Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm pretty impressed with this product over all, it does the job of holding a mattress perfectly well, it's pretty solid, and it looks pretty nice. It isn't mind blowing high quality, but it is pretty much everything I expected from a $250 piece of furniture. Here is what to expect when you purchase this product (and if you like the way it looks, I say go for it): It comes in a enormous box (which UPS decided to leave in my back yard next to my trash cans). Inside, the headboard is wrapped in a big plastic bag. All of the parts, including the directions and hardware, are packed inside the headboard in the zipper compartment. If you don't have a very big space to work in, I recommend doing what I did - cut open the box outside, (it's actually double-boxed) taking care not to cut too deeply, and remove the headboard. Carry that inside to wherever you are going to set it up. Leave the box outside, it's huge and serves no purpose going forward. Warning: it's very heavy. This is a two person lift for sure, though if you had to you could remove the parts from inside and carry them in multiple trips (the empty headboard is bulky but not too heavy). Make sure you have a large enough space to assemble before you start unpacking, you will need to stack the parts out of the way so you can position the frame. Assembly is really strait forward, there is a small hardware kit with five screws, a set of spare parts, a hex wrench, and a hex ratchet (which is a life saver, tightening screws with a ratchet is so very much easier than a normal hex wrench). There is a single (two sided) large page of instructions. There isn't much text, but you don't really need it, the pictures are all you need. All the other screws needed are already threaded into holes on all the parts - you never need to remove those screws either, just loosen them so that the parts slide together, then tighten them down. The five screws in the part kit are for the frame. You will find two large metal pieces, they are the two parts of the frame. They come folded up, all you have to do is unfold them and their legs, and place the shorter one across the center of the longer one (there is a slot for this) creating an elongated plus sign shape. The longer part of the frame runs along the center of the bed length-wise. The five screws are inserted into holes on the top of the frame above the legs, one screw on each arm of the frame, and one in the center where they cross. Those screws main purpose is to prevent the frame from folding. The frame pieces themselves are very solid, and don't require any additional assembly. There is a box containing the for wooden legs, they have screws sticking out the top that thread into the bottom of the baseboard and headboard. Once those are attached, you need to loosen all the screws all all the remaining parts - the headboard, foot board, and four side panels. Back them out a quarter to half an inch. Then you position the head and foot boards, and slide the ends of the long portion of frame over the screws in the middle of those parts. At this point you can tighten those screws a bit, not actually tight, but enough to keep anything from shifting around. Then you slide all the side pieces on and finally tighten everything down. This is where that ratchet comes into play, it makes getting everything snug so much easier than it would be without it. The cross slats are all attached together in rolls, you just stick the first one to the Velcro, and pull each one tight and the Velcro strips space them perfectly. Toss your mattress on top, and you're done. I should note that the edges of the bed don't extend up past the slats, so the mattress isn't down in the box at all. I kinda prefer beds where it is, so it's prevented from sliding, but it isn't a big deal. Everything feels nice and solid, no creaking or wobbling or anything. I'm pretty happy so far, the only real gripes are that the padding on the headboard isn't especially thick - but it's enough to be more comfortable than wood, or a wall - and the fabric isn't especially soft. I'm also not a fan of the brown stained wood legs, I would have preferred them be painted black I think it would have fit better. Bottom line, I like it. If you're looking for a platform bed in this price range and like the look of this one, I recommend it. Edit: 4 Years later I still really like it. It's solid, I haven't ever needed to tighten anything, and there are still no creaking noises or anything. In the time I've had it, I switched from a traditional spring mattress to a foam one - no problem, this frame supports it just great. My only complaint at all, is that the mattress can slide a little if you move a lot in your sleep. It's not a big problem, we're talking an inch or so in a week, and you can shift it back no problem. But if the sides just extended up an inch past the slats to prevent the mattress from being able to move at all, it would be the perfect bed.