By Gary and the Trampolines Ireland Team — Ireland's official BERG Premium Dealer and sole Springfree stockist. We sell and service both brands every day.

If your garden's longer than it is wide, an oval trampoline is almost always the right shape. The question isn't oval or not — it's which oval.

In Ireland, the realistic choice comes down to two brands: BERG and Springfree. BERG dominates the sprung oval category with three tiers (Grand Favorit, Grand Champion, Grand Elite) across three sizes (350, 470, 520). Springfree, the world's best-known springless trampoline, offers four ovals: the O47, O77, O92 and the new O200 Jumbo.

We stock and service every model on this page. We've installed hundreds of both brands across Irish gardens. This guide is our honest, side-by-side breakdown — including where each brand genuinely wins, and where each one falls short.

Quick Answer: Which Oval Should You Buy?

• Tightest budget, narrow garden: Springfree O47 (€1,299) — the cheapest premium oval on the market.
• Best value sprung oval: BERG Grand Favorit 520 InGround (€1,139) — the largest oval at the lowest price.
• Best all-rounder: BERG Grand Champion 470 (€1,399) — the size most Irish families end up buying.
• Safest oval for young children: Springfree O77 or O92 — no springs, no hard frame, soft enclosure rods.
• Best inground installation: BERG Grand Champion or Grand Elite — Springfree doesn't offer a true inground oval.
• Biggest jumping area: Springfree O200 (200 sq ft / 19 ft long) — but price on application.
• Most durable, longest warranty: Springfree (10 years) — but BERG Elite isn't far behind.

The rest of this guide explains why.

Why Choose an Oval Trampoline?

Ovals exist for one simple reason: most Irish gardens are rectangular. A round trampoline forces you to lose the corners of your lawn. An oval uses the length you actually have.

Beyond the shape benefit, an oval has a single bouncing zone — the centre, along the long axis. That's different from a rectangular trampoline, which has two distinct bounce zones for tricks and gymnastics. For families where multiple kids will be jumping together, ovals are excellent: there's enough length for two children to bounce safely without colliding, but it's still a shared sociable jump rather than a competitive sport surface.

What ovals are not ideal for: serious gymnastics, somersault practice, or anyone training for trampoline as a sport. For that, a rectangular like the BERG Ultim Champion or a square like the Springfree S113 is a better choice.

The Two Brands' Design Philosophies

BERG and Springfree disagree fundamentally about how a trampoline should work, and understanding that disagreement is the key to choosing between them.

BERG uses springs. Specifically, BERG's Twinspring and Gold Spring systems, which sit around the perimeter of the mat. Springs give a familiar, lively bounce — the kind anyone who's ever been on a trampoline will recognise. BERG has spent decades optimising the ratio of spring count to mat tension, which is why a 470 Grand Champion has 112 springs and a 520 Grand Champion has 144. More springs spread the load and produce a more controlled bounce.

Springfree uses composite rods. These are flexible fibreglass-reinforced rods that sit underneath the mat, completely hidden from view. The mat is attached to the rods, which flex to absorb the jumper's weight. There are no springs anywhere on the trampoline. The bounce feel is softer, more progressive — less of a sharp "pop" at the top, more of a smooth lift.

Neither approach is objectively better. They're different. Most kids who try a Springfree for the first time say "it feels weird" for about ten minutes, then never notice again. Adults often prefer Springfree for the lower-impact landing. Teenagers who are into tricks often prefer BERG for the pop.

Full Size and Spec Comparison

Here's every oval from both brands, side by side.

Brand	Model	Size (cm)	Size (ft)	Mat Area	Max User Weight	Springs/Rods	2026 ROI Price
Springfree	O47	180 x 270	6 x 9 ft	~47 sq ft	—	Rods	€1,299
BERG	Grand Champion 350	350 x 250	8 x 11 ft	~64 sq ft	110 kg	80 springs	€1,279
Springfree	O77	240 x 330	8 x 11 ft	77 sq ft	—	Rods	€1,599
Springfree	O92	240 x 390	8 x 13 ft	92 sq ft	—	Rods	€1,779
BERG	Grand Champion 470	470 x 310	15 x 10 ft	~104 sq ft	120 kg	112 springs	€1,399
BERG	Grand Favorit 520	520 x 345	17 x 11 ft	~130 sq ft	120 kg	96 springs	€1,079
BERG	Grand Champion 520	520 x 345	17 x 11 ft	~130 sq ft	120 kg	144 springs	€1,519
BERG	Grand Elite 520	520 x 345	17 x 11 ft	~130 sq ft	120 kg	144 springs	€1,949
Springfree	O200 Jumbo	365 x 580	12 x 19 ft	200 sq ft	—	Rods	POA

A few things stand out immediately:

The BERG Grand Favorit 520 at €1,079 is the cheapest large oval on the Irish market by a significant margin. Nothing Springfree makes comes close at that footprint.

