Review on BAMFOX Floating Wall Shelf Set of 2: Natural Bamboo Decor Storage for Various Spaces by Kari Sather

We ordered both of these 16" shelves as well as the 23" versions from BAMFOX. As the 23" shelves arrived, one of the shelves had a large chip, exposing the very light wood underneath. The chip was about 1" long and 0.25" thick; it wouldn't be something I could tweak easily since it created a large indentation on the side which was very visible from where I hung the shelf. So they sent me a replacement. The replacement had a few minor light spots that could be touched up. I've seen others do this People were discussing the same issues with these 16" shelves, but we got lucky with our first shipment. So the lesson is that there is a lot of variation in color quality. Allow plenty of time to return the shelves if necessary and excel exchange. However, once you get the shelves intact and painted all over, you'll be amazed at the longevity. Next comes the wall mount. Line the entire length of the shelf in the spot where you want to mount it on the wall. Place a mark in the center of the shelf at the back of the shelf and also where that mark would nominally be on the wall. Line up these two off marks so you can gauge where the two holes on the back of the shelf should be on the wall. Mark the wall where these holes are and then use the mounting brackets as templates for the four Holes required for assembly Make sure the holes are aligned along the horizontal line drawn earlier. Note that the holes in the mounting brackets are LARGE - they give you washers to fill the space between the screws and the holes. Therefore, you can adjust the brackets left and right and even a little up and down. So if you don't get the perfect level on the first try, you can adjust it without drilling new holes. However, before drilling any holes, make sure you have very good dowels. I don't recommend using the simple drywall anchor inserts they provide. With these inserts you will not be able to keep the mounting brackets flush with the wall and your shelf will be doomed to tilt slightly downwards. Instead, I recommend using either cavity wall anchors that hold the wall in place on both sides, such as B. molly bolts, lever bolts, cotton collets or wall claws. When I used latches for one shelf and a combination of latches and wall hooks for the other shelf, both 16" shelves were solidly and securely attached to the wall. However, on my 24" shelf, I used the inserts provided by BAMFOX. Shelf, despite maximum tension on the mounting brackets, it had a slight incline. With a floating shelf this heavy, a SMALL incline is probably inevitable; the incline you encounter with your mounts however, will be much worse than the incline you would get with much more powerful mounts like the types listed above. But once you have the shelf installed you will be happy with its looks and function. BAMFOX shelves are cheaper ( sometimes half the price) as the competition's floating shelves which otherwise look the same which gives them a higher value. I just wish they had better quality control and came with the best quality hollow wall anchors. *** UPDATE (added with new photos ): *** If you made the mistake of using the plastic anchor inserts that were the shelves (shown in one of the pictures in my hand), you'll likely notice that your shelf will tilt all the way to the bottom almost immediately. I made this mistake on the 24 inch version of this shelf. Luckily I was able to remove the shelf and brackets and drill the old holes slightly larger (to get rid of the old anchors) to make room for better anchors. this completely fixed the problem. I've detailed this process below (with the drawings shown for my 24" version of the shelf, but the same instructions apply to shorter shelves). If you remove the shelf and unscrew the brackets so you can see behind the flat washers you will most likely find that the cheap anchors have ripped out of the wall and a hole has gone through the brackets themselves (see pictures). If you remove the brackets from the wall, you can easily pull the anchors all the way out of the holes. Luckily, you can use the SAME HOLES with better anchors to properly attach the shelf. In particular, I recommend 3/8" latches (see image). First remove the original wall plugs by pulling them out of the wall. If you can't, leave them in the wall; a slightly larger hole, the anchors are drilled with a slightly larger drill. In any case, 3/8" toggles require a 5/16" drill bit. Center a 5/16" drill bit on the old holes (with or without the original anchors) and drill a hole to make the hole slightly larger (and maybe clean up the old anchors). Then press the switches and plug them in. You should be able to get them almost flush by pressing down firmly with your thumb. You can tap them with a hammer to make them completely flush (which is important if you really want the shelf to be level in all directions). You can see photos of the switches I taped into the wall. I didn't set them as level as possible, which caused my shelf to tilt up a bit when I was done (that's how strong the latches are). **Then make sure to use the special tool that came with the latches** to pry them open in the wall. that come with the shelves or the snap screws to reattach the brackets. Be sure to use flat washers. Tighten the brackets almost all the way, then adjust as needed to slide the shelf onto it and make sure it's level. Then remove the shelf and complete the tightening. Then slide the shelf back in. By following these steps, your shelf will be firmly attached to the wall and can support a significant amount of weight. In my case I didn't do that. My latches should be level and my shelf is actually tipped up (see drawing with level). It is possible that this will correct itself over time under the influence of gravity. If not, it's not a great angle and prevents anything from rolling off the front. With the right anchors (like these extendable levers or the other examples I gave above that grab the wall from either side) these shelves can be extremely strong and look great.