The Truth About Body Weight and Trampoline Rebounder Tension

Real talk. The two things that will have the greatest impact on your rebounding aside from injuries is your own body composition and the tension setting of your rebounder. Think of tension as how low you sink when you bounce down into your trampoline. The lower you sink, the more exertion it will require to get yourself up and out of that hole. I almost always recommend a little firmer tension, especially for beginners and seniors. It allows for more body control and more stability for your joints. The trick is finding a rebounder that is firm, but not so firm that it's jarring. Keep reading for recommendations!

A 150 pound individual and a 300 pound individual on the exact same rebounder are going to have much different experiences. The 300 pound person will have to work much harder. This is why rebounders with adjustable tension are so helpful. Adjustable tension "levels the playing field" so to speak. Ideally, you'd have the 150 pound person and the 300 pound person on rebounders with the appropriate tension for their weight. This creates less discrepancy in the effort required. When I had my in-person studio, I would encourage plus size participants to use my firm tension rebounders. I'd recommend petite individuals and those who were already in good physical condition to use my softer tension rebounders.

I've watched a few rebounder comparison videos on YouTube created by other rebounder instructors. The problem is they are already fit with a low body weight. Their experience will be different than the average beginner. 

This is why I bring guests on my channel of all ages, body shapes, sizes, and athletic abilities. This way you can see with your own eyes someone with a body composition that is similar to or matches yours. How do they move on their rebounder? How does it compare to you?

Now for my recommendations. This might be a difficult pill to swallow, but there are really only 2 brands that meet my standards for tension adjustability. Bellicon and Jumpsport. They are the highest quality trampoline rebounders on the market, but also the most expensive. I've owned both and want to point out a few key differences. Keep reading if you're on a tight budget!

Bellicon gives you the option for 5 different bungee tensions: soft, medium, strong, extra strong and ultra strong. The only problem is there is no way to test them out. If you order strong bungees and ultimately need extra or ultra strong, you have to pay the additional money to order new bungees. Although you can likely sell your strong bungees second-hand as many others are looking to swap strengths. If you are over 300lbs, Bellicon is the rebounder for you as it has a 440 pound weight rating. They do have a general guide for choosing strength, but many people I've talked to ended up buying the strength one up from what was recommended.

Jumpsport rebounders have bungees with adjustable tension. They come on the softest possible setting and you can change it as needed. They are also a little more budget friendly than Bellicon. I found the two to be so comparable that I ultimately recommend and sell Jumpsport mostly due to their lower prices. The problem with Jumpsport is that they have many models and choosing can be confusing. I don't necessarily recommend all models. I sell ONLY the models I recommend on my website. You'll notice I do not carry the 200 or 400 series. The weight rating for Jumpsport is 300-325 pounds.

If both of these rebounders are just not in your budget, my recommendation is Leaps & Rebounds. It does NOT have adjustable tension, but overall is a decent rebounder for $200. It has a 250 pound weight limit, lower than both the Bellicon and Jumpsport. Code Nikki10 for a 10% discount on the L&R.

I hope this information helps you make a rebounder selection! I am not endorsed by any of these companies. I personally sought out a connection with Jumpsport after trying several models. I believe it has been a mutually beneficial partnership, but it was completely 100% my choice to connect with their company. They've been very gracious and worked with me several times to host giveaways and other promotions. Again, all at my request. Please reach out with any questions!

Nikki