Bravo / Variflex Airzone 4100 TR and 4-920 SE
Available at: Walmart.com, 1-800 Trampoline, Dick's Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority
Introduction
The Bravo/Variflex Airzone is a common and mass marketed trampoline currently available at many online retailers including Amazon.com, Wal-Mart.com, OnlineSports.com, and 1800Trampolines.com. The highlight of this product is that it has no steel springs. It uses elastic bands that are sewn to the mat and attached to the oval frame tube using a wire clip. All individual frame pieces are held together with small machine screws. Assembly is easy, although there are lots of screw and small parts that could easily find their way into the depths of your lawn. Total installation time was 1.5 hours.
Trampoline
The top rail has an oval cross section and is a mere 1.05 mm wall thickness. There are 6 leg sets. The frame pad is a cover, the inner diameter of which is sewn to the jumping surface. The outer diameter contains elastic which wraps around the frame edge. The pad foam comes as separate pieces, which are then inserted into a pocket in the pad cover during installation.
The bounce performance of the Airzone is notably more subdued than a typical trampoline. Our testers noticed this right away, and lab measurements confirmed that the bounce is as much as 107% more dampening than other 14’ trampolines having metal springs. Our testers found the jump experience on this product to be very exhausting and un-satisfying. The Airzone is weight rated to a 200 lb. maximum.
Safety Enclosure
The Safety Enclosure used on the Airzone is very cheaply constructed. The pole foam is directly exposed to the sun and weather, and the net is very light weight and abrasive to the touch. A rounded cap on top of each pole offers some safety protection. Because the zippered door must be manually closed, it is a hazard if children fail to zipper it closed after they enter the unit. The net ties onto the poles as well as the frame of the trampoline. While we liked the straight bolt mounting of the SE poles, there was a sense that the net installation was an afterthought. One minor problem during installation was that the pad had to be moved to position the net ties.
Conclusion
Overall, the Airzone construction and performance is far below average and will most likely need to be replaced after a short period of time, especially if used by teenage or adult sized bouncers. The low price is attractive, but will quickly lead to buyer dissatisfaction as the product fails to meet user and buyer expectations. Those who want a solid performing trampoline would do better to go with a trampoline having conventional steel springs.