SEI Furniture 11- shelf Metal Spine Book Tower, Silver

Very sturdy, easy to Assemble. I like the simplistic design.

no complaints! i was initially worried that a lot of my books weren't going to fit. and even though they did not all fit (no fault of this shelf though, i knew i had too many) it fit more than i was expecting. assembly took me no longer than thirty minutes, if that, and was super simple. did it all alone with no struggle. seems sturdy and supportive, does not wiggle or anything. also, thankfully, it came with no dents or scratches.

I am very happy with this purchase. This is the second unit I buy from the same store, for a different room. They are as sturdy as advertised and as other customers reviewed; and the paint job is very good, they are well-crafted. The assembling instructions are simple but clear, and the packing is also very good; the box is packed with sufficient layers of styrofoam to avoid bumping and scratching, and each piece is individually bagged. The first piece I got, is painted in a beautiful color that I liked even more after I shelved books on it; I was a bit concerned about getting the red color, but it is this beautiful shade that's close to a raspberry or cerise, quite elegant. I fitted 55 books on the first, distributing one heavy book and lighter books on top per shelf, to avoid them bending over time. Loaded, it is surprisingly light to move, although the support column and the base are heavy by themselves; I maneuvered them with the help of my partner, just to avoid dropping or bumping onto walls or furniture. All in all, kudos to the vendor, very nice piece.

Great quality. Easy and fast to assemble.

