Top 10 Best Metal Swing Sets For Your Backyard (Safe & Heavy Duty)
A metal swing set, on the other hand, can provide stability, safety, and long-lasting durability.
In searching for the perfect playset for my yard, I discovered some duds but also some gems.
The below options offer safe fun, at a range of price points, and with different features and advantages.
Table of Contents
- 1 Monkey Bar Adventure – Swing Set with monkeybar and a 9 Foot Wavy Slide
- 2 Backyard Discovery Castle Gray – With a Built-in Playhouse
- 3 Sportspower Mountain View Metal Set – For Up To 8 kids
- 4 Sportspower Spring Breeze Me & My Toddler – Adjustable Chains to Grow With Your Kids
- 5 Lifetime Heavy Duty 10 Foot Metal Swing Set – All-weather High-strength Steel Will Last Decades
- 6 Lifetime Adventure Tower Playset – For Little Adventurers
- 7 Flexible Flyer Fun Fantastic II Swing Set – For Up To 9 Children
- 8 Movement God Metal A-Frame Two Seat Set – Most Affordable Swing for 3-8 Years Old
- 9 Flexible Flyer Lawn Swing Frame – Supports up to 600 lbs
- 10 XDP Recreation “Freedom” Kit – 5 Play Stations and a Patriotic Theme
- 11 Buyer’s Guide & Frequently Asked Questions
- 11.1 What type of metal are they made of, and how about maintenance?
- 11.2 Metal vs Wooden swing sets?
- 11.3 What should I get for toddlers?
- 11.4 What are the best brands for quality and durability?
- 11.5 What type of spray paint should I get to repaint?
- 11.6 Best way to anchor and secure a metal swing set?
- 11.7 Will they support an adult?
Monkey Bar Adventure – Swing Set with monkeybar and a 9 Foot Wavy Slide
The tough set includes all kinds of fun-filled activities: 3 belt swings, a trapeze bar with gym rings, a fireman’s pole, monkey bars, and a 9′ wavy slide.
Safety features include rubber grips on the swing chains to prevent finger-pinching.
Built to last, this swing set is made from powder-coated galvanized steel and high-density polyethylene.
The powder coating is weather-resistant and won’t rust, crack, chip, or peel.
It is a freestanding set that doesn’t require any cement and it’s heavy and strong enough to stay firm in a strong wind.
This is one of the best-reviewed swing sets available, with a 4.8-star average on Amazon, as of this writing.
Among the things buyers praise the most is how easy it is to assemble this swing set.
- easy to assemble
- freestanding, no need for cementing
- a variety of activities
- durable, weather-proof
- safety features
- quite sturdy
- expensive
- some rusting may eventually occur
- the slide is a bit flimsy
Backyard Discovery Castle Gray – With a Built-in Playhouse
The ultimate set for the active adventurers! There are swings, a slide, and a climbing wall. For those who like to fuel their play with imagination, there is a “castle” with an enclosed lower level as well as an upper level with a canopy.
A steering wheel lets someone captain a pirate ship and a tic-tac-toe game table lets a few kids enjoy a quiet game.
Made from high-quality and heavy-duty parts, this metallic swing set is durable and safe.
The powder-coated metal frame and plastics are weather-resistant and fade-resistant.
Assembly is relatively simple but it does take several hours to put together.
- nice variety of active and imaginative play stations
- several kids can use at once
- durable, high-quality construction
- safe
- relatively compact
- expensive
- assembly takes quite a bit of time and effort
- swings are very close together
Sportspower Mountain View Metal Set – For Up To 8 kids
Ideal for younger children, especially, this set features 2 swing seats, a 2-person flying saucer, a glider, a slide, and even a mini trampoline.
As many as 8 kids can use the swing set at any given time. Unlike many other metal swing sets, there is a fair amount of space between the different play zones. This adds to both safety and enjoyment. One of the best sets for parties.
Made from 2-inch heavy duty weather-resistant steel tubes and hardware, this set has a powder-coated paint finish for long-lasting durability. The colors – blue, white, and green – are all vibrant and fun.
The components are pre-drilled, making assembly quite easy and only taking a few hours. A relatively long swing set, you do need an open area of at least 34.9’L x 28’W to use this set comfortably and safely.
The set is compatible with anchoring tools but you will have to buy an anchor kit separately. In most cases, this is something you will for sure want to purchase.
- easy assembly
- nice-looking with vibrant colors
- quite durable
- nice variety of activities
- suitable for both younger kids and kids a bit older (3-8)
- inclusion of unique mini trampoline
- screw caps will almost certainly break
- the instructions could be better
- some quality control issues
Sportspower Spring Breeze Me & My Toddler – Adjustable Chains to Grow With Your Kids
This metal swing set aims to solve that problem to an extent.
