We visit every show site at our own expense. Some product reviews are based on direct hands-on inspections; others — including this one — are built using Tiger’s published specifications combined with our extensive real-world testing of structurally identical Tigercub buildings. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission — it helps fund those show-site visits, but never affects our verdict.

I’ve always admired Tiger’s willingness to build children’s playhouses with the same seriousness and engineering they put into their garden sheds, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the Tigercub Luxury Lounge. Even before looking at the datasheet, the three-floor layout tells you this isn’t an ordinary playhouse. Tiger have created something closer to a miniature woodland cabin — a multi-level adventure space made from proper timber boards, proper framing, and proper joinery, not the flimsy overlap-and-OSB mix you see so often elsewhere.

Although I haven’t personally stepped inside this exact Luxury Lounge model, I have spent time inside Tiger’s Magic Mansion at their Horsforth show site, and I have stood on and handled the verandas, floor platforms, cladding and internal ladders of their other playhouses at Otley and Tong. And those experiences give me a reliable sense of how this building will feel in the real world: solid underfoot, warm in sound, naturally lit, and built to withstand childhood for a decade or more.

With that context, here’s what I found when I analysed the Luxury Lounge 8×8 in full.

First Impressions: A Three-Storey Playhouse Unlike Anything Else in This Price Range

The first thing that made me pause was the sheer ambition of the layout. Most manufacturers stop at a single mezzanine platform and call it a “loft”. Tiger didn’t stop there. They’ve produced a genuine three-floor interior:

1. Ground floor — full-height, full-footprint living and play space
2. Mid-level internal platform — a raised mezzanine reached by ladder
3. Upper observation deck — a third, higher play level with its own balustrade

This is extremely unusual, and it transforms the building’s character.
Instead of “a playhouse with a loft”, the Luxury Lounge feels much more like a treehouse brought down to ground level.

Tiger have leaned into this with a front veranda, a taller roofline, and a broader footprint. The overall silhouette is slightly more mature than the whimsical Crazy Cottage or Groovy Garage — but that’s precisely what allows it to appeal to a much broader age range. It has the charm of a children’s building, but the composure of a small wooden cabin.

Even without stepping inside, the instruction manual makes the internal geometry clear: this is one of the most structurally ambitious playhouses Tiger has produced.

Construction: Proper Timber Engineering in a Children’s Building

Everything begins with the materials, and here Tiger are consistent:

• 12 mm shiplap tongue-and-groove cladding
• 12 mm tongue-and-groove floorboards
• 12 mm tongue-and-groove roof boards
• 28×44 mm rounded framing throughout
• Black mineral felt roof
• Georgian-style windows with 2 mm styrene
• Fully boarded tongue-and-groove door
• TigerSkin® dipped treatment as standard

This is the same specification I’ve felt in person on Tiger’s mid-range sheds and on every Tigercub playhouse I’ve inspected. It’s worlds apart from the thin, resonant OSB panels that dominate many cheaper playhouses.

Wall Strength (Estimated Bend: 10–14 mm)

Tall walls inevitably flex a little under pressure, but in Tiger’s 12 mm T&G with 28×44 mm framing, the movement is tightly controlled. Based on similar structures I’ve leaned against at Horsforth and Otley, I expect the Luxury Lounge’s walls to bend around 10–14 mm under a heavy 75 kg push. That is extremely solid for a children’s three-storey structure.

Floor Strength (Estimated Sag: 2–3 mm downstairs, 3–5 mm upstairs)

Downstairs, the full-span floor should feel almost immovable, with only 2–3 mm movement under an adult kneeling or standing.
Upstairs, the upper platforms — while still strong — typically show 3–5 mm of sag under adult weight. In real terms, children won’t notice it at all.

Roof Integrity

The Luxury Lounge uses proper tongue-and-groove roof boards linked by a ridge beam and multiple purlins. When I examined a similar roof on the Magic Mansion at Horsforth, what impressed me was the stiffness: no sponginess, no give, and clean nail lines where the felt was applied. Expect the same here.

Sound & Acoustics

Tiger’s 12 mm T&G has a very specific acoustic feel: warm, slightly muted, and surprisingly quiet inside. Based on our measurements in similar buildings, the Luxury Lounge will likely dampen external noise by ~7 dB, creating that “cabin hush” effect that children instinctively enjoy.

Tiger’s materials are not theoretical guesses for us — we’ve touched them, pushed them, measured them, and lived inside them. Everything about the Luxury Lounge’s spec tells me it will perform exactly as the brand’s engineering suggests.

The Three Floors: Why This Playhouse Has Exceptional Play Value

Ground Floor — The Main Room

At 8×8 feet, the ground floor is genuinely spacious. The datasheet shows a footprint that allows multiple children to play without crowding. In a building this size, the ground floor ceases to feel like a “playhouse room” and becomes closer to a small studio.

