Customer Reviews for Gorilla Playsets Chateau Wooden Outdoor Playset with Green Vinyl Canopy, Wave Slide, Picnic Table, and Backyard Swing Set Accessories

The material is of great quality and durable. The design is perfect for young age children. My 3yo grandaughter loves everything about it.

This playset is fantastic, well constructed, and straightforward to assemble. The only downside is the cheap, Chinese, hardware (mostly the square-bit wood screws) and the sometimes lacking information in the instructions, for instance certain measurements, depth settings, etc. Took approximately 12 hours to assemble with two people, taking our time. We are not contractors but not novices either.

Recently purchased and constructed this playset. Here is my opinion of the entire process, with the disclosure that I am fairly handy, by no means a contractor or carpenter, but am familiar with basic construction and building techniques and tool usage. From start to finish, including leveling the site, which required three sides of the main fort base to be dug a few inches, and three people, with two drills/screw guns (because a majority of the construction is screws), it was approximately 12 hours. Not rushing, reviewing each step carefully, etc. The cedar wood is fantastic, the instructions and hardware (notably the wood screws), leave a lot to be desired but is fully expected from hardware made in China. Regarding the instructions, they are diagramed sufficiently, but certain measurements are not included which if they were would make the process easier. One example, when installing the main deck angle supports, basic 2x4's, about 16" long, the instructions simply show a photo, with no measurement of how far down the main support beams to set the supports, which based on the photo results in setting the angles approximately 1-2 to high and not leaving enough room for the first deck board at each end. Again, with a little more construction flooring foresight, perhaps I would have foreseen this ahead of time, but a simple measurement in the instructions of where to set the angle supports on the beam would have done the trick. It was easy enough, four screws removed, angles lowered, next step. There are a few more examples that occurred but all were correctable and left the fort no worse for wear. The main complaint I have, again, I should have foreseen with the purchase of an all inclusive kit, is the hardware. Frankly it's low grade but does the trick. The wood screws require a square bit (one of which is included but if you use another drill or two an additional bit is required) and the dormers and chimney require an even smaller bit (which is also included). The screws strip fairly easy if not paying attentIon, and on approximately 6-7 occasions, the screw head overtourqed and snapped off requiring drilling out and reinserting a proper Phillips head wood screw. All in all, in a few weeks, I'm going to go through the set and remove some of the screws and reinsert standard decent Phillips head wood screws. Again, you can't expect top line hardware these days but it wouldn't hurt to have some 1 1/2", 2", and 2 1/2" Phillips head wood screws on hand, or if possible, to substitute the screws out entirely. The lags bolts and other large hardware are fine. Preseal with weather seal if you wish to retain the beautiful cedar color and have the time for convenience sake, otherwise within the first few weeks should be fine. All in all, I would recommend this set as the little ones loved it immediately and if that's your goal, you cannot go wrong.

Overall I felt this was a good quality product for the price. Easy to assemble with provided instructions although the board marking system could have been easier. The only thing that did not work correctly was the telescope mounting, it had to be relocated and use the alternate mount. Again, overall I was very satisfied. Price, quality, and ease of assembly are the high points.

Did a lot of research before buying this set. Home Depot had the best price. I read through many of the reviews after deciding to purchase this playset. I downloaded the instructions before it arrived to familiarize myself with the assembly. It took my son and I about 5 hours to set up the main fort and swing beam. I am fairly mechanical and my son studied cabinetry in high school. We live in a high wind area so I used pier blocks with anchor brackets installed in them to secure the upright posts and the swing beam uprights. It took a lot of futzing around to get the blocks level and located. A better approach would be to pour a slab or use plain pier blocks and make brackets and use masonry lags to secure them. Another reviewer modified the structure by moving the ladder to the "rear" of the playset. This allows the picnic table to be mounted outside of the fort, giving a larger sand box. I also made this modification. All of the boards are labeled with a part number. This number is also a description of the size of the board. This works well until you get into the fractions, but the instructions cover this. Some of the assemblies can be built ahead of time or by a third person. They include; the ladder, rock wall, swing beam hardware, and the picnic table frame. The deck boards and rails for the fort were predrilled for the screws. I predrilled all of the holes for any lag bolts. The wood is stained, but I am going to waterproof it when the weather warms up. I will be putting spar varnish on all of the horizontal surfaces to prevent splinters in little hands or hinies. The directions were very clear and detailed. I think our kids will enjoy this playset for a long time.

