Looking for the best stain for cedar swing set? Swing sets from cedar wood tend to be expensive because of their fascinating grain structure, color, and their natural ability to resist insects. 
Any cedar swing set can be treated or preserved with suitable cedar finishes to preserve their natural beauty.
I recommend Ready Seal 525 – it’ll prevent splintering, cracking and checking of your swing sets. The stain also acts as a great water repellent. Also, check the swing set stain.
Reviews: 7 Best Stain For Cedar Swing Set in 2023 Reviewed
1. Ready Seal 525 5-Gallon Pail Dark Walnut Exterior – Top Pick
Ready Seal 525 Wood Stain and Sealer is a semi-transparent, oil-based stain and sealer. It improves the natural look of your cedar swing set giving excellent visibility to the texture and grain of the playset.
This product is one of the best sealants for cedar playset as it is designed to add color as well as seal your cedar playset in a single step protecting it from moisture and other elements.
This wood stain and sealer offer an excellent way of saving since it comes as two in one, no extra costs are incurred buying either a sealant or a stain. As a result, you get to save time when painting a wooden swing set while producing a high-quality finish.
Steps For Applying Ready Seal 525: Before painting the playset, ensure the surface is clean, and no dust, mildew, grease, or oil is present. Remove all other stains that you might have used previously. Allow enough time 48-72 hours for the wood to dry before applying the Wood Stain and Sealer thoroughly.
- Stain composed of both a sealer and a wood stain
- Easy to apply
- Durable
- Gives excellent coverage
- None
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2. DEFY Extreme 1 Gallon Semi-Transparent Exterior Wood Stain – Runner-Up
Extreme Cedar Tone Wood Stain features zinc Nano technology which allows the zinc particles to efficiently spread in the stain, protecting wood against sunlight and premature discoloration. This stain is semi-transparent and environmentally friendly.
Extreme Wood Stain is an environmentally friendly semi-transparent stain that is prepared using high-tech technology to help bring out the original look of cedar wood.
This wood stain is one of the best sealants for cedar playset on the market today. This water-based stain protects wood from graying and from the glaring effects of the sun using state of the art technology.
Extreme Wood Stain – Review
Prepared Using High-Tech Technology: Another best stain for cedar swing set is this Semi-Transparent stain that has been formulated using advanced Zinc Nano-technology making it one of the best durable wood stains.
The zinc oxide particles in the stain protect the wood against harmful ultraviolet rays as well as prevent premature color loss and graying of the cedar.
Also, the zinc particles attack mold and mildew, retaining the natural attractiveness of the wood.
High-Quality Wood Stain: Extreme Wood Stain is the best wood stain prepared using top quality resins that offer excellent resistance against darkening or fading. Thus, becoming a superior wood stain that can last longer compared to other competitive wood stains. This stain can stand the test of time if correctly applied.
UV Protection: This semi-transparent stain offers the highest protection to cedar against the harmful effects of ultraviolet light, giving the wood a semi-transparent tint.
Improved Mildew And Mold Resistance: The zinc Nano-technology allows the zinc particles to disburse throughout the wood creating a natural block against the growth of mildew and mold.
Many Options To Choose: Extreme Wood Stain offers a variety of options and colors to choose. They are available in 6 semi-transparent colors including; natural pine, butternut, driftwood gray, cedar tone, redwood, and light walnut, making it easy to chose your favorite stain.
Easy To Maintain: If you want an easy to maintain stain, then you should buy Extreme Wood Stain. When you notice your playset discoloring, just apply the Wood brightener that will help to clean as well as brighten your wood. Then, rinse the playset properly and allow it to dry. Once dried, just apply one coat of Extreme Wood Stain.
- No stripping or sanding required
- High-quality wood stain
- Several colors to choose
- High-tech technology
- Protects playset from harmful effects of UV
- Easy to maintain
- None
Read Also: Outdoor Playsets for Toddlers
3. CABOT SAMUEL 3002-07 INC GAL Cedar DK Tone Stain
CABOT SAMUEL Cedar Tone Stain is one of the best stains for cedar swing set. It is prepared with a combination of oil and resin to give the cedar playset a natural finish. The stain is also an excellent water repellent and offers protection against the sun.
