Thursday, January 23rd
2025 Playhouse Reviews
Cedar Works
- Contact for pricing
- Customize your own play structure
- Indoor and outdoor options
- Renewable wood structures
- Meets ASTM and CPSC standards
- 4-6 week delivery
- Chemical-free wood
- 30-day return policy
- "A+” Better Business Bureau rating
CedarWorks is a family-owned company that makes both indoor and outdoor toys, furniture, playsets, and accessories. Their name reflects the Northern White Cedar they use to make their playsets because it is splinter-free and lasts a long time. For indoor furniture and play places, they use hardwoods, water-based stains, and cabinet grade panels. All of their products meet ASTM and CPSC standards and are crafted in midcoast Maine in partnership with other local family businesses.
Bigger and better
CedarWorks' playhouses are what dreams are made of. Forget public parks. If you go crazy on your design here, you'll have an impressive playhouse or playset that will keep your kids entertained for hours at a time for years on end. On the homepage of CedarWorks' website they highlight some of their incredible builds that include multiple towers and bridges connecting them, all types of slides, rock climbing walls, fire poles, picnic tables, swings, monkey bars, and more.
Commitment to safety and quality
There is a big focus on safety and low maintenance from CedarWorks. You won't ever have to re-stain your playhouse since it won't weather over time. All materials are kid-friendly like the custom braided nautical rope they use on their swings - it is stronger than chains and won't rust or pinch - or their chemical-free wood. The custom posts that all playsets and playhouses are made of are up to 30% larger than traditionally cut wood, so you'll get a sturdy playhouse here. CedarWorks donates 10% of their profits to organizations that benefit kids and the environment, so they're fully committed to being a good company.
More jungle gyms than playhouses
You can specify if you're interested in indoor or outdoor playsets from CedarWorks when you shop online. Most of what you'll find here is more like a jungle gym with slides, climbing rungs, ladders, and swings all attached to small playhouse areas. There are only two indoor playhouses that are a house-like structure alone without all the additional features. You can find ideas for really big or small playsets depending on your budget and creativity. Some of what we saw at CedarWorks looks like what might be ordered by a daycare or other big businesses rather than what someone would have space for in their home or yard.
Browse renderings or make your own
Ultimately, you can browse renderings of all the indoor and outdoor playsets from CedarWorks that you could have custom-made for you, or design your own. There are hundreds of pre-made designs to explore with 3D features and a list of details about what comes in each set. You could find the bones of a structure you like and then customize it by moving things around, adding beams, bridges, ramps, slides, climbing structures, swings, and more. The sky's the limit here.
Starting at nearly $10,000
The biggest hangup that most people will have with CedarWorks is the price tag. People joke about needing to take out a second mortgage to afford the designs they come up with. To see pricing on any given rendering, you can provide your email and zip code. For reference, we found a 2-tower playset with 3 swings and a slide, plus some other small features and the cost was $27,544. One of the simplest sets we found had a ladder up to a platform with a slide and 3 swings attached to the side for $9,103. On the high end, we found multi-structured playsets with bridges, ramps, different types of slides, and tons of fun play features for $77,161. CedarWorks boasts that they've had many celebrities and professional athletes purchase their equipment along with one of the U.S. presidents. That might be what it takes to afford something from here.
Shipping costs vary
To find out what the cost will be to ship your playset, you'll need to fill out a form online. The price will depend on which playset you choose and where you live. Upon arrival, CedarWorks says it should take approximately one full day to assemble the structure with two adults using common household tools. Certain major components like slides, ramps, fences, and roof panels may arrive pre-assembled to expedite delivery. CedarWorks doesn't assemble playsets at your home themselves, but they can recommend people nearby who could help.
30-day returns
It usually takes about 4-6 weeks for products to ship after an order has been placed. You can return your unused playset within 30 days of receipt if it is in original condition (though we imagine this would be really expensive). A restocking fee will apply, but CedarWorks doesn't specify how much it is. As far as warranties, CedarWorks makes it easy by saying that if there are parts of your playset that need to be replaced down the road, just reach out and they'll get them to you. There are no nitty-gritty warranty policy details to comb through, since they stand by their products and trust that you'll take good care of them.
