Rainbow v. Cedarworks Playsets

[annasmom]

Welcome to my new obssession!! I am thinking that this Fall may be the perfect time for us to get a playset for our yard. We will have a new baby so I will not be wanting to drag everyone off to the playground, and supposedly there are sales in the Fall.

So, needless to say I would love your input. I have begun looking at the sets (and the prices, OUCH!!). Any general feedback would be appreciated.

Also, some specific questions:

Does anyone regret making this purchase?

How did you decide on your package?

If I go to a salesroom, will I end up spending more money (because of pushy salespeople?

If choosing between Rainbow and Cedarworks, why did you choose one over the other? (They seem comparably priced?)

Have you been pleased with your purchase? Specifically, quality and safety?

What would you have done differently??

Thank you SO much. I know this is going to be a process for me to convince my dh so I have really want to be armed with lots of great information.

[dules]

Well, once my DH saw the sets IRL he was off and running so I think you have a good chance if you can get your DH to a Rainbow showroom. :)

We just chose our set and it's due to be delivered so I can only answer the "decision" parts of your post but we *just* ordered so this will be long as it's all still fresh in my mind.

We looked at Rainbow and Cedarworks, and one set by Childlife that a friend has in his backyard. Childlife was ruled out immediately on price - the same small set that this friend has (starter set that probably will not last past 6-7 years old according to the sales guy I talked to) was over $4K installed.

We liked the Rainbow ones a lot. You can see my post on the pricing stuff though if you do a search. They can wheel and deal like car dealers and I really loathe buying cars. The sales people were *really* good when we came to look, though. They left us alone to play and waited for us to come with questions.

This is a personal thing but the Rainbow "store models" shook, even the big ones, when I or DH got up there with DD. DD is about 30 lbs and DH and I are about 175 and 150, so not huge people. I know we were in no danger at all but the shaking feeling kind of threw me off a bit. This could definitely be because floor models see so much use and abuse. DD absolutely loved them though and would have been happy with any of them. :) She had me a little scared, running right to the top of the biggest sets.

We looked at the partially assembled (boo!) Costco set and if we had decided to go with Rainbow we would probably have gone that route for the number of features for the price. We don't need more than 2 swings so the possibility of kids bumping if 3 swing at once didn't bother us.

We knew we would not want to do the maintenance on a Rainbow (staining and sealing) and we loved the idea of the modular designs of Cedar Works. We also were just really sold by their brochure, DVD, sales staff and website marketing/tools. We're also excited that we can play too. :) Cedarworks was very up front, no nonsense, pricing is what it is and includes shipping. DH and FIL want to assemble so there was no concern about assembly cost (Rainbow has a $99 install special that looks great if you don't want to do it yourself. Cedarworks will recommend contractors local to you but it's not included.).

We spent HOURS poring over all the threads here and on the Toddler boards, the options in the catalog, online, and going back and forth with our fabulous sales consultant (Dee) until we finally came up with a design that (we think) will challenge DD appropriately now and still has lots of room to grow. We upsized one side from a box tower to a regular tower for that reason - it was a significant cost up front but manageable when we put it in a perspective over years to expand and play rather than immediate cost.

Overall I think both are great choices but one will most likely speak to you over the other (or someone else might suggest something totally different). Watch the DVDs and really read the catalogs - IMO they are really useful and not just "salesware".


Have fun choosing!

Best,
Mary

ETA a couple of other things that made me choose Cedarworks, now that I've read some other replies. We like the Sure Step system that lets DD climb up inside the towers (safer) and the fact that we can add safety fences around the tops ($35 each) of the structures so she won't fall when she's young but they can be removed to allow access via the vertical ladders and the monkey bars when she gets older. We chose a rock wall to access the climber with slide (and sure step system) and the tower just has the ramp for now - much as we wanted to we could not justify two slides for one child, lol.

I won't let her play "alone" at 2.5 but as I mentioned above, seeing her jumping around up on those Rainbow platforms that were wide open really kind of freaked me out, felt like she could fall (though realistically I know she would probably stop before the edge). So I guess my own fear of heights played into my personal feeling on this too. :) Rainbow has some that are more enclosed too but I liked that we could remove the fences on the Cedarworks set to make it more "daring" as she gets bigger.

