If you have ever tried to install a trampoline on a slope, you will know just how difficult it can be.
Trampolines need to be on flat ground for safety reasons. So any kind of undulating surface presents a problem.
Surely a way around that would be for trampolines to have adjustable legs to take into account of slopes?
So do trampolines have adjustable legs? And if not why not?
Let’s take a closer look…
Do Trampolines Have Adjustable Legs?
Trampolines made in Europe and North America must have legs fixed at the same height. They cannot be adjustable as it would breach safety legislation EN17-14 in Europe and ASTM F381-16 and ASTM F963-17 in North America.
Trampolines and Safety Legislation
Take a look at the trampolines made by any major manufacturer and you will see they have at least one thing in common.
None of them have adjustable legs.
And the reason for that is simple, safety.
All trampolines made in Europe and North America have to pass stringent safety regulations.
In Europe, the relevant legislation is EN71-14. In North America, it is ASTM F381-16 and ASTM F963-17.
Both contain directives around trampolines for domestic use, and part of the legislation is the proviso that all legs have to be fixed at the same height.
Trampoline-Related Injury Statistics
The statistics around trampoline injuries are quite scary.
A report in 2022 showed that over 800,000 children sustained trampolines injuries in the USA between 2009 and 2018. Over half of all these injuries occurred at home.
A separate report by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said there were 300,000 trampoline injuries in 2018 alone, of which over a third required a visit to the hospital.
Over 90 percent of trampoline injuries were sustained by children. Mostly between 5 and 14 years old.
So you can see there is a reason many insurance companies will not cover trampolines as part of their policies.
And these statistics come with strict safety legislation already in place, such as the fact that all trampoline legs have to be fixed at the same height!
Imagine how many more injuries there could be if trampoline manufacturers were not as heavily regulated.
If trampolines were allowed to be made with adjustable legs, it would create a liability issue.
People would inevitably try and use them with the legs at different lengths just to see what it was like.
The result? More injuries and more lawsuits.
That in short is why the vast majority of trampolines do not have adjustable legs.
Alternatives to Adjustable Legs
That said, if you do need to put your trampoline on a slope or any uneven surface there are some options available to you.
This is something we have outlined fully in our article discussing whether you can put a trampoline on a slope, but we will have a quick look at them again as a refresher.
Option 1: Level the Slope Yourself
Using a wooden plank, a carpenter’s level and a tape measure you can work out how much of a slope you have in your yard.
You can then either dig a trench on the high side of the yard for the legs to be placed in, level out an area large enough for the full circumference of the trampoline, or build up the downhill side of the yard so it is level.
Option 2: Buy Leveling Blocks
You can buy stackable leveling blocks to put under the legs of a trampoline to keep the trampoline stable on an uneven surface.
Option 3: Cut the Trampoline’s Legs
If you are really desperate you can cut down the trampoline’s legs to level them up.
However, you will void the warranty of the trampoline and risk making it more unstable than it was before if you don’t do it right.
Option 4: Bury the Trampoline
Probably the most effective, but expensive and complicated way to level a trampoline is to bury it in your yard.
This will most likely involve paying a professional to do the job, so the mat ends up being at ground level.
Final Thoughts
The reason it is so difficult to find trampolines with adjustable legs is that if they are made in Europe or the USA they are subject to strict safety regulations.
Part of which is that all of the legs have to be fixed and at the same height.
If these rules were not in place then the eyewatering number of trampoline-related injuries reported each year would increase even more!
If you need to level up your trampoline then you will either need to level the ground manually yourself or invest in some leveling blocks.