We've only had our chairs for a few days, but so far we absolutely love them. First of all, the color is PERFECT. I was worried they might be too candy apple red, but it's a deep, rich red that goes perfectly in our family room. Upon completing the easy assembly (basically screwing on the legs & putting the back on), we immediately discovered that they are very comfortable to sit in and recline in. We didn't notice any unpleasant smells from 'new-ness' or anything. We hope that that they'll hold up for quite some time!