Warren And Sweat Tree Stand Review (Climbing/Climber) 2025

There were the 80s and 90s when deer hunters didn’t have many options for climbing stands. That was a time when Warren and Sweat made its debut in the mainstream climbing tree stand industry.

The company didn’t produce climbing tree stands, but ladder stands for convenience hunts. 

However, Warren and Sweat climbing stands weren’t as formulaic as several other models of the 90s. This resulted in low sale of its products until one day, Warren and Sweat had to shut down its business permanently in the 1990s.

While the Warren and Sweat hadn’t achieved much acclaim among dedicated hunters, its climbing stands were liked by hunters for their ease of climbing.

To know what using these particular stands feels like, you can see this Warren and Sweat tree stand review.

Warren And Sweat Tree Stand Review

In the early 60’s, Alvin E. Warren and George B. Sweat laid the foundation of their Warren and Sweat Manufacturing Company in Florida. 

WS treestands were comfortable, sturdy, and secure with affordable price tags. They were O.K. if not high quality. Nevertheless, the company gave hunters some above-average tree stands of the era.

Around 1990, the founder company sold its name. The new owners couldn’t meet the expectations of hunters as the newer Warren and Sweat tree stands were heavier and didn’t come with instruction manuals.

The newer owners of Warren and Sweat Manufacturing Company also didn’t own the responsibility of older WS treestands, eventually losing all of WS’s potential customers.

Then, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission got more than 25 reports for breaking the straps of Warren and Sweat treestands. 

CPSP recalled the Mag Lock Plus treestand by Warren and Sweat in 1997 as the bark biter strap came off, causing a hunter to have a severe leg injury.

As the quality of its tree stands went on decreasing, the company name gradually disappeared from the market. 

Today, if you’d see a WS treestand, it might be a heritage your grandfather or father had left with you.

Climbing Tree Stands – Warren And Sweat Tree Stand Review

Since Warren and Sweat tree stands belong to antiquity (LOL) as they faded around 2000 there is very less information about the company and its all products.

Some of its well known treestand names, we’ve come across are:

Warren And Sweat Climbing Tree Stands

• The rifleman
• The cottonwood
• Elite Extreme 
• Muzzleloader
• The Imperial 

Hang on Stands

• Cypress
• Cedar

For a detailed analysis of OG hang on stands of 2025, check out best hang on treestands

Warren and Sweat Ladder Treestand

• WS Ocala 12foot aluminum ladder stand

Learn more about best Ladder stands

The Cottonwood – The Most Acclaimed Warren Sweat Climber

This was the best selling Warren and Sweat climbing stand of its era. The design was simple but well made with strong construction.

The Cottonwood climber stand was quite portable as it weighed just 21 lbs. The weight capacity of this WS climber stand wasn’t less either, as it could hold 250 lbs of weight, including all hunting accessories. Additionally, the Cottonwood allowed hunters to hunt either way: facing the tree or away from the tree.

You’ll notice that the most commendable feature of this tree stand is its free shooting rail. The hunters could take the shooting rail on and off at their convenience.

The stand had hooks and ratchet straps to make it rock solid against the tree. Holding the stand wasn’t easier, but once set up, it was a firm stand.

This stand was comfortable for standing. Yet, some physics was required to make it more comfortable for hunting if day sits became crucial.

Imperial Tree Stand – The Best Seller Warren And Sweat Climbing Stand

This was another popular climbing stand by Warren and Sweat Manufacturing Company. The Imperial tree stand was known as a monarch as it gave hunters a comfortable hunting experience. For its weight and ease of climbing, this model hooked the hunters.

This climbing tree stand featured Bear hug blades for digging deeper into the tree’s bark. This way, it became remarkably secure and firmer.

With other ergonomics such as backpacking straps and padded seat rest, it was a great climber stand for hunters who hunt facing away from the tree.

if you are looking for something in budget category, that won’t break your bank and gives ultimate elevated hunting experience. Do check best budget hunting stands.

The Rifleman and the Bowman

Often confused with each other, the Rifleman and the Bowman were two different climbing tree stand models of Warren and Sweat.

The rifleman was more comfortable as its seat was foldable. The Bowman featured a solo wooden seat that allowed hunters to sit with their backs against the tree.

The Rifleman was more feature rich. It had a bigger seat with a marine plywood platform. Both sections were connected with square aluminum tubing. The Rifleman was meant for hunting while facing the tree.

What We Like About Warren Sweat Tree Stands

Fortunately, Warren Sweat climbing stands belonged to an age when the treestand safety standards weren’t high. Neither the tree stand manufacturing technology was. So, a Warren Sweat treestand had fulfilled the basic standards of hunting.

With their two way hunting ability, padded seat, aluminum tubing frame, and wooden platform, Warren Sweat treestands didn’t disappoint hobbyists.

What We Don’t Like Like About Warren Sweat Treestands

You’ll find that modern hunters don’t appreciate Warren and Sweat for a couple of reasons. The main catch about these treestands is they lack proper instructions regarding their proper usage and assembly. A time consuming assembly was enough to make these treestands fall apart. The users applied their own trial and miss formulae to make these treestands work for them.  

The buckle straps for securing the stand were prone to fray, putting hunter’s security at stake. Several users said that these stands go shimmy after reaching higher on a tree.

The seats on WS climbing stands were comfortable for short hunts. However, for long sits, the hunters had to make adjustments to avail of comfortable sitting.

Our Thoughts

You must have noticed that Warren and Sweat tree stands weren’t considered the perfect hunting stands as they got mixed responses from hunters. Some hunters found them life-threatening units, whereas, for some, WS treestands were the other name of success in hunting whitetails.

You’ll probably get a preloved W&S deer hunting stand with some signs of wear, so don’t use it before maintaining your safety.

For added concealment, make sure to wear best hunting camo. Make yourself scent free and stay where the wind can’t carry your scent to deer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)