Our Review of the Skywalker 12 Foot Backyard Trampoline

Much like the rest of the Skywalker line, the 12 Foot Backyard Trampoline is among the highest rated both in terms of quality and safety. It is among the best consumer trampolines that you are likely to find on the market in terms of quality for price. That being said, there are a few flaws that a wary buyer should know about in advance so that they can be on the lookout for problems and deal with company effectively.

What Works About the Trampoline

Like most Skywalker products, the safety features are top of the line and they want you to know it. Here are the safety features available on the 12 Foot Backyard model:

Safety net that interlocks easily with the mat to prevent holes that a bouncer can descend through by accident.
6 W-shaped legs that add extra stability to the frame, making it very sturdy both during use and when not being used.
Galvanized steel reinforced t-sockets on the frame and the net poles to prevent structural twisting during use
1 inch thick foam padding that covers the spring pad and frame to prevent accidents.

The bounce on this model is really great, with a lot of “springiness” and a good return to form with every jump. Even after extended use it maintains its bounce and doesn’t form divots that can make landing more difficult.

The frame is incredibly sturdy, yet still very light. Further, despite how light it is, it doesn’t move in most wind conditions and you don’t have to worry about it blowing over other than during very heavy weather.

Where It Falls Short

The 12 Foot Backyard Trampoline can suffer from the one problem affects Skywalker products in general: the ability of frame parts to fit together. They need to take some time and work on their manufacturing to ensure that all of the frame parts are machined properly. It shouldn’t take as much effort as it does for some folks to put together the frame.

The directions aren’t much of a help. They skip steps that are necessary in order to understand what you need to do next. It’s not impossible to figure out and a reasonably clever person can get it working with some trial and error. But there’s no reason to have printed directions without more editing in the first place.

Also, the customer service at Skywalker is somewhat lacking. To their credit, this is partly owing to the fact that the vast majority of customers never call in – they are satisfied with their purchase. Because of this, Skywalker is a company focused on engineering and distribution. It would be nice if no one ever had to contact them. But the fact of the matter is that things happen and sometimes people have to make a call and get a problem corrected.

This doesn’t take away from the quality of the trampoline. In fact, once its together, its as solid as any other brand out there, perhaps more so. Just wanted to share that bit of knowledge with you for your buying process.

If you do end up with a faulty one or need extra parts, rare though it may be, may I suggest the following steps:

Don’t throw out the box for at least a week to ensure that you can pack it all up and ship it out again if you need to.
Work with your retailer rather than Skywalker if at all possible. They are much more likely to be able to help you.
Take photos of everything to document what you have and any damage that came with the item. It’s rare, but you will likely be asked for a copy of the receipt and photos of the damage before they send you replacement parts.

The Bottom Line

There is a lot to recommend this product, including quality of materials, safety features, and general enjoyment of the trampoline. If you purchase this version, you and your children will have a lot of fun bouncing for hours. And with no worries that it will come apart on you or break. Taking good care of it, you can have a working trampoline for years without ever having to think of a replacement.

Once most people get their 12 Foot Backyard Trampoline together, they can look forward to years of happy bouncing.