On the plus side, it's all solid wood. Not a hardwood, but more like pine with a dark finish. It's very sturdy and looks great. It has a strong and inconspicuous center support rail with three legs. The headboard is high enough so that it would look good with or without a box spring. The pieces are well labelled and the directions are very clear. On the negative side, it is completely held together with bolts and wood screws. It took two hours to assemble, and would probably not be a good bed for people who move frequently. Some of the hardware seems kind of flimsy and could strip easily. There is also a 4 inch gap between the bottom platform slats so probably can't use it with some kinds of air mattresses.