Very solid base! Took 2 minutes to put together- it’s all 1 piece except for the top perch. My cats love it- I’ve never seen them so happy over a cat tower. It almost always has 3 cats on it. The carpeting is very plush too. I’ve had a bunch of towers, and the only comparable ones for quality at a reasonable price were Foster and Smith’s towers. Excellent product, very well made!