This is a gorgeous bed once assembled. I love it (morning after), my husband loves the way it looks, and our daughter has dubbed it her castle. We gave it a 4 star because assembly isnt easy - specifically, getting the slats to stay in place during assembly. This would have been easier if I was not 8 months pregnant and if my partner were in better shape.
It took us 8 hours total to assemble because I didnt pull up the YouTube video. That was a my bad moment - the instruction manual pictures can be a teensy bit unclear in some areas for the bed portion. 5 hours of this was the bed itself, 3 hours was our daughter trying to help me by playing with the hardware while I assembled the stairs. Both of us were working on the bed portion together because the long pieces are difficult to assemble alone.
We put one side together with first a single side facing the wrong way (it was also upside down but didnt know that yet) and then had to pull apart the side again to flip the two posts. Its the far corner (the one without the stairs)...so it of course has 14 vertical slats which are loose during construction of that side.
I really REALLY wish those dang slats for the bed portion at least were glued or fastened in by the manufacturer, but also understand this would make the box bigger which costs more on shipping....raising costs of the item.
Big things with this:
Use the paper directions as a backup/confirmation of parts list - watch the YouTube assembly video 6-10 times during process.
Dont overtighten the staircase during assembly - check and ensure snugly tightened after stairs are fully assembled. Dont open both boxes at the same time for the stairs/bed - or keep the pieces separate.
Have an electric screwdriver available for the self-tapping screws, itll save you time on your back/side/knees with the brackets that hold the stairs to the bed.
With the brackets, line up staircase then attach to the bed side first - attach to the stairs with the stairs clamped to the side of the bed tight to get a good snug fit.
WATCH the Youtube video lots and be careful when standing up not to bend your toes the wrong way.
Have someone available to keep your small child busy so they dont play with your bolts, screws, tools or the smaller pieces because theyre excited and want to be a part of this/help you.
Have a LARGE workspace, a partner, and kneepads.
This is a gorgeous bed once assembled. I love it (morning after), my husband loves the way it looks, and our daughter has dubbed it her castle. We gave it a 4 star because assembly isnt easy - specifically, getting the slats to stay in place during assembly. This would have been easier if I was not 8 months pregnant and if my partner were in better shape. It took us 8 hours total to assemble because I didnt pull up the YouTube video. That was a my bad moment - the instruction manual pictures can be a teensy bit unclear in some areas for the bed portion. 5 hours of this was the bed itself, 3 hours was our daughter trying to help me by playing with the hardware while I assembled the stairs. Both of us were working on the bed portion together because the long pieces are difficult to assemble alone. We put one side together with first a single side facing the wrong way (it was also upside down but didnt know that yet) and then had to pull apart the side again to flip the two posts. Its the far corner (the one without the stairs)...so it of course has 14 vertical slats which are loose during construction of that side. I really REALLY wish those dang slats for the bed portion at least were glued or fastened in by the manufacturer, but also understand this would make the box bigger which costs more on shipping....raising costs of the item. Big things with this: Use the paper directions as a backup/confirmation of parts list - watch the YouTube assembly video 6-10 times during process. Dont overtighten the staircase during assembly - check and ensure snugly tightened after stairs are fully assembled. Dont open both boxes at the same time for the stairs/bed - or keep the pieces separate. Have an electric screwdriver available for the self-tapping screws, itll save you time on your back/side/knees with the brackets that hold the stairs to the bed. With the brackets, line up staircase then attach to the bed side first - attach to the stairs with the stairs clamped to the side of the bed tight to get a good snug fit. WATCH the Youtube video lots and be careful when standing up not to bend your toes the wrong way. Have someone available to keep your small child busy so they dont play with your bolts, screws, tools or the smaller pieces because theyre excited and want to be a part of this/help you.