Why buy from Swings-n-Things?

If you’ve ever done price comparisons between Swings-n-Things and stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Dick’s Sporting Goods, you might wonder why anyone would buy playsets, basketball hoops, or trampolines from specialty stores like us. Those stores offer similar-looking products at lower prices. That makes them a no-brainer, right?

Not quite. Although it’s true you can purchase a cheaper swing set from Home Depot, your total experience over the lifetime of the product will be significantly different (and most likely worse). There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that big-box stores choose products that sell well on impulse: you go in looking for mulch, or tools, and come out with a new playset that you just couldn’t pass up because the price was so low. Once you get the (small) playset home, you’ll find that the wood is flimsy, the building instructions are unclear, and that only your three-year-old can fit in the slide! Plastic structural components break down over the course of a next year, your kids quickly outgrow it, and soon you’re left with a pile of junk that never made your kids happy.

The second reason your total experience will be worse is because outside of specialty stores like Swings-n-Things, you’ll be left on your own when you need installation help, warranty repairs, staining and sealing, relocating, or additions to your swingset, because the big-box stores are usually not licensed distributors who have people on-staff to handle the other tasks involved in purchasing a playset. If you called Home Depot or Lowe’s to ask for assistance on installation or repairs, you’d find that they don’t support their products directly and that you’ll have to deal with the manufacturer, who ships their playsets from overseas and doesn’t even maintain a regional office! And you can forget about finding a licensed technician who has access to original parts to repair your swingset after a storm or other accident.

In this blog post I’ll cover the main benefits of purchasing long-term products like a swing set, basketball hoop, or trampoline from a specialty store and why it actually costs less over time to do so. And your total experience will be significantly better as well!

Quality

Because big-box stores need to cater to impulse buyers, it’s in their best interest to stock the cheapest products they can so you have to buy from them over and over once the first one breaks down. Instead, we take pride in the brands we carry (Rainbow, Goalrilla/Goalsetter, and Vuly) because we believe they represent the best on the market in their respective categories. They each hit the sweet spot of value, durability, safety, and support ecosystem (warranty length, availability of technicians, etc). And it’s our company goal that you’ll never need to buy the same product from us twice!

Rainbow Swing Sets

It’s difficult to cover comprehensively why we at Swings-n-Things chose to sell Rainbow, but an important factor is Rainbow’s vast selection of different models, features, and sizes that allow every family to purchase exactly the swingset they need. Deck heights ranging from 5’ to 7’2” on King King models make choosing a swingset that’s the right size for the ages of kids using it easy. Rainbow manufacturers a variety of features that support different types of play (pretend play with General Store and Ship Wheel, active play with Ninja Training and Trapeze Bars, and backyard integration with Jacob’s Ladder and Swings) so you can customize your playset based on your children’s interests. And accessibility features like step ladders make Rainbow products fun for everyone.

Additionally, the build quality of Rainbow playsets proves they back up their lifetime warranties: they really are that confident you’ll never need to replace their products unlike models from big-box stores. Rainbow swing sets utilize thick Cunninghamia Cedar with dual-bolt, notched-beam construction that both improves stability and allows the use of recessed fasteners, meaning your kids will never scrape themselves or bump into hard components. Solid timber structural components, heavy-gauge safety chains, and insect resistance mean that Rainbow swing sets are built to handle anything the world can throw at it.

Many features I’ve just mentioned are absent on brands carried at big-box stores. They’re constructed from plastic or metal which can burn your kids in summer heat. They typically don’t match the deck height or area that Rainbow playsets can, and most don’t have lifetime warranties. They’re too small for your kids when they turn 8! Finally, adding more features like a wider slide or more swings after your kids have grown older is almost impossible most of the time. These absences are why we choose to carry Rainbow over other swingset brands.

Goalrilla and Goalsetter Basketball Hoops

Due to their incredible durability, we chose to stock Goalrilla and Goalsetter hoops over brands such as Lifetime and Spalding. Goalrilla hoops have lifetime manufacturer’s warranties including the tempered glass backboards, unlike Lifetime which only offers a five year warranty. Additionally, Goalrilla hoops have Pro-Style Breakaway rims and concrete anchor mounting which means they’re tough enough to dunk on and won’t be ruined if your kids slam too hard.

The Goalsetter MVP is made in America and offers an internal height adjustment which means your family won’t be in danger of getting hands or fingers caught in the mechanism. It’s a common hoop to see at playgrounds across the US for this very reason.

