Wooden Playset Recommendation

I am in the same place you are with wanting to buy a new playset for the backyard.
I have read all the responses so far, and they are about the same as I have heard from others in the past.
I think we will go with the Costco playset because of there excellent return policy. I have a cousin in Allen that had some issues with hers, and Costco just gave her cash back after she had it for a few years. I love Costco!
I will be buying off-season to get a lower price.

I really depends how much money you were wanting to spend. In my opinion, the Toys R Us brand is junk, the Sam's is medium junk and the Rainbow is just completely over priced. We bought the Sam's verision in the spring and spent $1200. The difference I have noticed between mine and Rainbow is there is a weight limit - 150 lbs. So when an adult climbs up to play or rescue a small child you hear the strain. Also, whichever you decide hire someone to install...it's a nightmare. It took my husband 2 weeks with on and off help. Good luck!

My husband is a mega researcher about anything we buy, so he did some serious studying beforehand (2 1/2 years ago). Unfortunately, since it was winter at the time, Wal-Mart was not advertising theirs. We should have asked! We paid twice as much with another kit company as we would have with W-M for virtually the same playset.

If you want to save maoney, I promise that you and your husband can probably put it up by yourselves. I put ours up in January (Santa brought the kit), working only 1/2 hour a day on it. It took about a week, and all my husband needed to do was tighten screws past my ability.

Now that I've read the other responses, all I can say is Good Grief! You could always try to put it together yourself and hire someone if you get overwhelmed. Also, I highly recommend my method of tackling big projects like this in small increments--it keeps you fresh and unfrustrated. Good luck.

I reccomend buying from a place that will put it together for you! We purchased one from Walmart and LOVE it but, we had no one to assemble it for us. I paid a handyman to put it together BIG MISTAKE $350 he put it together WRONG and used the wrong bolts in places it was a big mess.

Where ever you go get assembly included! This will save you a huge headache!

We bought one from Costco about 4 years ago and paid about $1,000. We put it together ourselves (we didn't mind... liked doing that kind of stuff). We chose it because our boys were older and it was a bigger playset. Since then we have restained it and now the wood is splitting. I would consider the age of your child (smaller is better for littler ones) but realize it won't last more than 5 years or so. I think ours will be coming down soon. Good luck.

My FIL bought a large wooden one from costco. He thought it would be a great bonding experience for all of us to put it together for all the kids......big mistake!!! When you read the directions it was like "take wood I25 and screws B46 and insert into hole 189", it was crazy!!! It took us a month of weekends because we wanted to make certain it was sturdy enough for the kids. The manufacturer will charge $300.00 to put it together. It cost us more in broken tools from us throwing them at the playset!!! lol But now that it is together, I love it and even I can get in it and play with the kids.

I have a Rainbow set that we got used from an individual. It's very sturdy and the kids love it. You can find some on craigslist and if it has been properly maintained, it should last for years. We paid Rainbow $600 to go to the previous owners house, dismantle it, deliver it to our house and put it back together....well worth every cent! Saved alot of frustration and I know it won't fall apart when the kids play on it LOL!

Hi. Well, I'll tell you what my experience has been with the swing sets I've seen. Rainbows are way way overpriced. Fortunately, we got ours off of craigslist for only $300! It is a huge set. It is actually too big for our 3yr old, but it was such a fantastic buy. She loves it. It is so nice and so sturdy and absoulutely wonderful. No wonder people pay so much for one. It will last years and years. Her whole childhood I'm sure. I have a few friends that bought the walmart and toys r us ones. They are good for a very young child. Not a kid over the age of 7yr I don't think. They are not super sturdy for rough play or adults. They do get the job done for young ones though. If you want one to keep for a few years is all or just to get one to get you by until you can afford a larger one or something, they will work for you. I do not know anyone with the costco or the sam's sets. From what I can tell in the stores though, they do not compare to the size of wood or quality of the rainbow sets. I love our rainbow because my husband and I are comfortable swingng on the swings and going down the slide with our kid. Good luck!

We bought one from Toys R Us it was just over $400 and I would totally NOT recommend it. It was a total pain in the butt to put together although my husband did do it alone..still it took him almost a week (short periods of time each day). We've had it up about 3yrs and it's practically falling appart..or sounds like it is when kids play on it. I would look at the store website and read reviews on each set there as well. If we got another one I'd probably go with a better one or from a local place like Rainbow.