Is it better to buy or build a jungle gym for your kid? For some, the challenge of building a jungle gym for your child is exciting and manageable, especially for those who have the experience. But, for others, the buying route is a better solution. But what about those who can do both?
While building a jungle gym has its benefits, it also has its cons, and vice versa when it comes to buying one. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at whether buying or building a jungle gym is the better way to go.
Key aspects to consider when buying or building a jungle gym
Before we get into the details of this article, here are a few of the key considerations that we’ll cover to help you make your decision:
- The price of building vs buying
- What materials you can use
- The skills needed to build a jungle gym
- What’s more convenient
- The option to customize
- How long it’ll take
- Warranties
Buying vs building a jungle gym
Here are some factors to consider when deciding whether to buy or build a jungle gym:
The Price
Price is one of the biggest factors that’ll help you choose what you should do. If you’re stuck to a set budget, then you’re limited to the jungle gym sets available in your price range. However, you might be able to buy the materials needed to build a suitable jungle gym for the same price.
That said, quality is a big consideration to take into account here. Often, with quality comes better safety and reliability. If you have to buy cheaper materials because of the price, you might compromise on safety. Also, sometimes, a basic jungle gym set is the more cost-effective option. So, to weigh up the costs, you’d need to set your budget and get a rough idea of the jungle gym your kid wants before building or buying one. Learn more about jungle gym prices here
Your ability
Again, safety is the main concern here. If your child is going to play in the jungle gym you build, you want to make sure that there’s no chance of it malfunctioning or hurting them. That means building a full-on jungle gym as your first DIY project probably isn’t the best idea. In this case, it would probably be better to buy a set or hire another person to build one. If you’re adamant that you want to build the jungle gym for your kids, then take the time to teach yourself the necessary skills needed to complete a project like this. Then, once you’re ready, you can tackle building the jungle gym.
What’s easier?
Now, you’d think that buying a jungle gym is probably the easiest option here. But, for people who live far away from shops and cities, building a jungle gym might be the better option, especially if they have the materials needed with them.
For those of you who have the finances, going out and buying a jungle gym will be the more convenient option. However, you might still need to assemble it, but you don’t have to do all the other work that comes along with building one.
Customizable features
These days, you can buy jungle gyms with features that are easy to customize. You could even add other attachments later if you wanted to. However, when it comes to building a jungle gym, this is also a possibility, however it can make the build more complicated and this may increase the risks of you making a mistake.
How long will it take to build or buy?
When you buy a jungle gym, there will be two things that will take up most of your time. Firstly, finding the right jungle gym might take longer than expected if you can’t find the one you want. Constructing it might take a long time if you’re unsure of how to construct it or if the instructions are too complicated.
When building a jungle gym from scratch, there are a number of variables to consider, including preparing the materials, ensuring all your measurements are correct, and then the actual construction of the jungle gym. Depending on how much time you have on your hands, this could take anywhere from a few days to a month. So, this all comes down to how long you’re willing to take on getting the jungle gym up and going.
Warranty
How important is it for you to have a warranty? When you buy a jungle gym from a manufacturer or store, it’ll usually come with a warranty that covers repairs or replacements for any parts or the whole set if it’s faulty or broken.
Unfortunately, when you build something yourself, you don’t have the same luxury of having a warranty behind the product. This means that if something is wrong with it; repairs and replacements will have to come from your own pocket.
So, is it better to build or buy a jungle gym?
Down to the question at hand, what’s better, building or buying a jungle gym for your kids? On the one hand, building a jungle gym offers the satisfaction of doing a project that benefits your kids and could potentially be cheaper if you know what you’re doing. But, if you convert the time spent on the building project to how much it would cost you to buy one, it might turn out that buying one is cheaper in the long run.
In addition to that, buying a jungle gym also exposes you to a variety of options made from different materials too, while building one might limit you to wood or metal. Buying a jungle gym also gives you a warranty, so if it breaks or has a fault, you can take it back and get it repaired. So, our verdict is that buying a jungle gym is the better option overall.
