Assemble guidelines isn't the greatest, all it has is numbering's 1-24 with images for each part. I just assumed you start with number 1 and go through 24, which worked but that was just a wild guess. The sturdiness was fine until I decided to do some single hand dumb bell rolls and then it became lose on the bench leg, which cause it to wobble. I had to screw it tight to fix it. Gap between the seat and the back cushion is a pretty far gap. I wish I had know how wide it was, I may have not purchased it. Foam Holders for leg when you do decline keeps moving and does not really hold in place, you have to fix it about EVERYTIME you use it. Only thing I liked about it was that it was super light. Overall it's overpriced, probably worth a $100 bench at best. If you're a beginner lifter it will do, but if you're looking to maximize your money use, this bench ain't it.

UPDATE: Company reached out to me and listen to my criticism and was willing to give me some of my money back. The Company product customer support is great. However my review of the bench still stands. So I'll bump it up to a 4 for their customer support.

This is an in-depth review of the Vanswe adjustable weight bench 1,000 lbs capacity, cost at time of my purchase was: $229.00 (three photos attached)"¦

Shipment: My shipment arrived on time. Box was in perfect condition. I have never seen anything boxed like this weight bench. Packed in a really heavy cardboard box, 4 individual yellow plastic straps which were then completely covered with heavy duty transparent packing tape so they couldn't be snapped in transit or work their way loose.
Shipment Rating: Excellent!

Opening the box: Amazed to find every side inside the box was lined with a wood panel, further insuring nothing could penetrate the box from either the inside or the outside to avoid damage in transit. All components were compartmentalized, and each piece was further protected by either Styrofoam, additional cardboard boxes inside, and every piece was completely wrapped and sealed in plastic bubble wrap.
Packaging Rating: Excellent!

Assembly: I worked completely alone to assemble. It's important to know that I am neither mechanically inclined, nor do I often finding myself having to assemble things, so I have absolutely no expertise in putting things together, either from instructions or diagrams. There were in fact no step-by-step directions included. What was included was their manual which showed a numbered schematic of this weight bench numbering each part and showing where to attach each part to assemble. The small parts (mostly nuts and bolts) were all separately packaged and individually labeled in their own plastic bags. Working completely alone I put this together either using a combination of a small adjustable wrench and/or a ratchet wrench alone depending on how tight I needed to make the provided bolts. An Allen wrench also came provided to tighten two bolts. I completed assembly in just under one hour. I'm pretty sure I could have accomplished this even quicker if step-by-step instructions were enclosed which might have outlined a more efficient order to make assembling the bench even quicker.
How to Assemble Rating: Good!

Minor Problems: My unit came with one nut from one bolt missing, and two plastic end caps partially damaged. Enclosed with the weight bench came a black plastic, (credit card size) card with Vanswe's customer service phone number. I immediately called, was told to put what I needed in an email to them (I was not asked to, however, I also provided photos of the two damaged end caps). The very next morning Vanswe responded. They had already ordered the plastic parts from an independent company, and within three days I received the nut from them and the plastic parts from a different vendor a few days later. They also followed up with me in a very timely manner to insure that the parts arrived and that I felt all my problems had been corrected in a timely fashion; I was!
Rating: Excellent!

Personal Review of Bench: My personal review after using this bench: It looks fantastic, actually even better than pictured! I am 5'10" and have friends who are 6'4" who worked out on this bench. All agree it is very stable in every position. Absolutely no fear of the back brace failing; no side wobble or movement of any kind. The back board (for the person who is 6'4"), found their head completely supported and on the board in all positions.
Rating: Excellent!

Recommendations: I also glued very large plastic furniture gliders to each of the three feet of this weight bench (one very large one under the front foot, and two smaller round ones under the two rear feet). It now glides effortlessly over rugs and tile flooring without damage (SEE MY THIRD PHOTO). Lifting by the handle and rolling on attached wheels works fine. I just find sliding this bench around to get it out of the way when doing different exercises is quicker, easier and more efficient for me than lifting and rolling the bench out of the way using the built in front handle.
Rating: Very Good!

