Simply Built's furniture is sleek and affordable, but the best part: tool-free assembly

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Assembling furniture is one of my worst nightmares. I proactively try to avoid it as I start to think about deciphering complicated, poorly illustrated instruction manuals that are as lengthy as a textbook, making a mistake and having to undue hours of work, or the fear of losing a screw before the last step.

A TikTok video on my For You page caught my attention: a newly launched business, Simply Built, with a mission to create sleek-looking furniture that didn't require any tools for assembly and could be put together in about 15 minutes.

The two brothers, Grant and Hunter Elsenpeter, found themselves as the designated furniture builders for their friends' dorm rooms and apartments. Tired of lengthy assembly and furniture that didn't hold up, they used their resources (their father owns a carpentry business) to build out prototypes over the course of two years. The result is the Simply Built Screw-U collection: furniture that assembles without tools in minutes and can be easily disassembled and reassembled when you move. It's comprised of three hero pieces that cost between $150 and $300: a two-drawer nightstand, a three-drawer dresser, and a desk. Everything is available in two finishes: linen and charcoal oak.

Watching this TikTok, flashbacks of my experience with a simple nightstand I purchased on Amazon came to mind. I invited a friend over for pizza to help me sift through the complicated directions, pass connector links, and assist with the more challenging parts. I effectively swore off this type of furniture. Now, here I am, compelled to try a dresser and a nightstand from Simply Built because it had me wondering if it really is as easy to assemble as it looks.

Furniture assembled (and disassembled) in less than 30 minutes

The dresser shipped in two boxes, while the nightstand fits in one, and is securely packed with paper and styrofoam padding. In addition to paper instructions, video instructions are provided to break down the assembly process into manageable steps. I relied on the paper instructions, which were easy to follow. I particularly liked how each part is clearly labeled. Even the drawer glides are pre-installed; you just need to slide the assembled drawer onto the track.

Should you eventually decide to disassemble, Simply Built has placed a QR code on the back panel that leads to a video for easy breakdown instructions. The disassembly of the nightstand took less than 10 minutes, and interestingly, it revolved around stacking the drawer support connectors to create leverage, essentially reversing the furniture connections.

Full transparency, I struggled through a few user-error mistakes (more on that below) and creating band-aid fixes to correct them that extended how long it took. me to assemble, but for most people, it takes less than half an hour. Once I was more confident in my furniture skills, the lighter nightstand took me less than 20 minutes to complete. Far less than some other furniture builds I've taken on in the past. Once I got the hang of it, I even reassembled the nightstand I broke down without the instructions. It was almost fun.

Yes, it actually is tool-less

There's no bag of nails, screws, or cam locks to fuss with, no wooden dowels to hammer in, and no Allen wrench to tighten. There's also no need to pull out a drill for holes that don't quite line up.

Instead, the system relies on metal connectors that act as dowels and slide into tapered grooves to secure each piece—a process the brand refers to as "slide and lock." It does require a bit of force to fit everything together, but once in place, the pieces feel secure. The final step is punching the brass-colored handles into pre-drilled holes, which delivers a satisfying click.

The process is almost foolproof

Of course, being the expert furniture builder that I am, I managed to strip one of the connection points while second-guessing how snug the pieces should be.

Both the dresser and nightstand are made from engineered wood with a paper laminate finish. This is common for affordable furniture, but the material is relatively soft. Applying the wrong amount of force — and then trying to fix it — caused me to rip the laminate and damage the groove. I was able to rely on surrounding connections to stabilize the base of the dresser, but a similar mistake on the first drawer rendered it unusable.

Fortunately, Simply Built keeps extra parts on hand, and I was able to connect with them to identify replacement parts. This is something they offer to all customers for free.

It's perfect for first apartments and college students looking for stylish pieces

My dad clocked my new dresser as Ikea when I first showed it to him. I wouldn't call it premium, but it's an essential solution for college students and first-time apartment renters looking for something that's easy to assemble, attractive, and functional. Will this withstand years of use? I can't report on that yet, but it's attractive enough, with a modern feel. The drawers glide smoothly and provides extra storage that I can reach for everyday.

It's a functional storage solution

The tops can support up to 100 pounds, and each drawer can accommodate up to 25 pounds. The 27.6-inch width of the dresser was a perfect fit for placement along a spare wall, but you can double the storage capacity with a second unit.

The dresser is 30 inches tall, which is a comfortable height, and honestly more functional for my needs when compared to the 22 inch tall nightstand. The nightstand is too short to sit next to my bed, but the dresser would not be visually out of place. This is something to consider if you're a college student using bed risers or have a bed that sits higher off the ground.

As far as how much the dresser can hold. It's about 5.5 inches deep, with a few extra inches of clearance, but I wouldn't try overstuffing the dresser. I'm able to fit a few thick winter sweaters in each drawer. The drawers slide easily and smoothly. Meanwhile, the nightstand drawers appear deeper than they are and visually match the drawer heights of the dresser, but they only offer five inches of drawer box height.

What are your other options?

In the past, we've written about a modular dresser from Thuma, which also emphasizes tool-free assembly; however, the starting price of $1,000 for three drawers is not accessible for most people. The pieces are undoubtedly solid — comprised of 100% wood — and can be added on to and configured in multiple ways. Although the setup entailed stacking each unit on top of the other, each drawer ships in its own box, making the assembly process quite cumbersome due to the weight.

Most affordable case goods purchased online require some sort of assembly, unless coming from a furniture store or it is specified. Easy assembly is becoming more commonplace, but true tool-free is still pretty rare. Walker Edison offers an EZ Assembly line that is supposed to assemble in 30 minutes or less; however, it still requires keeping track of a few hand screws and wooden dowels, as well as having a screwdriver on hand.

The bottom line

I'm excited about what's to come from Simply Built. The fledgling company has solved a problem and is disrupting the way furniture is assembled, potentially alleviating some of the frustrations associated with furniture assembly. The result, as Grant Elsenpeter explains, "is modern furniture built for real life — fast to assemble, easy to move, and designed to keep up with how you live."