13 Best Outdoor Playsets & Swing Sets for Your Backyard (2023) (2024)

It can be tough to find the best outdoor swing sets or playsets for your own backyard. You want something that’s going to be fun and safe for your kids, but you also don’t want to break the bank.

There are a lot of different factors you need to consider when choosing an outdoor playset. Not only do you need to think about what type of activities your kids will enjoy, but you also need to make sure the set is sturdy and durable, providing a playscape that will provide safe fun and stand up against the elements.

Outdoor Family HQ has put together a guide to help you find the best outdoor playset for your family. We’ve reviewed some of the top-rated sets on the market and highlighted the pros and cons of each one.

OFHQ’s Top Picks

The outdoor playset that is best for your family, yard, and specific life situation is impossible for anyone except for YOU to decide.

That being said, after reviewing the individual playsets featured in this post, it became apparently clear that the innumerable options and customizations offered by reputable playset manufacturers make it impossible to decide which package is “best.”

“Best” for us is different than “best” for anyone else: we may want a rock climbing wall while you want a simple flat-rung step ladder, or a straight slide versus a wavy slide, etc.

So, for our top picks, we identified who we believe are the best playset and swing set manufacturers who combine quality materials, ease of assembly, and cost-efficiency.

Here they are!

Best Wood Playset Brand – Gorilla Playsets

If you subscribe to the philosophy, “You get what you pay for,” then the price tag on the Gorilla playsets won’t make you flinch.

What makes Gorilla pricier than the competition is their lumber. Their 4 x 6 laminated swing set beams are more robust than the industry standard and their deck boards are much thicker making the overall playset less likely to rot, develop cracks, and wear down over years of exposure to the elements.

Pound for pound, their manufactured cedar timber outperforms industry-standard cedar and steel pole construction sets of comparable size.

Oh, and there’s that industry-crushing 10-year warranty. We can’t forget that.

Best Steel Playset Brand – Lifetime

Tough. If there’s one word synonymous with the Lifetime brand, that’s it.

Founded in 1986 by a father who simply wanted a better basketball hoop for his kids, it is now a world-wide trusted brand iconic for rugged outdoor products.

Every Lifetime swing set or playset is crafted of heavy-duty, powder-coated galvanized steel and retains its fresh looks long after other steel playsets have begun to rust and decay.

Their 5-year warranty is not quite a lifetime; but, still good considering the industry standards.

Best Cost-to-Quality Brand – Backyard Discovery

Backyard Discovery has been producing high-quality wooden swing sets, playhouses, and backyard leisure products for over 30 years.

Their team of innovators and specialists is passionate about crafting durable backyard playsets that generate lasting memories with family in the comfort of your backyard. Constructed of naturally decay-resistant cedar and reinforced with steel hardware, each swing set provides a nice balance between quality, cost, and ease of assembly.

Because they are parents themselves, they take pride in their expert craftsmanship and boast a long legacy of building great products … and they back it with a 5-year warranty!

Their goal is to motivate kids to go outside where they can flex both their muscles and their minds.

Reviews of the 13 Best Backyard Playsets and Swing Sets

ALEKO Child Swing

Sometimes, less is more.

If you just need a basic swing set to stand alone or to complement an existing play structure, the ALEKO is a practical, cost-effective choice.

It’s a simple single swing set that features an alloy steel frame making it sturdy (if properly anchored), durable, and safe. Plus, it’s a cinch to assemble.

Features

• Adjustable ropes to accommodate varying heights
• For children aged 3 to 8
• Weight capacity: 99 lbs.

Trekassy Saucer Swing Set

Another simple, yet untraditional swing set design, the Trekassy offers two swinging styles: a swivel that allows spinning while swinging or, with a quick adjustment, the traditional back-and-forth swing style.

While this set essentially has only 1 instead of two swings, the assembly is built tough and capable of holding 440 lbs., giving the kids the freedom to pile in 2 or 3 at a time into the saucer.

Features

• 360° swivel or back-and-forth swinging options
• Alloy steel, powder-coated metal frame for great durability
• Ground stakes for anchoring included
• 440 lb. weight capacity

Sportspower Super Star Swing Set

If you want a little more than a basic swing set, the Sportspower Super Star swing set provides more play options and, yet, keeps things simple.

The 2″ steel tubes provide plenty of support (max 600 lbs.), even when it has up to 7 kids playing on it at once.

At 134″ long and 100″ wide, the frame supports two swings, a glider, and a saucer swing with a slide off to the side.

