The seat is vinyl and looks it, but the cost was right, look is what we want, and the seat swivels while feeling secure. We were missing a bolt for one chair and getting it together is not super simple, but not too difficult either. We have not used them, so how well they hold up to big guys sitting at a bar remains to be seen. We give it 4 stars. Pros: Relatively easy assembly; good price; nice look Cons: Why would I expect a leather look when I did not want to pay for it, but the seat is definitely vinyl! We got the black.