SHIPPING I ordered two of these. The always reliable shopping experience of Amazon ensured that they arrived today--days before their estimated arrival date. PACKAGE CONTENTS The package includes the following disassembled pieces: 1 back post (the long rod), 1 base (the square bottom), 11 square shelves, 2 longer screws (to secure the base to the back post), 24 smaller screws (two per shelf), 4 adhesive pads (for padding underneath the base), a wrench (one of those small L-shaped gizmos), 1 double-sided 2-page manual, and 1 parts replacement form. So the only tool one needs, in theory, is the included wrench. It comes with everything. ASSEMBLY Putting these together takes only several minutes to unwrap the pieces and assemble the book tower, and it doesn't require any tools--in theory; more on that later. The trickiest part of assembly--which isn't hard at all--is attaching the back post to the base; for me, the most efficient way to do this is to lay the base flat and level on the floor just as it will be once completed, and to insert the two longest screws underneath it so that they're protruding up and out from the bottom of the base, then positioning the back post down onto the top of the screws. Once loosely connected, tilt the now-connected back post and base down to the floor to expose the bottom of the base, and then tighten the screws with the wrench. Tilt the now-secured back post and base back upright, and you're good to go--only now having to insert the individual shelves into the slits of the spine. QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE #1 I say in theory, because though the book tower has weight and is heavy-duty solid construction, there exists a few quality control issues that are evident--confirmed by the fact that I bought two which arrived in separate boxes but exhibit the same issues. 1) All of the screws, pads, and tools (the wrench) come secured in a small vacuum-sealed red plastic bag--so there's no way that pieces can fall out and escape during shipping, which is great. The problem is that the red bag of my first box only contained 17 out of the 24 smaller screws needed to assemble the shelves to the tower. So my first tower currently only has 8 shelves attached--with one screw remaining, meaning that I have three shelves requiring the additional screws to complete assembly. I would ordinarily chalk this up to my simple bad luck; I'd even be willing to pretend that somehow I magically lost the other needed screws by the simple act of opening the red bag--except for the fact of my second tower: The red bag in my second tower contained only 23 out of the 24 smaller screws needed to assemble the tower. 2 for 2! So there is either a faulty automated machine dispensing screws unevenly into many (all?) of the bags, or casual human error in counting the screws is fairly consistent during the packaging process. These products are supplied by an American company in Dallas, Texas, but the products are made in China. So perhaps this is simply growing pains of trying to maintain quality control internationally. My only point is that do not purchase this product and leave it laying around indefinitely without counting the number of screws you receive; and if you buy this as a gift, you'll perhaps want to consider requesting additional screws in advance so that your gift recipient doesn't suffer the experience and hassle like you did as a child when you received awesome battery-operated gifts--without batteries! It sorta takes all the excitement and steam out of the experience. That's what happened to me: putting together a nice looking gift quickly and painlessly and then--you hit a wall. So I took off a *half* a point for quality control. Petty? No, wait...there's more. They do have a toll-free number included in the "manual"--which is just two sheets of paper front-and-back because it's so easy to put it together--and they explicitly highlight when and where to call for replacement parts and customer assistance--AND also include a third page that is a dedicated Parts Replacement Form. This could be simply excellent proactive customer service, or for your conspiracy theorists out there, they included it as a result of consistently receiving requests for replacement parts. If the latter, fix it at the source, not afterwards. But to be fair, including such a form is quite or at least semi-common, I think. But that's not the only reason I deducted a point for quality control. QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE #2 The second *half* point I deducted for quality control is related to the construction of the shelf spine--the slits on the back post--not the back post itself. But first I have to back up a bit for context. When you look at the photos of the Book Tower, it almost looks like the tower has shelves of different sizes--larger shelves declining in size until they reach the top, somewhat like a pyramid; I should note that the photo achieves that effect only due to the angle of the camera looking slightly down for that optical illusion effect. I'm not suggesting false advertising or deception, merely explaining so that you're not surprised that *all* of the 11 shelves are exactly the same rectangular shape, size, and dimensions. Secondly, extending the metaphor, the back post is the Spine, making the 11 shelves the bones. Each shelf--constructed in one single and solid piece--has cartilage that extends up from the back and middle of each shelf to allow it to connect to the Spine (back post.) This is achieved by first angling the shelf against and into the spine, then lowering it down flat--followed by placing two screws from *behind* the spine to secure them. (I stress this so that it's clear that during assembly, the screw holes should be in the back of the post, not the front, so that the horizontal slits are facing you when staring at the bookshelf.) All of this is to demonstrate that in order to connect the shelves into the spine, the shelves must be able to first slide into those slits, lowered, and then secured by screws; if they don't fit into those slits, you'll run into another "no battery" type wall--as I did: The two drill holes in all of the shelves leave a bit of the metal protruding outwards--like a frozen raindrop splashing onto the ground--so that the opening is not perfectly flat. They're *all* like that; poor quality control--they should be filed flat as part of the manufacturing process. They're not visible to the naked eye after inserted into the spine because they're hidden in the space inside the spine; however, the protrusion on one of the shelves was so pronounced that it simply did not fit into the slit, no matter how strongly I shoved and attempted to force it into the slit. As a workaround, I first took a hammer to try to flatten the protrusion, to no avail; plus, such modification voids their repair warranty, so be forewarned before banging indefinitely. But it's metal, so it didn't work. So I took a small handheld drill that I have and very gently and slowly just bore in and around one side of the slit--just enough to widen it slightly without it being visible. I wasn't drilling a hole into metal--only just extending the entrance of the slit ever so slightly so as to provide enough room for the shelf to enter the slit, move into the middle of the space in the spine, then slide down flat in it's locked position. It worked. I secured the shelf with the two screws and all was well. But had I not had the drill "just laying around near me in the room," I thought for a few minutes about not opening the box of the second tower and sending it back. These are very minor and quick tweaks to the spine, but may be required to seat the shelf into the base post; so if you're deeply not comfortable with any additional tools--it might work by simply shoving a screwdriver into the slit until it widens slightly for example--or if you don't know or have available someone who is just in case, then this might not be the product for you. You shouldn't expect it to happen in all cases, but it happened to me. So just be forewarned. It's not a cheaply constructed or even poorly constructed product. It truly appears that the manufacturing process has merely cut a few easily resolvable corners that many customers, like me, are willing to live with. But I wouldn't gift it to someone necessarily unless I knew they'd be ready just in case, or unless I volunteered to assemble it myself as part of the gift. CONCLUSIONS I like the clean simple even innovative design, the space-savings, style, weight, color, tone, and look of the book tower. It's more versatile than a standard bookshelf too. I have my cable modem sitting on the shelf of my "media tower" to elevate and potentially strengthen the signal, and then I'll add other things like DVDs, remote controls etc. on the other shelves. The second tower is for books. These benefits overshadow the inconveniences of having to call the company tomorrow and then wait for parts replacements, and the small hurdle with the spine that I had to overcome. So overall, I do recommend this product. I may add photos and updated comments after I use the shelves, add books, and test for sturdiness etc. Hope this helps! Update: CUSTOMER SERVICE Per the instructions on the parts replacement form, I called the company's toll-free number--not Amazon--the following day as soon as they opened (9 AM CST / 10 AM EST) and somewhat surprisingly a pleasant-sounding operator/dispatcher answered immediately--no automated messaging system, woo hoo! She asked me how could she direct my call, and I asked for customer service--also as instructed on the parts replacement form. Without any prompting from me, she then immediately asked if I required parts replacement; so this further underscores the likelihood that this is probably their number one inquiry. She then transferred the call and yet another pleasant-sounding person answered. There was none of that "We just opened, I just woke up, you're bothering me" vibe. I briefly explained that I bought two spine bookshelf towers and completed assembling one after combining the screws, but that I still lacked a few screws. (You could say I had a few screws loose.) She asked only for my first and last names, and barely before I could even finish she recited my shipping address for confirmation. So they already had me in the system! Painless. "We'll send you a complete set of hardware." After I thanked her, she furthered inquired if there was anything else that she could help me with or if I experienced anything else wrong with the product. I said "No, thank you. That's it!" The process was so quick that I was a bit stunned at the operational efficiency--even forgetting to note the other quality control issue with the slits on the spine. Thankfully, using the form and relaying a bunch of arcane order information etc. is not even required--just my full name! The entire call took less than five minutes and was completely professional and courteous. Kudos on the customer service.

