We had to replace our wood coat rack because the threads holding the dowels started to strip out of the base of the rack, one dowel cracked, etc.  We won't have that problem with this rack because most of the hooks are metal and the rack came with glue  (which didn't seem necessary so we didn't use -  we will add if there's a problem).  Also, our old rack tended to tip over when too many coats were on one side or if someone grabbed a coat too quickly and just pulled.  This rack has a very sturdy base and doesn't seem likely to tip over.  Also, it has a lot more hooks than many of the racks which is great for a family of four.