My family need a space saving bed for a bedroom that was shared by two sisters. This bed fit the bill and requirement. My youngest daughter didn't like climbing all the time because she said the stair railing hurt her feet, we remedied that problem by buying some foam pipe insulation from Lowe's or you can buy pool noodles with the hole in the middle, cut them down to the size of the steps which solved the problem, now she doesn't mind as much anymore. It was a little daunting to put together but with much time and patience it was all worth it. We love it!