The stylish and functional children’s bookshelves from Nature Supplies impressed in almost all aspects in our test. The shelves are made of high-quality, FSC-certified wood and impress with their good workmanship and robust and stable design. The practical test shows that the shelves are not only child’s play to assemble, but also easy to assemble. Under everyday conditions, the shelving can be expected to be highly stable and robust, as our load example shows. The only point of criticism is the lack of a safety catch to prevent pressure from below. An angle bracket or similar would be desirable here. Overall, however, we find the product to be an enrichment in any child’s room.
Advantages
✅ Stylish and functional design
✅ Simple installation
✅ Various possible uses
✅ FSC certified wood
✅ Designed in Italy
Disadvantages
❌ Supplement wall mounting with brackets if necessary
The first impression
Packaging and contents
ℹ️ Here we take a closer look at packaging. Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor. In addition, adequate protection of the product must of course also be guaranteed. Are the contents of the packaging complete and does the manufacturer make it as easy as possible for me to use the product straight away?
Criterion | Remark | Score achieved* |
---|---|---|
Product protection | Carton is sturdy, product sufficiently protected | 100 points |
Sustainability Packaging | Compact product packaging, use of non-recyclable materials | 80 points |
Package contents & scope | Boards, instructions, screws & assembly set – more screws than necessary | 100 points |
Instructions for use | Fully illustrated assembly instructions | 100 points |
Total | 95 points |
*The maximum score is 100 points
The Nature Supplies children’s bookshelves arrive in a compact shipping form. The shelves are individually packed in plastic. The assembly set and the screws are in additional individual plastic bags. There are also small polystyrene blocks in the box as additional padding. In terms of product protection, the packaging is therefore completely convincing. The use of recyclable materials would be desirable. The package also contains an instruction manual with self-explanatory, illustrated assembly instructions and a lovingly designed promotional flyer with contact information for the manufacturer. Overall, the product and packaging make a very good impression.
The first time in your hand
Product processing and appearance
ℹ️ Before we start the practical test, we take a close look at the workmanship of the products. How high quality are the materials used? Are the look and feel satisfactory?
Criterion | Remark | Score achieved* |
---|---|---|
Visual appearance | appealing design, appearance is flawless. | 100 points |
Processing | No defects recognizable | 100 points |
Stability | Robust design | 100 points |
Sustainability of the product | FSC certified wood, handmade | 100 points |
Total | 100 points |
*The maximum score is 100 points
Once all the foil has been removed, the individual parts can be examined more closely. No defects in color or shape can be found on the 12 pieces of wood . The parts appear robust and absolutely adequate for a children’s bookcase. The screws supplied seem sturdy and more than adequate given the expected load of the rather small shelf. Overall, the product therefore appears to be of high quality and has no defects.
The included screw bag even contains one more screw and one more wooden peg than is necessary for assembly, which minimizes annoying complaints due to missing parts and seems far-sighted on the part of the manufacturer.
In terms of the sustainability of the product, the manufacturer is characterized by the exclusive use of FSC-certified wood. The high-quality materials used and the good first impression of the workmanship promise a long service life for the shelving unit.
This is what our practical test showed
Does the manufacturer keep its advertising promises?
ℹ️ Our practical test has the highest relevance and therefore weighting. Here, the product has to undergo a wide range of criteria and tests. We check the functions and product promises of the test article.
Criterion | Remark | Score achieved* |
---|---|---|
Design | Timeless and child-friendly design | 100 points |
Structure | very easily with just a few screws. | 100 points |
Assembly | Easy installation thanks to mounting set, angle reinforcement may be desirable | 90 points |
Load capacity | Very resilient, weak point: Wall mounting | 100 points |
Material quality and durability | High-quality materials and robust design | 100 points |
Total | 98 points |
*The maximum score is 100 points
The children’s bookshelves from Nature Supplies impress in practical tests in almost all areas. Designed and handmade in Italy, the shelves exude a child-friendly calm thanks to their design and white finish.
The shelves were assembled in just a few minutes . Only four screws need to be tightened and four wooden pins inserted for each shelf. The drill holes are amazingly precise and fit perfectly.
Assembling the shelves is just as straightforward. Using the wall plugs supplied, screws can be fixed into the wall to provide sufficient support for the shelf. Unfortunately, however, the shelf is suspended using a rail, which means that the shelf can be pushed out of its mounting if pressure is applied from below. For this reason, in our opinion, the shelf should either be mounted out of the child’s reach or at a maximum of arm’s height to prevent accidents. Alternatively, we recommend a simple angle solution, which the manufacturer has not yet supplied.
However, this point of criticism in no way diminishes the quality of the shelf, which therefore impresses in our practical test with high-quality materials and a coherent and robust design.
In the load test, we gradually filled an assembled shelf with books. After neither these nor other conventional everyday weights had endangered the stability of the shelf, the only way to tear out the wall mounting was to pull it with force. Surprisingly, the shelf remained intact, which is why we also award full marks for this aspect.
Price/performance ratio
and ratings from consumers
ℹ️ Finally, we examine how the product compares to the competition. Can it keep up with the competition in terms of price and quality? Would we generally recommend buying it? We also look at the consumer reviews and check whether the critical and positive reviews are actually justified.
Criterion | Remark | Score achieved* |
---|---|---|
Price / performance ratio | Very good performance in the lower price segment | 100 points |
Rating cut | 4.1 out of 5.0 on Amazon | 55 points |
Total | 78 points |
*The maximum score is 100 points
On the Amazon platform, consumers rate the product with an average of 4.1 stars. One common complaint is that parts of the scope of delivery were missing and the product therefore had to be returned. Many customers like the modern and child-friendly design and the easy assembly of the shelves. In our practical test, we were able to confirm that this is an excellent product with an appealing design. Fortunately , we did not experience any problems with missing boards or screws in the two units we received – on the contrary: we were each supplied with an additional screw and a wooden peg as a spare.
Prices of up to €55.99 are charged on the internet for equivalent products. At €39.97 , the Nature Supplies children’s bookcase set is currently the cheapest product of this quality. This puts it in the lower price segment. For the quality and performance received, the price-performance ratio isreasonable.
Overall result
Weighting | Score achieved* | |
---|---|---|
1. packaging & contents | 20% | 95 points |
2. product processing & appearance | 20% | 100 points |
3. in the practical test | 45% | 98 points |
4. price/performance & consumer ratings | 15% | 78 points |
Total | 95 points |