Our seven-year old son loves this new bed. The assembly instructions were straightforward and the pieces fit together snugly. The bed is quite sturdy and the finish is attractive (we have the dark cherry finish). I think the curtains could have been thought out better ... it's basically an adhesive strip for velcro that sticks to the wood frame. I can't see that lasting for long, and it would be better to have built a curtain rod into the frame, but at least it should be cheap to replace when it wears out or starts to fail. And, of course, when our son gets too old for having a hideaway, the curtain can just be pulled away and it's an attractive loft bed for a teenager. I've already slept with him in the bed, and it holds adults easily. The stairs are also quite sturdy.