Swing away on a new swingset

July 16, 2015 6:50 AM

We are moving and I need to get a new swingset for my kids. They love our current one, but I got it off of craigslist, so I don't have a brand or anything to look for another version of it. I looked online, but the selection is ridiculous so I was wondering if people had any particular brands to look for or avoid to help me narrow things down. Thanks! (details about what we want in a set are inside)

We want a wooden swingset with a decently tall slide (open so they can climb up it, not one of those tube ones), swings (space for 3 would be best, 2 with the rings or bar to hang off of is fine), a little fort building at the top with a wooden roof (instead of the fabric). We would prefer one with monkey bars, but our current one has the monkey bars in the same place as the swings which makes it more compact and I'm not sure we have enough yard space to have a separate monkey bar set (though we may), and I'd prefer if it had a slanted set of stairs/ladder instead of the completely vertical ladder because it's easier for my 3 year old to get up those, but this isn't a deal breaker. Our current one has a ramp to climb up too that they kids enjoy, but I think if it didn't have this it would be ok. Same thing with a climbing wall. I think my kids would actually prefer a climbing rope thing instead of the standard climbing wall, but this is all negotiable. We can put it together ourselves, but I would prefer it delivered to us instead of us having to pick it up.

There are tons of these out there, but I can't get a good read on what brands are decent, what suck, and which are over inflated price-wise. I'm willing to spend a bit to get a good one, but I don't want to go crazy. I'd love suggestions of brands or places to look for them! Thanks so much.

posted by katers890 to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

I used a Swing-N-Slide DIY kit from Lowes. The kit has all the hardware, you just need to get the lumber to put it together. It was really easy to put together, the hardware seems to be decent quality, and it has held up quite well. That company sells climbing holds, slides, all sorts of hardware to add whatever features you want. It was definitely the cheapest way to go compared to a kit with pre-cut lumber. I built a tower fort with a sandbox underneath, slide, and climbing wall and a set of swings off to the side. I found a lot of the wood-included kits were too flimsy and expensive for my tastes.
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:22 AM on July 16, 2015 [2 favorites]

We have a set from Backyard Adventures that we bought about 3 years ago. It's held up very well against the elements here outside Boston. They offered a bunch of different options for accessories (if I recall correctly) and can probably put together a set that would cover your wants. I'd certainly recommend them.
posted by neilbert at 7:34 AM on July 16, 2015

I am pretty sure that Rainbow Play Systems is the gold standard here.
posted by rabidsegue at 7:35 AM on July 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you've got a mattress stuffed with money, CedarWorks has sets you can customize.

http://www.cedarworks.com/product/outdoor
posted by killy willy at 7:52 AM on July 16, 2015

You can use Google image search to rapidly scan a whole bunch of pictures and see if you can find one just like (or similar) to what you have. You likely can find a brand name following back that chain.
posted by puddledork at 8:31 AM on July 16, 2015

Seconding Rainbow Play Systems.

If you have a Costco membership, they carry wooden play systems (can't remember if they are Kirkland-branded or what, but they look pretty cool anyway).
posted by padraigin at 12:02 PM on July 16, 2015