This is a very nice, functional plant stand, but it is NOT an 11 tier stand. It is an 8 tier stand. The base is the base, and is not a 'tier'. Now, having said that, it is sturdy, easy to put together, and looks great in front of my southern living room window. I am a 65 year old woman, and it took me maybe 30 minutes to put it together by myself. The thing I really like about it is that the plant tiers are not lined up above each other so an upper tier is not shading out a lower tier. Plus, the fact that the tiers are not arranged above each other lets each plant shine on their own instead of forming a vertical 'line', if you will, of plants. Another benefit of the offset tiers and varying heights is that I can choose plants for each tier based on their individual needs for sunlight. I am very happy with my purchase, would not hesitate to recommend this product to others, and am considering purchasing another one for my other southern facing living room window.