Buying a Bounce House

Starting or growing your bounce house rental company takes skill and the right marketing strategies. When purchasing inflatable equipment, you will need to balance the quality and durability of the equipment with the cost of purchasing it. Finding insurance for a bounce house business can be difficult, but is essential if you intend to rent in public locations or to governmental agencies or businesses. We offer buying tips, maintenance information, insurance and other business information, and sample customer agreements and rule sheets. Visit our Bounce House Sales Directory when you're ready to start shopping for your bounce houses.

• Buying a Bounce House - what should you get for your money
• Starting a Bounce House Rental Business
• Financing
• Insurance
• Rental Forms
• Safety
• Sales Directory

When you purchase a bounce house, there are a number of things to consider. This list is not comprehensive, but it should help you gather the information you need to ask informed questions of your bounce house or inflatable equipment dealer.

1. Vinyl - What kind of vinyl and what thickness or grade does the manufacturer use.
   This is important because the type and quality of vinyl used in construction will help determine the durability of the equipment and how long you can expect the bouncer to last under normal rental conditions
2. Construction - How is the bounce house stitched, are the seams reinforced, and are pressure points reinforced?
3. What comes with the Bouncer?
   Some bounce house companies sell stripped down models of bounce houses for a discounted price. This means they might not include the entrance step, a blower, or the tie downs. You will need all these items. If they don't come with the bounce house, you will need to purchase them separately. Ala carte shopping can be more expensive.
   A typical bounce house requires the means to stake it outside and to secure it inside. Usually indoor ballasting is provided by sandbags. Most bounce houses do not come with sandbags. These must be purchased separately. The number of sandbags you need is be determined by the number of anchor points on the bounce house and the size of the bounce house.
4. What size bouncer to buy?
   Ordinary bouncers generally come in two sizes 13 x 13 and 15 x 15. The bigger bouncers offer more bouncing room and can allow more children to bounce at one time. The smaller bouncer will fit into smaller spaces. Usually space isn't the primary concern for most customers. If they have the room, they will want the bigger bouncer. Having one or two smaller bouncers on hand...especially those that have a lower height as well, can offer something for customers in tight spaces.
5. What bouncers or inflatable equipment should I buy?
   Overall weight of a bouncer should be considered if your are a one man operation. The really large slides and obstacle courses need two men for delivery. The more large heavy equipment you must deliver on your own, the more exhausting the work.
   Slides that can operate as a regular or a water slide do well through the entire season. Water slides are a very big seller in some locales. When selecting a slide be aware that the base to height ratio can determine how easy it is for the slide to tip over. Tall slides with narrow bases are easier to tip over.
   You may also want to consider a bouncer slide combo. These are larger and can rent for more money per hour.
   You'll want at least one of your bouncers to be a generic party bouncer rather than a specific character bouncer. Many customers prefer a balloon or castle bouncer, and these can also substitute better for those calling at the last minute unable to find the character bouncer of their choice.