the product is sturdy and well built. overall the instructions were pretty clear if you follow them closely and take the time to pre-label steps and wood pieces as they are marked on the ends but some labels come loose during shipping. once i had the pieces all laid out for each step it was easy to identify and move quickly with the steps. we were able to complete the entire project in 7-8 hours.

This swing set far exceeded my expectations! I typically don't write reviews but because I looked heavily at reviews in order to make this decision, I wanted to be sure I wrote one for this set. I spent MONTHS looking for a swing set for my 16 month old. Something that he could grow into and that would last. Cedar sets are not cheap, but there aren't many stores that carry the sets for you to look at built. My husband and I looked at a less expensive set from HomeDepot that was a different brand. Friend's of ours had it. It seemed flimsy to us. I started to think that maybe that's how they all were. But then, I saw this set online and saw the great reviews, so we decided to purchase it. It was delivered the week after I ordered it. The delivery service willingly took the pallet back to my garage. The boxes are very heavy, so I was glad for this. I first inventoried all of the parts to make sure they were there. We were minus a couple of screws but nothing I could just get for $0.15. The instructions for this set are AMAZING! Another thing that I had compared online. Most of the sets you can view a PDF of the instruction manual. These are so easy to follow and if you have questions, customer service gets right back to you! I had a question about sealing the wood, and 2 different people got back to me right away with answers! Installation does take time and for some parts, you do need two people, however, I was able to do most of it myself, with a 16 month old during his nap times and on the weekend when my husband was home. I would say that it probably took 4 days of on and off again building to finish it (and I am just a teacher, not some construction engineer!). The hardest part was leveling the fort because our ground is uneven. ANOTHER PLUS for this set by the way. They give you instructions on how to level the fort and the swing bar comes with extra long legs, so it can fit your yard needs for leveling! We just got it finished this weekend, so I can't speak of how it lasts, but I will say that these parts seem very well manufactured. The slide is not one of this flimsy slides you see on other sets. The swing clamps and swings are practically commercial grade. The wood is soft, of course it's cedar, but sturdy. The ropes are super strong! I can't say enough about this swing set! I will for sure comment in a few years to let people know how it has held up because I truly believe that this will be here for MANY years to come!!

Let's just say I did ALOT of research before pulling the trigger to buy one of these sets. Here are a few points that I want to offer to help someone else make a good educated decision. Most people (as with myself) initially start to compare these play sets based on price. The Gorilla sets are not the cheapest out there. I initially started to look at Toys R Us and Walmart. I was finding comparable sets (size and features) in the $600 to $800 range. Which sounds much better than the $1500. In the end, I decided to go with the more quality set at the higher price. But with these sets I have found out you really get what you pay for. The Gorilla set is hands down made with much better wood and structural components. The main beams (4 on the house, 1 crossbeam for the swings, and 2 beams to anchor the swing are all encased in a green rubber coating. This translates into much longer lasting wood. The legs which I buried in the ground will not be exposed to dirt, water or insects. The directions were very easy to follow and the wood and fasteners were all labeled very well. I recommend that you inventory all parts and wood before you start to assemble. It makes assembly much easier. All my wood was in great condition, no cracked, warped, split or missing pieces. I can't same the same or the other brands I looked at. I did 98% of the work myself. I probably had about 25 hours into the project. I did take my time to ensure everything was level and square and all steps were done correctly. When finished, I also applied a coating of clear Thompson's Water sealer to help prolong the woods life. Be prepared to spend a lot of time putting this together. But it's all worth it because you will end up with a nice solid set and your kids WILL LOVE IT!!!!!! I also added a glider and a pirates wheel that my daughter really wanted. We play on this set everyday!!! My last project to finish this off is to put a perimeter around it and fill it in with mulch.

