Assembling the bench took me about an hour. There is a small 2 inch crack at the base on the left side. No biggie as I  used a marker to go over it. I think it's sturdy enough to last. The only negative is the 4 small cubbies, the intersecting perpendicular pieces are not real wood. So it would break if a small kid steps/climbs on it. Overall, it looks great in front of my entryway.