This is a sturdy, solidly made, and attractive bed. It took me more than 1 and a half hours to assemble it. Something less well made would probably have taken less time. The assembly instructions are all pictures, and you need to look closely to see which way the pieces are placed. Most of the pieces are labeled, but the instructions could have been clearer. It is a platform bed without a platform. Instead, it has 10 crossbars and several other bars that support the mattress--they fit into slits in the frame, but they are held sturdily. So, you dont need box springs, but you also dont get spring from the bed. I wanted to test it with an air mattress, but my old mattress gave out before I could. At least I could see that a queen mattress fits on to this bed. I was forced to use a twin sized futon. The futon is pretty thin and I didnt expect a lot of comfort because of spaces between the crossbars. In fact, I slept like a baby. I will get a thicker mattress for permanent use, but Im now confident that it will be comfortable on this bed.
Sturdy and attractive--some assembly
This is a sturdy, solidly made, and attractive bed. It took me more than 1 and a half hours to assemble it. Something less well made would probably have taken less time. The assembly instructions are all pictures, and you need to look closely to see which way the pieces are placed. Most of the pieces are labeled, but the instructions could have been clearer. It is a platform bed without a platform. Instead, it has 10 crossbars and several other bars that support the mattress--they fit into slits in the frame, but they are held sturdily. So, you dont need box springs, but you also dont get spring from the bed. I wanted to test it with an air mattress, but my old mattress gave out before I could. At least I could see that a queen mattress fits on to this bed. I was forced to use a twin sized futon. The futon is pretty thin and I didnt expect a lot of comfort because of spaces between the crossbars. In fact, I slept like a baby. I will get a thicker mattress for permanent use, but Im now confident that it will be comfortable on this bed.