8 Best Backyard Swing Sets
Updated: Feb. 07, 2023On a swing set, kids feel as though they're flying through the air! Here are eight of the best backyard swing sets you can buy and install yourself.
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Buying a Swing Set
Swing sets have been creating happy childhood memories for generations. Make your backyard legendary by choosing the best one for your home and family.
Here are some important features to consider when buying a swing set for backyard fun:
- Size: When measuring yard space, be sure to include head clearance and swing span. Allow at least a six-foot play perimeter away from fences or sheds.
- Age/Weight Capacity: Maximum weight limits (babies, toddlers, school-age or adults).
- Materials: Wood, metal or vinyl.
- Safety: No sharp edges, side rails on decks or protective coating on chains.
- Assembly/Installation: Professional or DIY assembly? Freestanding or anchored?
- Accessories: Swings only or add slides, ladders, teeter-totters, fireman’s poles, monkey bars, etc.
- Cost: Invest more for daily play, less for occasional use.
Best Splurge Wooden Swing Set
This swing set may come with a hefty price, but who can put a price on fun?
Perfect for large backyards and a host of giggling youngsters, the Chateau Wooden Swing Set ($1,786) features a three-bay swing beam, crow’s nest, climbing rope, rock wall, monkey bars, wave slide, picnic table and more. The rot-, mold- and insect-resistant tight-knot cedar structure comes ready-to-assemble with all the parts you need to get this beauty up and running in a weekend.
Best Budget Wooden Swing Set
Highly rated by Amazon customers, the Swing-N-Slide Ranger Wooden Swing Set ($299) with durable A-frame construction safely supports up to three children at a time. Learn how to build an A-frame swing for kids.
We not only love this swing set’s affordability, but it’s versatile, too. Thanks to the simple beam design, it’s easy to switch out a belt swing for a toddler bucket (not included) in seconds. It comes with premium pre-cut cedar lumber, hardware, swings and trapeze bar, along with instructions for straightforward DIY assembly.
Best Metal Swing Set
Made of all-weather powder-coated steel that resists cracking, splintering, fading and warping, the Lifetime Metal Swing Set ($800) is guaranteed to keep kids swinging happily and safely for years. It’s designed for children ages three to 12 years.
Hard edges are topped with plastic caps, and the rubber-covered chains protect little fingers from pinching. What’s more, the broad leg stance provides excellent stability so no concrete work is required.
Best Swing Set for Multiple Activities
Make everyone happy with the action-packed Sportspower Outdoor Super 8 Fun Metal Swing Set ($330). It features a rocking horse and a two-person flying saucer swing, in addition to a glider built for two and a pair of blow-molded standard swings. There’s even a durable, double-walled wavy slide. With this swing set in your backyard, kids will stay entertained for hours.
Best Swing Set for Small Yards
Limited space. Unlimited fun. The Trekassy Saucer Tree Swing Set ($230) is a great play solution for small yards, patios and gardens.
The sturdy steel frame measures a compact 6-ft. x 7-ft. x 5-1/2-ft. It’s made of strong, weather-resistant steel that’s sturdy enough to suspend the giant 40-inch saucer swing. The teetering disk, which holds one adult or up to three kids at once, can be removed and replaced with a conventional swing, toddler seat, a hanging egg chair and more.
Best Swing Set for Toddlers
The littlest occupants at your house will squeal with delight when they get a load of the Costzon Toddler Climber and Swing Set ($220).
Appropriately sized for toddlers (the swing can handle up to 66 pounds), watch little ones gain confidence as they make their way up the easy-climb steps and down the gently sloping slide. There’s a basketball hoop and an elephant’s nose ring toss game, too. The brightly colored swing set, made of non-toxic HDPE plastic, is lightweight enough to shuttle from the playroom to the lawn and back.
Best Accessible Swing Set
Engineered for special needs kids and adults, SportsPlay 2 Bay ADA Swing ($2,846) makes everyone feel they’re flying through the air!
The ADA-approved swing set features two bays with a heavy-duty wheelchair platform slider (700-pound capacity) on one side and the top-rated JennSwing pediatric seat on the other. Perfect for using in Swing Therapy — a method to teach sensory awareness through swaying and the pull of gravity — this set is supported by six vertical posts. It includes hangers, chains and fasteners.
All prices and links were current as of publication.
