Ryan Whitaker

I grew up skating whatever curb or driveway I could find, so testing the best portable skateboard ramps for driveways felt like coming home. After 30 days of ollies, kickflips, and more than a few bail-outs with my nephew and his friends, I sorted through 10 of the top options on the market right now. … Read more

Teenagers need more than a swing set. After watching my nephew outgrow two play sets in three years, I started researching the best backyard ninja kits for teenagers that could actually challenge a 14-year-old and hold up to daily abuse. The difference between a kid ninja course and a teen-appropriate one comes down to three … Read more

Replacing a fabric canopy every other year gets old fast. After going through two soft-top gazebos that tore apart in their first Midwest windstorm, I went looking for the best hardtop pavilions for backyard patios that could handle real weather instead of just one calm summer. Over the past three months, our team pulled together … Read more

A hot tub with nothing overhead is a three-season luxury at best. Once the leaves start dropping and the snow follows, an uncovered tub turns into a debris collector that has to be skimmed before every single soak. That is exactly why our team spent weeks comparing the best hardtop pavilions for hot tub coverage … Read more

Last March, a 120 mph microburst ripped through our neighbor’s yard and folded their aluminum-framed gazebo like a tin can. The posts were bolted to a wooden deck, but the roof panels acted like a sail anyway. That single storm pushed our team to spend the next four months testing, anchoring, and reviewing every aluminum … Read more

Last summer, my neighbor Christine finally pulled the trigger on a patio daybed with canopy for her small backyard. She had spent two summers reading reviews and second-guessing herself. The day it arrived, she texted me a photo and said, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?” That single picture of her curled up under the … Read more

My kids discovered American Ninja Warrior on TV last summer, and suddenly our backyard became a training ground. After weeks of watching them swing from tree branches and balance on fallen logs, I decided a proper ninja warrior obstacle course kit would be safer and way more fun. These kits bring the excitement of the … Read more

For a big yard ready for high-speed family fun, the best long backyard zip line kits for big yards pair a long, durable cable with a reliable braking system and straightforward installation. My team compared 12 kits from 98 to 300 feet, testing real-world setup and daily use with both kids and adults. In this … Read more

When my daughter turned three, I spent three weekends comparing zip line kits before installing one in our backyard. The first kit I tried had a brake that nearly threw her off the seat on her first ride. The second was perfect. That experience taught me that the best backyard zip lines with seats for … Read more

Last summer, my kids turned our backyard into a neighborhood destination the day we installed our first zipline. The laughter, the racing, the kids telling their friends “you HAVE to come over” – that’s what the best backyard zip line kits for kids deliver. I’ve spent the past three months testing zipline kits with my … Read more