It works for toddlers and then as they grow, you can adjust the chains so the set grows with the kids. The set includes 2 swings, 1 metal trapeze, 1 set of double swings, and 1 slide.
Suitable for ages 3-8, up to 4 kids can safely use this set at once. Offering both toughness and durability, this set is made from 2-inch heavy-duty, weather-resistant steel tubes covered in a powder-coated paint finish.
The legs include foam padding, a helpful feature for preventing injury for kids who are particularly active and might have a tendency to bump into things.
Assembly is relatively straightforward and the components are pre-drilled to make it even easier. If desired, you can easily attach a baby swing to the eye bolts in lieu of using the trapeze bar.
This way, the set really can grow with your child, even from babyhood.
- relatively affordable
- easy assembly
- chains are adjustable, allowing it to grow with your children
- safety features, including foam-padded legs
- simple, attractive design
- set will be too small and simple for older kids
- anchoring set must be purchased separately
Lifetime Heavy Duty 10 Foot Metal Swing Set – All-weather High-strength Steel Will Last Decades
The tough set includes all kinds of fun-filled activities: 3 belt swings, a trapeze bar with gym rings, a fireman’s pole, monkey bars, and a 9′ wavy slide.
Safety features include rubber grips on the swing chains to prevent finger-pinching. Built to last, this swing set is made from powder-coated galvanized steel and high-density polyethylene.
A free-standing set that doesn’t require cementing or anchoring, it is sturdier than it looks. That said, you might prefer to anchor it to the ground anyway, although no anchoring set is included.
Unlike many sets that feature bold primary colors, this set is more muted and can blend more seamlessly into a backyard design. The set can handle older and larger children and can even easily hold an adult.
This set is ideal for yards that smaller as it takes up less space. You will need around 16′ x 18′ of open space. At 10 feet high, it also allows for some better and more vigorous swinging, compared to some other sets. Optimum durability.
- simple design with muted, earth-tone colors
- very sturdy and tough
- good for older kids and even adults
- very durable, foremost quality
- safety features
- the swing chains might be a bit shorter than you’d prefer
- assembly could be easier and takes quite a while
Lifetime Adventure Tower Playset – For Little Adventurers
This playset includes 2 Swings, a Trapeze Bar, 2 Climbing Walls, and a 9′ Wavy Slide. In addition, it has a covered tower and skylight with a steering wheel and a ground-level covered play area.
Among the unique imagination-fueled features are two chalkboards, a car map, and cut-out window areas that can facilitate pretending the space is a storefront.
This set has a very attractive design and uses mostly earth tones. It is quite durable and sturdy. It is also weather-resistant and will stand the test of time.
Lifetime stands behind the playset with a five-year limited warranty. Assembly of this set definitely takes a solid chunk of time and unfortunately, the instructions could be better.
- great variety of activities, both active and imaginative
- Unparalleled build quality, very sturdy
- durable, weather-resistant
- great for kids that are a bit older
- attractive design
- truly freestanding without the need to anchor it down
- expensive
- not great for younger kids like toddler-age
- assembly is quite difficult and instructions aren’t much help
Flexible Flyer Fun Fantastic II Swing Set – For Up To 9 Children
It has a 6′ wave slide, two standard swings, a Shoe-Loop swing, a trapeze swing, a See-Saw, and an air glider.
Suitable for ages 3-10, each play position can handle a weight of 105 pounds and the set can handle a total maximum weight limit of 945 pounds.
The frame is strong, stable, and quite durable as the powder coating helps protect it from the elements.
The plastic parts are made from HDPE plastic and they are UV-resistant. Unfortunately, the plastic parts are slippery.
Even the swing seats feel almost dangerous because of their slick surface so you might want to invest in some cheap non-skid material to afix to the seats for safety.
The earth tone design is simple and not too bold, allowing it to almost blend in a bit to your backyard.
The chains are adjustable, allowing them to somewhat grow with your children. Assembly of this set is relatively easy, especially when compared to some other metal alloy swing sets, this is the best installation experience. But the instructions are not great.
This set is definitely not as sturdy as some other options but it is fairly sturdy when anchored down. Unfortunately, an anchoring set is something you will have to buy separately.
- affordable
- easy assembly despite poor instructions
- durable, weather-reistant
- 9 kids can play on it at once
- earth tone design isn’t too ostentatious
- you definitely need to anchor it and you must buy anchoring set separately
- instructions are terrible
- plastic is slippery
- warranty is only 180 days
Movement God Metal A-Frame Two Seat Set – Most Affordable Swing for 3-8 Years Old
A basic A-frame holds just two swings. Measuring just 102 x 74 x 71 inches, this is also one of the most compact sets you’ll find, allowing for it to fit into even the smallest of backyards.
The steel poles are very strong and durable. The swing chains are coated in plastic and won’t pinch any little fingers. Each swing can hold a maximum weight of 100 pounds.
