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Wood or Rubber Mulch, Which is better?

Whether you’re setting up your own backyard play area or building a community park, keeping children safe is a top concern. To start with, making sure you have a sturdy, safe swing set or play set is crucial, and choosing the right type of playground mulch is also key.

While wood mulch used to be popular, parents are now wondering if rubber mulch might be safer. In this article, we can help you understand the safety aspects of any of those two choices.

Even on the most secure swing sets and play sets, kids can still tumble. The National Program for Playground Safety says that 80% of playground injuries come from falls. Although this doesn’t mean that kids can’t have fun on swings, slides, monkey bars and all those other fun features, it does mean we need to take extra care to avoid serious accidents.

How Safe is Wood Mulch for your Playground?

If you compare having no protection at all and leaving your play set on the ground or grass, then we can consider wooden mulch fairly safe. When it is placed correctly and abundantly around a play set, these wood chips are able to provide decent protection for your children; The Consumer Product Safety Commission rates wood mulch as an above-average playground surface in terms of safety, however, wood mulch is not the top choice among available materials, especially when we consider what homeowners, schools and parks require. Due to its drawbacks, we cannot wholeheartedly recommend wood mulch when there are superior options available on the market.

wood swing set for sale

Disadvantages of Wood Mulch

Even if wood mulch is ok when there is nothing else to protect from a fall, it does have some clear setbacks which concern its use around kids and the maintenance it entails, for parents.

  • Mold: Wood chips can develop mold when wet, which poses a risk, especially for children with asthma who may experience breathing difficulties from inhaling mold spores; mold growth is a significant safety concern with wood mulch in wet or snowy climates.
  • Splinters: Since wood mulch is made out of real wood, it can cause splinters for children playing on it. While not a severe issue, parents prefer to avoid their kids getting splinters if possible.
  • Freezing: in harsh winters, wood mulch will freeze solid, offering no protection if kids play on it on cold days. This lack of cushioning can be a concern for safety.
  • Annual Replacement: Wood mulch needs yearly replacement as it decomposes, becoming unsuitable for use. Although wood chips are affordable, the cost of replacing them annually can add up. Unlike schools and parks which have maintenance staff, homeowners may also need to handle mulch replacement themselves or hire someone to do it.

 

Advantages of Rubber Mulch

When it comes to children’s safety on a play set, rubber is a super-safe playground material:

 

  • Rubber mulch is splinter-free.
  • It is resistant to mold, ensuring a safe and clean play area for your kids.
  • It is long-lasting and will not need replacing.
  • More importantly, it offers top-notch fall protection for children.
wood playset and swing sets

Adventure World Play Sets Rubber Mulch

At Adventure World Play Sets, we consider that vinyl and rubber have to mean safety, that is why our play sets and swing sets are covered in a vinyl sheath to ensure that the wood won’t mold and that hands and fingers remain splinter-free, and that is also the reason why we have mulch as our recommended, super-safe playground material.

Our rubber mulch is the safest, most stylish and best playground material on the market, plus, it comes in five coordinated color choices. Also:

  • It is made from 100% recycled tire rubber.
  • It is non-toxic and meets federal flammability standards.
  • Retains cushiony softness year-round and will not freeze.
  • Stays in place even in windy conditions.
  • Drains and dries quickly after it rains.
  • Odor-free, non-staining and non-abrasive.
  • Will not rot, attract insects or promote insect breeding.

 

While both wood mulch and rubber mulch can protect kids from a fall, it’s clear that rubber mulch is the optimal choice for several reasons that include safety, durability, longevity and eco-friendly qualities. 

For the coolest mulch that covers all these benefits, find and Adventure World Play Sets dealer near you today!

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Our Google Reviews

The best swingset company, in my opinion! We are an independent contractor that works for a lot of companies. Adventure world swingsets are built very well. They will last more than one generation.
Jay Flaud
Jay Flaud
2023-01-14
Reasonable price, great warranty, well installed. Kids will love it1
John Lippert
John Lippert
2022-12-29
Amazing quality! Definitely worth the purchase since kids play all day on it!
Isabella Laris Logan
Isabella Laris Logan
2022-11-07
Just got a wonderful playset for our preschool. It is fantastic!! It has been an easy experience.
Bethany Brown
Bethany Brown
2022-07-28
Great quality playset. Arrived quickly. Installation and communication through J&R Mulch Waynesboro PA was excellent
Allison Hickman
Allison Hickman
2022-06-23
If you ever need a swingset installed in your backyard or anywhere, you MUST get it from here.
Steven Rice
Steven Rice
2022-01-25
We have been trying to purchase one of these play sets for months and none of the dealers in our area will call us back about purchasing one. I wish the purchasing process was easier than "find a vendor in your local area". No one here wants to build them! The Happy Hideout looks like an amazing product for my toddler to grow into. I'm sad no one will build them or call us back. Edit: The company contacted me personally and found a vendor in my area!
Charlotte Doty
Charlotte Doty
2022-01-19
Great people to work with and high quality! Highly recommend, my kids love their new play house!
Ashley McGinnis
Ashley McGinnis
2021-12-24