Overall, I'm happy with this bookcase; it fits the room as expected and matches my decor. There are some cons, which removed a star:
Pros:
- Everything went together straight and square; nothing misaligned.
- Instructions were clear, and assembly was straight forward.
- It is extremely sturdy once assembled
- There are two hidden legs under the bottom that help with load bearing.
Cons:
- The entire unit was covered with what appears to be very fine fiberglass fibers, apparently from the manufacturing of the MDF components. It took A LOT of vacuuming and wiping to remove these (see photo).
- The panel edging of the thick and thin panels does not match (see photo).
- The side fasteners are soft Phillips head 70mm screws and are very hard to screw in; I can't imagine doing it without a power drill/impact, and even then it was hard to do it without stripping the heads. It would have been much better if these were hex like most of the other fasteners.
- The two middle center shelves have no support on the front half and if used for books would likely sag or break. The two side center shelves have a screw through the metal sides and are stronger as a result.
- The top and bottom (thicker) panels are hollow core, which probably isn't an issue but may be worth knowing.