DHP Dakota Upholstered Platform Bed

I had been looking for a reasonably priced platform bed that offered under-bed storage. Thankfully, this was am even bigger surprise. The bed itself is well constructed and sturdy, plus the amount of storage you get is deceptively impressive. The assembly instructions state that two people are recommended to put it together, but it can easily be done solo **IF** you do one thing the instruction book fails to tell you. I’ll mention that in a few moments. Number one: you would be well served to have an open space in an adjacent room, to lay down the shipping box. At 140 lbs, it’s heavy. Place it upside down, then cut the edges of the packing tape with a pair of scissors (don’t use a utility knife - you risk waywardly slicing parts located in the box.) Once open, there’s a lot of styrofoam packed around the parts. Have a trash bag handy to discard the styro, as it can get messy if you’re not careful. Carefully stack and prop your parts and hardware in the area you will be placing the bed. You’ll want ample working room there, too. Follow the instructions TO THE LETTER. They’re easy to understand, and the illustrations and exploded views are spot-on... EXCEPT for the side rails that go from the headboard to the center support. Whether you’re assembling solo or with assistance of a second person, DO NOT fully attach the full length side rails to the center rail before attaching to the headboard. Attach the side rails to the headboard, with it (headboard) flat on the floor first, *then* attach the side rails to the center support, the bottom rails to the footboard, and *THEN* tighten all the screws. *On a side note, the only tool you have and need is included on the parts blister sheet: an everyday 10mm hex key (allen wrench). It really is *that* simple, from a tool standpoint.* Once you finish that single change to the instructions, everything else is 100% straightforward and foolproof. The under-bed storage is deceptively deep and quite large, with the four drawers nearly splitting the entire underside platform into quadrants, providing ample storage area. Also, my advice would be to use the drawers for nothing but cloth/clothing items (whether bed linens, socks, intimate wear, t-shirts, shorts, and the like.) Each drawer is listed at 40 pounds capacity, but I doubt that thoughtfully placed items will ever challenge those maximums. One thing I will check on, by reaching out to the manufacturer, then update once I get clarification, is the weight limits for the bed. The instructions mention a weight limit of 500 lbs, but fail to clarify if that takes the mattress weight into account. (I say that because my mattress weighs around 85-90 lbs, and I am 6’2” and 240).. once I have that, I’ll add it to the Q&A for the product. Overall, this is a well-constructed, sturdy bed for the money. I would absolutely recommend it, if you’re looking fir a stylish, space saving bedroom storage centerpiece. You won’t be disappointed. **EDIT/UPDATE** The 500 lb weight limit is a recommendation. Customer service said excluding the average mattress weight (100 lb) is reasonable, so long as care is taken not to lunge or jump onto the bed, as the slats beneath are still wood.