Very sturdy, nice looking and comfortable.  I was pleasantly surprised by the weight and comfort of these stools.  And they look good.  These are one of the first things you see when you enter my house so they had to look nice.  The backs aren't quite as tall as I had thought they would be, but they are tall enough to be comfortable.  If you are a tall person, you might disagree.  They aren't made for really big people.  But we love them.