Customer Reviews

Urban Rebounder Folding Trampoline Workout System

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

This is my 3rd rebounder. This is probably the best quality version. I weigh 220 plus pounds. People buy equip like this and expect miracle results in 2-3 sessions. It doesn't work like that. But if you work out every other day for 2-3 weeks, you will see results in the mirror. I work out with 2-5 lb freeweights. The cut(s) you get from this you can't get anywhere. I've been rebounding off/on since 1995.

There is marketing. There is hype. Is it all true? Mostly yes. You probably can't buy a more user friendly piece of work out equip. Yes, it gets boring. But mix it up with jogging, treadmill, swimming, etc. and you get a whole package.

My 5 yr old watches the video and imitates the instructor verbatim. He's amazing with it. He has super discipline. My kid, that is.

There are studies on this and how it activates a gland (name escapes me) that increases the flow of getting rid of toxins in your system. There are other attributes associated, such as vision, balance, etc. It may be more true for some, than others. But for under $100, you are getting an investment in a machine/tool that doesn't really compare to anything prior.

The construction is decent. When I saw the quality/price, I threw out my old one (which was still in workable condition) and started off with this.

I have read a lot of reviews for rebounders were people had problems with the springs breaking or coming off. To my relief this hasn't been a problem for me (knock on wood). I use my rebounder regularly (4-6 times a week) so it's not from lack of use! I was a little nervouse opening it up, but no problems there either, tho I will admit I don't fold it back down - I just store it set up.
As for the work out - I was surprised at how good it is. I use the gym regularly - but still found my self a bit whipped by the cardio the first time I tried it. It doesn't leave me in pain, but I can "feel" I've had a decent work out.If you're not used to exercise I would suggest starting off easy (read as: don't bounce, just go through the motions as best you can) and be sure to stretch afterwards to avoid hurting/soreness.
I'm really diggin' it - at first I felt silly on it, but it saves me time by not having to always go to the gym, and I've shed some weight, which is always a good thing! No problems here!

Bought this 2nd Urban Rebounder for my son with autism. He weighs 200 pounds. He loves to bounce, hard. This so far lasted more than the other ones he had.

I have been evaluating rebounders for years trying to find one that I would feel comfortable with and USE. So many felt unsteady when I got on them (I ain't no spring chicken) and the coils left something to be desired.

Then I got injured.

The recuperation has been slow and doing REGULAR aerobics on the floor is out of the question. The jarring to my injury would impede my recovery. And because the quads were weak, I need something that would help with proprioception, endurance AND strength. The answer - a rebounder.

I had narrowed my selection down to Body Burner and Urban Rebounder. However the stabilizing bar for the Urban Rebounder AND the ultra large springs made it a done deal. Also, others had said that the workout videos were FUN and not boring...where the videos for the Body Burner needed to be burned.

So I purchased the Urban Rebounder KNOWING that this product would meet my expectations.

When mine arrived, the first thing I did after dragging it in the house (it is a little heavy, being made of steel) is assemble this. Now being a girl, I can tell you that this was EASY. It comes ASSEMBLED, but collapsed. Didn't really need any directions. However there ARE 3 sets of directions with this product: one set is on the backside of the rebounder (clever, very clever). The second is on the DVD and the 3rd is in the instruction guide.

It took less than 15 minutes to put it entirely together. Essentially that is snapping the legs in place, locking it open and putting on the stabilizing bar - thus it would be QUICKER without adding the stabilizing bar.

This product feels quite sturdy with use. I am no twiggy - so my weight was well supported throughout the motions. I even did AB work my first day. This rebounder supports that beautifully and cradles my back to protect my low back. It's a joy to do AB work this way.

I can only say that I wished I had purchased this sooner. I am thoroughly satisfied. Next wish - the complete compilation DVD.

The only thing I found a little annoying was the intro music for section 1 and 2 of the INTERMEDIATE workout DVD. The technopop there was not workable...when you get there, you'll hear what I mean. The GOOD news is that this didn't last too long and the rest of the DVD has appropriate music mixes.

JJ does an EXCELLENT job with calling out the transitions in the exercise WELL ahead of schedule, which makes it easy to follow. He is also quite energetic, enthusiastic and motivating. Coming from a theater, dance and martial arts background, BOREDOM is something that will kill a product's life with me.

No boredom here.

Great product. BUY IT.

