Pull up bars are one of the most requested items in our trim trail range, and it is easy to see why. They give children a simple, satisfying challenge, they suit a huge range of ages and abilities, and they fit into spaces that would never take a larger play unit.
What surprises a lot of schools is how many different versions there are. A set of bars for a KS1 playground looks very different to an overhead ladder for older children, or a pull up station in a community park. Choosing the right one comes down to who will use it and, just as importantly, what shape your space is.
Before the specifics, it is worth saying why they earn their place in a school playground environment.
They challenge without instruction. Children work out what to do the moment they see a bar. There is no equipment to explain, no rules to teach, and no adult needed to get things started.
They suit a wide age range. Our standard Pull Up Bars are rated for ages 5 to 12 and are used across both KS1 and KS2. Children simply find their own level, and the same bar that a Year 1 child hangs from becomes a proper challenge for a Year 6.
They pack a lot into a small footprint. Most of our bar units are under half a metre deep. That makes them one of the few pieces of equipment you can add to a playground that is already busy.
They are sociable. Bars naturally create a queue, and a queue creates counting, encouraging and gentle competition. As much as anything, they are a piece of social play equipment.
They need almost no upkeep. No moving parts, no bearings.
Our classic option, at 2.9m long and only 0.12m deep. Rated for KS1 and KS2 and ages 5 to 12, with a critical fall height of 1.5m. We can supply various heights of pull up bars within a run to suit different age ranges, and some or all elements can be specified to be accessible and inclusive.
Best in: long, narrow strips. A boundary line, the edge of a path, or the gap between a playground and a field. Because the unit is so shallow, it fits where nothing else will, and the multiple height option makes it the strongest choice for a mixed age primary school.
Smaller at 1.70m by 0.7m, with a lower critical fall height of 0.9m. That lower fall height matters, because it reduces the depth and cost of the safety surfacing you need underneath.
Best in: tight corners and smaller budgets, and anywhere you want a strength element without a big surfacing spend. They also work well spaced out as fitness stations around a field or through a woodland trail, alongside our outdoor gym trail.
Our monkey bar option, at 3.23m by 1.0m, with a critical fall height of 2.0m. Designed for KS2 and above, for children already able to hold their own weight by their hands. Stainless steel bars set into Redwood timber give it a solid, hard wearing finish, and it is a piece we often recommend for assessed SEN users who benefit from that sort of repeated, rhythmic movement. We installed one at Burlescombe Primary near Tiverton on a sloping site, where the unit and its rubber grass matting followed the contours of the slope rather than needing the ground levelled first. The school had balancing and coordination equipment already, and wanted something that targeted upper body strength specifically.
Best in: KS2 and primary school playgrounds with a bit more room, and as the centrepiece of an assault course style trail. Bare in mind the higher fall height means a deeper surfacing specification, so factor that into the budget early.
Both our Parallel Bars and our Overhead Ladder are available in 100% recycled plastic, made in partnership with Devon Contract Waste from plastic diverted from landfill. The recycled plastic Overhead Ladder measures 3.2m by 1.1m. Recycled plastic carries a 30 year guarantee against our 10 year timber guarantee (Full Terms and Conditions Apply), will not rot, split or splinter, never needs re-staining, and carries around 55% less embodied carbon than Redwood timber.
Best in: coastal and exposed sites, high traffic playgrounds, and any school where maintenance time is scarce. If your site catches the weather, this is where we usually point people first.
Part of our outdoor gym range rather than the trim trail range, and built for older users. All our outdoor fitness equipment for users over 1400mm tall is independently tested to the British and European safety standard, and we test our children’s range to the same standards.
Best in: secondary schools, community and parish spaces, housing developments and leisure parks, where the equipment needs to work for teenagers and adults as well as children.
If you want a full run rather than a single item, our Mini Gym Trim Trail (8.68m by 3.65m) and Gym Trail (17.26m by 2.8m) combine bars with other apparatus into a designed sequence.
Best in: schools with a defined area to fill and a preference for a complete solution. The Mini Gym suits a modest corner of a playground, while the full Gym Trail wants the long edge of a field.
Our recent project at Torquay Academy shows how well the bars work together, with an overhead ladder, pull up bars and parallel bars combined into one stainless steel assault course on the edge of the playing field.
A few rules of thumb we come back to on site visits.
Every bar has a critical fall height, and that figure drives the safety surfacing underneath. The 0.9m of the Parallel Bars, the 1.5m of the Pull Up Bars and the 2.0m of the Overhead Ladder all call for different specifications, which is why two similar looking items can carry quite different total costs. Our playground safety surfacing page explains the options.
One timing point worth knowing early. Wet pour and rubber mulch are moisture cured, so they cannot be laid in the rain, when rain is due, or when temperatures fall below 5°C or climb above 25°C. A little flexibility in your installation dates goes a long way.
We design, manufacture and install commercial playground equipment across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and South Wales and every project starts with a free, no obligation site visit. We will measure up, talk through the age groups you need to cater for, check clearances and surfacing, and send you 3D visuals so you can see the design in your own space before committing to anything.
Take a look at our pull up bars and the wider trim trail range, or get in touch and we will arrange a visit. You can also email us at info@rhinoplay.co.uk.
"Please note that we don't offer domestic / home garden play equipment generally."
