Category: Product Information

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How tall should monkey bars be for kids?

How tall should monkey bars be?

We install a lot of monkey bars for customers across the UK and one of the most frequent questions we get asked is how tall should my monkey bars be? 

The reason we get asked this is because most of our customers are families, made up of mum, dad and two or three kids.  So, with five people in the family…  Hold on!  We mean five people and the uncles, aunts and of course friends, how do you choose the best height. 

how tall should monkey bars be for children

Start with the tallest person.

Is dad using the monkey bars to do pull ups?  As in most cases, dad is often the tallest person with sons hot on their heels, it’s a good idea to take his measurement first.  The measurement for monkey bars is from the ground to dads outstretched arms and fingers.  If you then add approx. 50mm to this you will get a bar height that makes sure his feet are off the floor when hanging.  In most cases you will be between 2.2 and 2.5meters.

What if it is just kids using the monkey bars?

Well, if it is just kids using the monkey bars then we still think that monkey bars should be put in at a high height.  Kids have a tendency to grow really quickly and learn to use monkey bars incredibly fast.  We have put monkey bars in much lower and subsequently received a call asking if they can be moved higher up shortly after.  So, in this instance, start with a high height between 2.2 and 2.5m and consider the following information:

Now for the first height test of your monkey bars

Take everyone outside and find something that is that height.  Something like a tree branch, pergola or shed works well.  It helps you get an idea of just how high we think you need.  It’s a good time to consider also the post height.  Remember… they will be 100 – 150mm above this.   

The monkey bars look pretty high and we have young kids

The next test is to consider the youngest child (who will actually be using the bars).  We think that most children 6 and over are capable of using the bars at an adulty height.  If they are not quite there yet, then we have noticed that they learn incredibly fast. 

Get them to stretch up and measure from toes to outstretched fingers.  Now deduct that measurement from your planned total height.  Whatever height you are left with is the height that they will potentially drop from.  You will soon notice that whilst high for a young child, for any child 10 and over, it’s not that high.   

Find something that is that height and see how comfortable your kids are jumping down from it. 

Go to a park

It is always worth seeing if your local park has any monkey bars.  Take a tape measure and of course your kids and try it out.  They are often quite low and not great for adults.  So measure them and see what the difference is between your ideal adult height and the park monkey bars.  If they can jump down from the ones at the park, then you can assess whether a little extra height will still be okay.

Consider a crash mat

A nice option for kids is a crash mat.  You can get these from Amazon.  They simply just take the edge off when practicing, just until they get the hang of it.  See more on this when considering ladder bars (to climb up to the monkey bars)

Using ladder bars and how many do you need?

Ladder bars to climb up to the monkey bars are sold separately.  For Teenagers and adults, we recommend one at each end. 

For children, we like to recommend using 4 in total.  We put 3 at one end and 1 at the other.  The children can climb up one end and get all the way across to the single ladder bar.  We refer to this as a ‘perch bar’.  Children can perch here and then climb back.  Now the cool thing about this bar and NOT having full ladder bars at this end (besides the cost) is that children like to jump off this bar.  And guess what?  The crash mat is excellent here.  Great practice for kids and super fun for parkour. 

Get Olympic Gymnastic rings

It is worth considering getting some gymnastic rings.  They are great for everyone but if you do have a young child that isn’t yet tall enough then they will have something for them to use and play with too.

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Cracking or Checking of Posts

Cracking Posts (also known as Checking)

Whilst we use the best sources of timber available to us (within a price) when constructing your garden gym, the posts we use will either have visible checks already or it is inevitable that cracking/checking will occur.. This can be especially prevalent during the hot summer months. Remember – wood is a natural product and will split.  

100% Full refund prior to installation

If after reading this article you would like cancel your order prior to installation or delivery of DIY products then you will be entitled to a 100% refund.  If you go ahead with the installation and subsequently do not like the appearance then unfortunately there will me nothing we can do.

Cracking timber is a common concern for all!

  • We use several companies in the UK to supply timber and we have found that ALL of the timber used regardless of the source is susceptible to ‘checking’ or ‘cracking’.
  • This is a problem that ALL timber suppliers face and all suppliers of play equipment and gazebos etc.

The information provided here is to give you an understanding of what to expect after you have our installation team install your gym.

What to expect after your outdoor gym is installed?

