Kids need a place to get their wiggles out, and if you have the room, a backyard swing set is an awesome way to go. Gone are the days of rickety crossbars and shoddy construction that you might remember from your childhood: Now, they're durable, creative, and, most of all, exciting. As long as you have enough level ground to work with, you can let your imagination run wild ... along with your kid's energy stores.
The major things you need to think about when you're buying a swing set are the cost, size, features, materials, and installation. Cost is the biggest factor of all of these because they really span the gamut from several thousands of dollars to under $200. On this list I included sets at a variety of price points, but with an eye toward value.
Whether you just want your basic set with a few swings on a cross frame or a huge playhouse complete with swings, slides, and a climbing wall, you can find something within your budget. There are also swing sets that can be used indoors geared toward toddler play, and single swings meant for small areas. Think of what your child gravitates toward when they're at the park. Are they a climber? Do they like two-person rocking swings? This will help you narrow your options down significantly. Then, you just have to figure out if what you want will fit in the space you have allotted.
Materials and installation go together. Steel frame, basic swing sets are pretty easy to put together. But wow, can some wooden sets get really tricky to install! Professional installation might be your best bet, but if you're determined to do it yourself, you definitely should take installation complications under consideration. Make sure you have all of the tools and knowledge to do so. Thankfully, the plastic toddler sets are pretty simple ... even if they have a million pieces.
Whether you're looking for a simple set to enhance your environment or something quite a bit more spectacular, there's a backyard swing set out there that's perfect for your home. The team at Best Products has researched, played on, and put together tons of sets, and found the very best options for everyone. (Pro tip? Wear gloves when you're working with chains. Trust us.)
Solid wood construction paired with a double decker cottage and spiral slide will have your little ones giddy to get outside and play. They can spend time on one of the three swings provided, or they can just hang out, expanding their brain power with pretend play inside and around this backyard swing set.
This solid wood playset from Backyard Discovery is truly a wonderland. Complete with a slide, climbing wall, ladder, swings, and shaded play beneath the cottage, it's truly designed to last throughout childhood.
The set gets extra credit for having a relatively small footprint, at just about 15 square feet. They're really packing the play into a small space.
This toddler-sized plastic swing set from Step2 is not just easy to put up and move around, it's also extremely durable. This small swing set for your littlest kids can survive both the elements and all the abuse your children are sure to heap upon it.
The tiny playhouse, slide, and swings are all sized for kids just learning to play on this type of equipment. Once they've grown out of it, you can easily pass it on to family or friends.
You would be hard-pressed to find a better value for money than this covered three-swing set from Walmart. It features a miniature trampoline, a large, double-wall blow-molded slide, and vinyl wrapped chains on the swings to protect small hands. At this price point, you might think that they scrimped on materials, but that is simply not the case: This is a rugged steel construction with durable polycarbonate accessories.
However, we do suggest that you remove the trampoline during the winter months to make it last even longer.
5
Small Frame
Heavy Duty All-Steel All-Weather A-Frame Swing Frame
If you want a swing set but are tight on space, this option might just be the backyard swing set for you. It's designed for small spaces at just under 6 feet tall and over 7 feet wide. The cross bar will fit most standard swings, including ring swings, chain swings, and disc swings. If you want, you could swap them in and out as you choose.
Babies and toddlers have different needs than older kids do. And since toddlerhood is such a short period of time, it makes sense to go with the more budget-friendly option for their backyard swing set before they transition to something bigger.
This indoor-outdoor set from Unicoo is basically a shrunken version of a traditional swing set, with a little sports area, a swing, and a petite slide perfect for your smallest kids. The set is made with a durable polycarbonate material with no sharp edges for babies to bump into, and the ropes are treated so that they're extra smooth and soft.
There is plenty of space to hang from the bars or swing to the wind with this three-piece backyard swing set.
The Swing-N-Slide Ranger is both easy to install and take down. The parenting editor at Best Products put this set together by herself in under 2 hours — and no, it did not fall apart as soon as the children began to play.
This is a fantastic lower-cost option, and many families — especially those who rent their home — might want to take a closer look. It goes together and comes apart really easily.
For under $140, your kids can swing, hang, and slide to their heart’s content on this backyard swing set. Made with durable materials – and UV-coated for additional protection — this swing set may be budget, but it certainly isn’t basic. If you’re worried about buying it only for it to fall apart ... don’t. This set comes with a frame guarantee to back up its quality.
Hundreds of perfect reviews aren't wrong: This set is dynamite. This nautically themed paradise of a swing set has a climbing wall, hanging bars, a slide, swings, and (of course) a giant steering wheel.
Kids will love the sandbox at the bottom that's tucked safely behind the climbing wall and wooden ladder, giving it much-needed shade from the sun on hot days. Most sets this exciting cost upwards of $3,000, but this extreme backyard swing set is priced well, at just under $800.
Everyone secretly wants to be a Ninja Warrior. The difference is that kids have the young collagen and bouncy bodies that can actually handle falling and swinging. If adults were to do it, we would just get vertigo and need physical therapy for the rest of the year.
This slackline set comes with swings, nets, rings, bars, and everything you need to hang it up, all for under $200. (Cheering signs not included.)
The opposite of a small swing set, this bad boy is enormous: It's nearly 10 feet tall and 14 feet wide. This is the ultra swing. It's the swing for kids who want to feel like they're flying. It's the swing that parents will sneak on late at night to relive their childhoods. It's the beast of the backyard, and obviously worth every penny.
Cat BowenParenting EditorCat Bowen is the parenting editor at BestProducts.com where she researches all of the best products for families from pre-conception through their teen years, focusing on matching scientific evidence with real-life needs.
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