Conclusion: My experience with both this company, its people and its product is that they are all top notch. I can only wish all company's went out of their way to please their customers the way Vanswe does. I would not hesitate to purchase from this company again.

F.Y.I. - I have no affiliation with this company, nor was I given anything by this company or, anyone connected with it for writing this review; it is a completely honest and unbiased account of my experiences.

Sincerely,
W

Okay, I admit I'm no mechanical genius, in fact, far from it. However, this bench does not come with step-by-step instructions, so I've spent half an afternoon trying to put it together. It appears to be a quality product, but for those who are not mechanically inclined, you may want to select another bench that has better instructions or is pre-assembled. I finally put it together, but it took much longer than anticipated because I kept having to go back and undo what I had done because there were not step by step instructions. Now that it is finally assembled, I'm hopeful that it will serve me well and last for many years. After posting my first review, the company contacted me and offered me a rebate for my trouble assembling this bench. Based on the company's desire to please their customers, I raised my rating from three to four stars. However, I still hope that in the future they will provide step-by-step instructions.

Update:
I initially gave this bench four stars, only because I didn't know if the soft pleather covering would hold up. It's been almost a month, and no sign of the fabric cracking or tearing, and I have tossed plenty of heavy dumbells on it. I love the bench so much I bought him a buddy, the squat rack/bench press spotter, which is equally as high quality a build.

I almost never review items, since my experience may be a great deal different than yours. This bench is different. Two hundred bucks, and it performs like a gym product.

Assembly:
Instructions are simple and easy to read. Thirty minutes to assemble if you have an extra set of hands occasionally. You need a crescent wrench or two, and three sizes of sockets. No screws, and the hardware is big, solid, and all locknuts. Hand tighten first, then crank them down, and no wobbles, tilts or creaks. It's built like a tank, but surprisingly light and easy to move on urethane rollerblade type wheels.

Adjustability:
True incline, flat and decline. The seat, seat back and foot pegs all adjust so you can accommodate almost any body size and exercise. Bench height when flat or upright for military seems just right (I'm 5'4", so I can't speak for you basketball types).

Quality:
The fit and finish are all five stars. The padding is great. The gap between seat and back is minimal. The pleather is soft and beautiful. My only concern is the durability, cut and abrasion resistance of the cover. But I guess that's why man invented duct tape. I'll update with durability issues if I can add anything

The best thing about this bench is that this is one sturdy bench. However, I can see what a lot of customers have complained about.

Instructions are good enough, but could have been better. If you are good at figuring out pictures, you are good to go. No bench is perfect, but a rachet set and adjustable wrench will fix most issues. There is one bolt that is bigger than the rest and does not fit most standard rachet sizes (may need a bigger rachet or just use adj. wrenches for that one bolt), so be aware of that. A couple of flanges were bent upon arrival, but straightened out easily enough once the bolts were tightened. I am not certain this bench sits perfectly flush (some flanges were bent so it might be my mind playing tricks on me). It could be that the floor (sits on tile) isn't perfectly flush as well, so a good mat should fix it (on order). There is a good space between the seat pad and back pad when bench is flat, but to me it's not an issue. It's actually a result of the design. When the bench is adjusted where the back pad is perpendicular, the the seat pad and back pad perfectly align at the groove). None of these issues were big enough for me to complain, but I wanted to mention them to validate other complaints and to reason why I could not give this bench 5 stars. In any case, the bench doesn't wobble and when I am on the bench it is as solid as it gets. As a personal preference, I think the padding is a little stiff, but that is a lot better than too soft.

Trying to decide between this bench and one of those foldable benches was one tough decision. Most of the highly rated benches are the 600 lb. weight capacity foldable type. It all came down to the fact that I currently weigh around 210 lbs. and I wanted more room to play with as far as actual weights. Either way, this is not a commercial type bench. What it is, a very good home gym bench that is better than some benches I have seen in box stores for more money.

Overall, this bench is a very good quality for the money spent (as long as they keep it under $150).