School trampoline buying guide

We sell trampolines, so read this knowing that. We have tried to write the guide we would want if we sat on a board: what the manufacturer says, what an insurer is likely to ask, and where the answer is not ours to give.

The steps:

1. Decide whether a trampoline fits your school at all
2. Talk to your insurer first
3. Ages and the net question
4. Choose how it sits
5. Size and space
6. Who installs and who inspects
7. Warning notice, daily check and logbook
8. Warranty
9. Budget and ordering

At the end there is a checklist of questions for your insurer, for us and for the installer.

1. Decide whether a trampoline fits your school at all

Start with how it can be used, because that rules a trampoline in or out for many schools before any model is discussed. These are BERG's rules, from its public-use manual for the Elite InGround:

• One user at a time. This is BERG's rule, not a suggestion.
• An adult supervises whenever it is in use. BERG says it is not for unattended public use.
• BERG does not recommend its trampolines for children under 6, and says they are not suitable under 3.
• BERG recommends a safety net. Its home-use InGround manual goes further and does not recommend use without one by children under 14.
• No shoes, a dry mat, and no somersaults.
• Maximum user weight is 100 to 120 kg depending on size.

The same manual says the trampoline is not suitable for unattended public use, and gives a municipal playground with no supervisor as its example. It also requires a safety check every day, recorded in a logbook.

One user at a time is the rule that shapes everything. A class cannot bounce together. Thirty pupils means thirty turns, with an adult watching each one and the others waiting somewhere clear of the trampoline.

Supervision is needed, and it is not a cure. RoSPA's advice for garden trampolines is also one at a time, and it notes that adult supervision does not guarantee that nobody is hurt.

So ask, honestly:

• Do we have an adult free to supervise every time it is in use?
• Can we stop it being used when no adult is there, at break, after school and at weekends?
• Will turns of one pupil at a time work for the way we would use it?
• Do we have someone to check it every day and write the check in a logbook?
• Are the pupils we have in mind aged 6 or over?

If the answer to any of these is no, a trampoline may not be the right piece of equipment for your school. It is better to find that out now.

A BERG Elite is a play trampoline. It is not a gymnastic trampoline and is not a substitute for trampolining taught as a sport.

2. Talk to your insurer first

Do this before you choose a model, and well before you order. Your insurer's conditions decide what you can put in, where, and how it must be looked after. We cannot tell you what they will say.

As an example of what an insurer asks, Allianz Ireland publishes guidance for schools developing playground and sports facilities. It says that:

• A full risk assessment is needed before the school goes ahead.
• Playground equipment "must be installed in compliance with European Standards ISEN1176 and ISEN1177".
• Professional advice must be obtained on layout and design.
• The facility must be inspected weekly by a competent person.
• There must be an annual independent inspection by an appropriately qualified person or company.
• Defective equipment must be taken out of use immediately.
• A suitable fence with a locked gate must be installed around the playground or facility.
• Contractors must give written confirmation that they have relevant insurance.

That guidance is about playground equipment in general. It does not mention trampolines, and it does not tell you whether Allianz or any other insurer will cover one. Only your insurer can tell you that.

Where EN 1176 comes in

EN 1176 is the European standard for playground equipment and surfacing. It is voluntary and is not law. It matters because insurers refer to it, as the Allianz example shows, and because it is treated as the benchmark for good practice.

If your insurer wants to see paperwork from BERG, tell us. With your quotation we send BERG's public-use manual, its warning notice for your model, and the Keurmerkinstituut certificate where we hold it. We hold the certificate for the Elite InGround 330 Grey + Safety Net Deluxe. For any other model, ask us and we will request the certificate for your model from BERG. More on this on the range page.

3. Ages and the net question

BERG's public-use manual for the Elite InGround gives two age lines:

• Not suitable for children under 36 months.
• Not recommended for children under 6.

On nets, BERG recommends a safety net. Its home-use InGround manual goes further and does not recommend use without a net by children under 14. The public-use manual adds that a net should be replaced every 5 years, or sooner if it stops doing its job.

What that means in practice:

• Primary schools: we suggest a model with a safety net. Many pupils in the infant classes are under 6, and BERG does not recommend its trampolines for children under 6.
• Post-primary schools: some pupils are under 14, so a model with a net is the straightforward choice for a whole-school trampoline.
• Models without a net: BERG lists them for public use, and still recommends a net. If you are looking at one for pupils under 14, put BERG's home-use guidance in front of your board and your insurer first.

10 of the 18 models we show have a net: all 5 above ground, 4 InGround and 1 FlatGround.

4. Choose how it sits

The BERG Elite public-use range comes in three types, all in grey. What changes is how the trampoline meets the ground, and that decides the groundwork, the net options and the price.

Prices are for the trampoline, from our shop, checked 9 October 2026. Groundwork, fitting and surfacing are not included.

A few plain pointers:

• If you cannot dig, or may need to move it, choose above ground.
• If you want it low and your pupils are under 14, choose InGround with a net.
• If you want it level with the ground and your pupils are under 14, the only FlatGround model we stock with a net is the Ultim 500.
• Above ground has a step up to the mat, so the adult supervising should stand at the entrance.

5. Size and space

A bigger trampoline does not take more pupils. It is still one at a time. Choose the size for the space you have and for the weight of the people who will use it.

Clear space

BERG's public-use manual for the Elite InGround requires:

• At least 2 metres clear of trees, fences and any other obstacle, all the way round.
• At least 7 metres of clear height, measured from the ground.
• Level ground. Not concrete, asphalt or any other hard surface.
• A spot that is not close to other play equipment, such as swings, slides, pools or other play structures.