[sidmand]

Well we ended up with a Rainbow set. We thought they would be way out of our price range, but after looking at many many different kinds, realized that one of the smaller sets (which was all we could fit anyway) was pretty much the same price as the others.

We were actually on our way to look at another type (which we ended up not being able to find) when we accidentally passed the Rainbow showroom. We were completely blown away by their catalog (the most amazing catalog I've ever seen!). And unlike the PP, the models they had were so completely sturdy and so much sturdier than anything else we had seen that that just about convinced us there.

I had a ChildLife set growing up and really thought I was going in that direction. Particularly the maintenance free aspect. But also, like the PP said, it ended up being very very expensive for the same things.

I actually don't think we looked at a Cedarworks, just because that wasn't as easily available. We ended up choosing between a Creative Playthings set and the Rainbow one. We also had the consideration of a very uneven lot. Creative Playthings basically said we would have to level the yard before it could be installed while Rainbow had options to work with it.

We've only had it for a couple of months, but so far I'm very happy with it. DS can't use a heck of a lot of it yet, but his cousins have been over to play on it and had a lot of fun too.

We chose basically based on size. We don't have a huge yard, and it's uneven, so I think we ended up buying the Sunshine Castle. It seemed to include everything we'd want for a long long time. And it's sturdy enough that I've been up there with my nieces (and I'm not small!).

No regrets yet...

Debbie
http://b2.lilypie.com/BI7Tm5.png

[KrisM]

We're waiting for our Rainbow to be delivered in a few weeks. I have 2 friends that just went through these decisions with me and we all ended up with Rainbow, but different sizes.

At our showroom, the models didn't shake, but the floor on the Castle series does deflect some. It does this on the newly installed (by Rainbow) sets my friends have as well. But, with a lifetime guarantee, if it wears out somehow, we're covered. I don't think it's a safety issue at all.

The sales people were very good and didn't push us at all. Just showed us the basic stuff and let us look around and play ourselves.

I looked into Cedarworks, but didn't like how the ladders that are included are all vertical. I like the inclines better. Also, to get what we wanted, the Cedarworks cost more than the Rainbow by about $1000.

[AmyZ]

AHHHHHH... this is bringing back some lovely memories! :-)

We just went thru the same process a few months ago. We now have the Rainbow Carnival Cottage model 304 (page 120) in my backyard.

I loved both Rainbow and Cedarworks. I found the Rainbow saleslady to be somewhat annoying and we did not have any luck shopping around for a better price. We called a bunch of different Rainbow places around here, spoke to different sales people, and no one was negotiating.

I liked the Cedarworks was very straightforward and not "sales-ish" at all. However, the issue kept coming down to monkey bars. DH really wanted the monkey bars to be separate from the swing bar, and every combo that we designed with Cedarworks was over $4000! Yikes!

With Rainbow, we were able to get the swing bar separate from the monkey bars and all the other good stuff for a little over $3000 installed. I swapped out the disc swing for the baby bucket swing (DD's favorite).

So far we have been very pleased. It is very sturdy, (DH goes into the clubhouse often) and it is actually staked into the ground -- this thing is not going anywhere.

All is good!

Amy Z

"Ma!" to Eliana 2/04 - She's 2!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

[annasmom]

I wanted to thank everyone for their input. It is a LOT of money, so I want to gather as much information as possible, so I really appreciate it. But the more I think about it, I think it would be a good purchase for our family. Both of my dc LOVE the playground, and with a 3rd dc on the way, I know we will get years of use. I have a question for you though.

Costco is currently selling a Sunray set (I know at least Mary looked at it). It really has everything I want for our swingset (rock wall, at least 3 swing positions, slide, monkey bars, etc. - although I am still torn between castle v. clubhouse), is there anything I should know about the Sunray sets? Are they in some way lesser quality, or smaller??

I think ultimately we will have to take the trip and see these things IRL. Does anyone know for how long Costco carries the swingsets? We belong, but don't live anywhere near a Costco anymore. For all I know they may have already stopped carrying them.

Thanks again!!

