I have had this headboard for a couple of months. I find it decent value for the price, and the dark color is lovely. I found it easy to put together myself. However, the wood is not as strong as I'd like. The panel has started to split slightly in multiple places, where the grooves are. The wood has not completely come apart, it's still one piece, but the pale inner wood is visible in these splits. I do lean against the headboard when I'm sitting up in bed, but I expected it to be solid enough to handle that (I am a light person). I imagine this headboard will last for another year or two, at which point I'll pay the money for hardwood.