Residential vs. Commercial Bounce Houses
A woman purchased a bounce house for her teenagers. It was a great idea to keep them off the streets and out of trouble for a little longer, but the overgrown kids weighed too much for the equipment she chose. Too many of them bounced at a time, and they decided to make her home their headquarters, so they were bouncing at least five nights a week. One big whoosh of air through a rip later, she had no more bounce house and the teenagers moved on to something more their size.
Another bounce house owner decided to purchase the most durable equipment possible. Now, her daughter often bounces by herself in the echoing halls of a commercial-grade inflatable castle that takes more than an hour and three people to fold up and store away. Not to mention the amount of electricity it requires to run the continuous air pump.
As you can see, there honestly are big differences between residential and commercial bounce equipment. The key to making the right choice is quantity: how often you'll bounce, how many people will bounce, how much they weigh.
Residential Round-Up of Bounce-ability
Residential bounce houses are made of less durable materials than commercial equipment, but that doesn't mean they aren't durable. It's just that they're designed for use in a residential setting.
The space where you'll set up the equipment is probably smaller - and smaller yet, because you'll need to plan for breathing room around the bouncer for walking and coming down any slides. You'll probably have fewer people bouncing, less often. And more than likely, if you are a private citizen purchasing a bouncy playground, it's something special for your children.
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Because of those facts, residential bounce houses are limited to (usually) from one to five or six children at a time who weigh less than 100 pounds each, which means about 12 years old. The limits are a good trade off for the benefits of purchasing a residential-grade bouncer:
Furthermore, small children won't get lost in the cracks, as you might suspect they would in some oversized commercial bounce houses. |
Commercial Caveats and Bounce Pits
A commercial bounce house is designed for both children and adults. Leading manufacturers use 15-ounce to 18-ounce PVC vinyl, so the equipment will stand up to not only larger people but larger numbers of people. If you plan to use the bouncing equipment in a commercial or community setting, such as party centers, rental businesses, schools, daycares, recreation centers or churches, a commercial version is a must. Use of residential equipment in these settings could not only waste your investment, but could open you to liability issues.
Speaking of liability, commercial bounce houses in public settings often are under restrictions and regulations of city, county or state governments. You have to follow local laws and fire codes, which most often are based on the standards of ASTM International, one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world. Some states have special requirements for fire retardant materials and other issues. To get details, check with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPAP) and ASTM regulations for "Amusement Businesses." You might find requirements to provide attendants, insurance policies, anchoring, etc.
On the practical side, remember bigger means more air, and more air means a bigger pump, and a bigger pump means more electricity. And bigger means just plain bigger and heavier when it comes time to clean it, move it or chase the children around it. However, bigger also means more room for more friends, and more fun! The more the merrier, right?
