An attractive, practical solution for a fair price
After pricing solid wood benches for my mudroom and suffering sticker/whiplash, I decided to bend my standards and go for the pressboard stuff (it is, after all, only a mudroom). Although this cubby /is/ pressboard and I am well aware its not going to hold up for three generations like the solid wood furniture I usually buy, I must say I am pleased with this purchase. The cubby is extremely attractive and its not readily apparant its not real wood. The directions to put it together were nice and clear and it went together in perhaps 40 minutes (including time to go dig out two screwdrivers and a hammar). It fits perfectly where I needed it to go and the seat is just the right height for an adult to sit on without scrunching down, but not so high that my kids cant sit on it. The kids boots fit easily in the three s. I can fit a pair of snow boots and a pair of rain boots in each cube.
Why not 5 stars? Its pressboard and the same fastening techniques which made it such a pleasure to quickly put together will also make it vulnerable. Im a wood snob. Perhaps Im being unfair for not giving it that 5th star as it is exactly what I purchased, but I foresee, like all pressboard products, that this product will solve a problem for a set period of time before it gets banged up. Especially if subjected to the kind of prolonged abuse children tend to dish out on items that can be climbed/sat upon such as this. Unlike real wood, once pressboard starts to fall apart, its history. You cant simply use a bigger screw and a bit of wood glue to cobble it back together and refinish it. Especially this particular kind of pressboard, which is more porous than medium density fiberboard. However, this cubby was 1/4 the price of a wooden one. I feel I got exactly what I paid for and I am happy with my purchase.
My only real complaint is that the decorative trim at the very bottom only has screws at both ends (to help hold the sides together, I presume) but no pegs in the middle as the other pieces have. If you kick the kick/trim, it moves inward. Having 2/3 additional pegs in the middle would add a bit more structural integregrity not only to prevent that, but also add a bit more strength to the overall design.
If you dont mind pressboard and want an attractive, functional storage cubby to solve a problem for the 5/7 years I anticipate this product will last, I highly recommend it. It looks every bit as nice as the 400 wooden one I priced at one of the name/brand furniture stores. Amortized over the anticipated lifespan, it is money well spent. It looks mighty nice in my mudroom and nobody would ever know I cheaped out unless they pull it out and look at the back of it. It was perfect!
An attractive, practical solution for a fair price
After pricing solid wood benches for my mudroom and suffering sticker/whiplash, I decided to bend my standards and go for the pressboard stuff (it is, after all, only a mudroom). Although this cubby /is/ pressboard and I am well aware its not going to hold up for three generations like the solid wood furniture I usually buy, I must say I am pleased with this purchase. The cubby is extremely attractive and its not readily apparant its not real wood. The directions to put it together were nice and clear and it went together in perhaps 40 minutes (including time to go dig out two screwdrivers and a hammar). It fits perfectly where I needed it to go and the seat is just the right height for an adult to sit on without scrunching down, but not so high that my kids cant sit on it. The kids boots fit easily in the three s. I can fit a pair of snow boots and a pair of rain boots in each cube. Why not 5 stars? Its pressboard and the same fastening techniques which made it such a pleasure to quickly put together will also make it vulnerable. Im a wood snob. Perhaps Im being unfair for not giving it that 5th star as it is exactly what I purchased, but I foresee, like all pressboard products, that this product will solve a problem for a set period of time before it gets banged up. Especially if subjected to the kind of prolonged abuse children tend to dish out on items that can be climbed/sat upon such as this. Unlike real wood, once pressboard starts to fall apart, its history. You cant simply use a bigger screw and a bit of wood glue to cobble it back together and refinish it. Especially this particular kind of pressboard, which is more porous than medium density fiberboard. However, this cubby was 1/4 the price of a wooden one. I feel I got exactly what I paid for and I am happy with my purchase. My only real complaint is that the decorative trim at the very bottom only has screws at both ends (to help hold the sides together, I presume) but no pegs in the middle as the other pieces have. If you kick the kick/trim, it moves inward. Having 2/3 additional pegs in the middle would add a bit more structural integregrity not only to prevent that, but also add a bit more strength to the overall design. If you dont mind pressboard and want an attractive, functional storage cubby to solve a problem for the 5/7 years I anticipate this product will last, I highly recommend it. It looks every bit as nice as the 400 wooden one I priced at one of the name/brand furniture stores. Amortized over the anticipated lifespan, it is money well spent. It looks mighty nice in my mudroom and nobody would ever know I cheaped out unless they pull it out and look at the back of it. It was perfect!