Final product looks like renderings
The Better Business Bureau has given CedarWorks an "A+” rating and customers are thrilled with their purchases. We've seen people post their "What I ordered vs. What I Got” versions of playsets from CedarWorks and they deliver every time. Their renderings really turn out to be incredible and the final products are reported to be really sturdy. There aren't as many unfiltered reviews anywhere about CedarWorks as we normally like to see, but this isn't your run-of-the-mill playset company. We trust that they provide 10/10 service and quality, and people who are really serious about their designs and picky about how they turn out are the ones who shop here.
A child's dream
We wish that everyone could afford to build a playset from CedarWorks. This is a place that can create the most incredible outdoor sanctuary for a kid and it's fun just to browse their catalog. We're absolutely sure that you'll receive "best of the best” service and quality if you design and buy a playset from CedarWorks. The only reason they've earned an average rating from us is because this company is surely out of most people's price ranges.
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The 10 Best Playhouses
Where Can You Find the Best Playhouses?
Parents are always looking for ways to keep their children entertained for hours while nurturing their imagination. Playhouses are a great way to allow a kid to explore new worlds by playing store, kitchen, princesses, knights, or whatever their limitless minds come up with. They're plenty of fun for one kid alone or a bunch of siblings and friends who join in too.
Playhouses are one of those toys that never goes out of style and is enjoyed by those young and old - sure to be a huge hit for a birthday present, Christmas gift, or just for fun. And, there are plenty of different types of playhouses to fit the space you have and the style you're going for.
Playhouse FAQ
Continued from above...
Some people like having an indoor playhouse while others prefer to have one outdoors. You could even choose to move your playhouse indoors and then outdoors as the weather changes, to switch things up throughout the seasons. Be sure to consider the type of materials your playhouse is made out of if you choose to do this, to ensure it can withstand the elements on rainy, windy, or snowy days.
For simplicity, you may choose to buy a pop-up type playhouse. This requires almost no assembly and could even be stored away as your kid gets older or for times when you need a little breathing room and want some of your space back for a while. Others are made of wood, which gives the playhouse a beautiful, classic look, but may require some repainting over the years, especially if left outside. Plastic materials are popular since they often are good for all types of weather and are easy to clean.
Consider the ages of the kids who will be using the playhouse. Do you want something with a tall tower or rock climbing wall and big slide to add a challenge to playtime? Or would you rather stick with a simple structure with a play table and sink that's safe and fun for all ages? Some have water tables connected, a sandbox, little shelves for displaying trinkets, or bridges connecting separate spaces. These are great additions for kids young and old.
These days you can get so many types of features included with a playhouse, even super-realistic ones that resemble a home with flower boxes, drapes, a mailbox, and a front porch. Think about how mobile you'll want the playhouse to be, who will be using it, and what types of weather it will be exposed to to help you start narrowing the hundreds of fun choices you're about to explore.
There are many places online that sell playhouses. Some are stores you may be familiar with while others are smaller, family brands that have a fun variety of products. So who do you choose? Consider these key areas when shopping for a playhouse:
- Selection. Does the store have a variety of materials that their playhouses are made of? Do they have good size options that would cater to your indoor/outdoor areas? Are they mostly meant for toddlers? Or would big kids find these playhouses enjoyable as well?
- Price. Depending on the size, features, and material of the playhouse, prices can range quite a bit. Find a retailer that offers you options on the low and high end to give you the best selection. We like when websites have filtering tools that let us set our budget so we aren't tempted to spend more than we should.
- Delivery. How long does it take for the company to ship their playhouses? Are they made-to-order and require a lead time of weeks or months or are they ready to go? On top of the price of the playhouse, pay attention to how much the company might charge for delivery and see if it seems reasonable.
- Reputation. What have other customers said about the quality of playhouses from the retailer? Do they hold up well over the years? Is their customer service responsive and easy to deal with if you're trying to track down a shipment or if your playhouse happens to come with missing pieces or some other issue? How are they with cancellations and returns?
The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched the best, most fun playhouses available online. We hope this information helps unlock your inner child and find something that your own children will love and spend years playing with!
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