The seats are not belt-style but are made from a hard plastic.
The set is freestanding and doesn’t require cementing or anchoring, though some parents will feel better with anchoring. You can buy an anchoring set separately.
All of the parts are weather resistant and won’t fade. The design is simple and features pleasing colors. This set is definitely made to last and it does have a 2-year warranty.
- low price
- small footprint required
- very strong and durable
- weather-resistant parts
- 2-year warranty
- installation is easy
- plastic seats won’t be comfortable for all bottoms
- anchoring set not included
- no activities other than swinging
Flexible Flyer Lawn Swing Frame – Supports up to 600 lbs
The 2″ powder-coated steel tube frame is strong and durable. It supports up to 600 lbs. There are stakes included for anchoring the set securely to the ground.
With the simple A-frame design, the assembly is quite straightforward. Something really nice about this set is how versatile it is. You can use it to hang a baby swing and a child belt swing.
You can even use it to great effect after the kids are grown and no longer interested in swinging by hanging a bench/porch swing.
In fact, it is designed more for the latter purpose but it also works extremely well for a typical swing set use. To hang child or baby swings, you may even have to drill some extra holes.
That said, it’s relatively straightforward and for the price, the value is unbeatable.
- ultra low cost
- versatile: works as metal swing set or to hang porch swing
- strong and durable
- holds up to 600 pounds
- assembly is relatively easy
- must buy swing(s) separately
- some quality control issues
- hanging child/baby swings might require drilling extra holes
XDP Recreation “Freedom” Kit – 5 Play Stations and a Patriotic Theme
The design of this set is unique. Unlike the metal swing sets with more muted earth tone designs, this set features bold red, white, and blue.
It takes the patriotic color scheme even further with the optional stars and stripes venting to separate the different play areas.
This material also offers a bit of shade, a nice feature for hot days of hard play under the sun.
The available play stations are two molded plastic belt-style swings, a large disc swing, a fun glider, and a 6’6″ wave slide. The weight limit is 100lbs per seat and it can hold up to 6 kids at a time.
The frame is made with 2″ diameter steel tubing with powder coating for durability. The remaining parts are made from a particularly durable blow-molded polyethylene (HDPE) material.
This set is both stable and easy to assemble, thanks in part to the welded corner brackets that don’t require any bolts.
- relatively low price
- a good variety of play stations, including large saucer swing
- ideal for ages 3-6
- unique patriotic design
- good safety features
- assembly instructions are actually easy to follow
- patriotic venting might be over the top for some people
- not great for older kids
- swing seats aren’t as comfortable as they could be
Buyer’s Guide & Frequently Asked Questions
What type of metal are they made of, and how about maintenance?
Most of the swing frames on this list are made from steel, often heavy-duty galvanized steel.
In most case, the alloy steel frame is covered with powder coat paint or some other type of plating. This makes it virtually maintenance free as it is both durable and weather-resistant.
Metal vs Wooden swing sets?
As far as design, it’s a matter of personal preference. While some wooden swing sets look fantastic, they tend to require more regular maintenance and they just don’t hold up as well over time.
With metal sets, you never have to worry about splinters or warping or discoloration over time.
What should I get for toddlers?
For toddlers, the best swing sets on this list are the Movement God Metal A-Frame Two Seat Set and Sportspower Spring Breeze Me & My Toddler.
What are the best brands for quality and durability?
The Lifetime brand has really built a good reputation for making swings that are very durable and high quality. Flexible Flyer used to be at the top of this list and they are still decent as well.
What type of spray paint should I get to repaint?
With most of these sets, you won’t need to repaint, or at least not for a very long time. The best ones have powder-coated frames should stand the test of time quite well.
If you prefer a different color, you should choose a spray paint that is designed for outdoor use and one that is rust-resistant, like the Rust-oleum brand.
Best way to anchor and secure a metal swing set?
It depends on the set. A few of these sets include anchoring material but typically you’ll have to buy anchoring sets separately.
Will they support an adult?
Yes, many of these sets will support an adult.
However, the experience will be more comfortable on some sets than others. The simple Lifetime Heavy Duty A-Frame Metal Swing Set can easily support an adult as can the Flexible Flyer Lawn Swing Frame.
For some other sets, smaller adults should be easily (but probablyy uncomfortably) supported.
A swing is a staple of childhood and can lead to hours of fun over many years. A metal swing set offers superior safety and durability.
Which one of these sets are you eyeing for your backyard? Let me know in the comments! Do you have any questions about metal swing sets? Feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer.
Tony says
May 9, 2019 at 9:48 amI have access to 2″ steel tubing and would like to make my disabled grandson a decent swing, he is disabled and very heavy…do you sell the top brackets seperately please or perhaps know anybody who does. I can find nothin on the net.
Kind regards ..Tony