[dules]

They had them last weekend near us (which I think is near you too). If you're in N NJ visiting family this summer you're also invited to come see and play on ours (OK, pg maybe you won't want to but I bet your DC will, lol). Just email me.

I got the sense the Costco set was like the Fiesta boxed sets, which the price sheet refers to as "Rainbow quality for the DIYer." The sales lady at Rainbow did say that the three swings are so close together that they may bump if the kids don't all swing perfectly straight, just an FYI on that. I couldn't tell at our Costco because the set was only half-assembled, on a shelf (!) and the first swing was actually ON the deck. Grrr on them for not setting it up so people could see. The pics of it online are pretty good and the shipped price is great too ($1599 and you don't have to schlep it home from the store).

So here I am wanting to be your Cedarworks referral but pointing you toward the Costco set. Guess that shows you how much I liked all of them, eh? LOL!

Best,
Mary

[3girls4me]

I just wanted to say that if you have a Costco near you might what to check it out. I bought a Rainbow playsystem from them for $1,000 and my girls LOVE it. My friend bought the same one (only one minor thing different) and she spent $2,000 for it. They are both Rainbow brand so maybe check it out!
Charlene Hill

[3girls4me]

I just replied on your first e-mail and didn't realize you posted this. I was suggesting the Costco Sunray set. I have 3 girls and they just love this set! My friend bought almost the same one from Rainbow directly and it cost her $2,000 the one from Costco is 1,000 the one difference is you have to put it together. I did call my local Rainbow dealer and I had their installer contact me and I paid him directly $300.00 to move it to my new house because my kids wanted it to come with us. I believe they charge you more for installation.

[annasmom]

Thanks, once again! I actually was just talking to a bunch of moms this morning at the playground, and one just installed the Costco set this Spring, so we may stop by this afternoon to check it out.
The Costco set is so appealing because it has everything I want, but when I priced it on Cedarworks and Rainbow it was close to $4k!!

And another mom suggested Childlife, but mentioned that it is pretty expensive. So, now I have another swingset to check out as well!

[annasmom]

Someone also mentioned the Playaround sets that are made by Cedarworks to me:

http://www.playaround-swingsets.com/swingsets/index.php

Does anyone know anything about these sets???

[dules]

Me again, lol! See this thread on the toddler board for very positive reviews.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=47&topic_id=331&mode=full&page=

Can you tell I scoured these boards for every bit of information? LOL.

Best,
Mary

[annasmom]

Mary, thanks so much for all of the great information. I just read the thread, and your response re the weight limits. I get a bit concerned about the sizes and weight limits of the less expensive sets because we will have 3dc, and goodness knows I am ALWAYS sliding down or climbing up with someone. Did you find that the less expensive sets were smaller??


ETA: Mary, one more thing - did you see a Cedarworks set IRL before you ordered??

[AmyZ]

We passed on that one because I think the size is geared for smaller kids. Make sure you check the dimensions. For us, DIY projects were not an option, so that is one reason I didn't do the Sunray. Also, I really wanted to clubhouse style.

Amy Z

"Ma!" to Eliana 2/04 - She's 2!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

[Karenn]

Here's my 2 cents. :) If money were no object, I would have gotten a cedarworks set. I love the sure step system and the fort fences. I also just like the look of them better, especially the way that the wood turns to silver.

BUT, money was an object, so I got the Sunray from Costco. I too spent hours on-line and on the phone with both rainbow and cedarworks and the sunray seemed like the best bang for your buck. To get the same thing from rainbow would have been close to $3000 here, and probably more through cedarworks. Out here, you can actually buy the Sunray through the local rainbow dealer too. They charged $1800 and offered free installation. The main differences I saw between the Sunray, and a similar set that rainbow also makes were: no disc swing and a 15 year warranty rather than lifetime. Interestingly, the rainbow salesman insisted that their sets could be allowed to weather and wouldn't require maintence like re-staining, but DH will probably stain our set again in a couple of years anyway.

