What to look for when buying a rebounder, lymphacizer or minitrampoline

Rebounders, sometimes called mini trampolines are wonderful accessories for the home gym.  The Rolls Royce of the rebounders is the New Zealand made "Lymphacizer", by the way.  I won't go into the health benefits here.  This article is about giving you a shopping guide.

There are many rebounders on the market ranging from a $50 machine up to the heavy duty 48 spring Gym R-48 Lymphacizer which sells for as much as $400.  Needless to say, there are huge differences in features, durability and feel.

When purchasing a rebounder there are number of key manufacturing features to look for, such as a heavy duty bed.  But how do you tell a heavy duty bed from a light duty one?  When shopping, I find the easiest way to sort through the rebounders is to look closely at the springs and the way they are fitted to the frames.  If the manufacturer has got this right, you can be pretty sure the rest is of comparable quality:

How do the springs fit onto the frame?

How the Lymphacizer R-36 springs
attach to the frame via welded
brackets.  The R-48 is similar.

If the springs are hooked into holes drilled into the frame tubing, you have a problem from the first use: With little more than a few hours use:

• The springs will begin to chew into the frame, causing the bed to become increasingly soft and spongy.
• The springs will wear quickly at the sharp point of contact with the frame and will soon snap.
• The frame will eventually be damaged beyond repair and only good for the refuse dump.

The  extra heavy duty springs that are found on the
Lymphacizer Gym R-48 model.  Note that
the springs come in pairs and are wound in
opposite directions.

Look for a machine that has a heavy duty tube framing with strong steel brackets that are welded to the frame and which the springs hook onto.  The springs must not hook directly onto or into the steel frame tube.

Look for heavy duty springs and at least 36 of them - no less!

Whether you are light or very heavy, repeated bouncing, walking and jogging is a huge stress on the springs. You need heavy duty springs made of the highest quality steel, that fit onto welded frame brackets (One bracket per two springs) - and lots of them!  The more the better.  

If the rebounder has less than 36 springs and if they look tiny, they simply will not last very  long at all.

Rebounder springs must be fitted in pairs with each wound in opposite directions - one is clock-wise and the other anti-clockwise.  This prevents torsional twisting of the rebounder bed, improving the experience of the user and reducing wear on the rebounder bed and frame.

Another feature of the springs is they should be tapered, narrow at the ends and widest in the middle, so that the stress of the repetitive expansion and contraction of the spring  is evenly spread over the full length of the coil.  If not, the springs will soon snap at the neck.

What weight can a rebounder model tolerate?

R-48 Gym Lymphacizer

A rebounder that does not have the heavy duty features described in this article will rapidly wear, become spongy and there will be repeated spring breakages.  The bed may also fray due to the uneven tension and may eventually tear which is a safety concern.

The heavy duty construction of the Lymphacizer R-36 and the Gym R-48 will easily handle 100Kg and replacement springs are available should you break one.  If you are over 100Kg, then fork out the little extra and purchase the more heavy duty Gym R-48.

Any questions?  Send me an inquiry via this website, thanks.

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Would rebounding be counter-indicated for someone with an auto-immune disease?

First of all, congratulations and thanks for a very informative web site.
I am a 63 year old female who has been diagnosed with osteopenia (verging on osteoporosis).
I was prescribed Fosamax, and have been on it for 6 ½ years. Recently, I’ve read several articles about the possible side effects of that kind of drug, and the unknown long term effects of taking the drug. I decided to go off the Fosamax, and to try to maintain my bone health with exercise and good nutrition. I read about the benefits (for bones and general health) of doing rebounding exercises, and bought myself a high quality rebounder. I started rebounding (gradually) last October, and got hooked; I just love it!
My concern is this: I may (?) have an auto-immune disease. My RA factor is negative, but my doctor feels that some of the problems I’ve been having with my hands and feet might be auto-immune related. I have recently developed bunions on my feet, and they sometimes get red and inflamed. This started around the same time that I started rebounding. I have not changed my footwear…I always wear good shoes with custom made orthotics.

Thumbs up for the lymphaciser rebounder

Hi Gary
Just thought you might like a great testimonial for Lympacizers! I've owned one for nearly 20 years and there's been hardly any give in the springs over that time despite being used daily. They are GREAT, well worth the outlay.
Cheers
Jan
_______________________________
Gary Moller comments:

Thanks for the thumbs-up, Jan. The key to the feel and longevity (and the price!) of these exercise machines is the heavy steel frame, the many big steel springs and the way they are fixed by welded brackets to the frame.

I have used the Pacific Health Lymphacizer rebounders for some 25 years for outfitting commercial gyms. Some of these rebounders have been in use for that entire period, some in gyms that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some of the users are very, very big people! I can not recall ever having to replace a broken spring. All that has been required is to replace the protective frame and spring cover now and then and ensure the legs are tightly screwed in. These machines should out-live their owners if used in the home.



If you are considering purchasing a rebounder, it is worth your while spending more and going for quality. The cheapos that cost $100 or less simply do not last and they feel awful compared to the Lymphacizer. With use the springs of the cheapos quickly dig into the frame, the bed stretches and the responsive bounce goes out of the bed. You do not want to be jumping up and down on a cheap bed that may tear or with cheap springs that eventually snap with use.