10 Top Complaints About Rebounders:
1. Changing springs
Springs can be single or double analyzed coated, or not at all. When a spring is not coated the springs tend to get hot during a rebounding workout since there is nothing to absorb the heat except the spring itself. Double coating the springs allow them to be more flexible and have a longer life. Bend a paperclip back and forth to get a feel of this example. To see if your springs are coated, you can leave them in the rain and if they rust, then they are not coated. Contractors that use nails to build patios used galvanized nails, a similar process that some springs go through. The latest Cellerciser has double analyzed springs.
2. OFF-GASSING
Things that people complain about is the smell on some of the rebounders. The ones that don't smell have a polyester stitching around the mat to connect the springs. Vinyl stitching can give off a formaldehyde like smell in certain climates. Rubber feet can give off a bad smell too similar to a tire store. Some rebounders have polymer feet instead of rubber.
3. Mat Stretching
Lower quality mats tend to pull apart and the stitching comes lose and the stitching can be cut by the springs when the stitching starts to come apart.
4. Cheap Rubber Feet
Another big complaint I get is having to change the feet every year or two. Cheap feet, especially when exposed to sunlight, can dry out and rot and become cracked. Eventually, the feet can crack apart and will fall off.
5. Paint Flaking
Many people complain about paint flaking off. Some companies spray paint their rebounders and and some bake the rebounders after spray painting them which can preserve it (baked enamel under a heat lamp). Electrostatic applied paint is what is used to prevent paint flaking.
6. Pronation and Inversion
People complain when some rebounders are too soft in the center and too firm around the edges on the same rebounder. Depending on how heavy you are and knowing what to expect from each type of spring should help prevent this problem.
7. Against the Grain Jumping
Some people have a jumping style that gives them a problem when jumping with or against the grain. The more folds the rebounder has the more tendency to keep someone in the center. If someone is very heavy, this can have the opposite effect. A very heavy person (250+ lbs) will prefer the half fold to a tri- fold and a lighter people (under 250 lbs) tend to prefer a half fold. I prefer the bounce of a folding to a non fold. The folds are very absorbing.
8. Cleaning my rebounder
I have had many people upgrade their rebounders and they come back so foul smelling I don't even want to touch it (dried sweat from years and years of usage) and the clean ones that people wipe down that don't smell are rusted. I like rebounders that have a special coat so that I can just hose it down and let it dry without wiping the water off.
9. Wearing shoes while bouncing
If you get a rebounder that is evenly tuned so that there is not a sudden softness drop off towards the center, there will be no need to wear running shoes made for those that pronate their feet.
10. Limited Warranties
If a mat tears or it rusts or the feet crack, a spring loses its flexibility, or anything happens, I want to know what is under warranty and what is not. I hear stories about things breaking and companies always blame it on abuse of the rebounder and the won't cover it. Find out what is covered and what is not. Just because something has a warranty doesn't mean everything is covered.