outside of the mat fabric, while the rest is inside it’s little pocket. Problems arise when the little tongue piece goes into the pocket with the rest of the plastic. When this happens the mat rod holder moves too far into the pocket while the trampoline is being assembled, and it gets worse when bounced on.

What ends up happening is that the plastic piece is able to push against the surface of the mat, and it can eventually cut through the surface of the mat making holes.

Thankfully it is far easier to avoid this by just making sure all the holders are in proper position while assembling. Personally I run my index finger along each pocket after putting the rod in to make sure I can feel it is in the right spot, but if you aren’t familiar with it you can just do a quick visual check as well.

Hopefully I have done a good enough job explaining this, it’s kind of a tricky one but has cost people more than a few mays so it’s important!

Springfree Trampolines have been popular for a while now in Canada, and this means there are plenty of older models available for sale on Marketplace and Craigslist (yes that’s still a thing).

As these trampolines age, there are a few problems to watch out for when purchasing second hand that are not super obvious to the potential buyer. We made a list of the most common problems to be on the lookout for, and they have mostly concerned the mats.

A rod sticking out or missing usually means a broken rod holder. This is a $5 part and not a huge deal, but can indicate other issues so it’s good to do a thorough looksie if you spot something like this.

The worst problems come from stitching coming undone on the bottom of the mat. You find this by looking underneath the mat around the edges and checking for spaces or gaps in the stitching there. This seems to be caused by improper stress points during assembly and typically means if not now, then soon a new mat will be needed, which is usually around $380 brand new from Springfree. Ouchie.

The other mat issue is if the rod holders are not positioned properly during assembly, they tuck into a pocket they are not supposed to. This puts a lot of stress on the top of the mat directly from the sharp edges of the rod holders, which can cut the surface. So long as it’s not all over, this is usually negligible after the trampoline has been assembled properly as the stress comes off these incorrect points.

We are always happy to help with any questions you might have while shopping around, feel free to hit us up!

We may be a little late to announce this, but trampoline season definitely started early this year! We have already been swamped with requests but so far we have been able to help anyone who needs it!

Still setting up in the height of winter! Well...Vancouver winter...Ok it was 8°

Did you know trampoline parks or pits were quite popular in the 1960s? Check out these vintage photos!

Today we still have some trampoline parks such as Apex Adventure Plex and Extreme Air Park in Richmond, BC.

📸: Life Magazine