Practice makes perfect, doesn’t it? If you have a budding gymnast in your life, you know how important it can be to practice between lessons. Of course, it may bother you to see them wandering around the backyard or cement basement.
What Can You Do If You Don’t Have A Place At Home To Fall Safely?
Grass backyards and carpeted basement floors can’t protect them from all injuries, especially when they’re still learning. Adding some cushion can give young gymnasts the encouragement and safety net they need to pursue their passion.
Thankfully, there are many options available for home gymnastics exercises and tumbling spaces, but an inflatable mat could be the game changer you need. Read on to learn more about how these mats can help the gymnast in your life, including reviews of the best air track mats available.
Why Get The Inflatable Air Track Mat?
Tumbling requires space, and not every home has the space to carve out a dedicated area for young gymnasts. This doesn’t mean your child has to give up home exercises or shell out money for gym space.
The Inflatable Air Track Mat aims to solve space and safety concerns so that young gymnasts and tumblers can practice.
Airtrack Flip Home
Practicing indoors on the Airtrack Factory Inflatable Mat. Source: www.airtrackus.com
What exactly is an air track mat?
Air tracks are inflatable mats that look like long, narrow rectangles. The narrowest mat is about three feet wide but can be up to twenty feet long.
These mats provide an elastic surface that is more versatile than other tumbling mats or trampolines. You can use them for more than tumbling, and they deflate for compact storage when not in use.
Air Track Mat for Tumbling
Tumblers require some resistance, but they also need cushion and spring to perform certain maneuvers. Air track mats cover all the bases and provide ample floor padding to reduce the potential for injury.
What To Consider Before Buying An Air Track Mat?
Inflatable air track mats represent an investment, so it’s a good idea to do your research before purchasing one. Deciding what you need in terms of size, thickness and price can help you narrow down the field and find the best product to meet your needs.
Shape
Air track mats are long, thin inflatable rectangles, but that doesn’t mean they all have the same dimensions. It’s a good idea to measure the areas where you want to use the mat most often and choose a product that works with the smallest dimensions.
Although most products are about 3 feet wide, you can find some that have wider options available (such as 5 feet wide). Additionally, you can find different lengths ranging from 6 feet to 20 feet. Ten feet long air track mats are probably the most common size available. Some of these mats are joined to form long tracks.
Thickness
Most inflatable mats are four (4) inches thick, meeting the minimum recommended thickness. However, you can find products that are 6 or 8 inches thick for increased protection.
Some companies offer 12″ thick inflatable mats, but you can expect to pay much more for them. However, it may not be the best choice for small children who may fall off the aerial track at that thickness.
Properties
Many inflatable air track mats look similar if you line them all up, but digging deeper, you can find slight differences that can elevate one product over another. Higher-quality materials, specialized valves, air pumps, and even handles may help you choose one mat over another.
Higher-quality materials include double-walled fabric and commercial-grade PVC tarpaulin, but you may find lower-grade materials that hold up quite well.
The valve matters when you need to quickly inflate and deflate.
Air pumps may or may not be part of your purchase, so it helps to read the product description closely. Additionally, manual pumps may not be as helpful as electric ones.