OfficeWorks by Sauder Affirm Lateral File, L: 35.43" x W: 23.47" x H: 29.29", in Classic Cherry Finish

We really like the APPEARANCE of this lateral file in our home office. It replaces a conventional Steelcase metal file cabinet, whose drawers were hard to access with our floor-plan. This lateral file cabinet is SO much easier to access, and looks great with our decor (see pics). The faux-wood finish includes the back, so the unit can be placed away from a wall. My partner LOVES it.But let’s be HONEST. This is neither a quality piece of furniture, nor a well-designed file cabinet. Let me explain:First, we were shocked to realize that even though the cabinet is 23-1/2” deep, the DRAWERS ARE ONLY 14” DEEP. Fully 40% of the interior space is WASTED! (see pics) Then ANOTHER 20% of the remaining space is wasted by the 7” left between the two rows of standard hanging files (see pic). They seem to have used legal-sized folders on the product page, but for the vast majority of us that use letter-size folders, it is wasted space. One wonders how they could have left such BASIC FACTS out of the product description.The whole cabinet is made of PARTICLE BOARD, with some kind of faux-wood surface (see pics). Even the DRAWERS are made of particle board with what appears to be a masonite bottom. They are disguised with a nice “maple” appearing lamination on top, but a quick look underneath shows their true nature. Furthermore, the corners are simply butt-jointed with two screws at each joint (see pics). A file cabinet drawer can be quite heavy when full, and I fear that this cheap construction might not hold up well in use.The hanging-file hardware is flimsy and loose. The folder support bars ride loosely on two rods, front and rear, and the only thing holding them in place is the hanging folders placed on them. Any other file cabinet I’ve had has a rigid frame to support the hanging folders. By the same token, the drawer slides look rather lightweight, but you CAN remove the drawers by depressing the black plastic tab when you reach the end of travel (a fact not mentioned in the instructions).The locks offer more of an IDEA of security than anything else. When locked, the front of both drawers can be easily pulled out to get the fingers behind them, and breaking them off would be trivial.And last but not least, there is something VERY strange going on with the price of this item. As of the time of this review, it is priced at $783.99 which is, frankly, ABSURD. If I “visit the Sauder Store” on Amazon, it is currently $290.70. BOTH are ‘ships from and sold by Amazon.’ I have seen it closer to $200 within the last week. For $200 it is an OKAY item, IF you know what you are getting.

I got this lateral file to go with a matching desk. It took only a few minutes to put together, as the body comes assembled. The few instructions needed were clear and obviously written by a native English speaker, which is nice. The case is nice and sturdy. The drawers didn't seem as sturdy on first inspection, but when I went back to examine them to describe why, I can't really find anything wrong with them. I guess the slides don't really enforce the drawers pulling out and pushing in perfectly straight, but with this shape (wider than it is deep), that's probably impossible without something like linked rack and pinion, which would just be overkill for this application. So, yeah, it's built well. There's one joint on the back that isn't perfectly flush, but that's nitpicking. The top is big enough that I can put both my home office printers on top of it with room to spare. The drawer slides are barely full extension, so the lip of the top or the drawer front of the top drawer overhand the inside of the drawer below by just a tiny fraction of an inch.

My old filing cabinet bit the dust last year, and I've replaced it with wire organizers and file organizers, but I needed more filing space. I love the set of this filing cabinet and the desk that's often shown with it (they're sold separately). The wood looks like real cherry, and it definitely feels like real wood. It's made of engineered wood, but it looks beautiful and is very sturdy.The best thing about this filing cabinet, other than its large size, so much room for filing and storing important papers, etc., is that it comes fully assembled except for the handles and lock. I had two people put the filing cabinet and the matching desk together for me today, since I'm not strong enough to do that alone. The hardest part was deciding where to put it. All you need to do as far as assembly of this filing cabinet is put the hardware on it, and that's easy enough for me to do.This is a great file cabinet with lots of space. It will hold letter, legal, or European size hanging files. When you get the filing cabinet, you might want to also order a good supply of hanging file folders. The top of the filing cabinet is 1" thick and is made of melamine, which is heat, stain and scratch resistant. It's also heat, stain, and scratch resistant and has high-grade thermoplastic edges. I don't see how this filing cabinet could ever get too full in a home office.Excellent product, a pretty filing cabinet that can hold letter, legal, or European hanging files, and a lot of them, too. This comes fully assembled except for the hardware, and that's a really nice touch. The top is made of melamine and is 1" thick, and the filing cabinet is heat, stain, and scratch resistant. Mine arrived in a huge box and in very good condition, no scratches or any other problems. I love the cherry stain, the way the top of the filing cabinet can be used to display pretty things or to hold supplies, and how easy this is to use. This is an excellent product, one that I plan to use for the rest of my life.