Overall, I think this is a nice, sturdy piece and it serves it's purpose well for what we needed. I have a large, muscular cat and she has no problems getting in and out of this bench. However, I do have a few issues that warranted a 4-star review. First, the instructions were garbage. Half the parts didn't even come labelled. Without the diagrams on the back, I would have been totally lost. The directions seem to layout the most simple of steps, and then in the next step have a bunch of steps all in one. So either I had left over parts or I missed some spots. Lastly, the knobs are absolute garbage. I thought the screws were too small at first, but then I realized the inside of the knobs is completely stripped. I was very disappointed. It was easy enough to go out a purchase new ones, but that is not the point. I would recommend this item if it's what you're in the market for, but please be aware it does have flaws.