What is a Pikler Triangle? (and our favorites)
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If you’ve been around parenting Instagram you may have seen a Pikler triangle in a playroom. It is a large, usually foldable, ladder-type climbing device. Sometimes it is referred to as a “Montessori climbing triangle” BUT it actually isn’t Montessori. It was designed by Emmi Pikler, a Hungarian pediatrician who taught Magda Gerber who created the RIE movement. Montessori families love it because it promotes natural gross motor development and honors the child’s need for movement. In our home, the Pikler has been an amazing investment, especially when we lived in a small apartment. I can’t answer for you the question of whether it is “worth it” but for us, the Pikler triangle was definitely worth it!
I have two children and the oldest just turned 3. My youngest is a year. Both use the Pikler triangle pretty much daily. We got the Pikler triangle for my son when he 6 months old, but my daughter has used it since birth. We used it to hang her Montessori mobiles from birth and also as a place to prop up a small mirror. Now at 16 months, she is climbing up. Prior to beginning to climb though she used it for pulling up and cruising between the ladder and the slide. She used it to practice transferring her hands while standing and standing with less support. It was the first place my son pulled up and he climbed it at 7 months! It is the second place my daughter pulled up (the first being our climbing arch!). My son loves climbing it and going down the slide these days. My daughter also climbs up and down though she is not as into going to the top as my son was. She generally goes partway up and then climbs back down. We’ve used it to build forts, make car ramps, and all sorts of other activities.
After our learning tower, I would say the Pikler triangle was our best big purchase for children. It has been a safe way for my children to practice a variety of gross motor activities and is perfect for getting out the energy indoors. We also have a climbing arch and while I do love it (and love how it becomes a rocker), the foldable Pikler triangle is special. It provides a climbing challenge for babies and young toddlers but remains really fun for older toddlers. Climbing the arch is of basically no interest anymore for my 2-year-old. What makes the Pikler triangle so special though is how safe it is for young children to work on things like climbing. It is carefully designed with openings a certain size, for example (beware of some off-brand Piklers that may not have properly spaced holes). This keeps a child safer than larger ones where they could get wedged.
I felt very safe letting my baby learn to climb on the Pikler triangle (supervised of course) and I believe it built up his skills in a safe and controlled environment that made us both more confident at the playground later. I know my son’s abilities and I can trust him more at the playground. He has climbing skills which mean I’m not boosting him up or helping him climb at playgrounds which can be dangerous. For a child climbing other things, a climbing triangle is a great tool for redirection. On days when the weather does not allow for a long time outside it is great for getting out energy.
What is the best Pikler triangle?
There are many Pikler triangles (or more accurately, climbing triangles) on the market and they vary vastly in price. You can find a full set with a triangle, an arch, and a slide/rock wall on Amazon for cheaper than a single triangle from some other brands. That said, I would be cautious about buying some of these brands. Pikler triangles are designed with specific spacing in bars that make them safe for babies and toddlers. Some climbing triangles sold are not made with these specifications.
While many companies sell “Pikler triangles” there are actually only two brands in the United States that are certified to carry the Pikler registered trademark. These two companies are Sprout Kids (discount code OnTheWay10) and RAD Children’s Furniture (discount code OnTheWay). Pikler furniture is made to very specific specifications and measurements laid out by Emmi Pikler. Now, this is not to say that all other climbing triangles are unsafe or should be avoided, but it is a reason I do recommend one of these two brands. While both companies do have the certification, I believe RAD Children’s Furniture is the only one that can sell Pikler triangles. Sprout Kids sells a Pikler labyrinth. Sprout’s certification is more recent than RAD Children’s I believe so that might change and they might sell certified Pikler triangles in the future. When I purchased my triangle RAD Children’s was the only one certified to sell any Pikler products in the United States. Though many others do use the word “Pikler” when advertising their triangles you will notice that RAD Children’s and Sprout both have the Pikler logo in the corner of the photo of their Pikler-certified products. Sprout also does not refer to their triangle as a Pikler Triangle but as a “climbing triangle” as it does not have the certification their labyrinth has.
We have the RAD Children’s Jumbo Pikler triangle and I recommend it to everyone. It is pricier than some but, again, for something my child is climbing daily I want to make sure it is sturdy and safe. We opted for the jumbo size for longevity, a decision I will never regret. At 2.5 my son still LOVES it which I do not think would be true of some of the smaller triangles. I was a little unsure about purchasing the larger one when my son was only 6 months old but I found I was comfortable with him using it supervised and after a few months was very glad I got the bigger one. We also purchased a slide to go with it. I introduced the slide closer to a year. He uses the slide all the time now but I don’t think it provides much for a baby. In our old apartment, we had limited space, and the jumbo still folded up plenty small for storage.
My son has also used the Piccalio climbing triangle and we liked it, though the slightly smaller size was less interesting to him (though this one is still bigger than many other brands). Other brands I have products from and trust are Lily and River and Sprout Kids (code OnTheWay10). Lily and River now also sells a large one as well. I think Lily and River’s small one is particularly small compared to Sprout Kids, Piccalio, or other brands.
The one other triangle I find quite interesting but do not have is the snake-style triangle. These can fold into multiple positions adding interest for children as they grow. I am always hesitant to recommend a product or brand I do not have personal experience with, but I know my own experience is limited so my next best recommendation is other creators I have seen using and loving a product for a long time. The first time I saw one of these snake-style climbers was from Montessori Madre over on Instagram who has the Happy Moon climber. I’ve seen her use it through three kids which gives me confidence in recommending that one as a snake climber!
As I mentioned at the beginning, there are many triangles available in a wide array of prices. One more affordable triangle I have seen used and loved by friends is the Wood and Hearts climber. It comes in different configurations including a popular three-part set with a triangle climber, ramp, and arch. While they are more affordable than other options, beware of shipping prices. At the time of writing this the one linked here is $149.80 for a three-piece set and shipping is free. Some others on their site have expensive shipping. So while their triangles are listed for $63.20, shipping is $86. Shipping is not free on Amazon either.
Overall my pick is the RAD Children’s Jumbo Pikler (code OnTheWay gives a discount). This is the one we chose for ourselves 2.5 years ago and I have had no regrets. If the large triangle makes you nervous they do sell smaller ones as well. I would beware of some of the cheapest ones on Amazon. I did some review reading and the negative reviews on some of them are shocking. I would be particularly wary about large gaps in the construction of some.