The Springfree O47 at €1,299 is the cheapest premium oval available — but you're paying for the brand's safety architecture, not size. You get roughly half the jumping area of a BERG 350 at almost identical money.

The BERG Grand Champion 520 sits in the middle of the range and is, in our experience, the size most families with two or more kids end up buying. You get a 17ft length, 144 springs, and 120kg user weight at €1,519.

The Springfree O200 is in a category of its own. At 200 square feet of jumping surface, it's the largest residential oval in production anywhere. We had it added to the Springfree Ireland range in 2026 because customer demand for "biggest oval possible" kept coming in. Price is on application — realistically you should expect it to be the most expensive oval on this page by a wide margin.

Inground and Flatground: Where BERG Pulls Ahead

This is the single most important difference between the two brands, and it's the one that often makes the decision for Irish customers.

Every BERG oval is available in three formats:

1. Regular (above-ground) — standard install on legs
2. InGround — sunk into a dug hole, mat sits at ground level, frame is below
3. FlatGround — the most premium install, completely flush with the lawn, no visible frame

The InGround Grand Champion 470 is €1,399. The above-ground version is the same price. The price doesn't go up when you choose inground; the box just contains a different frame configuration. You dig the hole (or we can recommend a contractor), assemble the frame in it, and the result is a trampoline that's safer (lower fall height), better-looking (no visible structure), and easier for older or less mobile users to access.

Springfree does not make an inground oval. The Springfree design — composite rods under the mat — is fundamentally an above-ground concept. The rods need clearance underneath. Springfree offers a slightly recessed installation option in some markets, but it's not a true inground product and it's not commonly installed in Ireland.

If you want an inground oval, your choice is BERG. There isn't really a debate.

The hole dimensions for BERG inground ovals, for reference:

• Grand Champion 350: hole is 350 x 250 cm
• Grand Champion 470: hole is 470 x 310 cm
• Grand 520 (Favorit, Champion or Elite): hole is 520 x 345 cm
• Depth is roughly 90 cm for the deepest point of the bowl

We have a full inground hole guide here.

Safety: Where Springfree Pulls Ahead

If inground is BERG's domain, safety architecture is Springfree's.

The number-one cause of trampoline injuries is contact with springs and the steel frame. Springfree eliminates both. There are no springs to land on, because there are no springs. The frame is hidden beneath the jumping surface — there's no metal anywhere a falling jumper could hit. The enclosure is attached to the flexible composite rods, not to rigid steel poles, which means even the netting flexes if a child runs into it.

BERG's safety nets — the Comfort and Deluxe systems — are excellent by industry standards. The poles are padded, the net is high enough to prevent over-the-top falls, and the entry zip is well-engineered. But the springs themselves are still there, covered by a padded spring guard. In the rare event a child lands directly on the spring zone, they're landing on padded metal, not on mat.

The honest summary: for adults and older children who know how to jump in the centre of the mat, BERG's safety is more than adequate. For toddlers, special-needs jumpers, or any household with anxiety about trampoline injuries, Springfree's architecture is genuinely the safer product. This is why we've donated Springfree trampolines through the Bounce for Autism initiative to several Irish special schools — the safety case is materially stronger.

Warranty and Longevity

Brand	Component	Warranty
Springfree	Frame, mat, rods, net	10 years (all parts)
BERG Grand Favorit	Frame	5 years
BERG Grand Favorit	Mat, springs, net	2 years
BERG Grand Champion	Frame	8 years
BERG Grand Champion	Mat, springs	5 years
BERG Grand Elite	Frame	13 years
BERG Grand Elite	Mat, springs	5 years

Springfree's 10-year all-component warranty is the strongest in the industry and is one of the main reasons customers pay the premium. A Springfree bought today should still be performing as expected in 2036.

BERG's tiered warranty reflects the tiered product line — Favorit is built to a price, Elite is built to last. The 13-year frame warranty on the Grand Elite is exceptional. The 5-year mat and spring warranty across Champion and Elite is good but not class-leading.

In practice: we've seen Springfree trampolines installed in 2014–2016 still in regular use today with original components. We've seen BERG Favorit mats replaced after 5–7 years of heavy family use, and BERG Champion mats lasting 10+ years. Both brands last well if installed correctly and covered when not in use.

Bounce Performance

Hard to capture in a spec sheet, but worth being honest about.

BERG ovals bounce higher per unit of effort. The spring system is more energy-efficient. A child of 35kg gets noticeably more lift on a BERG Champion 470 than on a Springfree O77. If "bouncy" is the brief, BERG wins.

Springfree ovals bounce softer. Less spring-back at peak, smoother deceleration on landing, easier on knees and lower backs. Adults who use the trampoline themselves often prefer it. Younger children sometimes find it less "fun" because the dramatic up-and-down of a sprung trampoline is missing.

