The shipping box was smashed, and one end was popped open; there was no printed box within the shipping box - but the loom and all its parts and some printed instructions was all stuffed inside. I even got the large ball of variegated blue and white yarn, as well as four shuttles, 3 having each red, blue, and yellow yarn on them. Nothing was broken, nothing was missing, so I lucked up. The loom was easy to "assemble"; basically unfold it and lift the two angled side bars into place, insert one screw in each, and tighten the warp threads already on it. It works nicely, and can easily be folded for storage when not in use, even with a project on it. I had a very similar loom like this decades ago, but the rigid heddles on that one broke - and I couldn't find any replacements back then. Now, I can order replacement rigid heddles in metal when the plastic ones break or wear out - meaning I can get the metal ones from another company when the time comes. Yes, this is listed as a toy - but it is sturdy enough to make actual fabric on it - and can create fabric pieces yards long, despite the narrow weaving width. I just join pieces together by sewing the selvage edges together to make wider fabric. I love how this loom doesn't take much space, but is a fully-functional loom, with TWO rigid heddles, and a reed. The design is simple, making it easier to fix, and sturdy, but light and small enough to take along. I suppose I will use it as a guide to "scale up" and create a slightly larger version for my own use eventually. If the company ever makes a larger version of this loom, PLEASE let me know.... I'd buy it if the quality is on par, and the pricing as economical as this one's.

This loom is a perfect starter loom. It is designed for children but it is a nice economical starter loom for adult beginners to learn on. I would have given this product 5 Stars but due to its odor I could only give it 4 Stars because of its ease of use, sturdiness, and wood thickness. The odor was pretty much my only concern. This product has a strong whelming mesquite like wood odor which can be bothersome for individuals who have difficulties with odors. If this loom was not purposely made with this type of wood or manufactured in an environment with this mesquite like wood odor, my other concern would be that the loom had been an Amazon return from a home that heated their home with fire wood, and the odor heavily penetrated into the wood of the actual loom, the yarn on the shuttles sticks, and the shuttles sticks themselves. Thankfully the main yarn source was bagged in plastic and did not have the odor whelming it. Minus the whelming mesquite wood like odor, it is an excellent little loom.

This is quite a serviceable loom, and its simplicity makes it easy to upgrade. My review is based on its usability and price--the nitpicks and proposed solutions below would only count against it if the price were significantly higher--at which point I may as well just buy a full size table loom (lightly used is significantly cheaper than new).

This loom is unfinished. It is surprisingly smooth in most places and obviously sanded, but there are a few rough areas and small spots that get crushed when folding (see detail photo). At some point I will want to take it apart to sand and apply a protective coating. It also started squeaking halfway through the practice materials, so I'll take that opportunity to oil the moving parts as well.

I like that this loom folds up neatly even with a project in progress, making it portable and space efficient. It is pretty sturdy, so I would be comfortable stuffing it in a canvas tote and not worry about bumping it a little.

The practice materials it comes with are very basic, and almost certainly synthetic. It amused me to see that the empty shuttle had a longer curved slot than the ones the three solid colors were loaded on. The shuttles can be more efficiently loaded using a figure 8 on each side (see the yellow shuttle in my photos demonstrating this), as well as the center winding shown in the listing.

Make sure to even out the warp tension before you begin (you can look it up on the internet). I used some thick paper in between layers to keep the outer threads from sneaking in between the inner threads and making it wonky. When finished with the practice material, make sure to look for a paperclip and a pair of pliers: unless you plan to tie the next warps to the existing ones and pull them through, you'll need a hook to warp your next project.

The weaving width on this loom is 6" and its reed (beater bar) is 4.25 dpi (dents per inch--I measured exactly 17 dents across 4 inches), which is better for bulkier warps. It has two shafts with offset heddles of the same dpi, secured with the same twine as the preloaded warp thread. These could probably be upgraded/improved by anyone who can drill even holes and glue small sticks to two horizontal bars. I plan to use skinny craft sticks and some wooden dowels for mine.

The gears that secure the warp and cloth winding bars are on opposite sides, which means that the working width was decreased by almost an inch on each side. When I take it apart to sand and finish, I plan to flip one over to get an inch back, for a total weaving width of 7".

The reed (beater bar) is pressed into the cloth at an angle that makes it hard to see where the pick (weft thread) will go, and thus makes it hard to control your ppi (picks per inch). This one might be hard to fix, but I think it is doable: change the angle that the reed rests in the arms so that it faces up higher, or mount the arms at the top instead of the bottom of the loom. I'll have to experiment and see what works for this.

Finally, about weaving knowledge: weaving is a skill. The preloaded warp and simple design make it easy to use, but don't expect an item so cheap to teach you all setup and finishing steps of a notoriously complicated hobby. That manual in itself would be a book (in fact, there are many). If you're able to access Amazon shopping and reviewing, chances are you're connected to the internet. On the internet, one can find a variety of different perspectives, which makes it a good starting place to learn. If you want better guidance, there are plenty of weaving guilds that offer classes--ask around your area.

The loom is not foldable for easier carry on. My friends admired the size and capabilities of it. I look forward to weave many projects using this loom.

I would say that this is not for young kids. It works great for adults or teens. Very nicely made. I'm new to weaving and this is just what I wanted! I have made a 5foot scarf, (with my yarn) it was fun to make. A great beginners loom. Don't think it would hold up to young kids abus, but sturdy for older kids or adults. I'm going to send one to my sisters!