Reasonably well-made, quite heavy loft bed. Delivered truck freight in two boxes that are large and over 100 lbs each, so be ready with help to handle those.
Packing was a bit minimal, and two of the mounting flanges for the bed were bent about 3/16 out of shape -- not a showstopper, but very annoying in a nearly-$600 product and easily avoidable with adequate corner protection on the boxes. Finish is black, presumably powder coat, and looks good. Docking the rating one star for the bent flanges, the hassle of removing the adhesive labels, and some screw-alignment hassles that I could overcome only because Im very practiced at this sort of assembly work, have lots of tools, and am absurdly strong.
Assembly was relatively easy, despite the poor instructions (the hardware identifier page was not to scale) and comically-tiny illustrations. Only one screw hole didnt line up -- on the edge of the desktop -- but with some judicious wrestling, a few taps from a rubber mallet, and some well-chosen profanity it finally mated after half an hour of struggling with it.
The sides are one-piece, and so is the bed platform -- I was dreading having to put the platform together a rail at a time, based on a YouTube video Id seen, but the spec seems to have changed since the video was made and all the cross-members are now welded. The sides and desktop are the three heaviest pieces, and you may want help carrying those and getting them into position for assembly.
Overall: an attractive, sturdy unit and my daughter loves it. I can easily see why some people found assembly frustrating.
A few assembly tips:
1. A cordless screwdriver with the correct metric hex drivers (2mm and 3mm IIRC) about six inches long and a Phillips-head screwdriver is very helpful.
2. The first step (attaching the sides to the bed platform) is much easier if you assemble it lying on its side and then stand it up. You will probably need a helper for this, as the steel frame is heavy and will slide across the floor. Leave the screws a bit loose until you get all of them started -- this will give you some wiggle-room to align the screw with the hole. You might also find that using some shims (books, 2x4s, anything sturdy and the correct thickness) helps to lift the bed platform into position (a couple inches off the floor) so you can get the screws started without having to lift the platform and hold it in place with one hand.
3. Likewise, when you install the desktop, leave the screws loose until you get all of them started -- then go back and tighten them all. I had a lot of alignment trouble with one screw on the desktop, even with all the screws loosened.
4. When you get the first few steps finished (sides attached to bed platform, desktop, and shelf) you might notice it seems a bit vulnerable to lateral forces (it wobbles). Once you get the front and back rails installed on the bed, though, it is quite stable and rigid. Double-check that the screws are tight.
5. There are a few adhesive labels attached to the frame -- they cant be peeled off without leaving the adhesive layer and a skin of paper. I resorted to solvent (Goo Gone) and a plastic scraper, then 409 and paper towels to remove the Goo Gone residue.
Good luck!
Pretty good, with a few caveats
Reasonably well-made, quite heavy loft bed. Delivered truck freight in two boxes that are large and over 100 lbs each, so be ready with help to handle those. Packing was a bit minimal, and two of the mounting flanges for the bed were bent about 3/16 out of shape -- not a showstopper, but very annoying in a nearly-$600 product and easily avoidable with adequate corner protection on the boxes. Finish is black, presumably powder coat, and looks good. Docking the rating one star for the bent flanges, the hassle of removing the adhesive labels, and some screw-alignment hassles that I could overcome only because Im very practiced at this sort of assembly work, have lots of tools, and am absurdly strong. Assembly was relatively easy, despite the poor instructions (the hardware identifier page was not to scale) and comically-tiny illustrations. Only one screw hole didnt line up -- on the edge of the desktop -- but with some judicious wrestling, a few taps from a rubber mallet, and some well-chosen profanity it finally mated after half an hour of struggling with it. The sides are one-piece, and so is the bed platform -- I was dreading having to put the platform together a rail at a time, based on a YouTube video Id seen, but the spec seems to have changed since the video was made and all the cross-members are now welded. The sides and desktop are the three heaviest pieces, and you may want help carrying those and getting them into position for assembly. Overall: an attractive, sturdy unit and my daughter loves it. I can easily see why some people found assembly frustrating. A few assembly tips: 1. A cordless screwdriver with the correct metric hex drivers (2mm and 3mm IIRC) about six inches long and a Phillips-head screwdriver is very helpful. 2. The first step (attaching the sides to the bed platform) is much easier if you assemble it lying on its side and then stand it up. You will probably need a helper for this, as the steel frame is heavy and will slide across the floor. Leave the screws a bit loose until you get all of them started -- this will give you some wiggle-room to align the screw with the hole. You might also find that using some shims (books, 2x4s, anything sturdy and the correct thickness) helps to lift the bed platform into position (a couple inches off the floor) so you can get the screws started without having to lift the platform and hold it in place with one hand. 3. Likewise, when you install the desktop, leave the screws loose until you get all of them started -- then go back and tighten them all. I had a lot of alignment trouble with one screw on the desktop, even with all the screws loosened. 4. When you get the first few steps finished (sides attached to bed platform, desktop, and shelf) you might notice it seems a bit vulnerable to lateral forces (it wobbles). Once you get the front and back rails installed on the bed, though, it is quite stable and rigid. Double-check that the screws are tight. 5. There are a few adhesive labels attached to the frame -- they cant be peeled off without leaving the adhesive layer and a skin of paper. I resorted to solvent (Goo Gone) and a plastic scraper, then 409 and paper towels to remove the Goo Gone residue. Good luck!