Update at the bottom
I put this bed up last weekend for my 8 year old. I highly suggest for anyone who purchases this to leave it where the delivery person has dropped the boxes and just take it piece by piece to the room where its going to be put together. It comes in three (very heavy) numbered boxes and you should assemble box 1 before moving to box 2 and box 3. It took me roughly 10 hours to put together by myself. I did need a drill as there were no predrilled holes for the ladder and I also had to buy new drawer slides for the desk drawer as one broke. I also found the instructions kind of difficult as none of the screws and bolts are labled in packaging and the assembly diagrams also caused some confusion. That was probably the most frustrating part of the assembly.
Now, on to the pros and cons of this bed.
Pros/there is actually a lot of storage. The dresser drawers are bigger than I expected. The sliding desk draw is an added plus. The open shelf and the bookshelf on the opposite side are awesome. My biggest worry when purchasing this bed was that there wouldnt be enough storage and I was surpringly wrong. We couldnt even fill all of the storage areas. My daughter absolutely loves the bed and loves the hiding area underneath. I also didnt realize it came with an LED strip light, but she enjoys using it when she is camping out underneath the bed. The bed area is also really deep compared to other loft and bunk bed we have had. We have a 6 in. spring mattress now, but the bed can definitely accommodate a thicker mattress safely. The hiding area underneath is pretty spacious for a child too.
Cons/ as I said previously, the sliding hardware for the desk drawer broke while I was assembling it and had to go to the hardware store for replacements. The hardware that comes has a mechanism that locks the drawer, so it stays in place when it is out. Thats great in theory, but since even I had trouble with it (and it ultimately broke) I can imagine it would be even more difficult for a child to figure out. The backing for the dresser and wardrobe is foldable cardboard that you have to nail down, which is my least favorite thing about the loft bed. I think it is still pretty flimsy, even with all the nails in. The storage cube area next to the desk is also too small for the standard sized baskets that you find in store. It wasnt a huge deal, but it made finding two extra baskets a bit more difficult. There was also a small amount of damage on different pieces of the bed, but most of it ended up being hidden away with assembly. I did not expect it to be 100 damage free given how big and heavy the boxes were.
Although there is a lot of things that I love about this loft bed, I still question if it is worth the price we paid. I dont think I can answer that only a week later, so I will say that its a solid 4 stars for now.
Update
As expected, the cardboard panelling behind the dresser and wardrobe lasted maybe a month. Were replacing it with a sturdy piece of panelling from the hardware store. Daughter has lost a couple of books, toys, and socks in her bed as theyve fallen between the mattress and side walls. I kind of hate how deep the bed area is for that reason and its a PITA to change bed sheets.
The bed as a whole is still together and holding up. Kids love it easy to put together.
Loft bed with tons of storage
Update at the bottom I put this bed up last weekend for my 8 year old. I highly suggest for anyone who purchases this to leave it where the delivery person has dropped the boxes and just take it piece by piece to the room where its going to be put together. It comes in three (very heavy) numbered boxes and you should assemble box 1 before moving to box 2 and box 3. It took me roughly 10 hours to put together by myself. I did need a drill as there were no predrilled holes for the ladder and I also had to buy new drawer slides for the desk drawer as one broke. I also found the instructions kind of difficult as none of the screws and bolts are labled in packaging and the assembly diagrams also caused some confusion. That was probably the most frustrating part of the assembly. Now, on to the pros and cons of this bed. Pros/there is actually a lot of storage. The dresser drawers are bigger than I expected. The sliding desk draw is an added plus. The open shelf and the bookshelf on the opposite side are awesome. My biggest worry when purchasing this bed was that there wouldnt be enough storage and I was surpringly wrong. We couldnt even fill all of the storage areas. My daughter absolutely loves the bed and loves the hiding area underneath. I also didnt realize it came with an LED strip light, but she enjoys using it when she is camping out underneath the bed. The bed area is also really deep compared to other loft and bunk bed we have had. We have a 6 in. spring mattress now, but the bed can definitely accommodate a thicker mattress safely. The hiding area underneath is pretty spacious for a child too. Cons/ as I said previously, the sliding hardware for the desk drawer broke while I was assembling it and had to go to the hardware store for replacements. The hardware that comes has a mechanism that locks the drawer, so it stays in place when it is out. Thats great in theory, but since even I had trouble with it (and it ultimately broke) I can imagine it would be even more difficult for a child to figure out. The backing for the dresser and wardrobe is foldable cardboard that you have to nail down, which is my least favorite thing about the loft bed. I think it is still pretty flimsy, even with all the nails in. The storage cube area next to the desk is also too small for the standard sized baskets that you find in store. It wasnt a huge deal, but it made finding two extra baskets a bit more difficult. There was also a small amount of damage on different pieces of the bed, but most of it ended up being hidden away with assembly. I did not expect it to be 100 damage free given how big and heavy the boxes were. Although there is a lot of things that I love about this loft bed, I still question if it is worth the price we paid. I dont think I can answer that only a week later, so I will say that its a solid 4 stars for now. Update As expected, the cardboard panelling behind the dresser and wardrobe lasted maybe a month. Were replacing it with a sturdy piece of panelling from the hardware store. Daughter has lost a couple of books, toys, and socks in her bed as theyve fallen between the mattress and side walls. I kind of hate how deep the bed area is for that reason and its a PITA to change bed sheets. The bed as a whole is still together and holding up. Kids love it easy to put together.