Review on Blackout Curtain Rod, 1-Inch Diameter, Wrap Around Design, Pewter Finish, Adjustable Length 48"-84" - Meriville by Ben Karlen

I guess in comparison to nicer looking curtain rods, this one was cheaper, so I should’ve expected a lower quality. But for $30, I sort of expected better quality and design. First, it took a really long time to arrive — which I can understand under present circumstances. But when it arrived, the box was damaged (opened on one end), and the rod had a dent in it. It didn’t ruin it structurally, but I would have preferred a $30 curtain rod to be better packaged as to avoid damage. The rod is typical of the costume jewelry fake gold color, but it’s subtle enough that I don’t mind using it. Nothing in my room is genuine gold, so it doesn’t stick out. However, in the pictures, it did look more like a glossy metallic finish, but it’s more of a matte finish, which makes it look cheaper. I went ahead and put this up anyway, though it wasn’t exactly what I imagined, and I’m not even in love with the design of this thing. The curtain rod is in 3 separate pieces — the straight rod & the two end wrap arounds. These three pieces are joined by a plastic piece (which is visibly white plastic and not the same color as the rod). The ends of the wraparound rods are joined to a plate that you have to put a tiny screw into. The way it’s designed, this tiny screw either ends up going into the bottom or top (I’m not sure which is intended, but I regrettably have it on the top). The two end plates have two screws at the top and bottom to join it to the wall. I am 5 foot, and used a step ladder to put this up, and found it difficult to put in the tiny screws to secure the rod. While assembly is mostly obvious, it’s an annoying design. Finally, the worst part of this is that there is no way to lock the straight rod piece so it doesn’t slide around. I wish there were a way that you could twist it so it holds it in place. I can foresee having issues with it moving when I try to open/close my curtains. One thing to note is that where the white piece adjoins the two rods appears bent if it’s visible. Looks fine when hidden below the curtains, but considering how easy it is for the rod to move while opening/closing curtains, I’m sure it’ll be an issue.Overall, I’m not in love with this curtain rod. It’s sort of drab with the matte finish, and doesn’t really accomplish the look I was aiming for. It’s a step up from the cheap rod I had before, but doesn’t really stand out, and seems pointless. I could have just bought a cheaper rod for the same thing. It’s fine for now, but I definitely wouldn’t buy this again, and I don’t foresee it being a permanent addition to my room.