Best full over full we could find, not disappointed
--Packaging, Delivery and First Impressions--
The bunk bed came in 3 separate (heavy) packages. From the outside, it looked to have been packaged well for transport. Ours had a few dings and scrapes on the box but allowed the delivery anyway as the reviews had stated that the packaging was good inside and we werent disappointed, Styrofoam galore! The boxes were heavy (go figure!) so itll be best if you have help.
--Assembly--
Assembling can be done by one person (it took me about 2 1/2 hours) but Id highly recommend another pair of hands.
The first hour or so was spent laying out the parts and screws in order and visualizing the instructions in my head before starting. Id highly recommend you study the first three pages of the instructions before you begin, they all look the same at the start but they actually show slightly different information. For example, the first page shows the overall construction. The second shows which posts are the header/footer combinations. The third starts the detailed steps.
A few random assembly thoughts/hints:
1. You WILL NEED power tools for this regardless of what anyone or the instructions tell you. Some of the screws are almost 4 inches long and theres no way youre manually cranking the provided wrench for the whole bed. Youll need two types if bits, allen and phillips.
2. The bottom headboard and footboard combo is the same in terms of assembly.
3. The top headboard and footboard combo is different so be careful which parts you use. You will also need to visualize which side will be the inside and the outside while putting them together.
4. The three support beams (1 for the bottom and 2 for the top) are installed curved side facing down. It took me a bit to figure this out as the instruction wasnt clear on this. Youll think its common sense once youve put it all together but this part was confusing during the actual assembly.
5. The metal brackets that hold the middle support beams are drilled directly into the headboard and footboard frames. There are no pre-slotted or pre-holed guides to help on this one. Just line up the bottom part of the metal bracket with the lower-end of the lower horizontal beam and just screw directly into the wood.
6. As with any particle wood furniture, youll need to let up on the power drill when the screws get close to being all the way in. I totally forgot and the first screw is now imbeded very firmly inside the headboard.....
--Overall thoughts--
This bed was definitely (borrowing another reviewers phrase for this product) the best bang for the buck full over full bed on the market... online anyway. The outer frame is your typical particle wood furniture and as with other slat beds, the slats are of the real 2x4 variety. What was surprising (and reassuring) was that the side beams that hold these slats and the middle support beams were also solid wood. The instructions were a bit simplified but adequate. As for any wobbling, it wobbles just as much as any other non-solid-wood bunk bed Ive seen in my life, no-more no-less. The kids are enjoying it and my and wife I are happy we made the purchase. We would recommend to any budget-minded family.
Best full over full we could find, not disappointed
--Packaging, Delivery and First Impressions-- The bunk bed came in 3 separate (heavy) packages. From the outside, it looked to have been packaged well for transport. Ours had a few dings and scrapes on the box but allowed the delivery anyway as the reviews had stated that the packaging was good inside and we werent disappointed, Styrofoam galore! The boxes were heavy (go figure!) so itll be best if you have help. --Assembly-- Assembling can be done by one person (it took me about 2 1/2 hours) but Id highly recommend another pair of hands. The first hour or so was spent laying out the parts and screws in order and visualizing the instructions in my head before starting. Id highly recommend you study the first three pages of the instructions before you begin, they all look the same at the start but they actually show slightly different information. For example, the first page shows the overall construction. The second shows which posts are the header/footer combinations. The third starts the detailed steps. A few random assembly thoughts/hints: 1. You WILL NEED power tools for this regardless of what anyone or the instructions tell you. Some of the screws are almost 4 inches long and theres no way youre manually cranking the provided wrench for the whole bed. Youll need two types if bits, allen and phillips. 2. The bottom headboard and footboard combo is the same in terms of assembly. 3. The top headboard and footboard combo is different so be careful which parts you use. You will also need to visualize which side will be the inside and the outside while putting them together. 4. The three support beams (1 for the bottom and 2 for the top) are installed curved side facing down. It took me a bit to figure this out as the instruction wasnt clear on this. Youll think its common sense once youve put it all together but this part was confusing during the actual assembly. 5. The metal brackets that hold the middle support beams are drilled directly into the headboard and footboard frames. There are no pre-slotted or pre-holed guides to help on this one. Just line up the bottom part of the metal bracket with the lower-end of the lower horizontal beam and just screw directly into the wood. 6. As with any particle wood furniture, youll need to let up on the power drill when the screws get close to being all the way in. I totally forgot and the first screw is now imbeded very firmly inside the headboard..... --Overall thoughts-- This bed was definitely (borrowing another reviewers phrase for this product) the best bang for the buck full over full bed on the market... online anyway. The outer frame is your typical particle wood furniture and as with other slat beds, the slats are of the real 2x4 variety. What was surprising (and reassuring) was that the side beams that hold these slats and the middle support beams were also solid wood. The instructions were a bit simplified but adequate. As for any wobbling, it wobbles just as much as any other non-solid-wood bunk bed Ive seen in my life, no-more no-less. The kids are enjoying it and my and wife I are happy we made the purchase. We would recommend to any budget-minded family.