KOMPAN Playground & Exercise Equipment: A 6-Step Spec Checklist from Someone Who's Paid for Mistakes

Back in 2019, I placed an equipment order for a municipal park and got it wrong. I had a checklist. It was terrible. The rework cost around $4,300—maybe $4,500, I'd have to check the old PO—plus a very awkward meeting with the parks board.

Since then, I've handled playground and fitness equipment procurement for schools, parks, and commercial sites. I've made and documented six big mistakes, totaling roughly $18,000 in wasted budget. Now I maintain our team's pre-order checklist. If you're about to specify KOMPAN playground equipment or KOMPAN exercise equipment, this is the checklist I wish someone had handed me. Six steps, in order, plus the mistakes that still catch people.

Step 1: Start with the users and the site, not the catalog

The catalog has beautiful structures. It's tempting to pick a favorite and then try to make it fit. That's backwards. On my first project, I ignored the fact that the only delivery access was a narrow gate, and the largest piece required a wider opening. We had to unload and hand-carry everything (ugh).

Before opening a catalog, write down:

• Age ranges of primary users
• Likely peak users at one time
• Site dimensions and existing obstacles
• Access path for delivery and installation
• Drainage, shade, and ground conditions

Checkpoint: if you can't describe the site in ten words, you're not ready to choose equipment.

Step 2: Define what safe and durable mean, with evidence

The play and fitness industry is full of strong words: safest, most durable, maintenance-free. My rule now is simple: no data, no decision.

Ask which safety standards apply. For play structures, common ones are ASTM F1487 in the U.S. and EN 1176 in Europe. For outdoor fitness equipment, confirm it's rated for public, outdoor use. That's not a given if someone suggests an indoor machine.

KOMPAN planning materials include design specs and safety notes. Use them to check fall heights, safety zones, and surfacing requirements. If a supplier can't show evidence, move on.

Honestly, I'm not sure why some spec sheets make certification information so hard to find. My best guess is that different markets have different documentation habits.

Step 3: Match equipment to age and ability, and keep zones separate

On a 2022 project, we placed a spinner right next to an outdoor fitness station. A child using the spinner ran straight into a senior citizen using the exercise equipment. No one was seriously hurt, but it scared everyone and prompted a redesign. That mistake cost about $1,800 to relocate.

Use the manufacturer's age and ability ranges as a starting point. A carousel or spinner might be perfect for kids aged 5 to 12, but it doesn't belong in the adult fitness zone. For the fitness area, choose purpose-built KOMPAN exercise equipment rather than equipment never designed for weather.

In 2020, inclusive design was a nice-to-have. By 2025, it's a baseline. The fundamentals of safe playground design haven't changed, but the execution has transformed.

Step 4: Compare options on a matrix, not on wow factor

Before a different park project, one committee member loved a True Fitness treadmill and an Elliptical Galaxy model from their gym. They are great machines inside a supervised gym. The site was an outdoor park with no power, no climate control, and limited staffing. When we scored both against outdoor conditions, the KOMPAN exercise equipment won on weatherproofing, maintenance, and suitability.

Create a simple scoring matrix with these columns:

• Max users at once
• Age range
• Fall height and required surfacing
• Estimated maintenance needs
• Warranty terms
• Replacement part availability

Once it's on paper, the decision becomes way less emotional.

Step 5: How to Make a Google Slide Vertical for the Approval Deck

This step has nothing to do with playgrounds and everything to do with getting to yes. School boards, park commissions, and city committees read on phones. A landscape deck forces them to zoom and pinch. A vertical slide fits the screen.

Here is how to make a Google Slide vertical: open your presentation, click File, then Page setup, then Custom. Set the size to 7.5 by 13.33 inches. That gives you a 9:16 portrait slide. If you want a different size, keep the height around 1.78 times the width.

Trust me on this one: committee members don't want to pinch-zoom. Looking back, I should have formatted my first approval deck vertically. At the time, I assumed everyone would open it on a desktop. They didn't. A mobile-friendly deck didn't guarantee approval, but it removed one annoying barrier.

(Note to self: don't wait until after a comment about the font size to fix this.)

Step 6: Budget the Surfacing, Installation, and Long-Term Maintenance

The biggest budget mistake I've made is underestimating safety surfacing. In 2021, we chose a taller play structure because it had better play value. The safety surfacing quote came in $14,000 over our estimate. We already approved the equipment. The redo delayed the project by three weeks.

Equipment is only part of the total cost. Before you sign anything, verify:

• Safety surfacing required under and around each piece
• Foundation and installation costs
• Accessible paths to every piece of equipment
• Inspection schedule and spare parts plan

KOMPAN provides installation and maintenance documentation. Actually use it. No product, no matter how well built, gets an unlimited lifespan without periodic checks.

Three Mistakes That Still Happen

I still see the same patterns. Here are three to avoid:

1. Ordering before the site plan is final. The site changes, the equipment doesn't.
2. Comparing indoor and outdoor fitness equipment without context. A True Fitness treadmill is a good piece of equipment—in the right building. Context matters.
3. Making the approval deck hard to open. If they can't see the pages easily, they can't approve the project.

I still make smaller mistakes. In January 2025, I sent a proposal folder without checking the final export (yes, really). But every major order goes through this list now. It has saved me a ton of time and at least one public embarrassment.

If you have a better way to run this process, I'd like to hear it. I'm still learning.