I did months of comparison shopping before we decided to buy this set. I was a little concerned because I couldn't see it in person before buying it but all of the reviews were great. It took two people a total of about 10-12 hours to put it together over a two day period. The directions were pretty clear and the assembly went well. The only issue we had was a crack in the lense of the telescope which I plan to contact gorilla about for a replacement. I would highly recommend this swingset to anyone looking for something like the rainbow quality without the price tag!!! We also added the ship wheel that we found at our local homedepot because that was the only thing that this set did not include that my son really wanted. It was a very simple addition.

I did my research into playsets before buying the Chateau, and I am not disappointed. If you've done your research, you'll know that these things take a while to build. My total time investment was about 16 total hours. I used an air ratchet which easily saved a few hours of manual effort. Overall, I'm very happy with the end product. I only have a few (mostly minor) issues. First, the wood used in the playscape is cedar (I think), but it's very soft. I couldn't tighten most of the bolts as much as I would have liked because they just pull through the wood. Second, it would have been nice if the manufacturer had predrilled a few more holes here and there. Nothing that you can't do yourself, but it would have made some of the installation more straight-forward. Lastly, I'm a little uncomfortable with the way that the slide attaches to the playset. It screws into the floor of the second level instead of anything structural. The screws don't carry any weight, but I do feel that the structure should have been engineered slightly different. All said, I still give it four stars. I think the value is here. I like the coated main structural columns, and the final look is great.

This playset is perfect for the price. It took me 2 full days to assemble it by myself. I highly suggest you get help. It is very well made. I looked at others first and Gorilla is made the best. I also shopped around for the best price and Home Depot could not be beat. Our 3 kids ages 2, 5 and 7 love it. It's like having your own personal park.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The playset is nice overall, my kids will love it. The instructions were ok, but some of the suggested measurements were off during assembly. The wood isn't as hard as I expected but will be fine.

Nice playset! Very sturdy

Overall, we are happy with this playset. My husband and I were able to assemble with no major difficulties. We were missing a bolt and some screws, but we got them at hardware store. Quality is decent, but several boards were split, so we installed them so it wouldn't be noticeable and the prefinish on the boards is poor quality and rubs off. Need to stain & seal asap; might be easier before setup. Our toddler loves the playset and it should last a good while.

I strongly recommend that you buy directly from Gorilla Playsets. I can't comment on the quality of the product because I'm still waiting on the missing parts to be delivered. For now I have a bunch of boxes, one of which was damaged. Home Depot may offer free delivery but you get what you pay for. It's been a dozen plus phone calls between HD and Gorilla and I ended up paying out of pocket for the missing parts and then getting reimbursed by HD. I'm still waiting after three weeks.

My children love it !!

Appears to be good quality wood. My kids love it. A lot of hours to put together, but overall happy.

I bought this model 10 years ago. It went together so easily. The instructions were great. I can't believe what great shape this is in after 10 years! NOTHING has broken during that time. Just a great product all around!

Written directions were so-so. Strongly recommend utube or videoing professionals putting assembling playground stepwise. Bet you’d sell more!

The best playset equipment we have encountered. It replaced a 25 year old install and met all our and the children's expectations. Thanks for quality work fit and finish.

The quality of this set is great, but it has taken us so long to get this put together because each time we devote a day to it, we realize that another part is incorrect. Some things we knew were missing pretty quickly but a lot of the items were included, but the incorrect part. We have contacted customer support but we have had to pay an extra $70 in shipping so far for the correct parts, which I just think is insane. This is an expensive set and it will be worth it, but why can't we just receive what we ordered, and if we didn't, why is the cost on us?? So far we have had 10 items either missing or incorrect. I feel like we will never finish building this set!

This play set is well built and I am happy we chose this set for our grandkids. They love it. It took two adults a total of 8 hours.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Kids love the playground. Looks great and great quality.