The bed was easy to put together and feels very sturdy. We've been using it for about a month now and have no complaints. The picture is a little deceptive -- we're using what I would say are an average-sized mattress and box spring, and the top of the mattress sits maybe 4-5 inches above the top of the footboard. It still looks very nice and isn't a problem at all. I also got great customer service from Wayfair when the shipper damaged the headboard in transit. Wayfair replaced the product very quickly and took care of all dealings with UPS.