I purchased this to organize hats and shoes by the door. It works really well for that purpose, but it isn't particularly sturdy. I would not recommend it for coats unless they were very light-weight ones. I also wouldn't recommend it for heavy use, especially by children. The shelves are made of a heavy-weight cloth (not wood) and the posts are thin metal. Having said all that, I expect it to last me a while since I plan to be gentle with it, not yank at it, lean on it, kick it, etc. I put it together myself in about an hour and a half, but I wasn't in a hurry.