I highly recommend going to the rainbow showroom, no matter what you decide. There were probably 30+ sets all assembled just waiting to be played on. My kids had a blast! They cried when we had to leave. And, I agree with the PP who said that seeing the sets in real life was what actually got DH on board. He went from thinking plastic Little Tikes would be fine, to *needing* monkey bars and swings that could hold adults. ;)

[smilequeen]

It's a tough choice. I have gone over and over so many different sets. We are ordering soon (as soon as I know when my backyard will be ready...our landscaper is going to make a rubber chip play area for it) and we decided on Cedarworks. The sure step system and the fort fences sold me. For older kids I probably would have gotten something a little less pricey, but since Simon is only 1.5 and a major climber/fearless toddler, I wanted those extra features. A friend of ours has a very cool Rainbow set, but their youngest is 7.

[annasmom]

You really have me thinking about this sure step system. I have gotten to the point that I do not think I can go to the playground with Kieran anymore. He can now climb the rock wall on the "big kid" playset unassisted. For crying out loud, Anna is not even old enough to be on that set, and here is my 1 1/2 year old climbing the rock wall!!

O.k., so here is my question, you have undoubtedly decided Cedarworks is a good decision for younger children, but do you think this set will last? Is the size and height going to be adequate when your dc are older?? I guess my point is, it is a LOT of money, I would hate it to only last a few years.

Thank you!! (once again!)

[AngelaS]

We bought the Cedarworks Tower w/slide, Sure Step system, extra fort fences and a yardarm for the baby swing when my oldest was 17 months old. She was immediately able to go to the top and use the slide and LOVED every minute. A few years later, we added a three step overhead ladder w/a horse swing for more play room.

We went and looked at Rainbow sets and I chose CW over Rainbow. I didn't like the open platforms on Rainbow, nor the ladders. Straight or vertical ladders are still ladders and it was the Sure Step System that I LOVED. I love that I can add on to my CW as we need/want to and I love how friendly the CW people are. When we got ready to move, we knew we were bringing our CW with us (a 6 hour trip!) and the movers needed to know how much the climber weighed. I called CW and the looked it up for me in minutes! :)

Now my oldest is 8.5 and she has two younger sisters and they ALL play on the set together and have a great time. My oldest is dyin' to have a rock wall and if I can get another referral (or do well on eBay! LOL) she's going to get one. :) I hang my mama swing from the yardarm, we have a horse swing, sling swing and a baby swing on the overhead ladder and there's always someone crawling across the top of the monkey bars or using the slide. One day last summer there were NINE kids ages 3 to 9 on my set! :D

It was worth EVERY penny!

[cimberdog]

Also, some specific questions:

>Does anyone regret making this purchase? No, absolutely not! We bought the Rainbow Monster Castle, Supersized with all the Goodies. My oldest son LOVES the tire swing, they both love climbing it, swinging, and going down the slide.

>How did you decide on your package? We spoke to the salesperson at length, and determined that the tallest set we could afford would be the best and get the most longevity. The higher up the platform and swingbeams are, the higher they can swing, the more complex the climbing and the longer and faster the slide!

If I go to a salesroom, will I end up spending more money
because of pushy salespeople? That depends. Our experience at Rainbow was terrific. We got all the information we needed and there was absolutely NO pressure to buy.

If choosing between Rainbow and Cedarworks, why did you choose
one over the other? (They seem comparably priced?)I prefer the Rainbow name, and they are local here to us. They have really been wonderful to work with.

Have you been pleased with your purchase? Specifically,
quality and safety? Yes! We did find that each year you should go through and tighten all the bolts again, since we have nasty winters here in MN and everything contracts and expands.

What would you have done differently?? If we could have afforded it, I would have gotten the King Kong set (6 foot platform versus the 5 foot high platform in the play area we have now), and I would have added the monkey bars and tube slide. I would love to put rubber mulch under it all, but that's a huge expense and DH still needs convincing. We did swap out the metal chain climber for some wooden steps and yellow rods for getting up to the platform easier (easier for the younger kids) and I am so happy we did that. But, my kids are too young for the monkey bars but they would love the additional fort and tube slide! Maybe next year. I'll attach a picture of what we have.



http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/34240.jpg


http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/34241.jpg


http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/34242.jpg

[rfeibelm]

Funny you posted this - as we also just went through this and now have a Rainbow Carnival Cottage model 204 in our yard! We spent slightly under $3000 installed until you count the rubber mukch and landscape timbers that we built the play area with (and then we've spent over $6000 total! Yikes!).