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I was really excited to get started using this rebounder, so when it got to my house I was all set for some serious bouncin' but instead was hit in the face with a seriously toxic smelling stench. For that reason alone I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

There are also problems with the product itself. I'm sure it's a step up from the wallMart versions, but I found that the bouncing action wasn't (for lack of a better term) all that bouncy. Sure I bounced on it and whatnot, but it just didn't feel "right". Also the mat itself seemed stretchy or something. What I mean by this is when I bounced with both feet close together I really sunk into the mat which caused my feet to bend with it. What ended up happening to me is that I got sore feet (with or without shoes). It's also super squeaky & creaky.

I ended up returning it & buying a Needak. Yeah the Needak costs more but it's not outrageously expensive. Plus it's made in the US, it DOESN'T smell toxic (it doesn't really smell at all actually), and it "bounces" right! It feels more like a real trampoline (much more bounce than the Urban). It's also quiet & feels MUCH better on my feet. The Needak uses a high quality mat (the same mat that the other *really* expensive rebounders use) that feels "flat" when you bounce on it (meaning it doesn't flex much). The springs are also WAY stronger but softer feeling. It's kinda hard to explain, but you know it when you feel it.

I apologize if this sounds more like a Needak review, but I was really disappointed with the Urban & there are sooooo many glowing reviews for it that I had to add my two (opposing) cents. Hopefully this review will save someone from the dreaded Urban Stench ;)


>!< UPDATE 2011.05.24 >!<


Disclosure:
I was recently contacted by JB Berns (the creator of the Urban Rebounder). He offered to send me a new Urban Rebounder and a whole slew of Rebounder workout DVDs, all, surprisingly, without strings attached. However, I offered to update this review with my honest experiences because I felt that was the right thing to do. I'm a man of my word, so here it is.

Update:
Upon receiving this new Rebounder, I unpackaged it and again smelled that familiar perfume: Urban Stench. I'm amazed that after two years I instantly recognized it (a testament to the strength of olfactory memory). This smell appears to be something inherent in the manufacture of the product.

That said, the odor was MUCH MUCH less noticeable with this new model. I don't know if this particular issue was addressed at the manufacturing plant or if I got unlucky and received an extra-stinky version two years ago, but the bottom line is that while I instantly recognized the smell, it wasn't oppressive. I probably wouldn't even consider it remarkable enough to mention to a prospective purchaser if this was my first experience with the tramp. To illustrate this, it has been sitting on the edge of my staircase staring at me every day for over a month, defying me to write this update and I have only on occasion caught a whiff of it. Also please understand that I have an acute sense of smell and the previous model I had exuded this odor in a nearly palpable wall of stink... so I'm probably a bit sensitive to this particular smell.

I finally got the Rebounder set up today and bounced on it a bit in preparation for writing this update. Clearly spending a few minutes bouncing doesn't equate to a thorough testing, so take the following comments with a grain of salt. If memory serves, there are some differences between this new model and the model I had over two years ago. First, this model is better looking. I'm pretty sure my previous version had a lot of royal blue in it. This new one is basically black with a bit of red thrown in-a big improvement if you care about looks and prefer black/red over royal blue. Also it feels much firmer-a move toward to the Needak. It still isn't as solid and smooth feeling as the Needak but it's a heck of a lot closer than the model I used before.

I haven't had the time to put this one through the ringer, but my first impressions lead me to believe that the product has been improved. When I bounce with my feet together it feels similar to bouncing on the edges of the mat. Again, it's not quite like the Needak which feels basically the same wherever you bounce. I can also say that (at least with minimal usage) the UR is pretty quiet. I remember thinking that my previous model was going to wake up the neighborhood with its squeaking, but this one just makes noises one would expect a rebounder to make, at least with my initial brief bouncing session. Again the Needak is quieter (basically silent, meaning that it's quieter than one would expect) but nonetheless the UR has improved over its previous incarnation.

In closing, I will say that this version of the UR is better than the one I previously had. Is it better than or comparable to the Needak? Nope. But it's also only one quarter the cost. Hopefully in the upcoming months I will be able to spend some more time on it and if I find anything interesting to report I will post another update.

I bought it at the same time I bought one of the Tony Little "Gazelles", and if I had it to do over again, I would have bought just this rebounder. It's great! You can do essentially the same movements you can do on the Gazelle, on an elliptical, or on a treadmill. And with the stabilizer bar in place (I HIGHLY recommend you get the stabilizer bar!), you can walk or run in place and do all sorts of fun moves, even if you have a balance problem (like me!). If you only have a limited amount of space -- not to mention a limited amount of money in your budget -- this is a real bargain and I would highly recommend it. (P.S. It's also MUCH easier to assemble than the Gazelle!)

