This rug is very soft and looks great.  No weird smell and seemed like it would have flattened out just fine.  However, the grey/silver color was lighter than pictured.  Also, I ordered a 5x7 and the 7ft side was about 4 inches short making it just a little too small for the space I intended it.  I ended up returning it for that reason but would have kept it otherwise despite the color difference.