This spring we decided that getting a swing set for our backyard would be a great addition for our family. We can’t always take Miss H to the park; the closest one is about a half a mile from our house, just far enough to where Miss H can’t do the full walk without being carried, and it seems silly to load up all 3 kids in the car to drive such a short distance. Also, it can be difficult to find backyard activities to keep Miss H’s attention for longer than 10 minutes.
As we began our search for the perfect swing set for us, and saw just how much they cost, we had the following guidelines for our search:
- A set with at least 3 swings so we could have two swings for Miss H and any other “big kids” playing at our house and one bucket swing for the twins to share.
- A good slide, as Miss H is not a huge fan of swings but loves to slide.
- Around $1,000 or less.
- Roughly 15′ or less in width.
- Not needing a lot of additional boards for assembly (upon reading reviews we saw that many of the wooden sets end up needing you to purchase additional boards in order to assemble the product).
We have literally been searching for months for a set that would fit our needs and our yard. We investigated metal swing sets but could not find good quality sets that would fit well in our yard. And many of the wood swing sets had terrible reviews regarding wood quality (i.e. splinters!) and assembly issues.
After going back and forth on what do to, we ended up finding the Congo Swing’n’Monkey swing set by Kidwise. It basically checked off everything on our list – places for 3 swings (we purchased a baby swing separately), long slide, $979.00, 11.5′ wide, and very simple assembly. Plus, the wood is coated with a “protective polymer,” which should mean no splinters or rotting wood.
We hired a company to put the swing set together, which in the end was money well spent as we don’t have the time to invest in assembling this thing and we wanted it done well.
So far, it is a huge hit! The twins love the baby swing (and their nanny will love not having to always take them to the park).
And Miss H went down the slide about 30 times the first afternoon we had it!
After spending so much time reviewing and comparing options, I am so thrilled with our purchase! Having a swing set that will be great for the kids to play on for years to come, while also leaving plenty of our yard free for them to run around, is exactly what we were hoping for.
Have you been overwhelmed while swing set shopping? If so, did you end up finding the “perfect” set for your space and needs?
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
That looks so much nicer than a metal set too!
guest
We wanted to get our son a playset for his second birthday. I found one FREE on Craigslist. It’s HUGE, but doesn’t look huge in our yard. We sanded every board and painted with ten year outdoor paint over the last two months. We installed it over the last two weekends and finished six days before his birthday. I wish I could post a picture because we are so proud and he absolutely loves it. We probably spent $500 in materials but it would retail for so much more. I hope he enjoys it for years to come.
apricot / 279 posts
Looks great! How much was it to hire the company to assemble it? And what do you call those companies?
grapefruit / 4400 posts
@Snowybreeze: I know that if you purchase swingsets on Amazon, there’s an option to add something like “Amazon Assembly Services” and a 3rd party vendor (with a contract through Amazon) does it for you.
blogger / apricot / 366 posts
@Snowybreeze: we hired a local company my husband found through Angie’s List. They have “assembly” in their name and that’s just what they do – assemble things
We paid $275 (Chicago-area) for them to put this swingset together and it took less than 2 hours! I would assume as you get into the fancier ones with a tower and lot of other details it would be closer to $400-$450.
It was so worth it, especially when they asked us to tell them exactly where we wanted it placed before they secured it into the ground. They lifted it up on their should and moved it a few feet like it was nothing! We never would have been able to do that
apricot / 279 posts
@mrs. Hopscotch: thanks for the info! Maybe we’ll do it next summer.