Big Brutus vs Lifetime Swing Set

A fantastic swing set can completely transform your home or commercial property into a magical space that kids love. But you have a crucial decision to make to ensure kids can have a safe and fun experience: choosing the right swing set brand.

Two of the most popular backyard swing set lines are Backyard Discovery’s Big Brutus and Lifetime. There are key differences in the debate between Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets that affect fun, safety, budget, and upkeep for a decade or more. We’ll help you narrow it down!

Our team has been the go-to provider of heavy duty swing sets, accessories, and play structures for over 3 decades. Families, church directors, and park managers trust us thanks to our inventory of 1000+ hand-picked products, affordable prices, and a smooth shopping experience.

Feel free to chat with our friendly staff to learn more about how to choose the best playground or backyard swing set for your property. We’ll need to look at each brand individually before we contrast Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets - starting with the one we carry…

Big Brutus vs Lifetime Swing Set at a Glance

Feature	Big Brutus (Backyard Discovery)	Lifetime Swing Sets
Build Material	All powder-coated steel	Powder-coated steel + HDPE plastic
Included Features	2 belt swings + 1 trapeze bar	Swings, slides, monkey bars, towers, clubhouses, more
Customization Potential	Very limited (metal-only, no expansions)	Highly customizable (modular accessories available)
Ease of Installation	Pre-drilled; BILT video guide; basic tools required	Snap-together parts; BILT video guide; color-coded instructions
Warranty	5-year limited	5-year limited
Design Variety	One model only (Big Brutus)	Multiple designs for all yard sizes
Retail Experience	Mostly sold at big box stores (limited support)	Available at specialty retailers with expert support
Maintenance	Low (metal construction)	Low (metal and HDPE plastic)
Imaginative Play Value	Low (basic swing use)	High (interactive features, themed builds)
Price Range	$649–$899	$649–$1,100+ (more value per dollar)

Overview of Lifetime Swing Sets

Lifetime Products began in 1986 as a basketball hoop company. One man’s commitment to reliability and quality soon evolved into a vast catalog of durable equipment. 

Today, the company continues to innovate with cutting-edge technology and expert material sourcing. Lifetime swing sets use weather-resistant materials like powder-coated steel and UV-resistant HDPE plastic. This gives Lifetime products a lifespan of more than a decade, with minimal upkeep required.

Many Lifetime swing sets offer customization potential and modularity. That means if your kids get bored or age out of a specific swing style, you can swap them out for a new one or add a rope ladder.

Families and park managers choose Lifetime because the brand offers the best blend of long-term durability, aesthetic appeal, and safety.

Overview of Big Brutus Swing Sets

Big Brutus is one of the most popular lines of Backyard Discovery, a company known for wooden outdoor structures. This metal swing set is basic at its core, featuring two belt swings and a trapeze bar in a classic A-frame design.

The Big Brutus set comes with a 5-year warranty and pre-drilled holes for simple installation. It occupies a 26-inch by 22-inch area when considering safe play areas and landing zones.

The downside of Big Brutus is the customization potential. It is the only metal swing set in Backyard Discovery’s lineup. Every other swing set they sell uses wood, which drives up the price significantly and runs the risk of rotting, splintering, and warping.

Additionally, it’s challenging to add new play features like slides or monkey bars to a Big Brutus set.

There’s much to explore in the debate between Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets, so let’s jump into the comparison.

Big Brutus vs Lifetime Swing Set: Which Brand Makes the Better Play Structures?

Choosing between Backyard Discovery’s Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets requires some research. The best swing set will vary based on your needs and preferences.

Build Materials and Durability

Both halves of the Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets decision are solid in terms of material quality. They use powder-coated steel for optimal weather resistance.

However, Lifetime offers HDPE plastic with their higher-end sets, like the Lifetime Big Stuff Swing Set. HDPE allows for fun play features like towers and climbing handholds that won’t rust or warp due to weather.

The Big Brutus set is all-metal save for the swings themselves. This gives Lifetime sets a slight advantage in terms of long-term durability - a plastic slide or climbing tower may still be safe and fun even after the swings require replacement.

Swing Set Sizes and Footprint Options

You need to choose a swing set that fits within your outdoor space. That includes adding a safe landing zone in a 360-degree radius around the set - typically 6 feet or more.

At the same time, you don’t want to choose playground equipment that’s too small, or kids may become bored easily. There is a big divide between Backyard Discovery’s Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets.

Big Brutus is the only option. It takes up a 26-inch by 22-inch space when including play areas. The Lifetime Heavy Duty 10 ft Metal Swing Set is a similar model that takes up slightly more space but includes HDPE plastic connective pieces for extra durability.

But what if you want a different design? Backyard Discovery has nothing else for you in the metal swing set category. You would have to opt for one of their wood designs, which are more expensive and require more upkeep.

Lifetime Products does have the options you want, though. The Lifetime Monkey Bar Adventure Swing Set has extra play features (a slide, monkey bars, and one extra swing) in a slightly larger space - 33 by 26 inches.

Ease of Assembly and Installation

Installation is another essential factor to consider when weighing Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets. This area comes down to where you buy your swing set rather than which brand you choose.

Both sets are relatively simple to install. Lifetime makes your life easy with pre-drilled holes, color-coded instructions, and snap-together parts. You can put together their sets in 2 to 4 hours, even as a beginner. Lifetime offers video instructions on BILT.

