I've had 3 very nice cotton hammocks for a few years now, and have only used them a couple of times because it was not very practical to tie them to the trees in our orchard (takes quite some time to find the right spots, adjust rope lengths, etc.) The other day, I started looking into spots where I could hang them on our deck, but was worried about damaging/weakening something if I started drilling and mounting stuff all over the place. Finally, I started looking at hammock stands, after pretty much giving up on the other options, because I've always found them to be rather ugly. But, luckily, I stumbled upon this great stand... What a difference! First of all, it is very compact. More so than I expected. This made me realize that what I disliked most about the stands I had seen was their gargantuan size. Also, because of its size, it fits very nicely on the deck, or even inside the house (a great option for a rainy day). On top of that, it is brilliantly engineered. Everything comes together (or can be taken appart) in just a few minutes, and without any tools. Finally, it is pleasant to look at (I got the bronze color, which blends nicely with the wooden deck). I honestly couldn't be more impressed by what a brilliant stand this is. In fact, I will be getting a second one, since there is plenty of space for another stand/hammock, thanks to its compact size.