Sauder Dakota Pass Lift-Top Coffee Table, L: 43.15" x W: 19.45" x H: 19.02", Craftsman Oak finish

My favourite piece. I ended up with this style (craftsman oak) because I couldn't find a coffee table in the salt oak online or locally and this was 'close enough' -but more importantly it has the lift-top I've been wanting and given the prices of these things generally, the price I got this for was totally worth it. The ONLY bad thing is, after having it set up and using it and looking at it assembled, I really like this look and feel way more than my other pieces, which are all the Sauder salt oak. WOOPS! Oh well, it is what it is, I love the salt oak but this style is even nicer! It feels and looks more natural, smooth but not shiny like the salt oak's laminate type covering.Assembly was super easy, easiest out of all the pieces I assembled this week (dresser, nightstand, headboard, tv stand) HOWEVER when it came to attach the lift top to the base, it was a challenge because I worked on it alone. 2 people obviously would be easier if people have steady hands, however I some pretty sturdy clamps with rubber grip handles on them so I clamped them to the base and used the handles to hold the lid steady while I got the screws and hinges in place -definitely use something with grip if you're going to prop/balance this because this surface is slippery despite its appearance and light texture. It probably added 10 minutes of fussing with it than it would have otherwise if I had thought to do this initially or bribed someone to come over -but sometimes that becomes a bigger hindrance than it's worth.One caution on this, okay two... 1 is, if you're working alone, get the finished base pretty much where you want the piece to sit and do the final assembly there, the piece has some weight to it and is cumbersome with that lift top. 2 is if you're going to have stuff on the table top and then lift it, that stuff better have some kind of grip or it's going to be one big slip n slide. Fortunately it was just a bottle of powerade that was closed when it launched off the table top when I went to test it. Also, there could be some additional horizontal braces to stiffen this up a bit. If you don't close / open it with your hands along the sides or evenly from the edge facing you, it's going to wobble and shimmy -I'm sure that may be a big reason this was $140ish and others I've seen are $400 plus- but for my needs, it will be fine and aesthetically, it looks awesome. It does tie well with my couch and the other pieces that are the salt oak instead of craftsman, and I'm very happy with it overall. Took about 2 hours to assemble.

Customer Support: The box arrived damaged. I took plenty of photos to document and of course it was the top part, the most visible one, that was damaged. Then just reading the brochure, it clearly indicated to just go on the website and order a replacement part in case of any problem. I did just that, place an order, was charged $0 and the new part arrived within days. That's awesomely easy.Assembly: Not sure about the review on it being hard to assemble, holes in wrong place, etc... I had 0 problem building it, following the instructions, making sure I used the right hardware (check the ref # on the plastic bag, doh!) and overall, in a little less than 1h, I was done.Look: The look is great and the family loves the lifting top for our dinner in front of the TV. We looked much more civilized now. Colors are nice. I saw another model I really like from the same manufacturer after of course but we will live with that one :)Sturdiness: This is NOT wood but reconstituted wood so yes, it won't take an impact as well as wood, will probably show some tear before wood would do but for the price, who cares and if it saves a couple of trees, here is to a good nature stewardship. And I ordered a glass top separately to remove the worries of stains or damage.Will update if any change happen.

This has been a great addition to our living room - the lift-top function glides well, though you do usually need two hands to lift it up, particularly if there's anything sitting on the top already. It took us a few hours to put together, but instructions were clear enough! Quality is not that of 100% solid wood, but this is a great purchase for the price I think. Been using it for a few weeks now and still happy with it.**Update: two years later, this coffee table has held up really well. We have a few scratches on the top wood, and during a move the joints got pulled apart a bit, so it is not quite as sturdy as it was originally, but the lifting mechanics are still doing well. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a nice coffee table on a budget.

This is a very sturdy coffee table. I love the design and it is great for hiding all the papers that you don't want to get rid of but you don't want to put in a file yet. The only problem I had was set up. If you are a woman, unless you are very strong, you can't put this together by yourself unless you use an electric drill. I used an electric drill and it was OK. I was just very careful not to tighten anything too tight. For the top I needed help so that one person could hold the top while I got the screws in. The only suggestion I would have is that in addition to marking the parts A B C etc. you indicate if it is the left, right, top bottom, etc I put the legs on wrong because the diagram was a little hard to see. It wasn't a problem to correct since you use cams and they were easy to undo and then put the legs on correctly. In the end I have a very nice piece of furniture plus is has the function I was looking for.