Bijou Build Mainstay

Our kids love it! The videos are a lot easier to understand for assembly verses the paper version.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

Let me begin by saying my kids have not stopped swinging on the Bijou since we assembled it two weeks ago. They LOVE it. It took my husband and father 5 hours to assemble the mainstay and sway arm. The instructions provided with the product are inconsistent with the assembly video online which caused some confusion. It is also fairly difficult to mow under and I end up having to hand trim around each leg of the mainstay when I am done mowing. Was it worth the price? I think so because of my kids love for it. As a parent though, it’s a four star product for those reasons.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

The set we got was a perfect piece to add some magic to our backyard garden. My five year old book loving grandson finds it to be a comfy nook for relaxing with his books and stuffies. The build was easy and the kit very sturdy.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

The materials feel high quality and tough. It did take waaaayyyyy longer than expected. We had to take breaks for lunch and a snack in the afternoon. So plan for a day of building. If you have more handy people helping, it will probably go fast. The graphics (especially for the straps) need to be reworked because they are not helpful. The videos were critical in understanding how to put in the straps.

Once it was done it was perfect. We all felt a sense of joy. It's a great product and we are all enjoying it!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

We set up our Bijou Mainstay and Sway swings a couple of weeks ago, and the kids have logged hours and hours of play already. I love how adaptable it is to grow with them. We did have a harder time installing than expected (took about 8 hours) because the instructions did not provide enough detail about exactly what order to do things in or exactly how far out the wood should extend. We found that one panel had some holes that did not match up to its neighbor after we were already vertical, so I had to take all the panels off and move them around, so now we have a zipper door that does not have enough slack to zip closed, and it looks bunchier and less professional than it should. Also, we bought a pocket accessory that fell apart on the first day and no longer works as a pocket. I'm hoping everything else will be more sturdy and we will be able to use it for years to come!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

We love that this isn’t a one time stage and that it can grow with them as they get older. Truly the best playset.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

The assembly instructions for the MainStay could be significantly improved. Each of the five panels should have its own clearly defined section in the documentation.

It would also be helpful to include guidance on different panel layouts, including the pros and cons of having different ones next to one another. This would give users a better sense of how to position the panels effectively before beginning assembly.

The instructions should offer practical tips to reduce assembly time. For example, suggesting that users pre-attach all straps on one side of a panel before connecting it to the next would streamline the process. As it stands, the sequence often requires users to stop and rethink how to use the straps repeatedly.

Working with the straps can feel unnecessarily complicated --almost like folding origami without prior experience. Clearer, step-by-step guidance would make this part of the process much more manageable.

Additional detail is also needed for installing the lighting strips, including how to position and secure them properly.

The instructions should clarify how to position the floating deck, particularly the pros and cons regarding where the cutout should be oriented.

Some explanation of how the beams rotate depending on the extension of the feet would also be valuable, as this affects stability and alignment. It would also help to note that panel attachment is generally easier when working with a smaller initial footprint.

Finally, it would have been very useful to have access to a downloadable PDF version of the instruction manual prior to purchase or before opening the product upon arrival.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

We wanted an outdoor play set for our grandchildren to enjoy when they visit us in our mountain home. We needed something that would withstand high winds and could be stored in between visits; the Bijou Build checked those boxes so we made the purchase. It did take several hours to assemble the mainstay (but it took less than 10 minutes to put it away so set up next time will be a breeze!) The children spent all day, every day outside playing in their “tee-pee,” which was a welcome change from their usual screen time. We added the 2nd “pad” for the mainstay (a must if you have little ones who want their own space.) We also purchased the side arm sway, but that assembly will have to wait until their next visit.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

For our smallish AZ backyard, my Google search terms involved a smaller footprint play structure with shade...who knew such an elegant solution existed! We LOVE our Bijou! Right now it's set up with the Kubix swing inside, but the kids have had fun with the upper and lower platforms installed as well. So much creative play, and the shade means they can enjoy relief from the bright Phoenix sun, too! Additionally, it is nice to know, that if we ever move, we won't have to figure out what to do with a clunky play structure, but can easily take it with us! Nicely done, Bijou Build.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

This playset looks great in the backyard, and unique compared to the typical plastic playsets in the market. My daughter loves to climb, lounge, and swing - and the flexibility to add on pieces in the future ensures that this can grow with her.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

We purchased the mainstay and swings, and we love it, my whole family is enjoying playing and having out on it from 2 year olds to 79 year olds:)

Thank you!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

My grandkids are LOVING our Bijou! The set-up was a little harder than I was led to believe, but SO worth it!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

My son has a muscle/coordination disorder and this playset is absolutely perfect for him to gain confidence, strength, coordination and balance. He loves it and so does the rest of our family.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

I can't get my toddlers out of the tent. They absolutely love it. Finally, I can get my 3.5 year old to do some independent play - what a win!!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

We have a VERY active 5 year old who literally climbs everything and is outside all day everyday. He was climbing our fences and trees so we decided to give this a shot and it did not disappoint! He is outside climbing the sides of it and hanging out in the upper and lower hammocks. The swing set addition has been amazing, we interchange it out to whatever the kids want that day. Would highly recommended this for anyone who has super active boys and don’t want a playset that takes up a huge part of their yard!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

We’re excited about having added this to our small suburban backyard to bring some more variety to our play opportunities and a good reading spot for the whole family.. We’re happy with this purchase !

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

It is cool looking - but…The monkey business kit took 2 of us over 3 hours to assemble. The phot instructions are very unhelpful. Our solar light came cracked and does not work. We were missing 10 carabiners and had to run to the store to buy more. Hopefully the kids enjoy it because it is hard work!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

Santa brought this to our 6 year old son this year and he LOVES it. He said it was the best present ever. Santa reported that assembly was extremely easy and the quality of the products are great. We have enjoyed swinging with him or lounging in the little tent hammock/platform. Our yard is quite uneven, but it adjusts easily because the joints are flexible. The lights are a súper cool addition. We are so pleased!

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

this is a beautiful concept. the instructions for assembly need to be updated BIG TIME. we are paying so much money for a product and the instructions are terrible. it took my husband almost 9 hours to put together and it’s still not anchored into the ground. very frustrating.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

My daughters’ love their Bijou Build! Great product! But the description of how easy it is to assemble was a little misleading. Or maybe I was just too optimistic. As a single parent, I hired someone from Task Rabbit to help me and he was only available for 2 1/2 hours. It then took me about 2 more hours to finish. We really do love the product, but the assembly was stressful unless you have two handy people.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

After seeing a a Bijou tipi set up outside our local YMCA, I took advantage of their sale an purchased 2 sets for our grandkids' households. We have 4 granddaughters, age 2 to 7, who are very active, and I knew immediately that they would love the tipi for years to come. We set up one in our workshop for a Christmas Day reveal. It is very well made.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com

We set this up on Christmas Eve and it took a lot longer than anticipated. We bought the big bijou kit which should have its own instructions with what is recommended to do when as the stand alone mainstay instructions say the panel placement doesn’t matter but if you have the rope bridge it does, which required us to move panels. The written instructions also need to have everything that is in the videos as the videos had additional details the written instructions didn’t have. Also labeling everything would be helpful as the term “cargo net” is not intuitive and took us a minute to figure out what the difference was between that and the inside platform. We ended up only getting one mainstay up in almost 3 hours because there was a lot of going back and forth between the videos and written instructions. My kids haven’t played on it yet but for a $2000 kit I was hoping for a little more clear instructions as the advertising makes it seem super easy to set up.

Originally posted at bijoubuild.com