My parakeet has loved this playground for three years now. He mostly sits on the top or plays with the bell. However, the human tasked with cleaning the set is less-than satisfied. Parts do not stay together well. The paint bleeds out with washing. The rope perch droops because its anchor points are flimsy. It is difficult to clean to bottom because of the lower dowel. My bird showed no interest in the included plastic toys and I've since replaced that with a hanging mirror. He's also shown no interest in the swing or vertical ladder. Of course, your bird's interests may be different.

If you're looking for a basic perch in front of a window, this is ideal. But it doesn't do much for stimulation or excitement for the bird and is difficult to clean for the caretaker.

Cons: easily destroyed

+1point

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Review 4 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

3 / 5 27 reviews

Oliver likes it... I guess

November 24, 2012

by PBnC

fromNew York,Ny

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

Pet Satisfaction

3 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

2 / 5 27 reviews

Just got this yesterday and thought it was colorful and fun and I was able to put it together without glue but the swing is tough you have to twist it to make it swing and the toys are to far back in my opinion that he can't reach them very well but Oliver seems to like plus some of the toys like the swing ladder and space toy come off so you can put them in his cage I overall think it was a good purchase

Pros: durable, Keeps Pet Entertained, easy to wash

Cons: price

+1point

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Review 5 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

4 / 5 27 reviews

Great for small birds, not so much medium

April 15, 2012

by TheBabyEinstein

Top 50 contributor
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Top 50 contributor

fromThunder Bay, ON

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Pet Satisfaction

5 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

5 / 5 27 reviews

I have been eyeballing petsmart's collection of play gyms for a while now.

I finally got around to buying one the other day. I was worried that the construction of it was going to be difficult, as I am not very handy, but it turned out to be very easy, with the instructions being easy to follow.

It's very attractive and I like that it is easy to clean.

The one problem I have with it, is it isn't really big enough for a cockatiel. It is perfect for my budgies, and I can see it being good for parrotlets, lovebirds, finches, and linnies, but not quite for medium sized birds.

All in all, I like the product.

Pros: durable, Keeps Pet Entertained, easy to wash, price

+6points

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Review 6 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

2 / 5 27 reviews

Bad product, make better with a few modifications

February 12, 2012

by Anonymous

fromCarmel, IN

Pet Satisfaction

3 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

2 / 5 27 reviews

Reviewer Images

This is the second activity center I've bought for my cockatiel. Overall, my bird uses it as a two-level perch. He'll sit on the rope up front or on the dowel rod towards the back. Here's why this won't work for your cockatiel (as an activity center):

- Ladder gets in the way of the tail feather while bird is perched on rope.

- Swing to the right of the rear ladder (hanging by hooks) will not fit a full size cockatiel and mine usually removes it from the activity center.

- The dangling toy to the left of the bell is fun for two seconds, until my bird grabs it and is able to remove it from the hook.

Since this was the second one I bought, I made a few modifications so it'll last longer.

One, the glue they give you is horrible and doesn't bond well. Sadly, I had to use super glue to make sure the thing stuck together. If you do this, you'll want to sand away any excess super glue.

Two, I'd recommend drilling a screw up into the green dowel rod in the front for better support. Also put two small screws up into the ladder into the back for better support.

Three, I had to saw down the rear ladder because it wasn't level and was preventing the perch from being stable.

Four, remove the hook and the dangling toy to the left of the bell. Replace it with an eyelet and a toy that the bird can't remove from the play center.

Overall, this product may be best suited for parakeets. But like I said, I'm using it basically as a perch for my bird so he has a place to hang outside of his cage. The product quality and design is bad, but can be fixed with a few modifications.

Cons: easily destroyed, stains

0points

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Review 7 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

5 / 5 27 reviews

Great Activity Center

December 1, 2011

by zuzuki88

fromChicago, IL

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?2

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

My cockatiels have had this play pen for several years. They love it and play on it for hours at a time, going up and down the ladders, chewing the wood, or just relaxing. They're not big on swings, so I replaced the swing with a different toy, but it's a great place for them to hang out.

