The legs on the chairs feel more like cast iron, which is a good thing. The rest is pretty thin, painted  aluminum. I think I like the "patina" less in person than in the photos, but I can live with it. I'm glad I got this on a killer sale because I wouldn't have wanted to pay the $200+ regular price as it's really not worth that imo. Two tips if you've bought it and you're going to put it together (1) do yourself a favor and use a real crescent wrench (the tiny little thing that comes with it should really just go right in the trash) and do not screw the nuts too much - if you do, you'll end up stripping them out or actually unscrewing them (because all of them but the 3 that hold the small circular middle part between the legs are double threaded). Once they feel tight, just stop. Other than that, I bought this specifically for a small area by my front door so I could sit out there. It fits perfect in the space and works for my purposes.