InYard Swing Review
(To read JUST the review and not the story of how we set it up and the kids reactions… skip to the bottom).
Also, the owner of the company just told me that the promo code for an additional 15% off is still able to be used! Promo Code: mycrazypeople
This swing setup has been an adventure to say the least!! lol
We’ve never installed anything like this before, nor have the kids ever had anything like this before. The closest thing we came to, was a swing in the boys classroom a few years ago, but it was a board bottom, not a cocoon/hammock kind.
The point is! We were out of our depth!
As of right now, the instructions that come with the swing are for people in concrete ceilings, or if you want to use it over a tree limb. The owner of the company IS going to add instructions for ceilings that are… drywall? With wooden beams above them? Sorry… again – out of my depth. Not sure exactly what it’s called.
So, when I looked at it, I’m like, pffft I got this! I can even do it on my own! I don’t need the boy’s Dad to help. But the more I looked into it and the more I read and the more I talked to people… I realized, with the ceiling I have, that was NOT an option. the kids would pull the whole ceiling down with them.
I talked to their Dad and he agreed. We have to install the swing into a beam in the ceiling. So now we needed a drill, drill bits that drill holes, and a stud finder. Which, we didn’t have. We never REALLY needed them, and if it’s not a necessity… we didn’t really buy it, because the boys needed so much. Thankfully we’re a little better off financially now. So, we got everything we needed. We even found a great video on youtube to explain exactly what you need to do. (You can check it out here if you’re interested.)
Excitedly we start looking for a beam. Mark it off where it says it’s at… and drill. Right. Through. The Ceiling… and hit… nothing. What?! It says it’s right there! So we try it again a little further over…. mark it off… dril. Nothing. This is not good. We were hesitant to even drill ONE hole, and at this point we’re now going to have to make at least three (the two we made and the one we need). So we stop and decide we’re going to have to get a better stud finder. Guess we shouldn’t have gotten the cheap $6 one! 
I wasn’t excited about that, so I tried two more times by myself (because I’m stubborn lol) and made two more lovely little holes and got nothing in return but ceiling bits in my eye.
The next day we tried the new stud finder. More expensive, tells you exactly where to drill AND if there’s electrical stuff that you’ll drill into (which obviously would be BAD lol …hadn’t thought of that). Find one, mark it, DRILL. Nothing. What is happening?!?! How are there no beams in our ceiling?! lol Who keep moving them?! So that’s hole #5! Move farther over… find it. Mark it. Drill. NOTHING! #6 He gives up, I’m stubborn, drill THREE more holes… nothing. Nine holes with nothing to show for it. (Should be fun trying to find them all again later when we fill them in with plaster)
We’re contemplating giving up and buying a stand of some sort when we make one last ditch effort, because I’m in tears. lol (Easily upset – yes, I know…) Their Dad takes a hammer, taps around and in 3 seconds find a beam. lol YEP! The hammer we ALREADY had took 3 seconds to find what we were looking for. Drill. And we hit the beam! FINALLY! Put in the eye bolt, and we’re done!
So, I get the swing, we figure out how far down it needs to be in order for the kids to be able to get in it by themselves, tie it off, grab Justin, put him in it and his butt hits the floor! We didn’t realize just HOW MUCH this swing stretches! lol So we grab Ty (who is lighter) and his butt hits the floor too!
Yes… my living room is TRASHED. lol It’s the end of the day… give me a break. 😉
After adjusting we realized that the swing has to be REALLY high up off the floor to counter how much the swing stretches. But if you double it over, they’re higher off the ground (since it doesn’t stretch as much). I got the kids in bed, and decided we’d try and figure everything out the next morning.
We adjusted and finally got it to the right height for the kids. Justin prefers the more swing like “setting”…
and Tyler prefers the more cocoon like “setting”.
lol But MAN do they both absolutely love it. All day one of them was in it. I even got most of the house cleaned because they were happy and entertained. The only downfall is that they can’t get into by themselves. I have to help them every time because they don’t reach or understand the concept of having to pull it down in order to get into it. That and I’m not entirely sure they’d be strong enough to do it. But, as they get older and their understanding is more developed, they won’t need my help.
As much of an inconvenience it is to me, because I have to stop what I’m doing to help them… it is an absolute life saver. In just the couple days we’ve had it up, the house has been SO much calmer. Not completely void of chaos… lol but SO much calmer. If someone is upset, bouncing off the walls, bored, tired…. they go in the swing and makes everything better. The cocoon like way to be in it blocks out a LOT of light… the sitting position allows them to rock themselves or push off to swing. 🙂 They love it!
I even doubled the fabric, put a pillow in it, and laid Jax in the swing. 🙂 Obviously I could NEVER leave him unattended, and no where does the company suggest that it’s an option, because it COULD be very dangerous if you’re not paying 100% attention (since he’s much higher off the ground because he doesn’t weigh as much). He started wiggling, so I got him out, put him down and he started screaming his head off! I picked Jax back up, put him in the swing and he was happy as a clam!
(The flash got him lol)
lol So all three of the boys rate it 5 stars! 😉
The only REAL downside is… that I only have one! lol Justin and Tyler aren’t GREAT at sharing, but they’re getting better at it. 😉
… that and in the middle of the night, out of the corner of your eye… it looks like someone is standing in your living room!!! lol
To see videos of us using the swing, click here.
(Sorry in advance for the classical music instead of the giggles. I’m still figuring out how to edit and merge videos, and the app that I used made the background noise this horrible static/clicking noise and I needed to put something over it…)
My overall review:
As a fun swing for kids to play in conveniently and easy for them to use completely on their own… I’d say a 1-5 out of 10 depending on their age and understanding (also take into account this is probably for much taller kids, but mine are big for their age so we had to get the jumbo one. The regular sized one probably wouldn’t stretch as much and could be much lower to the ground).
As a therapy swing to help kids in general… I’d say at least an 8-10 our of 10!
And overall reaction from the KIDS… definitely a 10 out of 10. 🙂
As a therapy swing, I HIGHLY recommend the InYard swings.
You can check out their website here, and their facebook page here.
Don’t forget to use the Promo Code: mycrazypeople !! 😀
My Crazy Little People 