Sturdier than I thought it would be + it's actually not that bad. While assembling this, I was under the impression that ... eh, I might not like it ... but actually - it does the job very well. The one thing I don't like - is that the cubbies can potentially slide out. They're not fixed into the bench. They haven't slid out on us ... but there's that potential.

Cushion is a little thin (~ 1 inch), but this isn't really meant as seating ... only a place to put your shoes on. So, cushion is definitely not a dealbreaker. It does its job fine enough.

All in all, a great product that I am happy with & would purchase again.