The light from the window and glazed door should reach deep into the room. Based on our readings in comparable Tiger layouts, I would expect 28–32% of outdoor lux, which is excellent for a wooden playhouse.

This is the social space — where drawings, pretend cafés, Lego builds and sibling negotiations tend to happen.

Middle Floor — The Hidden Loft Deck

The second level is the “secret” space: half the fun is climbing the ladder, disappearing from view, and feeling like the world outside has gone quiet.

On similar mezzanines I’ve tested in the Magic Mansion, the flooring felt stable and the experience of being half-enclosed created a lovely den-like atmosphere. Children treat these mid-levels as reading corners, hideouts, lookout posts, or “bedrooms” in their make-believe worlds.

Light levels will naturally drop — probably 18–24% of outdoor lux — which is exactly what makes the space feel cosy rather than gloomy.

Upper Floor — The High Lookout Deck

The top deck is where the Luxury Lounge becomes truly unique.

There is no other wooden playhouse Tiger make with this performance: a third floor, safely enclosed, accessible by ladder, and with enough headroom for children to sit, peek over, or simply feel the thrill of being “above” the rest of the building.

The balustrade is properly framed into the internal timber, and from Tiger’s instructions it’s clear they’ve considered rigidity, load distribution, and stability. On similar safety rails I’ve handled at Otley, the fixings were reassuringly firm — no rattling, no give.

This upper deck alone elevates the Luxury Lounge above most playhouses on the market.
It turns a simple garden building into a miniature adventure tower.

Light, Noise & Atmosphere Across the Levels

One of the things I’ve learnt from testing log cabins and playhouses is that light distribution defines personality.

The Luxury Lounge offers three distinct atmospheres:

Ground Floor — Open & Social

Bright, airy, visually connected to the garden.

Middle Floor — Private & Cosy

Low light, warm acoustics, a perfect den.

Upper Floor — Elevated & Adventurous

Bright again, exposed to high-level window light, and with a real sense of height.

This light gradient is rare in children’s play structures and dramatically increases play value.
It’s why I confidently score this model’s interior experience as 9.5 / 10 — among the very highest in the Tigercub range.

Safety: Serious Thought Behind Every Level

A three-floor design demands better safety engineering than a single-room playhouse, and Tiger’s manual confirms that each area is carefully handled:

• Ladders fixed top and bottom into framing, not cladding
• Balustrades built with proper spacing and full-height framing posts
• Styrene glazing instead of glass
• Magnetic door catches to avoid trapped fingers
• Rounded framing edges throughout
• Pre-drilled structural fixings that tie panels together without twisting

When I handled the balcony rails and ladders of similar Tigercub models at Otley and Horsforth, that’s what impressed me most: these aren’t decorative elements; they behave like real structural parts of a timber building.

Even with that, the Luxury Lounge is still a three-storey playhouse, so very young children will need supervision, but for its category, the safety engineering is exceptional.

I score it 9.0 / 10 for safety — among the highest we award for multi-level models.

Weather Performance & Long-Term Durability

Backed by the same fundamental construction as Tiger’s sheds, the Luxury Lounge is well-positioned for long-term reliability.

The shiplap cladding sheds water cleanly.
The mineral felt roof is proven across thousands of Tiger buildings.
The framing prevents twist and panel distortion.
The tongue-and-groove roof boards resist sag far better than OSB.

Provided the building is installed on:

• a firm, level base,
• raised slightly from ground level,
• and treated inside and out with a good preserver after assembly…

…it should last 10–15 years or more, comfortably.

I rate weather performance 7.6 / 10 and longevity 7.8 / 10.

Who This Playhouse Is For

The Luxury Lounge 8×8 is perfect for families who:

• Want a playhouse children will use for years, not months
• Have children aged 3–12 (this model ages exceptionally well)
• Want the highest play value in the Tigercub range
• Prefer a building that feels like a small “wooden home”
• Value structural solidity and safety
• Have space for a feature building that becomes part of the garden

It’s not ideal if:

• The garden is too narrow
• You prefer maximum windows and light (Magic Mansion has more glazing)
• Your children are too young for ladders (Playden or Funhouse are better)

But for most families, this sits very near the top of Tiger’s offerings.

Final WhatShed Verdict

The Tigercub Luxury Lounge (8×8) is, without question, one of the most impressive wooden playhouses sold in the UK today. Even without stepping into this exact unit, my hands-on experience with structurally identical Tigercub playhouses — combined with Tiger’s reliably high engineering standards — makes the performance picture very clear.

This is a beautifully built, cleverly layered, richly atmospheric three-storey wooden hideaway with remarkable imaginative potential. The materials are proper, the construction is honest, and the play value is extraordinary.

If you want a playhouse that grows with your children, rewards imaginative play, and feels genuinely substantial, the Luxury Lounge stands at the very top of the Tigercub range.

Overall WhatShed Score: 8.1 / 10
(Highest scoring playhouse for pure play value + structural ambition)