Why is My Trampoline Not Bouncy

A trampoline is a fun yard toy. You can hop on it and bounce around for hours without getting bored. But many homeowners who have owned a trampoline for years notice a steep decline in its bounciness. What gives?

Well, let’s look at the answers here!

Why is My Trampoline Not Bouncy?

Who doesn’t love the feeling of soaring through the air? But since we still can’t grow wings and fly, we have to settle for the next best thing – jumping on a trampoline.

Contrary to popular belief, a trampoline is not strictly a children’s toy. Well, children can use it, sure, but adults, myself included, also enjoy jumping on a trampoline from time to time. However, if your trampoline suddenly loses its bounce, and you don’t know why, it can get quite frustrating.

The thing that affects the bounce of your trampoline is its springs. And if you see that your trampoline is not bouncy anymore, the springs are the most common suspect. It might be because the springs got rusty, a couple of springs got snapped, or maybe the springs have lost their temper.

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In this article, I will explore this issue further and help you pinpoint the exact reason why your trampoline is not bouncy, and help you figure out how to fix it.

Things that can Affect Your Trampoline’s Bounce

There is no reason to panic if you suddenly notice your trampoline is not as bouncy as before. It is pretty common, especially if you have had the trampoline in your backyard for a while now.

Typically, there are three main reasons why a trampoline loses its bounce, and all of them are related to the springs.

Rusty Springs

If your trampoline was bouncy before, but recently you noticed a massive decline in its performance, the reason might be very simple – rust. I know what you are thinking. “The springs are galvanized. Why on earth would it get rusty?”

The truth is, prolonged exposure to rain and moisture will eventually lead to rust, whether the metal is galvanized or not. So, if your trampoline suddenly lost its bounce, check for rust.

Broken Springs

Jumping on a trampoline with a broken spring is never a good idea. But the thing is, you may not even notice any difference in performance if only one or two springs get snapped. However, the one or two broken springs will put more stress on the rest of the springs until each of them starts breaking one by one.

So, it is a good idea to check your trampoline’s springs individually and replace any missing or broken springs as you find them. As the number of broken springs ramps up, the level of bounce in the trampoline decreases.

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Stretched Springs

Just because you keep your springs well-maintained and rust-free doesn’t mean they will last you a lifetime. Sure, you may be able to prevent it from breaking, but after a while, the springs will lose their temper and become stretched.

When this happens, the springs will not be able to create the rebounding effect efficiently, and you will notice a massive decrease in the bounce of your trampoline.

Why is My New trampoline Not Bouncy

You just received your new trampoline, put it all together, and want to take it for a test drive. But when you are jumping on it, the bounce just doesn’t feel right. The mat feels stiff, and it feels like you cannot use it to its fullest potential. If that sounds familiar, you are not the only one.

There can be a couple of different reasons why your new trampoline is not bouncy, and I am going to talk about each of them to help you figure out what the issue is with your trampoline.

1. Assembly Issue

If you have never assembled a trampoline before this one, then that is where your troubleshooting should start. Maybe you just messed up the installation, and doing a reassembly of the parts should fix the bounciness of the trampoline. Just make sure you follow the instruction manual closely when you are assembling it.

While assembling your trampoline, I would always advise getting help from someone who knows what he is doing. Or you can make things easier on yourself by just hiring a professional. There are many services out there that offer to assemble your trampoline for you so that you don’t have to lift a finger.

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2. Spring Issue

Sometimes, although rarely, you may just end up with a bad set of springs with your store-bought trampoline. The springs can be rusty or might already be stretched and not have a good level of release when you take them out of the box. Naturally, it would affect the quality of bounce that you get from your new trampoline.

If that happens, the best course of action is to notify the manufacturers right away and ask for a replacement. Since you bought the new trampoline, the manufacturer should accommodate you and send replacements. Or you can just buy a new, heavier set of springs to improve the overall bounce of your trampolines.

3. Size Issue

We all love a nice, big trampoline in our backyard, even if it is meant for just the kids. But the truth is, going bigger is not always the better approach. For example, if the kids using the trampoline are under eight years old, and you got yourself a top-tier 14 feet trampoline, then you will not find the bounce satisfying.

But wait, isn’t a bigger trampoline supposed to offer a better bounce? Well, the issue here is that the kids’ weight might not be enough to properly stretch the springs in the large trampoline to kick off the rebounding effect. So even though the trampoline is bouncy, your kid might not be able to utilize it fully.

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How Do I Make My Trampoline More Bouncy

Once you have identified why your trampoline is not as bouncy as you would want it, then there is a chance that you can make it bouncier. A word of caution, though, increasing the bounce in a trampoline can make it unsafe, especially for the kids.

Personally, I would not recommend making the trampoline bouncier if it is only meant for your kids. However, if it is for adults, then getting some extra bounce can make things a bit more exciting.

So here are a couple of simple ways to make your trampoline bouncier.

1. Replace Rusty or Broken Springs

If rust or missing springs are the issues, then replacing them usually fixes it. You should be able to restore the factory bounce of your trampoline by replacing an entire set of springs. However, this will not give you any extra bounce.

Alternatively, you can remove the rust by using WD-40 if the damage is not too severe. That way, you will be able to hold off on replacing the springs and get at least a few months of extra use out of it.

2. Change the Spring Configuration

If you want to improve the bounce of your trampoline, the quickest way to do that is to change up the spring configuration. The default spring configuration in all trampolines is the same – one hole, one spring. However, you can play around with the configuration to get more bounce out of it.

Two common spring configurations that are excellent for improving bounce are the X and V configurations. With the X configuration, you basically have to crisscross the springs over each other, which will increase the tension and result in a better bounce. For V configuration, you will have to skip over a spring hole and attach two springs to a single hole.

There are, of course, other configurations out there that you can try out for yourself. But one thing to know here is that changing the spring configuration can put more stress on the springs. Because of this, your springs may start to break sooner than usual.

3. Get Heavy-Duty Springs

Another easy way to make your trampoline bouncier is to replace the springs with heavier, thicker, or longer springs. Now, spring thickness and number can vary depending on the trampoline’s size and design. While you cannot change the number of springs on your trampoline, you can definitely change the spring thickness and length.

Using a thicker set of springs with more coils will give you a better rebounding effect on the trampoline. In other words, the bounciness of the trampoline will improve significantly.

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Parting Shots

I know it doesn’t feel good when your trampoline loses its bounce. But thankfully, restoring the bounce in your trampoline or even improving it is a pretty simple task. Since the springs are responsible for the bounce, replacing them usually fixes any issue with its bounce. I hope my detailed explanation could help you figure out what is causing your trampoline to feel less bouncy and fix it. Cheers!