With this stain, your cedar playset will retain its original look and attractiveness. The stain has a penetrating wood formulation that protects playsets from the glaring sun and other harmful weather elements.
CABOT SAMUEL Tone Stain Review
Offers Excellent Resistance Against Mildew: The CABOT SAMUEL Tone Stain is great at fighting mildew and other natural elements that might damage your playset. It also protects the cedar playset from warping or rotting increasing its lifespan.
Great Water-Repellent: The CABOT SAMUEL Tone Stain is one of the best strains that can help to keep moisture at bay. Meaning, when you use this stain, your playset cannot get destroyed with water, the stain repels the water more efficiently.
Easy To Use Stain: The manufacturer has provided an easy to follow the instruction on how to apply this product. Just follow the steps on the container, and you’ll realize that it’s effortless to stain.
Highly Durable Cedar Stain: This wood stain is highly durable. The unique formulation (oil and resin) in the stain gives playset a more permanent look allowing it to stay for more extended periods without fading or discoloring.
- Durable wood stain
- Offers UV protection
- Great Water-Repellent
- Resists mildew and mold
- None
Read Also: Swing Sets for Small Yards
4. Thompsons WaterSeal TH.A21711-16 Advanced Natural Wood Protector
Thompsons WaterSeal Natural Wood Protector offers one coat protection that attacks mildew and protects playset against UV damage. The stain is waterproofer you can apply it immediately after cleaning your playset.
When painting a wooden swing set, you may want to consider the Thompson’s Water Seal Natural Wood Protector. This stain is prepared explicitly for cedar playset maintenance.
For better outcomes, you are advised to use a single coat of the stain. The single coating works to give maximum strength protection to your playset and helps it to resist UV damage and mildew attack. As a result, the playset retains its original natural look.
This advanced waterproofer has a unique formulation that allows you to wash and treat your playset in a single day, making it the best stain for cedar swing set.
- Excellent water proofer stain
- Maintains natural wood color
- Superior protection against moisture damage
- Long lasting waterproofing
- None
Read Also: Swing Sets For Small Backyards
Considerations for Best Stain For Cedar Swing Set
As a parent or owner of a swing set, you need to take some time to maintain your cedar playset. It is important that you and your kids have years of fun.
Resurfacers are denser coatings to lock down splinters and fill cracks in any wood displaying signs of aging. Resurfacer enhances the appearance of weathered or worn out concrete and wood.
1. Opaque Finish Options
Most people who own cedar wood products like cedar swing sets are likely to protect or seal their wood structure using a clear finish that would reveal the real characteristics of the wood.
However, it is important to note that semi-opaque and opaque finishes are great at concealing wood appearance issues on older swing sets.
In addition, these finishes can endure weathering properly compared to clear finishes, meaning, they can last long. Examples of opaque finish options include latex and acrylic stain, or outdoor paint.
2. Water-Repellents
If you are one of those people that wish to go all-natural, then water-repellents preservatives might be ideal for you. Water-repellents stains should be applied to cedar wood that is above the ground. Adding fungicide will help reduce the decay of wood as well as the growth of mildew.
In addition, the fungi will enable the wood to remain durable and strong all year long. The water-repellents stains also help to lower water absorption, but in the short-term.
To control wood discoloration that is triggered by depletion of water-soluble elements, a water-repellent that is rich in low-wax may be applied as a single layer on newly manufactured cedarwood. This may act as a pre-treatment process before you embark on painting. This process will greatly help reduce wood discoloration.
3. Exterior Polyurethane
Using Polyurethane on your exterior cedar swing set can help to give it a great finish look as well as the ability to endure for years. However, all this will depend on the kind of weathering and friction the swing set is subjected to.
To get a more even finish on your cedar, and the cedar using sandpaper. Then apply either oil-based or water polyurethane in 2-3 layers in a span of few days.