-1point

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Review 8 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

3 / 5 27 reviews

Look at this!

September 14, 2011

by Anonymous

fromTualatin, OR

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

i got this for my first parakeet. the colors bled and was hard to put together, he didnt even like it!!! so i got ideas from his favorite toys in his cage and spent $10 on a wooden board and wooden sticks. i painted them with non-toxic paint and made my own. there is even a spinning merry go round!!!!! and swings, ladders, and perches all over. it really is beautiful and it only took me a few hours to glue it all together. the best part is you made it and you know your bird will like it. every day he sits and looks at me when i come to take him out to play on it he does like a little dance and say "play play, play play!!" he LOVES it!!!

0points

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Review 9 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

3 / 5 27 reviews

June 7, 2011

by Wyvernfire22

Top 10 contributor
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Top 10 contributor

fromIN

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Pet Satisfaction

3 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

3 / 5 27 reviews

When I got my first parakeet a companion keet I got this play stand because it was big enough for both of them to play on. They do not like it at all, not even the swing or bell which are their favorite toys in their cage. The colors bled when I glued it together and the glue did not hold at all so I had to rebuild it twice. The colors bled even with out the glue when I touched it. It turned my parakeets feet different colors too. It still does not hold together very well and wobbles a bit. I ended up taking it apart and using all the pieces as toys in their cage which they like much better. I would not recommend this to bird owners with birds lager than a budgie as it is not very stable.

Pros: price

Cons: easily destroyed, stains

-1point

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Review 10 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

2 / 5 27 reviews

Eh, not all that great.

December 20, 2010

by Carzz

fromUT

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

Pet Satisfaction

1 / 5 27 reviews

Don't get me wrong, it's a very good idea, but for my cockatiel, it's WAY too small! With the ladder going to the inside, there is very minimal space from her to walk around, but putting the ladder to the other side encourages her to walk all over! And the swing? No! My bird has not gotten on it once! It's too small for an adult cockatiel!

Pros: keeps my bird happy for 30 minutes

Cons: too small, paint washed off when being cleaned, had to re-sand bars

+2points

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Review 11 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

2 / 5 27 reviews

Some nice elements...

November 26, 2010

by Sienna

fromColorado

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Pet Satisfaction

2 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

2 / 5 27 reviews

I got this thinking that all the birds would enjoy it as there are many different parts.
The parakeets (All four of them!) were terrified of it for the first couple days, and then after a while would only sit on the top perch. They wouldn't play with toys or swing around. This only went on for about a week before they stopped touching it alltogether.
I had a spare cage and put it inside along with a pair of my white Zebra finches. They enjoyed al the perches, but many of them were too wide in diameter, and the toys didn't seem to draw them in at all.
My cockatiels probably got the most enjoyment out of all the birds. The swing is much to small for them, but they loved taking naps on the top and chasing eachother up and down the dowels. Now they don't play with it much anymore, so I stopped putting it out for them.

The dowels come apart real easy, and when one comes un done they all start collapsing. It has a severe woble as well. The toys on it are decent, but not really that exciting.

Pros: can be a nice perch, for the right bird would make a decent playground

Cons: cheaply made, hard to clean, very small, not very good toys

+4points

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Review 12 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

4 / 5 27 reviews

Not too bad.

August 22, 2010

by BirdNerdd

fromChicago

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Pet Satisfaction

5 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

3 / 5 27 reviews

Reviewer Images

I went shopping for bird playstands for my tiels and picked this one because it actually looked rather interesting.

My birds love to chill on it. The younger ones are fond of the galaxy hanging toy. The swing included, though, is pratically useless for cockatiels, as it's not big enough for one to perch on.

The problems; the coloring bleeds easily. The glue that is provided to put the playgym together takes forever to dry and doesnt really hold well. I had to reglue the green wood that holds the rope up a couple times.

I dont think it was completely worth the price I paid; next time Ill go for something less simple and cheap.

Im including pics of my birds with the product.