I used to jog, but haven't for years due to joint pain in ankles and more recently, knees. Pounding hard surfaces leaves me sore and in pain for days afterwards. I could go to the gym and work out, but it is so easy to make excuses not to get there (traffic, parking, etc). I saw the Urban Rebounder recently reviewed in Consumer's Report which gave a positive rating. I was very skeptical at first that bouncing around on a mini trampoline would contribute much at all to my fitness but decided to go ahead and order one. Amazon had the best price I could find.

I am so glad that I did. This thing is great. The rebounder can fold in half, the legs fold under and it can be stored in a small area. Since space is an issue in my house, this was essential. I keep mine in front of the computer most of the time, so I can play the DVD and follow along with the video instruction. I am finding that it allows a great workout. It has been years since I have done any running, but in only 3 weeks I have increased sessions to last about 25+ minutes. ( 63 yr old female). On the video JB Berns emphasizes abdominal workouts (strengthening the core) and all of that can be done on the rebounder. I hope to gradually increase my workouts up to 45 minutes daily.

What really impresses me is that after a good workout, which includes breaking into a sweat,I do not have any joint pain at all. At first (and still) I had a lot of muscle pain (especially in my calves), but that is getting better with each workout. I would highly recommend the rebounder, especially if you have any joint pain and want a soft surface to work out on. Many of them are very expensive, about 300+ but I found this one at Amazon and it is the #1 rated one in terms of quality, durability, etc by CR. BTW, mine did not arrive with any unpleasant odor, as mentioned in previous reviews.

This is the first one I have ever owned. It looks so easy in the dvd that I thought I would try it. It's not easy in the beginning but gets easier as you go along. If you are a beginner too then take it easy at first and bounce without ever letting your feet leave the trampoline. And do the stretching exercises like on the dvd.

This thing is really well made and I don't feel like it is dangerous in any way, but I do like the bar on it and plan on leaving it on until I am comfortable without it. I get a little dizzy from all that bouncing and am glad to have it as a clutch if needed. The dvd starts out with exercises for first timers, basic exercises, intermediate, advanced, some for seniors, abdominal and contact. It's a very good dvd and I don't think you will be unhappy with it. Mine didn't come with a carrying case but I don't know why you would need one. It's light enough to pick up and carry around. It does take 2 people to fold it up if you want to make it smaller for storage. Those springs are heavy and tight and I wouldn't recommend folding it up unless you just have to do so. When it comes, all you have to do is fold it out and straighten the legs and it's ready to go. Putting the handle on is also easy. You need no tools whatsoever.

My final advice is to have some advil and muscle rub on hand. You are going to need it in the beginning if you start out doing too much before you are ready for it! If you order from Amazon, you will have this in 3 or 4 days. I couldn't believe how quickly it got here. Be careful if you order one other than this one because some can't handle a lot of weight. I checked on one in a local chain store and I would have been afraid to bounce on it because it looked so cheaply made. Also check the weights they will hold...this one says 300 lb capacity, some don't even give a weight. This one is great for the price, believe me.

After purchasing this product, I got nervous reading some negative testimonials on here (Amazon.com). But, after using the product for a couple weeks, that nervousness has subsided. We haven't had any problems with it yet. It seems pretty sturdy. We've left it up most of the time. Not that assembly and/or folding it up is difficult - it's not. It's just that we use the balancing bar and you have to position the legs a certain way to get the bar to fit. And anyway, we have the room to keep it out. Well, I guess the legs do take a little effort to unlatch to fold the trampoline up, but I would think that's a GOOD thing to have the legs not come off easily!! Someone in another review had mentioned the smell, which I did notice, but I didn't find it overwhelming, and many products have there own smell out of the box.
It took a short time to get used to for us. It's a little disorienting at first if your not used to trampolining. It's still kinda mesmerizing watching the included DVD while doing the workout because you're moving along with the people in the video, but this is fun.

All in all, we had NO problem with this product and WOULD recommend it!

I bought this for myself (65 yr old female) for times I can't get to Curves to work out and for something a bit different. My mom, who's 85, was intrigued and got on and started a light jog. She had previously been quite inactive for the past few years, except for light yard work, but has really enjoyed the rebounder and uses it regularly for 10 minutes or so at each session. She rightfully fears falling, and the stability bar gave her the confidence she needed. I'm really happy about this!

The stability bar was difficult to install in the mounts, but we finally succeeded after filing off rough edges of metal on both the mounts and the inserting posts. It would be wise to have a metal file on hand, just in case you run into the same problem!