Features

• powder-coated, 2″ steel tube construction
• 600 lb. weight capacity (accommodates 5-7 kids)

Ranger Wooden Swing Set

Built of naturally-decay-resistant cedar reinforced with steel braces, the Ranger Wooden Swing Set is built to last!

Equipped with two swings and a trapeze that can be interchanged with a bucket swing (purchase separately) for younger kids, this swing set may be simple; but other additions provided by Ranger can be built onto the set to transform it into a “play palace” over time.

Features

• Decay-resistant steel-reinforced cedar construction
• Plastisol coated chains to keep hands safe and the chains from rusting
• 2 swings with adjustable heights
• 1 trapeze with adjustable heights
• Each swing has a 115 lb. weight capacity

Backyard Discovery Buckley Hill Wooden Swing Set

Designed with younger children (3-6 years) in mind, the Backyard Discovery is a sturdy wooden set that offers the resilience of steel-reinforced cedar.

This wooden swing set includes swings, rock wall ladder, covered upper deck, and 6-foot slide

Features

• Steel-reinforced cedar construction
• 2 adjustable belt swings with rope chains
• 6-foot speedy slide
• Covered 3-foot high upper deck
• Rockwall ladder
• 15″ x 15″ chalkboard
• See-through mesh safety panels flanking upper deck

Backyard Discovery Oakmont Playset

The Oakmont is another robust swing set designed by Backyard Discovery with smaller yards in mind.

It has a 4-foot high raised fort with a colorful awning and front wall with white trimmed window to make a cool clubhouse-like area up top.

Down below there is another fort, with front wall, window, a real door, and a side snack window with a built-in bench.

A flat step entry ladder gets the kids to the upper fort and our 8 ft. speedy slide zips them back down again.

Off to the side, 2 swings and a trapeze bar offer more ways to play, making this one of the most well-equipped compact backyard playsets.

Features

• Steel-reinforced cedar construction.
• Upper fort with 4-foot deck height
• Lower fort with door, snack bar, and bench
• 2 adjustable belt swings
• 1 trapeze bar
• 8-foot speedy slide
• flat step ladder

KidKraft Brooksville Cedar Wood Swing Set

As one of the more durable wooden playsets out there, this is another compact option for small backyards that still offers the numerous play options of larger playsets.

The Brooksville is comparable in layout to the Oakmont by Backyard Discovery, but weighs over 50 lbs. more due to the closed-slat wooden roof and walls as opposed to the Oakmont’s lighter-weight tarpulin roof and open-slat walls.

This playset’s clubhouses are a kid’s favorite, and it comes with an attached wavy slide and a climbing wall in the back. The covered clubhouses offer relief from the sun and rain (unless it’s windy) and a “kid’s cafe” to sit and enjoy a snack.

Features

• Steel reinforced cedar construction
• Rockwall
• High-rail wavy slide
• 2 swings (belt style)
• 1 glider
• Multilevel clubhouse
• Kid-sized “cafe” with snack window and bench
• Suitable for kids ages 3 to 10

Gorilla Playsets Outing Wood Swing Set

The Gorilla Outing Playset is a high-quality wooden playset that offers hours of imaginative play for children aged 3 to 11 years.

It features a climbing wall with climbing rope, safe entry ladder, 2 belt swings, trapeze swing, built-in sandbox area, steering wheel, and telescope.

The play deck height of 4 feet provides ample room for children to play under the deck. The Gorilla Outing Playest is made of 3 in. x 3 in. wood framing and has a solid 3-3/8” x 5-3/8” x 95” swing beam.

All Gorilla playsets come ready-to-assemble with step-by-step assembly manual, all required hardware, and all lumber is pre-cut and pre-sanded at the factory – even the main beams are pre-drilled to reduce the time of assembly.

Features

• Robust cedar beam and plank construction with steel reinforcement
• 2 adjustable belt swings
• 1 trapeze
• Built-in sandbox
• Steering wheel
• Telescope
• Wavy slide
• 4-foot high deck

Creative Playthings Spring Hill Play Fort and Swing Set

Made of Southern Yellow Pine, this wooden swing set comes with versatile features and offers swappable attachments that allow a wide range of customizations.

It has two swings, a rock-climbing wall, a wavy slide, a trapeze with gym rings, a picnic table, and a pine rooftop. The tower level has extra space for a porch, which the kids can reach by the access ladder or climbing walls.

There’s also an attached knotted rope ladder to offer a more challenging climbing option.

