I was pleasantly surprised with this storage ottoman.  I'm a "heavy-set" woman and I sat on it with no problem.  There were no scratches or marks - it looked exactly like the picture.  I put books in mine which make it heavy enough to not get knocked over.  I'm actually using it to help my dog jump up on the bed easier.  He recently tore a ligament in his leg so it isn't as strong as it once was.  The ottoman works great for this purpose.