The instructions were poor and led to my friend and I having to redo a couple steps. Actually I think we got one wrong/mislabeled piece as well but it made a small cosmetic difference and I didnt want to wait for a replacement.
The smell isnt as strong as I feared from these comments. Certainly didnt give anybody a headache but it does smell like paint a little bit. Someone said it was composite instead of solid but I can literally see the wood grain (subtly) under the paint. I started to worry some of you were getting knock offs by how much the reviews varied, so I made sure to order directly from the seller and Im happy I did.
I wish the bed was taller but really only Pottery Barn sold taller beds. With a normal ten inch mattress at the bottom bunk, an adult cannot sit under the top bunk. I didnt want to replace the mattress I already have but if youre buying new mattresses I think a little thinner would be better. We bought a tuft and needle nod 8 mattress for the top bunk. That works pretty well and also comes in 6 which would give you more head clearance on the bottom. This is another plus to a twin over full vs full over full: parent can still sit comfortably on the edge of the bed to tuck in the littles.
As many reviews have said, the bed slats are way too far apart. For the bottom I put in the slats from the bed I replaced, but I will need a bunky board or more slats for the top bunk. While it may be supportive enough as is its hard to make the bed without sheets etc hanging down over the bottom bunk as three isnt a good place to tuck them in with only sparsely spaced slats.
All in all I am satisfied with my purchase. The price was reasonable, delivery was quick, and the assembly is not too hard with a friend. My kids are so happy and, assuming it stays intact, they will get many years of use out of the beds. Bonus that I can theoretically separate it into two beds at the end, which is just a matter of lifting the top bunk off and putting it down.
Anyway, I hope this helps if youre on the fence.
Pretty bed
The instructions were poor and led to my friend and I having to redo a couple steps. Actually I think we got one wrong/mislabeled piece as well but it made a small cosmetic difference and I didnt want to wait for a replacement. The smell isnt as strong as I feared from these comments. Certainly didnt give anybody a headache but it does smell like paint a little bit. Someone said it was composite instead of solid but I can literally see the wood grain (subtly) under the paint. I started to worry some of you were getting knock offs by how much the reviews varied, so I made sure to order directly from the seller and Im happy I did. I wish the bed was taller but really only Pottery Barn sold taller beds. With a normal ten inch mattress at the bottom bunk, an adult cannot sit under the top bunk. I didnt want to replace the mattress I already have but if youre buying new mattresses I think a little thinner would be better. We bought a tuft and needle nod 8 mattress for the top bunk. That works pretty well and also comes in 6 which would give you more head clearance on the bottom. This is another plus to a twin over full vs full over full: parent can still sit comfortably on the edge of the bed to tuck in the littles. As many reviews have said, the bed slats are way too far apart. For the bottom I put in the slats from the bed I replaced, but I will need a bunky board or more slats for the top bunk. While it may be supportive enough as is its hard to make the bed without sheets etc hanging down over the bottom bunk as three isnt a good place to tuck them in with only sparsely spaced slats. All in all I am satisfied with my purchase. The price was reasonable, delivery was quick, and the assembly is not too hard with a friend. My kids are so happy and, assuming it stays intact, they will get many years of use out of the beds. Bonus that I can theoretically separate it into two beds at the end, which is just a matter of lifting the top bunk off and putting it down. Anyway, I hope this helps if youre on the fence.