So the clear area is the trampoline plus 2 metres on every side. A 330 cm model needs a little over 7 metres across, and a 430 cm model a little over 8. Look up as well: branches, wires and canopies count. Your insurer may ask for more space or for fencing.

The surface around it

The same manual says a shock-absorbing base must be installed to a width of 1.5 metres around the trampoline. For what counts as suitable it points to table 4 of EN 1176-1:2017, and says to allow for a falling height of 1,200 mm.

That is BERG's requirement for an InGround trampoline, and it is a cost. We do not supply or fit surfacing. Ask your installer or a surfacing supplier to price it. We have not seen BERG's public-use manuals for the FlatGround and above-ground models, so ask us for the manual for your model.

Maximum user weight

These are BERG's figures, for one user. We have not seen BERG's figure for the 520 or the 500 and will get it for you. BERG tests with up to five times the maximum user weight. That is a test load, not a capacity.

6. Who installs and who inspects

We sell and deliver. We do not install, inspect, certify, risk-assess or train. Each of those jobs needs a name beside it before you order.

Installation

BERG puts correct assembly and installation, following its manual, on the owner. InGround and FlatGround models need groundwork by a competent installer. An above-ground model is assembled on site with nothing dug.

If you want it fitted for you, we can put you in touch with an independent installer. You agree the work and the price directly with them. Ask them for written confirmation of their insurance, which is something Allianz, for one, expects schools to get from contractors.

Inspection

There are usually three levels. BERG sets the first, and your insurer may set the others:

• A safety check every day, recorded in a logbook, and a look over before each use. BERG's public-use manual requires both.
• A regular, more careful inspection by a competent person. Allianz's guidance asks for this weekly.
• An annual inspection by someone independent and appropriately qualified, where your insurer requires it.

For an InGround trampoline, BERG's manual also asks for the space underneath to be inspected at least once a year, and after a rainy period.

Decide who in the school does the first two, and who you will pay to do the third. More on installation and upkeep.

7. Warning notice, daily check and logbook

BERG's public-use approval comes with conditions. BERG says the owner is responsible for:

• Complying with local rules for playground equipment.
• Correct assembly and installation, following the manual.
• Displaying BERG's warning notice near the trampoline.
• A safety check every day, recorded in a logbook.
• The maintenance those checks show is needed.

The warning notice

BERG provides its additional warnings for public use in digital form only. Whoever manages the trampoline is required to place them near it, clearly visible and readable, protected against the weather, and at least A4 in size. There is a version for each maximum user weight. We send BERG's warning notice for your model with your order or quotation.

The daily check

BERG's public-use manual for the Elite InGround lists these points:

• The jumping mat, for defects such as small tears.
• The springs: none missing, none corroded, all correctly attached.
• The frame connections, correctly fitted.
• The protective edge: its condition and how it is attached.
• The warning notice, still clearly present.
• The stakes, all present.

Record each check in the logbook. We send the manual with your quotation.

The State Claims Agency's risk advisory notice on school equipment makes the same point about who is responsible. The board of management is responsible for the maintenance, condition and state of repair of school equipment. Equipment should be checked and maintained to a routine schedule and the manufacturer's instructions. The notice adds that outdoor equipment exposed to the weather is particularly vulnerable.

In practice that means a named person, a schedule, and a logbook that is actually filled in. When a part wears, replace it. BERG says repairs must be carried out by a professional. We supply genuine BERG replacement parts.

8. Warranty: 1 year at a school

BERG's warranty is 1 year when a trampoline is used at a school or in any other public setting. The longer warranty advertised for home buyers does not apply, so do not budget on it.

The public-use manual gives 1 year on the frame, padding, jump mat, springs and safety net. Parts that wear and the effects of weather, such as rust and discolouration, are excluded. The warranty is void if the trampoline is not assembled and maintained as the manual sets out, or is improperly set into the ground. A claim goes through a BERG authorised dealer, with proof of purchase.

Two things follow. Plan for replacement parts such as padding, springs and nets as a running cost: we supply genuine BERG parts. And keep the logbook up to date. BERG's warranty terms (PDF)

9. Budget and ordering

What the trampoline costs

• InGround: from €1,109, or from €1,449 with a safety net.
• FlatGround: from €1,349, or from €2,569 with a safety net.
• Above ground: from €1,449.

Delivery is free across Ireland and Northern Ireland, by pallet carrier. In-stock models are usually delivered within 48 hours. Otherwise allow 7 to 10 days as a typical time.

What else to allow for

• Groundwork and fitting, if you choose InGround or FlatGround. You agree the price with the installer.
• The shock-absorbing surface BERG requires around an InGround trampoline. Have your installer or a surfacing supplier price it.
• Anything your insurer requires around it, such as fencing.
• Printing and mounting the warning notice so that it is weatherproof.
• An independent annual inspection, if your insurer requires one.
• Replacement parts over the years, including a new safety net every 5 years or sooner.

Some schools pay for play and PE equipment from their own funds or grants. Whether a particular grant covers a trampoline is for the funder to confirm.

How to order

Ask us for a written quotation to bring to your board, or order on TrampolinesIreland.com, our main shop. If you need particular payment or invoicing arrangements, ask us. Returns are accepted within 14 days, and the customer pays for return delivery. We price match against authorised Irish BERG dealers: ask us.

See all 18 models and prices.