Big Brutus is slightly more involved, requiring some essential tools. Like Lifetime, the company uses the BILT app with video instructions to help you along the way.

The difference between the two is that Big Brutus is sold primarily in big box stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Amazon. This means you lack customer support when things go wrong. Conversely, you can buy Lifetime Swing Sets from specialty retailers with friendly and helpful staff members who can guide you through the process or help you arrange installation.

Features and Accessories Included

The features list is no match when we compare Big Brutus vs Lifetime swing sets.

Here’s the features list for Big Brutus: two swings and a trapeze bar. That’s it. It’s also challenging to find suitable accessories to swap out as needed, since the company primarily sells wood sets. That means you can’t add on new slides or monkey bars.

Lifetime swing sets offer unlimited customization potential and out-of-the-box features. Take the Lifetime Adventure Tunnel Playset. It has two belt swings, multiple climbing nets, rock climbs, a wave slide, a clubhouse with a chalkboard and storefront, steering wheels, and more.

The imaginative play potential is a night-and-day difference. Kids can pretend to fly through the air on a Big Brutus set. On all of the lifetime sets, kids can be anything they want - pirates, princesses, knights, ninjas, or business owners!

Lifetime Products are adaptable with several different accessories. You can replace a wave slide with a spiral slide or swap out standard monkey bars for triangular ones for an extra challenge.

Maintenance and Long-Term Care

Upkeep is an area where these two brands are mostly equivalent. Both use high-quality powdered steel that doesn’t rust easily. Lifetime also has plastic features, but HDPE is simple to maintain with regular cleaning.

The difference really lies in metal vs wood swing sets. Wood sets require more involved upkeep, like staining and rot treatment. Lifetime’s products are metal and plastic, while Backyard Discovery’s swing sets are wood, except for Big Brutus. For extra play features, you’ll need to choose between extra upkeep of a wood set or the out-of-the-box readiness of a Lifetime set.

Aesthetic and Backyard Fit

The Big Brutus set isn’t bad aesthetically, but it isn’t the most inspiring set either. It’s a minimalist design with a few swings and a trapeze bar, but it won’t help your kids think up new creative play experiences.

Lifetime play sets have tons of fun features that enhance the overall look of your backyard. Towers that look like castles, colorful spiral slides that complement your plants, and canopies that provide extra shade.

Lifetime has simple playsets if you prefer a low-key design.

Brand Support and Warranty

Both brands have solid customer support systems in place. Lifetime Products protects against cracking, fading, and structural failure with a 5-year limited warranty. They trust in their craftsmanship and innovation and will make things right if you run into issues.

Backyard Discovery offers a 5-year limited warranty as well. However, you may struggle to get top-class customer support when you buy from a big-box store like Home Depot or Lowe’s.

This is another area where you want to buy from the right retailer. Choose a store with a helpful customer support team to get answers to all of your questions, like where to install your swing set, how to add accessories, and how to perform regular maintenance.

Price Comparison

So, how much does a swing set cost from either brand?

Big Brutus and Lifetime’s equivalent sets have very similar costs - around $649 to $899. You get some extra long-term value from Lifetime thanks to their better durability, so the price evens out in the long term.

Lifetime’s playsets are much cheaper than Backyard Discovery’s wood sets, though. For example, the Lifetime Climb & Slide Playset adds a slide and climbing wall to the base set. It costs $1,019 while an equivalent set from Backyard Discovery costs anywhere from $1,299 to $1,799.

Considering you would also have to deal with the hassle of extra upkeep with a wood swing set, you’re getting much better value for your time and money with a Lifetime set.

Shop Lifetime Swing Sets at the Lowest Prices Online at Swing Set Mall!

Which brand should you choose for your home or commercial property? Big Brutus and Lifetime are similar in some categories, like brand support, material quality, and ease of installation.

However, there are other areas where Lifetime is a clear winner, including accessories, features, durability, price, and customer support.

We highly recommend Lifetime for these reasons. It’s why we have several Lifetime Products swing sets in our inventory at Swing Set Mall.

We curated our store with playground products that emphasize quality, aesthetic appeal, safety, and fun. We pair those features with the best prices on the internet, including a 30-day price matching guarantee.

That means when another playground equipment store has a sale, we do too! You get the best value for your money and peace of mind knowing you’re choosing a set that is easy to install and will serve as the backdrop for countless adventures.

Our friendly team will guide you every step of the way. We will help you measure a safe play area in your backyard, provide our personal recommendations backed by over three decades of experience, and show you future upgrades.

We also sell replacement swing set parts and accessories, including all the tools you need for installation. Whether you want to add a tire swing to a nearby tree to complement your existing set or your kids are ready to upgrade to a spiral slide, we’ve got you covered.

Bringing Our Big Brutus vs Lifetime Swing Set Comparison to a Close

While there are many types of swings and swing sets, only a few can deliver the iconic playground experiences you’re looking for. Big Brutus is popular, but it’s no match for Lifetime Products’ diverse line of swing sets.

Lifetime has tons of fun features, including unique swing seats, climbing nets, towers, clubhouses, slides, and more. They offer the best chance for your children to enjoy the fun of playing house, slaying a dragon, or casting magical spells.

You can give your children unforgettable memories and imaginative play by investing in a Lifetime set right here at Swing Set Mall. We offer a price-matching guarantee and free shipping on orders over $150 to simplify the shopping experience. Talk to our team today to learn more!