At the larger sizes, the difference shrinks. A BERG Grand Champion 520 with 144 springs and a Springfree O200 with its full rod array both produce a controlled, generous bounce that suits multiple jumpers. The smaller ovals are where the philosophical difference shows up most clearly.

Irish-Specific Considerations

A few things that matter in Ireland but rarely get discussed:

Wind. Irish gardens get hammered by storms. Both brands are well-engineered for this, but inground installation (BERG only) eliminates wind risk almost entirely. Above-ground trampolines should always be anchored — we sell anchor kits for both brands. After Storm Éowyn in early 2026 we had zero reports of inground trampoline damage and a handful of above-ground enclosure damage on both BERG and Springfree.

Uneven gardens. If your garden has a slope or uneven surface, BERG's above-ground frame is more forgiving — you can level the legs. Inground installation requires a properly levelled hole. Springfree's rod system needs a fairly flat install surface.

Replacement parts. We stock the full range of BERG replacement parts in Ireland — pads, mats, springs, nets. Springfree parts are imported as needed and typically take 7–14 days. For a family with active jumpers, BERG's parts availability is a real advantage; for a Springfree owner where parts are needed every few years rather than every season, the delay is rarely an issue.

Delivery. Both brands ship to anywhere in Ireland (ROI and NI). Standard delivery on in-stock items is 48 hours. Larger ovals and inground configurations may take 7–10 days depending on stock.

Bounce for Autism. As Ireland's BERG Premium Dealer and sole Springfree stockist, we co-founded the Bounce for Autism initiative with BERG and the Irish Society for Autism. Over 50 special schools across Ireland now have trampolines donated through the programme. If you're buying through us, you're contributing to that work.

Verdict by Buyer Type

The budget family (€1,000–€1,300): Go BERG Grand Favorit 520 InGround at €1,139. You get the biggest oval on the market at the lowest price, installed safely flush to the ground. The Favorit's 5-year frame warranty is less than the Champion but still plenty for normal family use.

The premium safety-conscious household (€1,500–€2,000): Springfree O77 or O92. You're paying for the safety architecture and the 10-year warranty. If you have a toddler in the house, a child with sensory needs, or you just want the lowest-risk product on the market, this is the answer. The O92 is the size most premium Springfree buyers settle on.

The inground installation: BERG, every time. Grand Champion 470 InGround at €1,399 is the model we install most. The combination of 15 x 10 ft footprint, 144-spring bounce, and flush-to-ground safety is hard to beat.

The large garden, biggest possible jumper: Springfree O200 if budget is no object (it'll likely be €3,000+). BERG Grand Champion or Grand Elite 520 (€1,519 or €1,949) if you want a more grounded price with excellent performance. The BERG 520 at 17 ft is still longer than most Irish gardens can comfortably take.

The trampoline that has to last 15 years: Springfree O77 or O92. Nothing else on this list has a 10-year all-parts warranty. We have customers with Springfrees installed 12+ years ago still in active use.

The bouncy fun-first option: BERG Grand Champion 470 or 520. More spring, more pop, more dramatic bounce. Kids who've grown up on sprung trampolines at friends' houses will feel at home immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are oval trampolines better than round? For most Irish gardens, yes — because Irish gardens are rectangular. Ovals use the length you have without losing the corners. For very large square gardens or where multiple kids will jump together, round trampolines (like the BERG Champion 380 or Springfree R132) remain excellent choices.

Can you fit a BERG inground oval if you have a slope? Yes, but the hole needs to be dug to level. We recommend a contractor for any inground install — we can recommend installers we've worked with.

Is Springfree worth the price difference? For households where safety is the primary buying criterion, yes. For households where bounce performance, inground installation, or value-per-square-foot matter more, BERG is the better buy.

Which oval has the highest weight limit? All BERG Grand Champion, Grand Elite and Grand 520 models are rated to 120 kg max user weight (with 600 kg test weight). Springfree publish their weight ratings per model rather than as a single figure; the O77, O92 and O200 are all suitable for adult jumpers.

Can you install a Springfree at ground level? Springfree offers a "Tgoma" recessed installation in some markets, but a true flush inground install of the kind BERG offers is not possible due to the under-mat rod design. If inground is essential, BERG is the only option.

Next Steps

Once you've decided on a brand and size, our BERG Trampoline Guide and Springfree page have the full configuration options. We're happy to walk through the decision on the phone — most of our customers do.

Coming next in this comparison series:

• BERG vs Springfree Rectangular Trampolines (BERG Ultim Champion vs Springfree S113)
• BERG vs Springfree Round Trampolines (the full size range comparison)

Last updated: May 2026. All BERG pricing reflects the 2026 Ireland MSRP from the official BERG dealer pricelist. Springfree pricing reflects current Irish RRP. Prices subject to change.