Review of the Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set
As of this writing, there are 179 customer comments and 164 answered questions for the Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set. I’ve read the customer feedback, and then condensed the results into this review. I hope that this helps you when shopping for a swing set. This is one of the higher end swing sets and one you will consider if it happens to fall within your price range.
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Item Specifics
The Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set is one of the most popular backyard playset kits. It is made from 100% cedar wood. Cedar swing sets naturally resists mold and decay. All plastic components in the Backyard Discovery swing set are UV resistant. This product has many fun features. It includes a clubhouse, a lower playdeck, 2 belt swings, a glider swing, a slide, a sandbox, monkey bars, a standard playset ladder, a picnic table, and a rock wall. The slide is 10 feet long, and is very fast to slide down. Although the slide is fast to slide down, it is also very safe. The clubhouse has a wood roof, windows, a covered entryway, and bay windows. Its front porch is a very roomy, and has a sun balcony. The Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing play set is considered challenging for kids, yet very fun and enjoyable. This product is a good choice for those who want a playhouse and swing set built together.
About the Company
Backyard Discovery sells many backyard wooden play sets, also called backyard play scapes. Most of their backyard play structures are cedar wood swing sets, which means they are made out of cedar wood. They also sell playhouses and useful materials to use at home. As of now, their best seller is the Skyfort II, also called the Skyfort 2 swing set. Their swing sets are often called leisure time swing sets and leisure time play sets, because their products provide a time of fun during free time. Many of their wooden swing sets for sale can be found in different stores, such as Walmart, Home Depot, Costco, and Lowe’s. Some of their products include a backyard clubhouse, an outdoor wooden play tower, backyard playground equipment, and other backyard wooden swing sets. You can find their products online by searching “swing sets near me”, “playhouses near me” or “playsets for sale”, and some Backyard Discovery play sets should pop up. In fact, Backyard Discovery is so popular that if you search on the internet “swingsetsonline.com”, it will take you to the Backyard Discovery website. To see all of their products, including the Skyfort II Cedar Swing set, visit their site by clicking here.
Very Sturdy Structure
The Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set is well built and sturdy. Many of the swing sets that I’ve looked at, were not made to hold much more than toddlers. However, this one can hold 1,300 pounds. Here is a comment from a parent about the sturdiness of this play set. “This is a very well built, sturdy structure and the biggest play area for our price range. We can stand up in the fort without ducking, the lookout is sturdy enough to hold us, with high enough sides that we don’t fear anyone will climb over, the monkey bars are high enough that they can be used by a full sized person without reaching the ground, taller than most playgrounds. The clubhouse stays dry so we put an outdoor carpet and a chair in it. No disappointments here!”
Expect to Do a Lot of Your Own Organizing Before Putting This Together
This is a very large project. Plan to do a lot of organizing before you even attempt to put it together. Here is some good advice from a customer who successfully put it together, “Very first step? Print the PDF version (found online) of the manual, page by page. I just printed the actual steps pages, and not all the rest. So, use your “print pages” option to save yourself a few trees. Next, I purchased fold top, cheap sandwich bags and had a couple sharpies handy. Then we opened the boxes, and pulled the packing slips out (one box was missing a packing slip, so we just used process of elimination). There is no rhyme or reason for how this all is packed, other than it fits perfectly, into 3 boxes, like a puzzle.”
Some People Chose to Customize This Play Set
Some customers chose to tweak this swingset to meet their family’s individual needs and tastes. One customer explained the changes that she made this way, “My only complaint is the 3 swings are kind of close together. I made a few changes to the default layout. I purchased some cedar boards from Home Depot and closed in the bottom floor and also the front area next to the slide. After construction, I used a solid stain to seal, protect and change the look of the playscape (3 different stain colors). I also did not install the monkey bars and installed the slide in place of the standard monkey bars location. This gives the set a custom look and also helped it to fit in my small yard.”
Consider Adding Stain
Even though this swingset arrives already weatherized, you still may want to add some stain to it. One customer explained how she added the stain before it was put together. She said, ” The stain won’t last more than 1 season. I added a good stain to anything that was sun exposed before assembly.”
Great Price for What You Get
Considering what you get, this swingset is priced well. The Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set is one of the higher priced swing sets out there. However, for what you are getting, It’s worth every penny. Here is a customer comment on the price, “It’s a very nice design, and the price is awesome for all the features that comes with it. The slide, swings, and glider are of high quality, and the bay windows are great.”
Ladder May Not Be Good for Young Children
Unlike a swing set with stairs, the ladder on this swing set may be hard for young children to climb up. A swing set with stairs makes climbing up and down easier on little children. Besides it being difficult to climb, the large gap in between each step may lead to injuries. One customer explains why the ladder may not be safe, “After we finished I watched my 2 year old climb up to the “crows nest” and then climb back down the hand rail ladders. Immediately images of his foot slipping through the gap and him falling, dangling by his led upside down came to mind. It seemed like a MAJOR safety concern to me. So I ripped a couple of boards down and mitered the angles so the boards would fit on the inside of the steps and prevent my sons feet from slipping through. Screwed it in with the left over lag screws and I went back to watching my son love his new fort.”
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Cons
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Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set Conclusion
The Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set is one of the higher end swing sets on the market. However, with that being said, for what you get, this is a great valued slide. This swing set includes a a clubhouse, a lower playdeck, 2 belt swings, a glider swing, a slide, a sandbox, monkey bars, a standard playset ladder, a picnic table, and a rock wall. It will take a lot of time to assemble which is normal since it’s a large swing set. Some customers suggested spending time first to lay everything out and label the parts including the hardware. You may want to add stain before you put it together, or right after it’s together. This will preserve the whole swingset.
Common Questions
Here are some top questions that I found for people considering buying the Backyard Discovery Skyfort II All Cedar Wood Swing Set.
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