SwingSesh vs. Rainbow Play Systems: How They Compare

Short version: Rainbow Play Systems makes premium, made-to-order cedar playsets for kids, while SwingSesh makes a heavy-gauge steel fitness playset rated for the whole family; kids and adults. If you want a classic cedar look with some custom design, Rainbow is a strong choice. If you want a set that's rated for adults, doubles as an outdoor gym, and never needs staining or sealing, SwingSesh pulls ahead in almost every practical category. Here's the honest, spec-by-spec breakdown.

The quick take on each

• Rainbow Play Systems: premium 100% cedar playsets, made to order, typically sold and installed through dealers on the cedar lumber and extensive customization. A beautiful, classic wooden playset built primarily for children's play.

• SwingSesh: a premium fitness playset: heavy-gauge steel, endless customization, adult-rated weight limits, a thermoplastic coating built to last decades with no maintenance, and real fitness stations so parents can train while kids play. Engineered for the whole family, not just kids.

SwingSesh vs. Rainbow Play Systems: side by side

SwingSesh's overall weight limit is 5,000 lbs, 2.5× Rainbow's up-to-2,000 lb structural capacity. Put another way, a single SwingSesh deck (2,000 lbs) holds as much as an entire Rainbow structure. That gap is the difference between a set built for kids and one engineered for the whole family. (Rainbow figures per rainbowplay.com; confirm exact ratings for a specific model.)

Where Rainbow Play Systems wins

Rainbow does some things very well.

• The classic cedar look. If you specifically want the warm, classic aesthetic of natural wood, cedar delivers a look steel doesn't. That's purely a matter of taste,  not construction or longevity, where steel wins (more on that below).

• Commercialized customization. While SwingSesh offers full customization and the ability to work directly with a designer to fit your yard, Rainbow is a bigger brand with large sales network offers many configurations, working with a designer to fit your yard.

• Long warranty & dealer network. Rainbow backs its cedar with a lengthy warranty and an established dealer network.

If those are your top priorities, Rainbow is a legitimately great wooden playset.

SwingSesh fitness playset specs (the numbers)

Where SwingSesh separates itself is engineering and dedication to quality. They publish their hard numbers instead of vague claims. From our Quality & Safety and premium engineering pages:

• Overall weight limit: 5,000 lbs

• Deck weight limit: 2,000 lbs

• Swing capacity: 250 lbs per swing

• Frame steel: heavy-gauge 2.5" × 2.5" square tube — up to 7-gauge at the squat-rack area (comparable in strength to a cedar 8×8; the swing beam compares to a cedar 6×8)

• Coating: non-slip thermoplastic - VOC-free, UV- and corrosion-resistant, field-repairable, with a lab-tested working life of 70+ years and no annual maintenance

• Anchoring: aluminum screw-style earth anchors that drive 18 inches into the ground (removable and reusable)

• Hardware: stainless steel swing hardware; plastisol-coated chains for soft grip

• Slides: double-walled rotomolded, made in the USA

• Sustainability: steel-first and 100% recyclable

These are the kinds of numbers a cedar set can't match and they're why SwingSesh is rated for adults, not just kids.

Steel vs. cedar: construction and longevity

This is where SwingSesh clearly wins. Cedar is beautiful, but structurally it's still wood and it's built around beams (4×4 and 4×6) that SwingSesh's steel is engineered to out-perform. By SwingSesh's own comparison, its swing beam is on par with a cedar 6×8 and its squat-rack tubing on par with a cedar 8×8  heavier-duty than the beams a cedar set is built from.

And longevity isn't close. Wood needs periodic sealing or staining, and over years of sun, rain, and snow it can gray, warp, crack, rot, or splinter. SwingSesh steel wrapped in a thermoplastic coating with a 70+ year tested working life does none of that, no maintenance, no rot, no rust and it stays rated for adult loads the entire time. Over a decade of use, that's the difference between a set you constantly maintain and one you just use. Steel simply outlasts wood.

Who each is best for

• Choose Rainbow Play Systems if: you want a classic playground cedar look, fully bespoke design, and a wooden playset focused on children's play and you don't mind ongoing wood maintenance.

• Choose SwingSesh if: you want a set rated for adults and kids, that doubles as an outdoor gym, needs zero maintenance, won't rot or rust, and is built to last decades of whole-family use.

Why SwingSesh wins almost every category

Add it up. On the things most families actually weigh over the life of a playset: durability, adult-capability, weight ratings, maintenance, fitness/multi-use, and moveability,  SwingSesh comes out ahead:

• It's rated for adults, with published limits of 5,000 lb overall, a 2,000 lb deck, and 250 lb per swing, about 2.5× Rainbow's up-to-2,000 lb structural capacity; Rainbow's sets are built for kids.

• It's maintenance-free and won't rot, warp, or splinter; cedar needs ongoing care and weathers over time.

• It doubles as an outdoor gym.  pull-ups, dips, monkey bars, squat-rack so the whole family uses it, not just the kids.

• It's moveable and 100% recyclable, where a cedar set is effectively permanent.

Rainbow wins on the cedar aesthetic and bespoke customization. But on the criteria that determine how much a family actually gets out of a playset  and for how long. SwingSesh is better in nearly every category. (If you're weighing whether the premium is worth it, see Is SwingSesh Worth It?.)

Frequently asked questions

Is SwingSesh better than Rainbow Play Systems? For durability, adult use, weight capacity, maintenance, and fitness function, yes - SwingSesh is a steel fitness playset rated for the whole family and needs no upkeep. Rainbow wins on the classic cedar look and near-limitless custom design. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize a wooden aesthetic or long-term, adult-capable, maintenance-free use.

What's the main difference between SwingSesh and Rainbow? Material and purpose. Rainbow builds premium cedar playsets for children; SwingSesh builds a heavy-gauge steel fitness playset rated for adults and kids that doubles as an outdoor gym.

Does SwingSesh require maintenance like a wooden Rainbow set? No. SwingSesh's thermoplastic coating needs no staining, sealing, or painting and won't rot, rust, warp, or splinter. A cedar set typically needs periodic sealing or staining.

How much weight can a SwingSesh hold compared to Rainbow? SwingSesh publishes an overall weight limit of 5,000 lbs, a 2,000 lb deck, and 250 lbs per swing. Rainbow lists an overall structural capacity of up to 2,000 lbs, so SwingSesh's total capacity is about 2.5× higher, and its deck alone matches Rainbow's entire structure. SwingSesh is rated for adult use; Rainbow's sets are built primarily for kids.

Is SwingSesh a good Rainbow Play Systems alternative? Yes, especially if you want an adult-capable, maintenance-free, steel set that doubles as a home gym. If you specifically want natural cedar and bespoke design, Rainbow is the better fit.

Want a playset built for the whole family,  kids and adults with zero maintenance? Explore the SwingSesh fitness playsets and see the difference steel and real engineering make.

Naomi Leeman

Naomi Leeman is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of SwingSesh. With a background in landscape architecture and urban design, she’s passionate about designing outdoor spaces that look great and work hard for families. Naomi and her husband (and co-founder), Brad, have three kids and their backyard is the heart of daily life.