The one thing that I am upset about is that I changed out one swing for the baby bucket and the disc swing for a hammock swing for me. I can't use either as they were designed for taller swing arms! They both end up too low to the ground to use, so I've got to find one that will work.

Rachel

[AmyZ]

That is so funny that we got the same one! I hope that Rainbow will help you find a swing that works -- it doesn't make sense that they would let you buy something that is too low.

Amy Z

"Ma!" to Eliana 2/04 - She's 2!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

[rclasco]

We bought a Cedarworks set last August. No regrets - just wish our backyard accomodated the Jungle instead of the Climber :). The layout of our backyard determined the size (i.e., width) of our set. We have a Climber on one end & a Tower on the other with a 2-swing arm in the middle. My son & I picked out the options then I discussed them with our Cedarworks salesperson. I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting anything too young or too advanced for him. I have to say that the Cedarworks customer service was awesome. Our salesperson patiently worked with me over the 2 months it took me to finalize our set.

We also looked at Rainbows at a showroom. The salespeople were not pushy. In fact, I had to go find them to help me. I'm honestly not sure why we looked at Rainbows because I knew we weren't going to buy anything that required staining. Our neighbors have a Rainbow & they restained theirs after 1.5 yrs. Another neighbor on our street has one that is 1 yr old & it needs restaining. Additionally, I thought the Cedarworks options were more fun & unique.

Good luck!

[LiznSeb]

Today we just bought the last Sunray at our Costco, in the Philly suburbs.

I really, REALLY wanted a cedarworks set. I was (and still am) totally sold on the sure set system and fort fences for safety. And I agree with the previous poster about their really cute and quite original accessories. I tried so hard, but every set I designed ended up between 3500 to 4000.

Ultimately, DH and I agreed that the Sunray was a very good value. A neighbor has one, and we know for a fact the kids will bump into each other when they are swinging (it happened all the time on their set) but even so, it does have a lot of bang for the buck. DH (who I just could not convince about the Cedarworks set) has said he will be in charge of staining it...we shall see.

Anyhow, after exhaustive research, if money were no object I would have gone with Cedarworks hands down. But the Sunray is a very functional set for a great price (when I started this I would never have said that 1300 for a swingset was a good price, who knew??).

Thankfully, we have a handyman who will assemble the Sunray for us for a very reasonable price. ds is sooo excited about it! Actually, although I am still recovering from the disappointment of not getting my carefully designed Cedarworks set, I am excited about the new set also.

Liz

[rfeibelm]

No, it doesn't make sense and it really ticked me off that no one every mentioned it to me.

[annasmom]

Well, I went to Costco this weekend (twice, lol!), and I completely fell in love with the Sunray set. The second time I went I brought my dh who is very against a swingset for us right now. His thinking is that our ds is just not ready for a swingset, and it will be more work for me than I anticipate because he will be all over the thing and I will be a nervous wreck. He has a point. Sooo, long story short, a purchase right now is out of the question. I haven't given up hope completely for the Fall, and I think I have him for next Spring definitely.

BUT, I am in complete SHOCK right now. I just got the 2006 Rainbow prices in the mail. I cannot believe how much these sets are! The set I am eyeing (Rainbow Castle Package II) is over $6k!!! The price increased by about $1,500 from last year! I knew the sets would be expensive, but I don't know how I am going to convince my dh of this!!

I just know we would get a ton of use out of a swing set, but WOW -- $6k???? I think I need some time to let it sink in.

[sidmand]

Do those prices include any discount? I'm not sure I have my pricelist anymore, but in April we bought the Sunshine Castle II loaded (I think it's pretty much the same as the Rainbow Castle, but one less swing and a smaller fort) and it was $3200. We also added a toddler swing which ended up coming with swing brackets, so now we actually have just as many swing stations as the bigger one (they put the toddler swing next to the disk swing on the extension).

