We are very happy with this stool, which required full assembly -- but was quite straight forward and simple. We live in a two story home, and it's nice to have a sturdy stool on both levels without going out to the garage for a small stepladder or using a chair. We already have a similar version on the other floor, and know the style works well for us. There are many uses for a stool of this size and this sturdy. The reason I gave four stars instead of five is because we bought the white model, which is perfect in our Master bedroom and bath, but we did not realize the screws would be so visible on the sides. You can barely see them on the black model -- the stool pictured. We still would have purchased the stool had we had paid more attention. It was just a surprise. Bottom line though, great product!