Our big gift to our kids this year for Christmas is a backyard play set. We did a bunch of research and here’s the one we chose.
Our big gift to our kids this year is a backyard playset. Here’s the research we did and which one we chose.
For Christmas this year, we’re getting our kids a backyard playset. A few months ago I decided I wanted to give that as our big gift, so of course that cued the research.
Here’s what we found, and which backyard playset we decided on.
Backyard playsets are a big investment
When I first started doing research on a backyard play set, I was pretty shocked at how expensive they were. If you want a decent one with a slide and swings and a few other options, they can run anywhere from about $1000-10,000.
So brace yourself — they’re an investment!
Purchasing a playset online vs. local shop
Pros and cons to purchasing a backyard playset online
- There are many more options to choose from (pro)
- You get a wider variety of prices (pro)
- You can see online reviews for almost every set (pro)
- Shipping is expensive (con)
- You’ll be responsible to set it up yourself (con)
- If you don’t want to set it up yourself, you have to hire it out, which, from my research, is typically $200-500 (con)
- Some online retailers offer two prices – one with installation, one without (pro)
Why you might want to purchase at a local shop
- You’ll be able to see the playset in person (pro)
- They typically include installation (pro)
- The local shops will often have great deals close to Christmas and you can negotiate (pro)
- You choose your delivery date (pro)
- There are add-ons available for most styles so you can mix and match to make your perfect set (pro)
When I asked you guys on Instagram about backyard playsets, so many of you said you purchased online and it took you weeks to put together. And that there were a myriad of issues when setting it up. And that you’d wished you just hired someone to do it for you.
This definitely swayed our decision!
Where we ended up purchasing our backyard playset
After a ton of research and debating, we decided to purchase from a local shop called Beyond Backyards. It was recommended by many of you locals, and it ended up being great. They will deliver and set it up for us on the day of our choosing. It typically takes them two hours to install, and they’ll make sure it’s staked and secured properly into the ground. I didn’t trust us to do this with a giant playset.
They also take away all the trash and make sure it’s ready to play immediately. This was all a huge draw for us, as you can imagine.
Ours will be delivered on December 23rd, and we plan to cover the windows and keep the boys mostly out of the house so they don’t realize it’s back there and we can send them on a treasure hunt to find it on Christmas morning! Now I just need to find a giant bow or ribbon to put on it!
Which play set we bought
Because we went into the local shop and could see everything, we ended up customizing our own backyard playset a bit.
We started with the Outback 6′ Series with the rockwall, and then customized a picnic table underneath instead of a tire swing (we felt like the accessibility of the tire swing underneath would make it get used less), and then added monkey bars. We also had the option between the twisted slide and the straight slide, and we had to go with the straight slide because of where we put the monkey bars.
I didn’t get a picture of it, but I’ll be sure to show you when it arrives!
Backyard playset brands that were most highly recommended
SUPERIOR PLAY – super nice, wooden playsets starting at $2000
BACKYARD DISCOVERY – these ones are sold at Sam’s Club, Walmart, and other online retailers. They’re a little more affordable, starting at under $2000.
KIDKRAFT – sold at Target and Home Depot, these ones are actually really affordable with options under $1000. This one looks amazing!
RAINBOW PLAY SYSTEMS – these have great reviews, but they’re definitely pricey! You won’t find anything here for less than $3000 or $4000, but some go up to almost $10,000.
DETAILED PLAY SYSTEMS – These ones have options to customize them exactly how you’d like, down to the exact color of everything. Very cool!
LIFETIME PLAYSETS – These have very clean, simple designs and amazing reviews. Also they’re pretty affordable compared to the other sets.
CREATIVE PLAYTIME – lots of options ranging from below $2000 to $10,000!
CEDAR WORKS – the most dreamy, gorgeous line of playsets ever. They are a little girl’s castle playset dream come true. Of course they’re pricey though!
RUFFHOUSE PLAY SYSTEMS – Whoa, these are amazing. All white and blue and modern and gorgeous. Lots of different options, and you can completely customize your own. But they are expensive!
SWING KINGDOM – lots of great options, and completely customizable too!
Local places in Dallas area
WOODEN SWING CO. in DALLAS – if you’re local, this place was recommended by several people.
BEYOND BACKYARD – this was one of the most recommended, and this is where we went to buy ours.
If you’re going to purchase, now is the time
If you’re thinking about getting your kids a backyard playset this year for Christmas, now is the time.
There are tons of great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals happening this week, so for sure take advantage of those. Also their installation will be filling up quickly, and if you want it delivered close to Christmas you’ll need to get your order in quickly.
You might also like:
If you don’t mind the work, you can find great deals on used play systems. check your local craigs list or facebook marketplace!
Thanks for the shoutout, glad you like our designs! We try to make the very best.
Thanks for your advice, it was very helpful as always. Now there are great companies like https://www.bluehouseinternational.com/ that can give you great ideas for baby time and early development games. It’s very useful nowadays.