Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset Review

Review of the Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset

As of this writing, there are 57 customer comments and 60 answered questions for the Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset.  I’ve read the customer comments, and then condensed the results into this review.  I hope that this helps you when shopping for a swing set.

Best Fea​tures

• check Holds up to seven children
• check Fun features
• check Good price
• check Made from cedar wood
• check Easy to assemble

Item Specifics

The Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset will hold up to seven children that weigh 110 pounds each.  The swing set has a high-rail wave slide, as well as a rock wall.  Although the name is Big Backyard, this swing set does not require a huge backyard.  In fact, the company states that it can be used on small backyards with limited space.  This swing set measure 80 square feet.  There are lots of fun features that your children can enjoy.  It has a canopy-shaded upper deck, a sandbox, a rock wall, a slide, and a vinyl chalkboard that allows your child to draw pictures or write.  This swing set is made from cedar wood.  It is easy to assemble.

Big Backyard, also called KidKraft, sells many playsets and swing sets, as well as other fun products for kids.  These products include dollhouses, kids furniture, play sets, and toy trains.  About 50 years ago, KidKraft began when they decided that they wanted to make fun toys that engaged children’s imaginations.  Recently, KidKraft has expanded their company by adding on Big Backyard and Cedar Summit.  These two brands sell products that allow children to use their imaginations outdoors.  Common products that these brands sell are playhouses and playsets.  Some of their playsets come with installation, which means the company will help you install it.  To find out more about their products, as well as playsets that come with installation, visit their site at www.bigbackyard.com.  Keep in mind that this is different from the Big Backyard indoor playground that is located in New Berlin, WI, which is for younger children to play in.

Good for Small Backyards

The dimensions of this swing set is 108 x 95 x 123 inches, making it perfect for small backyards.  There were a lot of customer comments similar to this one about people buying it specifically for small backyards – “We chose this because of its smaller size. We have a small backyard, and all my children needed was a couple of swings and a slide. I was a little unimpressed with the “chalkboard” because it’s just about the same as the sun shade, but it works extremely well with our sidewalk chalk.”

Low Weight Limit

This is a small swing set, so with that being said, it does have a low weight limit. The maximum weight for the swings is 110 pounds.  This may limit most moms and dads from swinging unless they are under 110 pounds each.  This will also limit the age range for kids who may grow to be husky at a young age.  A parent commented this about the weight limit, “This not a swing set for bigger children. There was nothing under description of swing on weight restrictions. So two out of my three kids can’t play on it.”

Faster to Set up Than Many Swing Sets

The Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset is faster to set up than many of the swing sets that I’ve reviewed.  Here is one of the comments left by a customer about her experience with the set up, “My father and I put this together with fantastic team work in 4.5 hours. We grouped all the identical parts together and laid them out across my driveway. We also put the hardware in groups so that everything was very easy to find. My father is a great carpenter and I have zero experience. I feel like anyone should be able to put this together as long as they follow the directions. After reading the reviews I was a little nervous as a few reviews mentioned that the pieces were not labeled. That was not the case for us. Each piece of wood is labeled on one end with a very small black stamp.”

Great Price

A lot of people bought this as a playground set to be used while their children were very young.  Many customers commented that they didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something that wasn’t going to be used for too many years.  This price fit some parents’ budgets better than other more expensive swing sets.  Here is one of the price comments, “Given the price and what we got out of it – it was worth it. We don’t expect our son to use it for long anyway so we didn’t want to spend a couple thousand dollars on a playground set.”

Chalkboard

There were some complaints about the chalkboard being nothing more than a piece of vinyl. Here is one of those comments along with how they fixed it up “We added a magnetic board instead of the ‘chalkboard’ (vinyl sheet).”  Another customer felt that the chalkboard was a safety issue.  She explained how she fixed it, “The ‘chalkboard’ is a BIG safety issue. I ended up securing a piece of 1/2″ plywood behind it. It’s actually made of canvas. It was pretty clear that children could fall through easily, hence the plywood support.”

Wood Quality Had Mixed Reviews

The manufacturer lists this wood as “100% premium cedar lumber construction.”  There were however mixed reviews about the wood quality.  Here is one of those comments, “This is not your $1000+ swing set, so don’t expect the heavy duty quality of some of the pricier options.”

Good Middle Ground Swing Set

Some customers described this swing set as a middle ground playset.  Here is one of those comments, “The final product is very acceptable though, and for the money I think it will be good at least for a few years while our daughter is little. 🙂 It’s not the nicest swing set on the market, but it’s not the cheap plastic ones either. A good middle ground if you can get it set up!”

Pros

• plus Low price
• plus Good for small backyards
• plus Fast set up

Cons

• close Cheap wood
• close Low weight limit
• close Chalkboard isn’t real and there are safety issues with it 

Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset Conclusion

The Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset is an economical choice if you don’t want to spend a lot on a swing set.  However, keep in mind that this is a very small swing set that has a 110 weight limit for each child.  Because of the small size, this may be perfect if you have a small sized backyard.  Along with it being smaller than most swing sets, it also sets up quicker than the bigger swing sets.  The wood quality had mixed reviews.  Some people were satisfied with the wood, while others commented that it was of poor quality.  To sum it up, this is not a top quality swing set, but it is priced well if a low weight limit fits your family’s needs.

Common Questions

Here are some top questions that I found for people considering buying the Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset.

• chevron-circle-right Can this go on cement?  Technically it is designed to be staked into the ground.  There are stakes that you drive in for each leg and screw together.  However, you could get some type of metal fastener or plate that you could lag bolt to the cement, then screw to the legs.
• chevron-circle-right How high is the slide?  The Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset features a 40″ high rail slide.
• chevron-circle-right What kind of warranty does this set have?  The Big Backyard Andorra Swing Set Playset has a one year warranty on all the accessories (plastic and hardware) and a limited five-year warranty on the lumber against structural failure due to rot and insect damage.

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