All these features make it a well-rounded playset, where kids can swing, slide, have a tea party, or practice rock climbing. You could say that when it comes to backyard swing sets, this one promises to offer the whole package.

Features

• Southern Yellow Pine construction with steel reinforcement
• 5-foot high deck with 9-foot high pine roof
• 10-foot slide
• Built-in sandbox
• 2 adjustable swings
• 1 trapeze
• Plastisol coated chains
• Climbing wall with knotted rope
• Built-in picnic table

Lifetime Monkey Bar Adventure Swing Set

This swing set is low maintenance and offers a wide range of activities. With its powder-coated, galvanized steel structure, rounded edges, and capped corners, corrosion is not a problem.

It has three swings with comfortable rubber grips, which is great for a big family or kids’ party as nobody has to wait for their turn.

Complete with rugged-built monkey bars, fireman pole, slide, and swings, this is one of the best steel backyard playsets you can get.

Features

• Galvanized, powder-coated steel construction
• Fireman’s Pole
• 9-foot wavy slide
• 3 belt swings
• Soft rubber chain grips
• Trapeze bar with gym rings
• Monkey bars
• Suitable for ages 3 to 12

Lifetime Adventure Tower

The Adventure Tower is a metal and plastic playset with numerous play options.

Your kids can enjoy the rock climbing wall, swing on the trapeze bar, or drive the steering wheel on the second-level platform. These details make this a very popular option when it comes to backyard playsets and getting your kids outside.

The multiple tools in this playset are great for cultivating a kid’s imagination by pretending to climb a mountain, steer their ship, or swing like an acrobat.

This incredible playset also has two covered clubhouses, where the kids can sit in the shade and play with their building blocks and other toys.

Features

• Galvanized, powder-coated steel construction
• Two-level clubhouse with thick plastic walls and shade canopy
• Integrated car map
• 9-foot wavy slide
• 2 belt swings
• Soft rubber chain grips
• 1 Trapeze bar
• Steering wheel
• 3-D rock climbing walls
• Suitable for ages 3 to 12

Backyard Discovery Skyfort II

Some say, “Go big, or go home!”

Considered one of the best premium options in the market, Skyfort II definitely delivers. If you’re looking for a larger playset and your budget allows it, consider this backyard mansion for your kids.

This durable playset is made from decay-resistant cedar wood and offers almost all of the options found in any swing set.

It has a raised clubhouse with windows and a wooden roof, where your kids can oversee the whole playground, and an exterior space doubling as a porch or sun deck for a real top-of-the-world vantage point.

Features

• Steel reinforced cedar construction
• Picnic table
• Rockwall
• Monkey bars
• 3-position swing beam
• Raised clubhouse
• Front porch with sun balcony
• wood roof
• Crow’s nest
• 10-foot wave slide
• Recommended for children ages 3-10 years

Gorilla Treasure Trove II Treehouse

Last but certainly not least is this extravagant beast that seems to be the manifestation of unbridled childhood dreams.

Meaning, it’s just huge. (believe it or not, it’s not their biggest!)

No doubt the neighborhood kids will be stealing peaks over your fence for an envious glimpse at this vast playscape boasting 3 slides and 16 different play activities

Even the Swiss Family Robinson would be jealous!

Features

• Steel-reinforced cedar construction
• UV-resistant treated materials to preserve color
• 5-foot and 7-foot high tower decks
• Rock wall
• Rope Ladder
• 3 slides (straight, wavy, and tunnel)
• Built-in sandbox and picnic area
• Clatter bridge connecting to second tower
• 2 belt swings with coated chains
• Trapeze swing with coated chains
• Tic-Tac-Toe panel
• Steering wheel
• Telescope

Wrapping Up Best Outdoor Playsets & Swing sets

Outdoor playsets and swing sets can provide hours of entertainment for children (and adults) of all ages.

OFHQ has reviewed 13 of what we believe to be the best backyard playsets and swing sets on the market, based on a number of factors including quality, features, and price. Still, it’s difficult to determine which playsets have the best combination of features for you and your family.

Our Top Picks focus on the playset manufacturers themselves: Gorilla Playsets (Best Wood Playset Brand), Lifetime (Best Steel Playset Brand), and Backyard Discovery (Best Cost-to-Quality Brand).

Now, you can focus on what features you would like most and trust that you’ll be getting a quality swing set or playset that will provide years of exciting, fun-filled memories!

Now, (grab a drill and) get out there!