I am overall pleased with the quality and value of this item.  What is disappointing is that the top is not a single piece of wood or several slats that run the length of the bench, but rather many many pieces of wood joined together.  This was not part of the description and did not appear clearly in the photos that I reviewed - I know this, because I specifically looked to see if this was the case (I don't like pieced up wood).  The description should have been better, and more detailed photos should have been provided.  I'm keeping the bench, because it is still a good value.