Per seat, not per set
Every swing seat we make carries a rating in lbs, and that rating is for one seat with one rider. A two-seat beam does not hold double on one hook; it holds the rated load twice, once on each hanger. The nest swing is the exception that proves it — it is rated for up to three smaller children because the load spreads across a steel ring and a fabric bed.
Toddler bucket seats are rated lowest, standard belt seats in the middle, extreme-duty seats highest. If older kids and adults are using a set, read the seat page rather than assuming.
What the standard covers
Our sets and attachments are built against the ASTM standard for backyard residential play. The standard is about geometry as much as strength: the gaps a head could fit through, the angles a slide exits at, the clearances around a swing arc, the protrusions a sleeve could catch on. That is why a slide is sold for a specific deck height and not as a universal part.
Residential is a real limit, not a formality. Backyard sets are not rated for commercial or institutional use, where the duty cycle is a different order of magnitude.
Checks worth making each season
Bolts: a quarter turn every spring. Hangers: look at the hook where chain meets steel, and replace in pairs. Chains: run a gloved hand down the coating and feel for splits. Seats: look for stress whitening around the chain fixings. Anchors: push the frame hard and see if anything moves.
