I read a bunch of reviews before ordering, and nothing I saw mentioned this. The potting bench arrived with a coat of stain, but otherwise it was unfinished. The instructions said that to make it last longer, it should be varnished every year. I've finished furniture before, and I know how this works. The wood right now is fuzzy and must be sanded before the first coat of varnish and in between coats. It's going to be a fairly big job that was quite unexpected.

Pros: I haven't put it together yet, so I can't really say.
Cons: Needs to be finished.