The Magic Of Wooden Swing Sets

I know I’ve been advocating to choose a good metal swing set but that doesn’t mean I don’t like the wooden ones. In fact they are great if you can afford them. I’ll tell you why.

But first, the price.

One of the most important reasons which stops people from buying wooden swing sets is their price. In general they are considered more luxury and more feature-rich than the metal play sets. They are usually bigger and often look better. You can verify that yourself on our web store.

The price is 2-3 times higher than the price of similar metal swing sets. You have to deal with that – there is no workaround – except eventually buying used.

To be more specific, the simplest wooden play sets start from around $500 and the more featured ones can reach $2,000 – $3,000.

Now, the good

As they say you get what you pay for. The wooden outdoor swing sets are one of the best gifts you can buy for your kids (and why not for the entire family). Here are just the main advantages:

  • They look better. No doubt they are. Wood is more friendly material, nicer for touching and easier colored in different colors
  • They don’t rust. If you don’t carefully paint and treat your metal swing set, it may rust and become dangerously corrupted by corrosion. The wooden sets don’t rust.
  • Setup is easy. If you have decided to buy a kit instead of complete set, you should have no problems building and installing it. Although you may need help from a friend or family member, assembling will be much easier than if you try to do it with metal play sets.
  • They can sustain big temperature differences. I suggest you not to tough metal sets which have stayed few hours under the summer sunlight, neither touch ones when it’s too cold outside. This problem does not exist with the wood – it don’t warm up so much from the sunlight, neither freeze in the winter.

How To Choose Wooden Play Sets

If we ignore the cost, there are few things to consider when buying wooden swing sets.

First, think about where to buy from – online or from a retail chain store. Buying from a local store may ensure that you’ll have your swing set properly installed (even for free). On the other hand, you’ll probably have much better choice if you search online, you may get a better price and you can see comments from people who have bought the same tools.

When looking at various models, make sure you understand what the kit includes – I would always prefer a complete kit because it saves a lot of time. Some kits are not complete and require you to do extra work in assembling (they do this to be able to offer lower price).

Finally, you need to pay special attention to the wood material – it must be a high quality weather treated wood unless you want to veneer it. Veneering is time consuming and expensive so it’s much better to pay a bit more for quality wood.

Wooden swing sets are really great and it’s great to have them in your garden. This doesn’t mean that metal ones are not good however – the choice between both types depends on your preferences, budget and the landscape in your garden. Some landscapers can only bear wooden swing sets, while for others any kind fits well.

Recommended Swing Sets

Westmount Wooden Swing Set
Westmount Wooden Swing Set

Get ready for action with this multi-actity super play center! Includes high rail wave slide chalkwall for drawing 2 belt swings acrobatic swing cargo rope climber cedar rock wall lower sandbox and a super sturdy wood stake anchoring system for safety

What Makes Plastic Swing Sets Attractive

I have already written about wooden and metal swing sets so if you are interested in them, you can read those articles. No doubt they are far more popular than plastic swing sets. Is it because the latter are not good? Not at all. The main reason for their lower popularity is the habit – plastic play sets are relatively new so people are not used to buying them.

But they really have plenty of advantages. Let’s explore them:

Safety

One of their main advantages compared to the other outdoor swing sets is the safety. The wooden sets may wound the kids if there are any chops. The metal sets can burn or freeze their skin if the set has been exposed to hot or cold weather. There are no such problems with the plastic ones. You can stay assured they are safe enough for your kids.

Price

Here the plastic play sets lose compared to the metal ones but win compared to those made of wood. The plastic swing sets prices are somewhere in the middle. They start from around $500 and reach about $1,500. Of course there are super complex models whose price can extend even $5,000 but you don’t need such a huge one for a single family home.

Weight

These tools are really light – plastic is lighter than wood and much lighter than steel. The lighter weight means moving and transporting are easier and shipping is cheaper even overseas. Depending on how it’s installed you can move a small to medium plastic swing set yourself. If you try to do it with a metal or wooden one, you’ll probably need someone’s help.

Indoor usage

One of the greatest advantages of the plastic play sets is that they can be used indoor – of course if you have enough space at home. Unlike the sets made of other materials, the plastic ones often don’t need special foundation so they can be placed in a large room when the winter comes. If you don’t have a large enough room a settlement of compromise for the winter is to move the play tool in a barn so at least it’s not exposed to rain and snow. You kids can play on it even if it’s cold outside as long as they are well dressed.

Are you ready to consider plastic swing sets after reading this? There are no big disadvantages compared to the other types. Of course you may prefer the sense of wood or the classical view and lower price of metal swings, but I am sure you agree that plastic outdoor swing sets deserve your consideration.

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