The way they expand was different than what I expected; but then, I'm not quite sure how I expected that to work. It's very difficult to find a narrower shelf that can expand. I was looking for something like this on which I could put little plastic bins to hold and organize all that clutter that seems to accumulate in the bathroom cabinets. I wanted it to go inside the cabinet from front to back (rather than side to side) and it had to fit around plumbing. The shelf is sturdy and will work perfectly for the intended purpose. I plan to buy more. Just wish it was a lower price.