should be more cushioned, feels semi-hard. The reclining lever is "hard", not as smooth as other chairs. On the plus side is very solid, well put together. The USB cable for the massager snapped on the second day (my kids fault, he did not unplug it and got stuck when he moved). On plastic piece was missing (there are 3 "cone-like" pieces to cover the shaft that lifts when you raise the chair, one was missing, it only came with, I looked through all the packaging to make sure that I did not miss it. I assembled it on a clean/clear area, so nothing would get lost).