Vuly Trampolines

Springfree trampolines have disrupted the trampoline market for the simple reason that they are much safer than coil trampolines. Instead they use elastic rods that attach to a hidden frame underneath the jumping mat, meaning the danger of jumpers falling between coils or onto them is virtually eliminated. Additionally, springfree trampolines, especially Vuly trampolines with their leaf springs, have consistent bounce profiles and high tensile strength that provides a better experience than other types.

Vuly trampolines specifically use perpendicular rods unlike most other springfree manufacturers which use slanted rods. These special leaf springs prevent the jumping surface from twisting as people move around it, providing a higher bounce and preventing whiplash. The leaf springs specifically come with a one year warranty while the other components come with a five or ten year warranty, in comparison to brands like Upper Bounce which only offer a one year warranty on any component.

Don’t buy a traditional trampoline at a big-box retailer, buy a springfree model at Swings-n-Things that will be safe for your family.

Full Service

Unlike big-box stores, Swings-n-Things’ commitment to customer service doesn’t end when you leave the building. We believe it’s our responsibility to serve you as long as your playset, trampoline, or basketball hoop lasts, which for Rainbow swing sets can last a lifetime!

Purchase Decision Assistance

Most of the products we sell here at Swings-n-Things are priced above $1,000, which means that they’re a big decision for many families. We want to make sure you have the best information possible before you buy, which is why we maintain a showroom packed full of different models of swingsets, hoops, and trampolines so your kids can try out each one before you buy. We WANT your kids to climb all over our stuff! And while they’re enjoying our clean showroom full of playsets, we have knowledgeable staff on hand to answer any questions you might have and give experienced answers. We can answer questions about the best swingsets for unlevel yards, about designing a custom model, or about any of our services like installation and repairs. You can also set up appointments to visit the showroom, or via phone call/Zoom, so you can contact us in whatever way is most comfortable for you!

Installation

Nothing’s more disheartening than bringing home a new playset or basketball hoop and realizing you’ll be spending the next five hours setting it up instead of playing on it! Although Rainbow and Goalrilla make it easy for non-handy people to install their products, it still takes lots of time and effort. Additionally, some specific tool requirements can trip up unprepared buyers such as special wrenches, hole diggers, and other equipment. These reasons are why Swings-n-Things, unlike big retail stores, offers full installation! Our owner David himself often installs new Goalrilla hoops during hot summer days.

Letting us handle the installation provides other benefits, as well. For example, installing an in-ground basketball hoop properly necessitates over 750 lbs of concrete and a hole that extends below the freeze depth of the ground nearby. Swings-n-Things keeps all the power tools required in-house to make sure your hoop, playset, or trampoline is built to last a lifetime. If you’re interested in learning more about some of the details of our professional installation, we have a page on our website dedicated to it here: https://www.swingsnthings.net/install/.

Repairs and Staining

Swings-n-Things is a licensed Rainbow distributor, which means we are authorized to service warranty claims, do repairs, and wash-n-stain your swingset. We’ll send one of our technicians to your residence right away. We also offer our Tight-n-Inspect services wherein a technician will come and tighten up all the bolts in your playset, inspect it for any wear or structural flaws, and create a price estimate for repairs. And since Rainbow swing sets have a lifetime warranty unlike many other playset brands, you could call us twenty years after you purchased your swing set and we will happily provide the same level of service as if you had bought it yesterday!

Keep in mind that most Rainbow swing sets require power-washing and staining with a child-safe sealant every 12-18 months to help the wood resist boring insects like carpenter bees. We can easily do this for you, just stop by the showroom, give us a call, or visit https://www.swingsnthings.net/rainbow-play-set-warranty-services-maintenance-ohio/ to schedule an appointment!

Relocating and Add-ons

Another difference between Swings-n-Things and big-box retailers is that we can help you break down and reinstall your playset, basketball hoop, or trampoline if you move. You don’t need to purchase a new product when you can just take it with you!

We can also help install new add-ons and features to your playset. If your kids are getting bored of their swing set, consider contacting us to add a slide, monkey bars, more swing positions, and anything else offered on a new set! You can see a complete list of features at Rainbow Play’s site here: https://www.rainbowplay.com/swing-set-accessories/

The Best Experience

In short, buying from Swings-n-Things is a better process than buying from a big-box retailer like Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Dick’s Sporting Goods. All of the products we stock are some of the best on the market, and our relationship with you doesn’t stop when we give you the receipt. In fact, our installation, warranty repair, and relocation services mean that your purchase is just the beginning of a relationship with us!