This shelf is perfect for a small space, I had barely any space so I worried if this would actually fit. As seen in the picture, I definitely didn’t need to worry so it works perfectly. It was very easy to assemble, just 4 screws attaching the back to the base. The amount of books it can hold is shocking, honestly! I could probably put 100 books on there, but it’s perfect because it holds my books, my journals and my game accessories. You can attach it to the wall with an anchor, but I haven’t felt the need because it’s sturdy as it is. The only thing is be mindful of how you shelve the books; I put the heavy hardcovers on the bottom which add to stability. If you weren’t to strategically stack you’d have a problem I think.

I had ordered the bookshelf last year in December but my order was unfortunately cancelled-probably out of stock. Last week, there were 2 available so I tried to purchase them but could only add one to my cart, bummer. It’s a great shelf and lower cost version of the Sapiens bookshelf. It’s sturdy, easy to assemble and exactly what I wanted. I’m going to purchase more once they’re available again since they take up less space and I’m liking the look. Perfect option since I downsized to a smaller home.

I purchased my first SEI book tower about a month ago for my living room and loved the build and novel appearance so much that I purchased another last week for my office and set it up today. On average, the tower will hold between 50-65 books depending on the size and concentration of books on the shelves. The literature states that the individual shelves will support 9 lbs. and I have only observed some sag on the lowest shelf with the heavier books, but since since they are stacked solid, this is not an issue. Assembly takes about 20 minutes and the required 4mm allen wrench is supplied. Self-adhesive foam pads are also included to protect the metal from wood or ceramic floors. I was impressed with the gauge of steel used and the quality of the silver powder coating finish, which makes the shelves blend in nicely with the books themselves. While a bright color might be interesting, I think I prefer the not seeing the individual shelfs, which gives the impression the stack of books is freestanding. I've included a photo of the bookshelf in my living room on cherry hardwood and the other in my office on carpet to give you an idea of how they look in a real world application. In both locations they are very solid and not inclined to tip over and stated in other reviews. In closing, I have to say that I really like these shelves, which fit nicely into my modern decor and are much preferable over the standard bookcase look. I continually get compliments on their appearance from family and friends and believe you would to if you chose to get this unit. Good luck in your decision!

This is a beautifully designed shelving unit. Fits a lot of books and doesn't take up much space. The only problem is now I want another one for my bedroom!

Product was as advertised.

Looks good but the shelves are a wee bit more flexible than I expected. But so far none of my heavy textbook have fallen so so far so good!

As expected. Strong, easily assembled.