Julius Studio [Enhanced Heavy Duty] 10.1 x 8 ft. (W x H) Adjustable Backdrop Stand Background Support, Strong Frame No Shaking, Shock-Proof Spring, Heavy Joints, Anti-Slip Rubber Shoes, JSAG283

Please read the full review!Quality of Product: 5/5Ease of Setting Up: 4/5Ease of Breaking Down: 5/5Durability: 4/5Stability: 3/5Shipping: 5/5Overall 4 out of 5, but for me and the things I need it, 5/5.Alright so at first I was kinda debating on whether or not to get it because of all of the mixed reviews but I'm glad I got it because it's perfect for what I needed. I'm a free lance illustrator and besides working at home, I go to conventiontions quite frequently and I needed something that would help the whole set up process go by faster and opted for this and honestly, I'm glad I did.This product was very nicely made and it came on time and with everything it said it would have. It was easier to put it all away then install it because my main problem was the horizontal bar. The two bars are suppose to stick together and click, but to make it do that I had to go out of my way and beyond to make it happen, aka, ask for help. And something else was the stability of it all. I seemed to have a hard time getting it to find an equilibrium with the height and even if it was just a bit off on one of the legs, it would balance on 2 out of the 3 stilts causing it to slightly wobble, not by much though. That could be an inconvenience for artists in the artist alley with cramped spaces but it's just something to be careful and watchful about. Overall I needed to use the sandbags for weight distribution.What I hung on my photo set were prints made out of light cardstock and held up with tape so over all it was very light and didn't make it wobble. I wouldn't recommend this product for people who have to be setting up and breaking down on uneven terrain or even put multiple heavy backdrops on it, I feel like it would leave a bit of a drop on the horizontal beam. The simpler you keep this product the better it works. But honestly for what you pay for, it still works as it says it does, I just think people expect this to work like a set of $100 + dollars where there are obvious differences.Overall I was satisfied with my product, but for others reading this make sure it works for what you're interested in doing.

Easy set up. Strong and thick pieces. Pretty portable. Good design. Pretty sturdy, cat climbed on it and it stood firm.

Edited to add I purchased in 2019. It died October 2024 after 5 years of light use. Could I have fixed it? Maybe if I were at all mechanically inclined. I am not, and since it was easy to set up - I bought another one. I would adjust my stars down to 3 1/2 though - I really didn't use it all the often and I was not hard on it.Full disclosure; I put the "amateur" in amatuer photography. I have no idea what I'm doing. I do however love taking pictures of my dog, and much to her horror I'm a big fan of dressing her up for holiday card photos and other festive "photo shoots". I've always struggled with backgrounds because I have the most unphotogenic house possible. Recently I had the opportunity to try out a Christmas backdrop; and never having useed a photography backdrop before, I wanted to buy a reasonably priced background stand. I was looking for a good deal - not super expensive in case I was never going to use it again; but not super flimsy that if I did like it, it wouldn't hold up.I love the Julius stand and will definitely be using it again. It's perfect for my needs. I never used a stand before and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to put together. I even managed to set it up without any help at all. It comes with directions, but is also pretty intuitive. It is easy to take down as well and the storage bag is great for keeping everything organized and then putting it conveniantly away when not in use. It seemed fairly solid and stable to me.This is the perfect stand for a hobby enthusiast or for someone who wants a reliable stand but isn't going to be using it constantly.

UPDATE: January 4, 2019 -- This is my final update. I initially rated the product low (2 stars) due to a manufacturing defect. I worked with Julius Worldmart Customer Service (KimOutlet) to resolve the issue. Now my rating is 4 stars because the problem has been resolved with KimOutlet sending me a replacement crossbar that works fine.NOTE: My rating could have been 5 stars if there were no problems because the overall quality and value for the price is very good.Lastly, the Customer Support via email was excellent. The KimOutlet rep was very quick responding even during the New Year holiday. The rep was also incredibly personable in the email exchange -- just about the nicest person to chat with regarding a manufacturing defect - LOL.Keep in mind that both customer support people (Amazon and KimOutlet) let me know that I could have returned the entire package, but I chose to get the crossbar part replaced instead. I made this choice because I thought it would save time and effort. Packing up all the parts and pieces and then shipping it back would have been a hassle. This required me to contact KimOutlet via email (contact info provided in product package). It turns out that getting the replacement crossbar part was fairly quick even over the New Year holiday.Happy New Year and Good Shopping!+++++++++++++++UPDATE: December 24, 2018 - Julius Worldmart Customer Service replied in an email that they will gladly ship a set of new crossbars. Shipping is 4 - 7 business days. Optionally, I could return the entire kit to Amazon and then repurchase a new one. I replied that shipping a set of new crossbars to be received in 4 - 7 days is fine for me.>> That's a very quick response, especially on Christmas Eve day.>> Another update to this review after the set of new crossbars are received.Happy Holidays and good shopping!++++++++++++++++++++++++++INITIAL REVIEW: I chose the product over other products of similar cost and features because of the adjustable width crossbar. Other products have crossbars that are adjustable, but not continuously adjustable. In other words, the Julius crossbar can slide in and out continuously while other products use pole segments that are bolted together (width adjustable by taking out individual pieces). The idea is that this makes precise width adjustment quick and easy.The crossbar is assembled by inserting Pole (B) into Pole (A). Each of these poles are actually made of two tubes that slide within each other, thereby enabling the continuous width adjustment. Good idea, however, there was a problem with the kit that I received.DESCRIPTION OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT --The two poles of the crossbar do not join together due to a manufacturing defect. See attached pictures.>> GAP IN JOINING PIECE OF POLE (B) MAKES DIAMETER TOO BIG TO FIT INSIDE POLE (A).>> POLE (A) DOES NOT FIT TOGETHER WITH POLE (B).>> WITH THE HELP OF A VISE, SILICON SPRAY AND A LOT OF BRUTE FORCE, THE POLES MAY EVENTUALLY BE PUSHED TOGETHER.>> IN ORDER TO PRY THE POLES APART FOR STORAGE AND TRANSPORT, A VISE AND A LOT OF BRUTE FORCE IS REQUIRED.>> THIS IS NOT AS STATED, "Assembles and Disassembles Quickly."On a positive note, the instruction booklet came with a business card attached and contact info for Julius Worldmart Customer Service. I have sent off a detailed email today. Of course, it is Friday just before the holidays, so I don't expect an immediate response, but I will update this review with their response when I receive it.Happy Holidays and good shopping!