Way Basics Cube Storage - Closet Organizer Stackable Cubby Shelf (Tool-free Assembly)

STURDY! I needed it to hide a heating pad and socks near my bed. Not only good cubby, but I now have the Air Purifier on top.Could also be used as a small bookcase, clothes in a closet. I like cubes. They are very functional.

I don't write reviews often, and felt that this needed to be said, but this is the cheapest made thing I've received or used from Amazon, and that says a LOT.I'm all for the dedication to using recycled goods in attempting to build and maintain shelving. On paper (recycled or not) it sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately, it's everything else where these organizers fall apart, both literally and figuratively.The pieces of this storage cube are all made up of recycle paper stacked together and condensed to be lightweight and similar to how IKEA uses cork board. However, when attempting to connect these items to the other, you are given small dow rods (similar to IKEA) and a set of double sided tape to bind everything together.It works about as well as a student science fair setup. The double sided tape does not stick well, and the company should have used the Heavy Duty Mounting Tape that is sold by 3M. Instead, they're using the poster board tape that barely holds print outs to poster board, let alone a something that is supposed to be stackable and "hold a small amount of weight."There are no screws in this disaster of an organizer, and with the limited amount of support elsewhere, there really should be. The pieces don't lock together, so there's always going to be a gap between the sides so you will hear a creek in the poster board tape that they use every time something is put into the storage. If you're thinking about using this with the walls of the storage pointed up, don't even think about it, or you will see the sides split apart every time you put something in it.In closing, if you want something with better support and cheap, a cardboard box might have better consistency. If you want something a little bigger with more support, just make the order to IKEA.Otherwise, this is the cheapest made thing I've ever purchased on Amazon, and it shows.

The stackable design is super versatile, and I love that I can arrange the cubbies however I need to maximize space. It’s a great fit for shoes, accessories, or even as a small bookshelf. The tool-free assembly is a game-changer—it literally took me only a few minutes to put it together, which was so convenient.

The first thing to note on these cubes is that they are not mdf. They are layered cardboard and quite lightweight. That said, once assembled completely, they are sturdy. I was sitting on the floor to assemble and pushed off all my weight on one to get up (and I’m not small). Assembly is incredibly simple. There are no screws, just eight wood dowels (or alignment pins as the instructions call them), and double sided sticky tape. A box takes maybe ten minutes to put together. In one spot, the white top layer had a gap and I could see the cardboard structure in between (see pic), but this was on an edge that is not visible when assembled. One other note is that I had a damaged corner that was a bit crushed, although the exterior packing box was fine, so I think this happened before packing.As a side idea, these are ideal for further decorating. I used a wallpaper in the tray inset of my bedroom ceiling and had some left over. I wrapped the boxes in this paper for an extra touch (it also covered the damaged corner mentioned above). The wallpaper I used is peel and stick. I wouldn’t use a pasted wallpaper, as the extra moisture probably would not do well with this.In the end, these are sturdy enough to raise an LCD TV up high enough so it can be seen laying in bed.

If you are expecting real furniture, you will be disappointed. This is more like dorm furniture or above-average closet storage.I bought one cube in espresso to see what these were like. I liked it well enough to buy another cube and a quad.AssemblyIt was technically easy to assemble, but the instructions are lacking. There is a front and back to the panels, which the instructions don't tell you and isn’t glaringly obvious. If you are not experienced enough with self-assembly to know to proceed with caution, you could easily put them on wrong.The instructions refer to a backer board guide, but give you no hint as to what it looks like or where to find it. There were some marks on the back of the cube which might have been alignment marks, but I didn't see any corresponding marks on the backer board, so those didn’t help. There is risk here because of the strong adhesive. Get it wrong, you probably will not be able to readjust it without damaging the backer board.Pay no mind to those who are fretting over "double-sided tape." These are commercial-quality adhesive strips that do a good job of reinforcing the dowel-and-hole construction. If you've done much self-assembly, you are familiar with the furniture that arrives with a lot of little wooden dowels and a small bottle of wood glue. The adhesive strips are a much easier, less messy, and seemingly equally reliable alternative to the wood glue.All in all…very easy to assembly, but not quite so easy to assemble correctly. Poor instructions are common, but given how simple it is to assembly this product, good instructions should be easy.Pros (listed in order of importance to me):1. It is delightfully lightweight. The laminate alternatives tend to be ridiculously heavy.2. It is not only available in wood grain color, but in a wood grain color other than oak or espresso, which are pretty much the only two wood colors manufacturers are offering these days. More than that, it is also available in a wood grain color other than dark cherry, which is pretty much the only OTHER wood color manufacturers are offering these days.3. It is cheaper than a cube made of real wood. I personally would rather have real wood, custom-made in the sizes and colors of my choosing, but that takes time, to say nothing of a good bit of money. For me, the Way Basics cubes are a cost-effective interim storage solution.4. It claims to be “green,” a claim I take with a full shaker of salt, since there is no way to confirm this, and I’ve been around enough to know that retailers rarely have good control over their suppliers and subcontractors.Limitations (in no particular order):Some reviewers have noted that you shouldn't get them wet. I haven't experimented, but looking at the product, it seems that this risk may be somewhat overstated. The surface is clearly water resistant. The backboard is probably at higher risk, but lots of MDF has a similar backing. If you let it sit wet long enough for water to seep into the cracks, then that might be a problem. But even real wood can warp if it gets soaked. So, a limitation, but maybe not such a big one as others have implied. Will let you know after I spill something on it, which is bound to happen, sooner or later. Just ask my sofa.You cannot use the wood stain colors as freestanding units because they skimped on the backboards and put the wood stain on only one side. The other side is white, so you have to back it up against a wall. This type of penny pinching is a major peeve of mine; I deducted a full star for this limitation alone.Another limitation is in orientation. According to the instructions, you should not lay it on its back, nor should you put it on either of its sides. That leaves only two of five surfaces ("top" and "bottom") that you can lay it on. Given that it's a cube, the four sides should be mostly equal, but some people may be disappointed that they can’t lay it on its back. I didn’t lay it on its back or one of the sides, and so far it seems pretty sturdy for what it is.It’s a cube, and there is a limit on what and how much fits well into a cube. If you look at the photos of any cube display, you will usually see that there is usually a lot of unused space. For this reason, I think these and other cube products would be better described as “display” cubes, rather than “storage” cubes. For a display, the unused space has an aesthetic quality, for storage, it’s just an inefficient waste of space.I don’t like large cubes. I assume the plus and super sizes are offered because…there is a limit on what and how much fits well into the regular cube. The problem with cubes is, you want wider, you get taller and deeper too; you want taller, you wider and deeper too. This can start to eat up a lot of space in the room, while not adding that much to storage capability.I would much prefer a medium brown wood (eg, chestnut, walnut, pecan) and some more muted and more sophisticated color choices (eg, soft coral or rust instead of bright orange, forest green instead of bright lime, sky blue or navy instead of bright blue).