A couple of the toys that defined the time have crazy stories about them. If you’re looking for complete control in both takeoff and landing, you’ll want a rectangular trampoline. Not coincidentally, professional gymnasts choose rectangular trampolines over other shapes. You’ve probably noticed there are trampolines that can be built into the ground. Basically, you dig a hole, install the trampoline, and the kids jump as if they are on the ground, but with more bounce. There is no proof that this actually lowers the risk of injury, though, since the frame and the springs can still present a safety hazard.
Our testers spent many afternoons tumbling, flipping, and jumping for hours on end. Even with several kids jumping at once, they were able to get a good bounce from the jumping surface, enough to throw layouts or back tucks with no issue. The instructions state that the maximum weight is 150 pounds, but the capacity listed online is 200 pounds. We tested that weight limit with heavier jumpers and found no issues with bounce.
Some ’80s toys started as American Greetings card series, including the Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, while its competitor Hallmark kept pace with Rainbow Bright. Safety wasn’t necessarily paramount in the ’80s, as a number of these toys resulted in trips to the hospital, but not a decline in popularity. Children of the 1980s, read on to see if any of your favorites made Stacker’s list of 30 toys that defined the decade. Our innovative and unique design has revolutionized trampolines, not only in the United States, but also world-wide. With the springless design, flexible net and hidden frame, a Springfree Trampoline is truly the safest trampoline in America, letting kids be kids and test their limits with safe outdoor play.
Sportsoul aspires to provide every user with the freedom to enjoy basketball without limitations. This trampoline from Beast Inc. is a comparable 15-foot round trampoline with a netting enclosure and similar safety features. Both boast high ratings and feature extra-thick coil springs, galvanized steel framework, and similar T-sockets. Kids of all ages got the sensation of driving around the neighbourhood just like their parents—albeit at around five miles per hour—when Pines of America brought Power Wheels to the masses in the early 1980s. Kids could choose from an All-Terrain Vehicle, a monster truck, or a convertible before the first of many Jeep models debuted in 1986. The Pogo Ball is a Saturn-looking jumping device manufactured by Hasbro and the cousin of the Pogo Stick, the latter of which is now an official extreme sport.
Milton Bradley inspired a phenomenon when it launched the deceptively simple Simon console at New York’s Studio 54 in 1978. Simon, which sold for the equivalent of $96, was designed as both a single- and multi-player memory game that required users to press four colored buttons while repeating an increasingly longer sequence of lights and sounds. The simplicity of the original Simon inspired multiple generations of the game, including the Simon Optix, a wearable headset that flashes lights before the user’s eyes. Hallmark Cards introduced Rainbow Brite—who brought happiness and colour wherever she went—as an animated series in 1984. Mattel took the reigns for merchandising, and the Rainbow Brite dolls, with their vibrant hair, along with her trusted steed Starlite, became must-have toys for young girls. Rainbow Brite was Mattel’s most successful product to that point, spawning multiple movies, books, TV shows, and more, with a marketing budget of $35 million in 1985.
It just takes a little muscle behind the bolts and some patience, as you’ll be adding individual elastic ties underneath the trampoline to ensure the bumper doesn’t shift. At about 15 x 15 x 9 feet, the Skywalker trampoline isn’t small, so don’t expect the aesthetics to be sleek or modern. You’ll need a large yard with a flat surface for this product. The round design is a good option for families with multiple kids, but if you’re looking for a trampoline to fit in a tight space, this is not the one for you. Even with several kids jumping at once, they were able to get a good bounce from the jump surface, enough to throw layouts or back tucks with no issue. The boxes, as you would imagine, are pretty bulky and quite heavy, so moving them is a two-person job unless you can convince the delivery person to drop them off at your desired location rather than your front door.
Decades later, Roller Racers remain a hit with physical education teachers, who use the toy in relay races, obstacle courses, and roller tag. Coin-operated arcade amusement took a severe hit when Atari released the first home gaming console, which was created by the founders of the famous arcade game Pong. Atari 2600 came equipped with two joysticks, paddle controllers, a wood-panel printed console, and game cartridges, including “Space Invaders,” “Pac-Man,” and “Asteroids” sold separately. The gaming system, with normal and hard difficulty settings, sold millions, making the Atari brand a staple in many ’80s households. The movie follows the saga of Ty Warner, played by Zach Galifianakis, the toy salesman who created one of the biggest toy crazes in history, and then shows what happens when everyone stops caring about them. Elizabeth Banks co-stars as Ty Warner’s business partner, Robbie, while Succession star Sarah Snook plays Warner’s wife, Sheila.
The one issue we had was with the safety netting around the jumping surface. Though we didn’t notice any gapping or problems with the areas where the net meets the metal framework, the netting itself felt less sturdy than some of the higher-end trampolines on the market. It’s soft and malleable, but if you live in a climate with rain and snow, we could see it getting worn out down the road. It likely wouldn’t stand up to too much roughhousing with older, heavier kids, but we still felt comfortable with the younger, lighter kids bouncing each other into the netting repeatedly. Made especially for tots, Skywalker’s mini trampolines provide 360-degree padded support handles.
Glo Worms bridged the gap between stuffed animal and night light when Hasbro’s Playskool released the toy in 1982. A soft squeeze would light up the toy’s vinyl head, gaining so much popularity that Hasbro released Musical Glo Worm in 1983, which could play a lullaby or tell a bedtime story. “They’re all your goodnight skywalker trampolines friends” was the catchy jingle that played over commercials of little girls and boys getting ready for bed with their Glo Worms hugged tightly. The Koosh ball, made up of approximately 2,000 natural rubber filaments, was invented by an engineer who wanted to make playing catch more simple and safe for his children.
We strive to provide a range of high end trampolines that are of the best quality, durable and safe, to ensure your children enjoy year after year of bouncing, laughing and memories on their trampoline. We source the best components including patented materials and put them through rigorous testing to ensure only the best trampoline arrives in your backyard for a lifetime of play. Most of the customers who were dissatisfied did turn to the company and received satisfactory responses. If you’re looking to get the most space for your buck, square trampolines are your answer. Many jumpers like to “take off” from the trampoline’s corners, and square trampolines give you 20% more jumping space than their round or oval counterparts.