Why does furniture assembly have to be so frustrating? From finding missing or defective parts to trying to decode poor-quality instructions, the process can quickly start to feel like trying to solve a complex puzzle. And if you’re not one of the 48 percent of Americans who enjoy problem-solving, putting together that table or chair can be more frustrating than fun.

But unless you’re embracing a furnitureless life or are simply dedicated to high-end minimalism, you need furniture. And if you’re living solo or just don’t want to get into a fight with your partner about what goes where, finding furniture that is easy to put together should be a priority. Here are a few of the top furniture companies with the easiest furniture to put together.

Why Furniture Assembly Is So Hard

There are quite a few reasons why putting furniture together is challenging. Here are the most common factors that contribute to the frustration.

The manufacturer’s instructions are unhelpful.

A big reason why many people find furniture assembly frustrating is that the manufacturer’s instructions aren’t always the easiest to understand. For example, common complaints include complicated instructions, hard-to-understand diagrams, inconsistent formatting, and even steps that are missing altogether!

And when the instructions are unclear, trying to decipher which piece goes where and in what direction can make even the most patient DIY-er a little crazy.

The pieces don’t fit.

Not to mention, even if the instructions are helpful, the actual process of assembling multiple pieces can present its own set of challenges. Pieces don’t always align as neatly as they’re depicted in advertisements. Plus, misaligned screw holes or unyielding fittings can add yet another layer of frustration. And if you try to force them into place, you could do a lot more damage to your new furniture item than intended.

The process is physically tiring.

In addition to all of the above, assembling pieces of furniture can be very physically demanding. Moving heavy pieces, holding awkward positions for prolonged periods, and repetitive motions can take a quite the toll on the human body after a while. And if you have limited mobility, this part of the assembly process can be incredibly aggravating.

We Need to Talk About IKEA

Everyone loves Swedish furniture powerhouse IKEA. If their furniture is easy to put together highly depends on who you ask, though they are known for their language-barrier hopping instructions. On top of being affordable, their flat-pack furniture inspired other companies to follow suit. However, they’re also known for furniture that falls apart fairly easy – and this is to say nothing if you live somewhere that IKEA doesn’t deliver to. Besides that, they have a very specific aesthetic, and that Scandinavian sensibility might not suit everyone.

While IKEA is a great furniture company with the easiest furniture to put together (usually), here are a few alternatives.

Top Furniture Companies With the Easiest Furniture To Assemble

While putting furniture together isn’t always easy, it certainly doesn’t have to be hard. There are plenty of furniture companies that have made it their mission to make furniture that isn’t just easy to assemble but doesn’t sacrifice style or quality, either. So forget fidgeting with stubborn pieces or trying to decipher hard-to-read instructions. For easy and convenient furniture assembly, here are four furniture companies to try next.

Burrow

Burrow is an innovative furniture company that puts sustainability at the forefront. From using sustainable wood to craft their pieces to shipping orders in packaging made from recyclable materials, a purchase from this company is definitely something you can feel good about.

But aside from their sustainability practices, Burrow is also committed to making quality furniture that’s easy for customers to build. So whether you’re looking for a luxury sofa or a sleek coffee table, Burrow is a leading choice for DIY beginners and expert DIYers alike.

Floyd

Floyd is another popular furniture company on a mission to make quality furniture that lasts. But before it became the bustling company it is today, Floyd specialized in producing metal legs that attach to any surface to form a table. If that’s not an indication that this company is serious about easy assembly, we don’t know what is.

Kvell

Founded in 2017, contemporary furniture company Kvell is a godsend when it comes to finding modern furniture, decor, and storage solutions. From cute and convenient garment ladders to colorful ottomans, this innovative company has it all.

But what makes Kvell really stand out is just how easy their furniture assembly can be. Many of their products are super minimalistic, so you can expect an easy-breezy set-up process. To top that off, a number of their products are also collapsible and ready to assemble in minutes.

Hem

If you gravitate towards flat-pack furniture, Hem is the perfect company for you. Hem is a Swedish brand that focuses on creating modern furniture that’s easy to put together. Plus, they have a pretty wide selection of products to choose from, making them an ideal place to shop if you’re looking to furnish an entire room.

Inside Weather

Based in San Fransisco, Inside Weather prides itself on providing shoppers with plenty of options for easy-to-assemble furniture, and full customizability. Want this in yellow instead of red? No problem – Inside Weather lets you choose your fabrics, as well as almost every single other aspect of a particular piece. The brand has a total of three million unique combos, which means someone isn’t likely to come to your house and realize you have the exact same TV stand they do because you both picked it up from Target.

Opendesk

Opendesk aims to connect its customers with crafstpeople all around the globe, who will make the furniture for you. Their products, which focus on office furniture primarily, use Japanese joinery techniques, making putting those pieces together once they’re made as easy as clicking together a few uniquely-shaped parts. Their style is of the ‘plain wood’ variety, but that leaves them open to your customization – paint them, stain them, sand them, sculpt them, whatever you’d like to make these pieces your own.

Akron Street

The inspiration behind Akron Street was rental furniture – specifically rental furniture that didn’t look like it was rented. Today, the hardwood furniture of this brand is easy enough to assemble in 15 minutes or less with simple peg-and-slot designs.They carry everything from beds to clothing racks in mid-range prices. Simple, thoughtful furniture that makes a house a home is how Akron Street self-describes, and the wooden, homey nature of their products backs that up. Find side tables with organic shapes and wood patterns left to shine in their ecclectic line.