What are Bounce Houses Made out of?

Knowing what your bounce house is made out of can help you know how to better take care of it and could be crucial if your child is sensitive to certain materials. Before we brought our bounce house outside for a neighborhood party, I wanted to research them a bit further to be prepared for whatever may come up.

What are bounce houses made out of? They are normally made out of a heavy-duty, thick vinyl, nylon or polyester. Some of the more commercial bounce houses are made out of stronger PVC of varying weights to make them more durable.

It may be helpful to know about common allergies related to a bounce house material before hosting a party, however, knowing what your bounce house is made out of can also help you know how to properly care for it. Additionally, the material can be a big factor in which one you want to buy in the first place. Is a stronger material worth the price of a commercial bounce house instead of a residential one? Which material is best for your bounce house?

Material Details:

If you have had experience with these materials than just the name may have been enough. However, if you are anything like me, I needed a bit more details. Are all those labels just different terms for plastic?!

• Vinyl: Vinyl is a man-made plastic material and can be strong and rigid and used for construction or flexible and used for everything from furniture to clothes. Vinyl is stronger than polyester so it is used for the more heavy-duty bounce courses.
• Nylon: Picture a coat, umbrella, or stockings. Nylon is often used for textiles and is water-resistant- which is extremely helpful for a bounce house.
• Polyester: While polyester is also often used for textiles it is stronger than nylon and very durable. It is also resistant to mildew, shrinking or stretching which is perfect for a bounce house.
• PVC: PVC is actually “PolyVinyl Chloride” which is basically the same as the vinyl listed above without the plasticizers added to make it more flexible and keep it stronger. This material is normally used for commercial bounce houses because of its durability.

So in a roundabout way, you could call all of the materials a form of plastic. However, each one has different strengths and properties that make it perfect for a bounce house.

Are there Common Skin Sensitivities I Need to be Aware of?

The most common concern is for latex. Fortunately, almost all bounce houses are free of latex. Some may have minor accessories or decoration added to the bounce house but the main component of the bounce houses is not latex.

Some people are sensitive to vinyl but it is normally from vinyl gloves where skin irritation occurs on hands because the gloves are not breathable. This is not a concern for bounce houses.

Is the Durability of a Commercial Bounce House Material Better?

The simple answer is “yes”. Commercial bounce houses are made out of a stronger, more durable material. This helps them be more resistant to ripping and also general durability for putting them up and taking them down so often. However, it also makes them much heavier. They make lighter, residential ones that are much easier to handle for a reason. If you are only using the bounce house for your family and mostly in your own home, it can become exhausting to set up and take down a commercial grade bounce house repeatedly. It could eventually deter you from using it and therefore, it is definitely not worth getting if it is not needed.

One thing worth mentioning here is that the lighter material uses to make residential bounce houses is definitely harder to repair than that of a commercial bounce house. If you do get a rip or tear in a commercial bounce house, there are durable repair kits but the capability of a similar repair on a residential bounce house just isn’t probably. Possibly for that reason, most residential bounce houses only come with a short warranty of a few months compared to the warranties of commercial bounce houses that are a few years long.

Although the commercial bounce houses are much stronger and more durable, their cost is often in the thousands as opposed to a couple hundred for a residential one and the practicality of a residential bounce house just can’t compare to the weight of a cumbersome commercial bounce house. If you are looking to buy a bounce house for just your family and friends, a good quality residential bounce house would definitely be the best option.

Is it Easier to Clean a Bounce House Made From Certain Materials?

The materials for both residential and commercial bounce houses are carefully chosen to be best for the job. The only difference I could find that could cause a challenge is nylon versus polyester or vinyl. Though nylon is mildew resistant it also tends to hold more water than the other two. If you decide to purchase a bounce house made of nylon you may have to be more careful to completely dry your bounce house before putting it away. Sometimes it is hard to tell when all the water has evaporated from the nylon so it may require extra time drying in the wind. Even with its mildew resistant properties, you never want to store a bounce house when it could still be wet.

Besides drying your bounce house, all of the bounce house materials are fairly easy to clean. None of them require strong cleaners, and in fact, should be avoided on all types of bounces houses. Once the visible grass, sand, mud or other dirt is cleaned from the bounce house, a simple sanitizer will do the job.

Related Questions:

What’s the difference between an inflatable castle, jump house, and bounce house?

Nothing! There are several different names for these temporary inflatable fun houses- in fact, the list is much longer than those named above. The difference often changes with location and many of us grew up calling the same thing something slightly different.

How much weight can a bounce household?

This answer greatly depends on the kind and design of the bounce house and the supplier should most definitely give you this information. However, most residential bounce houses have a weight limit of about 300 lbs or will recommend about three children with each weighing no more than 100 lbs.