The leather is very soft and I love the stitching on the top.  The hinges lock open and close slow.  Feels very solid.  The price was only $30 more than some of the cheap versions I saw on other sites.  Those reviews said they fell apart and were poorly made.  This ottoman is great quality.  Very happy with purchase.  Nice and large, holds lots of stuff!  I got the lighter brown and it was pretty true to color shown.