Lifetime Geometric Dome Climber Play Center, Earthtone

Purchased for my Granddaughter who loves to hang and climb on things. She loves it, as do my other 3 grandchildren (her siblings). It matches their large lifetime swing set.

The outer box arrived beat to death, but that's not for a PRODUCT rating (unlike what so many reviewers seem to think these days.)Five stars for ease of set-up and utility the kids are getting out of it.From the start, the instructions are pretty simple to follow; toward the in it gets a bit more difficult to see what the picture is trying to imply - but the color picture on the box helps out as well.Now, even on colder wet days the kids are heading out to play in, around and on the "spider web," as they call it.Some days they use the hand-holds and rubber bands to attach sheets and make it a place for a picnic, other days they get out there and climb around and get some exercise. The product is very sturdy and the powder coating is pretty good. This could last quite a few years. Time will tell if the kids will still love it, but I can tell you this much, I haven't seen one of these in any of our neighborhood yards; nor at our two nearby neighborhood playgrounds. It makes for a nice "change of pace" for the local friends, boys or girls. So nice to see them using their imaginations OUTSIDE again.Dad has also found that the V-shaped bars make for a really sturdy Chin-up (L-sit if you are tall) and Dip station for outdoor exercise. The top horizontal bars are also wide enough for regular pull-ups (hands pronated), but don't kip because you might hit your head. If you cannot do chins and dips yet, the first level bars are good for easy angled push-ups and horizontal rows. If your legs can handle it, or you wrap a towel or short swimming noodle around a top horizontal bar, you could hang upside down from it and hit some abs. Or hang inside and do knee-ups after your chin-ups. Throw in a $10 speed rope or other calisthenics next to it for more cardio in the circuit and you can have a quick, intense workout! One could also use it for flexibility training if they were so inclined.The only drawback is also a plus - for mowing, it is pretty large and takes up quite a bit of the yard. It is not too heavy to move with two young adults. However, it is nice to have one large enough for our family of 4 to all fit on or under it depending on the use at the time.The lowest horizontal bar level may be a bit too high for shorter 5 year olds.

This is the second one of these climbing domes I've purchased. The two I bought were identical.The first one was for one group of grandchildren in Boise ID, who have played on it literally every single day for the last year and a half. It is amazingly sturdy, and I have even climbed on it myself. It takes two grownups to move it around from place to place in the yard, but it isn't terribly difficult to do so. (One big strong grownup can do it in a pinch)Despite almost constant use, the dome looks like brand new, none of the joints have loosened up, and the surface has remained lovely through all kinds of weather.My daughter managed to put it together herself, because she didn't want to wait for her husband to get home. She is a mid-30s, medium sized woman with a lot of motivation. It took her about three hours. She said it was really hard to do it alone, and recommends at least two people to work on it together. The manufacterer also recommends two people.The second one I ordered for my grandchildren in Olympia WA. The first one was so wonderful and had held up so well, that when considering what impressive gift to get for the other bunch, this seemed the obvious best choice. I happened to be there when it arrived, and was delighted to watch the assembly process. It was originally supposed to be a Christmas present, but since it was in a giant box by the door that was too big for Grandma to hide, we decided to set it up right away. This time there were two adults to put it together, and honestly, I'm impressed that my daughter had been able to do it on her own. You definitely want to have a helper if you can manage it.The assembled dome was very well received by the grandkids and their cousins, ranging in age from 2 to 11. All of us were impressed with the sturdiness of this dome, and it's also an attractive addition to the yard.Every single person who has seen either of the domes I purchased has been impressed, it's a fantastic way to get kids out into the yard and away from the TV. I found out that my grandson's Waldorf school purchased an identical dome for their play yard. Yes, it is that great.I recommend this climbing dome most whole-heartedly to anyone with children to entertain.