Bed was sturdy, had all the pieces and took about 2 hours, 2 adults to assemble. HOWEVER, once assembled, the clearance for a child's head on the bottom bunk was reckless and unacceptable. My 2 year old could not sit up without her head hitting the bottom of the top bunk, and yes, we used an 8" mattress. We removed the trundle, put a 4" boxspring on the floor and set the mattress on top of that just so she wouldn't knock herself unconscious trying to get up in the morning. Please, please, please, read the dimensions on what the actual space is between the bunks before ordering.