The fort is plenty big enough for a few kids and maybe that would be an option for you? Seems like huge price difference between the two models and not a lot of actual physical difference?

Debbie
http://b2.lilypie.com/BI7Tm5.png

[dules]

Eileen, it's on sale in my district, which isn't far from you, for about $4599 (Page 28) or $4999 (Page 32-33). These are the May sale prices but when I picked up the June sheet they had extended the sale prices through July 5. Installation is $99.

When your district was cheaper than mine I called my store and made a stink and they promised to reduce the price to within $100, so maybe yours would too? (This is why I ultimately went with Cedarworks, lol, I don't like the wheeling and dealing on price).

Did you show DH the Cedarworks video with Sure Step?

Good luck!

Best,
Mary

[annasmom]

The prices I listed do not reflect the sale prices. There is currently a sale on until July 5th. However, I was hoping that I could get something a *little* less than $5k ON SALE!!!

After I posted though I did calm a bit and read some other posts. If I wait until a 30% off sale it will take a big bite out of the price. I am hoping that I can catch the Fall sale, or the Mid-Winter sale. If I remember correctly they had a sale last Winter where if you bought then, you could reserve that year's prices (and I hope on sale!!) and have it installed in the Spring.

Mary, I actually haven't gotten the Cedarworks info yet. The sure step is something I am very interested in. Although I love the "look" of Rainbow sets, I think my ds, and ds2, will get a lot more use out of any set we get if they can actually use it!

And, I actually don't know which "district" I am in. I only got one price list that supposedly covers all of Rainbow Direct - NY, NJ, CT, etc. I wonder if the individual showrooms then offer prices different from those listed? You would think that since I gave Rainbow Direct my address to get this information, they would direct me to the appropriate showroom, but I just got the entire listing of showrooms. Interesting, it really does seem like a racket.

[Corie]

Hey Eileen!

I absolutely love the look of the Rainbow playsets but
I know that my husband would NEVER pay their prices!!

I'm sure that we will end up getting the Sunray playset
from Costco. (which my husband still thinks costs too much
money!)

[annasmom]

Corie, have you seen it in person. It is awesome. I cannot believe how much *play* you get for the money. My only concerns with this set are that people have mentioned that the swings are too close together and that dc have to swing perfectly straight to avoid bumping each other. My 2 cannot avoid bumping into eachother in an enormous room, lol! Also, the height factor, whether the Sunray is big enough to last for years and years of use. All that being said, I was positively drooling over the thing, and Anna said emphatically "Can we take it home!?" Unfortunately I did not bring her back with me when I brought my dh, he has a MUCH easier time saying no to me!!

ETA: I should have said I cannot believe how much play you get for the money, when compared to regular Rainbow prices, because the set at Costco is by no means cheap!

[mmdybner]

I don't know if anyone is still interested in this thread, but I'm sharing the same obsession, and I have a few thoughts/questions of my own.

On the Costco Sunray, the customer service people at my Costco told me that they aren't carrying it anymore, but I have seen it at Costco.com for $400 more than they were at the store. I spoke to someone who does maintenance (sand and seal) for Rainbow and he says that the boards they use for the Sunray are 3/4" thick rather than the 2 x 4's they use for the full-size sets. It's a consideration, but the price differential may justify it. Also, the weight limits for the Sunray are lower than for the full-size Rainbows.

As many have opined, if money were no issue, I would go with a Cedarworks. I have designed my "ideal" playset, though, and it comes in at over $7000. UGGGGHHH! So, basically, the question is whether to go for something smaller and still expensive at CW or try to get a Play-A-Round from CW or Sunray from Costco.

Also, does anyone have any experience with carpenter bees and whether they like northern white cedar more or less than redwood, pine, etc?

Mariela

DD 10/99
DD 6/01
Expecting #3 in late Oct./early Nov.

[dules]

RE the bees, I would call Rainbow and Cedarworks and have them address this. Also (a fun question) ask each of them why you should buy their set, and see what they say.

My ideal Cedarworks set came in at around 7,000 but we got a very cool one that my DD can use now and grow into for half that. So it is possible to get a good Cedarworks set within a mid-low end Rainbow budget.

Good luck!

Best,
Mary