Pros: colorful, good on a bird's eyes, rope perch works well, perfect for parakeets

Cons: color bleeds badly, cheaply constructed, swing isnt cockatiel sized, toys included not interesting enough, simple not very entertaining

0points

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Review 13 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

2 / 5 27 reviews

Cheap construction, difficult to clean

July 27, 2009

by jackvf1

fromSeattle, WA

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?2

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Pet Satisfaction

2 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

3 / 5 27 reviews

My parakeets avoid most of the toys--only occassionally perching on the rope, but quickly become bored. Wood bottom cracked after I washed once with sponge.

my main gripe with this gym is the materials--everything is wood and bird poo sticks to everything and is difficult to clean. Expect the dyes to come off if you use any type of cleaner to remove.

I would get a plastic play gym or something easier to clean. This item, while at first glance looks like a great bird gym, doesn't cut it in terms of quality and materials

Pros: inexpensive, colorful eye catching items

Cons: cheap construction, difficult to clean

0points

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Review 14 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

5 / 5 27 reviews

A good buy

March 3, 2009

by Kris1992

fromTuscaloosa,AL

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Pet Satisfaction

5 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

4 / 5 27 reviews

Milo and Chico really like to play on this set.

-2points

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Review 15 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

4 / 5 27 reviews

Its Pretty Cool

January 8, 2009

by Ash54Bowser

fromLondon, ON

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Pet Satisfaction

5 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

4 / 5 27 reviews

Reviewer Images

My lovebird LOVES it!! It kept him busy for a long time. Its small, and easy to keep in confined spaces. The bottom is an easy wipe away plastic material that the birds don't mind. He explored all over for about an hour. I tired of it before he did. Its perfect size for that sized bird and I think its a great addition to your birds toys!

Pros: bright colours, bell and hanging toys

Cons: not enough different textures

0points

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Review 16 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

4 / 5 27 reviews

hmm

November 18, 2008

by Aneta

fromNew York, NY

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?2

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Pet Satisfaction

4 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

5 / 5 27 reviews

I got this set for my lovebird when she was about 3 weeks old. She really loved it except that shes terrified of the red perches, so i had to paint them over.

0points

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Review 17 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

5 / 5 27 reviews

Wonderful!

June 26, 2008

by sdadawn

fromOntario, Canada

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?3

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Pet Satisfaction

5 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

5 / 5 27 reviews

Reviewer Images

My cockatiel LOVES this playground!! I wrapped a toy around the top and put millet spray in on occasion and he sits up there picking at it - rings the bell, climbs the ladder. Then my husky ate it when I was at work today :/ so I'm going to get another one - I've had it for way over a year, and he would really miss it!

+2points

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Review 18 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

2 / 5 27 reviews

A bit dangerous

April 4, 2008

by llo263

fromPhiladelphia, PA

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?1

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

Pet Satisfaction

2 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

1 / 5 27 reviews

I followed the instructions in the box for the assembly and even used my heavy textbooks to lay on top of it when drying, but this didn't prove enough because it seem to wobble when my cockatiel was perched on the top layer of the pen. Also, the right red pole that secures the rope perch does not fit properly, so this does not provide a stable support for the weight of my cockatiel. Another concern was that the color bleeds when you try to wash the pen.

0points

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Review 19 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

3 / 5 27 reviews

Cockatiel

December 18, 2007

by doglover101

fromNorth Carolina

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?2

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

Pet Satisfaction

5 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

3 / 5 27 reviews

Great product. My cockatiel LOVES it!!!!!! He won't go in his cage..the only time he does is to eat. Mabye a little small for a cockatiel, but my bird loves it and I would recommend to any one that has a cockatiel.

0points

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Review 20 for Penn-Plax Medium Bird Activity Center for Parakeets/Cockatiels

Overall rating

5 / 5 27 reviews

great

August 22, 2007

by keim6

fromWI

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?1

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Pet Satisfaction

5 / 5 27 reviews

Safety

5 / 5 27 reviews

Ibought this for my lovebird simen. It is fantastic . But one question why is the the bell on the other side when its supposed to be with the swing ? othewise it is great!

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

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