The following images show how the wood can crack/split usually during the summer months as the wood dries /adapts naturally to the outside environment.

cracking posts

  • In 99% of all cases the cracks, which may appear as defects, will NOT affect the structural integrity of your gym.
  • At times, as the weather heats up, the cracks can appear almost overnight and at first can be somewhat alarming.  But this is the nature of wood.  This is something that will most likely happen but it is not something to be alarmed about.
  • Because the cracks often run down the centre of the wood it can look like the bolts that attach the pull up bars to the posts are causing the wood to crack.  This is NOT the case.

Further research

We also DON’T want you to just take our word for it.  So below are links to other website that discuss in detail ‘Checking’ (cracking) of wooden posts.

https://www.mcilvain.com/how-to-prevent-cracks-in-your-large-timbers/

https://www.tuin.co.uk/blog/cracking-and-splitting-in-timber/

What can you do?

As the structural integrity is NOT affected the short answer is you don’t have to do anything.  In fact, during the winter months we often find that the cracks subside as their is more moisture in the air. 

However from an aesthetic perspective this an area that we are currently investigating and will be updating this page over the coming weeks. 

Taking care of your posts

Whilst the posts are pressure treated for outdoor use, we do as standard  recommend applying an oil based stain or weather resistant treatment to the timber posts on an annual basis as part of your general maintenance program (more of which is discussed as part of the installation process). The oil can be easily applied to penetrate into the cracks to help in the overall preservation of the timber.

100% Full refund prior to installation

If after reading this article you would like cancel your order prior to installation or delivery of DIY products then you will be entitled to a 100% refund. If you go ahead with the installation and subsequently do not like the appearance then unfortunately there will me nothing we can do.

Remember, the most important thing is that the bars feel secure and solid.  

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Ultra Thick Grip Pull Up Bar

Thick bar training with Xorbars Ultra Pull Up Bar.

Last summer we were repeatedly asked for a thick pull up bar. So this summer 2015, we have launched one.  It is the XORBAR ULTRA and it is 48mm in diameter.  It is only available as a 5ft length but can of course be used as a pull up bar or for parallel bars.

thick grip pull up bar

Why did our customer want such a thick bar?

Well a thicker bar does offer increased strength and of course weight load capacity.  This has only been tested to 150kg (that is to say – there is NO movement whatsoever at this weight) so we estimate that it would go to 250 plus.

But the real reason is THICK BAR TRAINING.  Thick bar training is a sure fire way to build tremendous strength.

“I am a big believer in using thick-handled barbells, dumbbells and apparatus such as pull up bars. The results are well worth the investment, as they will produce superior results in strength training.” Charles Poliquin, trainer of over 400 Olympic athletes.

If you are new to Charles Poliquin then just do a Google search and you will soon find out just how awesome and knowledgeable he is.

If you want to read a really great article about Thick Bar Training then check out http://tnation.t-nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding/the_benefits_of_thick_bar_training

The best bit we liked in the article is the following conclusion: “It is not uncommon for even an experienced lifter to make significant muscle gains in just a few months by switching to thick bars.”

You can also check out this video of a similar sized bar to see how much effort is required just to grip the bar:

There is also a nice article here looking at THICK bar training v’s THIN bar training. http://synergy-athletics.com/thick-vs-thin-bar-debate-explained/

All in all, if you are considering a multi-outdoor pull up bar and parallel bar set up then adding an XORBAR ULTRA thick bar will give you another pull up workout to add to your program.

IMPORTANT: If you would like the THICK BAR with our packages (5ft and 6ft) then you can at NO EXTRA CHARGE.  Just place a comment in the order form at the checkout stage.

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Parallet Bars for Big Shoulders

parallet bars for big shoulders

So you want bigger shoulders!?  Adding parallet bars to your calisthenics workout is one sure fire way to increase your shoulder size and strength.

By positioning the parallets under a mid height pull up bar you can use the bar to support your legs which can also assist you in performing the shoulder handstand press.

Standard parallet exercises such as L-sits added to your ab program will strength your core in static positions.

Our Xorbar Parallet package can be bought as an add on to our other pull up bar packages or as an individual calisthenics exercise station in your garden.

Once you can do hand stand presses on these parallet bars…well then we would love to see your photos.

The Xorbars Team