KOMPAN Products & Outdoor Fitness: A Buyer's FAQ

I handle purchasing for a school district—playgrounds, parks, outdoor fitness equipment, along with the office stuff people don't think about. When I took over in 2020, I assumed a playground supplier was a playground supplier. Choose one, send a PO, done. I was wrong. That lesson taught me to ask better questions, and this FAQ is what came out of it. It's updated as of January 2025.

The questions I actually get

• Where do I start with KOMPAN products?
• Is KOMPAN outdoor fitness equipment actually different?
• What is the Akira bike slide?
• Does an alpine slide in Park City count as a reference?
• Can I buy KOMPAN through our current vendor?
• How do I compare a KOMPAN bid to a cheaper one?
• How do I add speaker notes in Google Slides for the proposal?

1. Where do I start with KOMPAN products?

Start on KOMPAN's own catalogue site, not on a design inspiration board. The site lets you filter by age group, location, and activity type. If your project is a school, use the school filter; if it's a park, use the park filter. I don't have hard data on how often the catalogue changes, but a KOMPAN rep told me in 2024 to always double-check the local product list because some items available in Europe are not sold in North America. That was true for at least one item on our wish list. It saved us from designing around a product we couldn't actually get.

2. Is KOMPAN outdoor fitness equipment actually different from gym-store gear?

Yes—or rather, it's different in the ways that matter for public use. The outdoor fitness KOMPAN equipment I've specified was designed for weather, heavy use, and multi-age groups. I'm not going to quote material specs from memory, but I can tell you the documentation mattered when our maintenance crew ordered replacement parts. The vendor who could identify a part number quickly saved us a lot of downtime.

(Should mention: the word outdoor matters. If a piece is labelled as outdoor equipment, it's worth asking what that means for UV, rain, and snow. We once had indoor-brand equipment fade faster than expected—not from KOMPAN, from a different supplier.)

3. What is the Akira bike slide?

I get this exact search term a lot, and I'll be honest: I don't have a product sheet to point you to. When I first looked into 'Akira bike slide,' I assumed it was a single item—a slide shaped like a bike or a ride-on that slides. In my experience, the phrase shows up in project lists and design boards, but it's not a formal catalogue category. If you need a KOMPAN product, search the current catalogue for 'Akira' or send the exact phrase to a KOMPAN dealer and ask for the official product name and code. I've learned not to guess part numbers.

That's also a useful test of a supplier. The one who says 'I don't have that exact term, but let me find out for you' is more trustworthy than the one who says 'sure, we can get it' without checking.

4. Does an alpine slide in Park City count as a reference for a playground slide?

Probably not, and that's worth saying clearly. When someone searches 'alpine slide park city,' they usually mean the resort rides at ski areas. Those are entertainment attractions, not commercial playground equipment. Playground slides are tested against standards like EN 1176 in Europe and ASTM F1487 in North America. I'm not a safety engineer, so I don't pretend to approve designs. I do know to ask for compliance documentation before accepting a bid.

(Should mention: some manufacturers use 'alpine' as a style name for playground slides, which is just marketing. The safety standards still apply.)

5. Can I buy KOMPAN through our current vendor?

Yes, if the vendor is authorized. We had a supplier offer 'one-stop shopping for everything' and then stall on one component for almost a month. I went back and forth for two weeks between giving them the whole package and splitting it into separate product lines. Splitting it gave us more control. It also taught me something about professional boundaries: a supplier who says 'this isn't our strength, here's who does it better' earns my trust for everything else they do claim to handle.

6. How do I compare a KOMPAN bid to a cheaper one?

Look at the first year, then look at year five. A lower first-year price can disappear if the warranty is thin, replacement parts are hard to get, or the installer doesn't know the product. I don't have hard data on industry-wide failure rates. What I can say anecdotally: our decision to pick a low bid in 2021 ended up costing more over two years than the better-documented option would have.

Ask for an itemized quote. If a supplier gives you one lump number for equipment, site work, and installation, you can't compare it with anything. As of January 2025, we ask every supplier for a line-item breakdown before we'll take a bid to finance.

7. How do I add speaker notes in Google Slides for the proposal?

Open your presentation in Google Slides, click View > Show speaker notes. A box opens below each slide. Type your talking points there. When you present, start the slideshow, hover in the bottom-left corner, and choose Presenter view. You'll see your notes on your monitor; the committee sees only the slide.

The buyer answer is: put your evaluation criteria in the notes. I keep lead time, warranty, and after-sales support questions in the speaker notes for every playground proposal. If a board member asks why we're recommending one supplier, I already have the answer in front of me.

8. What's the one thing I should do this week?

Call one KOMPAN representative and ask about lead times. Not price. Not catalogues. Lead times. In 2024, one of our projects almost slipped because I assumed 'a few weeks' based on an older project. It turned out to be closer to three months. The rep who corrected me before we committed is still someone I trust.

Don't be embarrassed to ask the boring operational questions. That's where most projects actually go sideways.