What to check before buying a second-hand jumping castle

A good used jumping castle can save you thousands — a bad one is a deflating money pit. The difference is a 20-minute inspection. Here's exactly what to check, in order.

Rule one: see it inflated

Never buy a castle from photos of it rolled up. Ask the seller to set it up fully — a genuine seller expects this. While it inflates, watch how long it takes and whether any section stays soft: slow inflation or a limp tower usually means leaking seams or a tired blower.

The seven-point checklist

1. Seams and stitching. Walk every seam, inside walls too. Look for splits, fraying thread and re-sewn sections. One neat professional repair is fine; a spiderweb of home stitching means the fabric itself is at end of life.
2. The vinyl. Commercial castles are made from heavy PVC (550gsm is the SA commercial standard). Faded, chalky or sticky vinyl has UV damage and tears easily. Press a thumbnail into a wall panel — brittle vinyl is a walk-away sign.
3. The blower. The most expensive surprise. Check it's included, the correct size, and listen: grinding or rattling bearings mean it's dying. A replacement costs R3 565–R4 945 new — negotiate that off the price if the blower is missing or sick.
4. Mould and smell. Castles packed away wet grow black mould inside. Unzip and smell the interior. Surface mildew wipes off; a musty castle with black-stained fabric has been wet for months.
5. Anchor points. Every corner should have solid, firmly attached anchor loops — they're what keeps the castle on the ground in wind. Torn or missing anchors are a genuine safety problem, not a cosmetic one (see our safety guide).
6. Zips and netting. Deflation zips must close fully under pressure, and the safety netting on walls shouldn't have holes a child could get through.
7. The floor. The hardest-working panel. Lift the edge and check underneath for wear-through, patches and ground-in damage.

Questions to ask the seller

• How old is it, and who made it? (SA-made commercial units are rebuildable; cheap imports often aren't worth repairing.)
• Was it used commercially (rentals every weekend) or privately (a few parties a year)?
• Where was it stored — inside and dry, or in a shed/outside?
• Why are they selling?

What's a fair price?

Decent used castles trade at 40–60% of the new price. A medium castle that costs R14 040 new is fairly priced at R5 620 – R8 420 used. Check our 2026 price guide for the full table, and knock the price down for every checklist item that fails.

When to walk away

Brittle vinyl, a musty interior, missing anchor points, or repairs on top of repairs — any of these and the castle is close to the end of its life no matter how cheap it is. At that point you’re better off waiting for a sounder used unit — or, if the price gap is small, considering new (from around R11 970 with a warranty).

Browse the current listings with this checklist in hand — and good hunting.