I know this post is old but the topic is always current! ;) I was having the same problem with my son, and we also took the approach of designating only certain items to climb. I agree that our little humans can, and do, understand that certain items are off limits for climbing, if you consistently offer reminders. ;) We decided to go with an indoor climber, and our house is small. It has been working out perfectly! The message has been that he is supposed to climb his climber, and he has permission to push it up to the couch for further exploration, but that is it! He respects this rule very well, although he still tests the waters from time to time, as they all do.

If you are interested in reading more about the climber we decided to go with, you can read more about it here. Hope it helps someone else out there who has a determined climber!

http://zemom.com/2014/11/21/my-toddler-wont-stop-climbing-what-oh-what-do-i-do-step2-panda-climber/

I know this post is old but the topic is always current! ;) I was having the same problem with my son, and we also took the approach of designating only certain items to climb. I agree that our little humans can, and do, understand that certain items are off limits for climbing, if you consistently offer reminders. ;) We decided to go with an indoor climber, and our house is small. It has been working out perfectly! The message has been that he is supposed to climb his climber, and he has permission to push it up to the couch for further exploration, but that is it! He respects this rule very well, although he still tests the waters from time to time, as they all do.