However, if your swing set is always under the full sun, polyurethane might not be a very good choice. This is because under the full sun polyurethane is likely to wear out fast and may need to be removed frequently and reapplied to retain the color of cedar. This process might be expensive to those on budgets and time-consuming.
4. Clear Sealer
If you want to retain that natural feel or the original color of your cedar swing set, Clear sealers may be the best choice for you. These penetrating sealers are perfect at bringing out the fascinating color of cedar of your wooden swing set.
To make the clear sealers even more appealing, they come in two different shades; the tinted and the clear shade. You get to choose what fits you the most. Some of these sealers have protective UV absorbers or blockers, which can help in slowing the fading of wood caused by exposure to excess sun.
To maintain the color and appearance of your cedar swing set, you are required to reapply the clear sealers at least once per year. This habit will also greatly help to enhance the water-shedding capabilities of the wood.
5. Semi-Transparent Stains
This type of stain can either be oil-based or latex. The stain can help to protect the wood grain of all outdoor wood structures. We recommend applying this Semi-Transparent stain to outdoor wood that is permanently located outside.
Structures that are located outside are more prone to algae and mold. Staining them with this semi-transparent mixture will help fight these elements as the stain contains an anti-fungal element, which is known to be effective at fighting mold, algae, or any other naturally occurring element.
Normally, these stains penetrate deeply into the wood and create a strong bond with the wood fibers, forming a great protective stain that fights all these unwanted elements. If you intend to maintain the natural appearance and basic texture of your swing set, you should consider using a semi-transparent stain.
6. Spar Urethane or Spar Varnish
Spar Urethane or Spar Varnish is a highly recommended wood finish that is ideal for outdoor wood projects. The spar varnish gives wood surfaces a malleable and clear protective coat that safeguards it against splitting into layers when exposed to the sun.
The good thing with the spar varnish is that it deteriorates slowly, giving you value for your time and money for years. To use the spar vanish, just sand the surface of the wood lightly, removing mildew and dirt that might have accumulated over time.
After, apply a layer of spar varnish on to the wood. Spar Urethane is also an ideal option for your outdoor wood needs. It offers UV stability to wood, making them more durable and long-lasting. This wood vanish has similar properties as Spar Urethane.
7. Solid Stains and Resurfacer
Resurfacers and Solid color stains are opaque wood finishes that help to conceal the grain while allowing the texture of the wood to show. Solid color stains have two properties; it acts as a sealant and a stain. It helps to protect the wood from sun damage and moisture, allowing it to obtain a rich, opaque color.
Solid color stains do not penetrate wood; they rest on top of the wood as opposed to bonding with it, this can make the wood to flake or chip. Furthermore, solid color stains don’t have anti-fungal properties, therefore, may not shield your wooden structures from water properly as compared to the penetrative stains.
However, solid stains are more like paint. A single layer of this stain can be enough on new wood. To get the best performance from the stain, the wood should be primed, then two coats of the stain should be applied. The best solid color stain is one that is 100% acrylic latex and should be applied in two layers to get superior results.
The solid color stain has numerous advantages on wood. They contain an acrylic formulation which offers great bond and durability. This stain is also fortified with urethane helping it to resist peeling and cracking. It also offers resistance against mildew. Finally, it contains a strong UV absorber that protects the wood against UV damage and fading.
8. Leaving Cedar Untreated
If you are on a budget, the color or texture of your cedar swing set should not bother you. Cedarwood can perform fairly well without any finish. When the cedar wood ages it becomes silver-gray with a rustic feel making the appearance different.
However, As opposed to applying a finish, just sand your swings set and wash it annually. Ensure you wash your set with a mild detergent solution using a brush. If you notice any mildew, ensure you treat it using a bleach solution or a mildew wash.
Conclusion
In addition, it offers mold, algae, and mildew resistant finish. They are also good water repellent stains that help to fill cracks in the woods. Therefore, ensure you do annual maintenance and staining on your playsets.
You can relax knowing that your kids are playing on a safe swing set, one that has no risks of splinters, sharp edges, or breakage to bring harm to you or your children.
