Ordered a set of four chairs in the neutral color and received them in two days with no damage. These chairs were easy to put together. I'm not sure what kind of wood is used but it looks like a hard wood, the box says they are made in Viet Nam. I was surprised that the sanding and sprayed on finish was really good work, probably done by machine. One chair had a much darker piece of wood on the tall side near the back slats, and one chair has a front leg that seems to be a tad short which makes it rock a little, I think a small chair pad on the bottom will correct this. I can live with these problems, after all , these chairs were replacements for a kitchen dinette set that were sixteen years old and falling apart. One thing about these chairs is their not very tall, only 34.75 inches, my old chairs were 39 inches tall. This will take a little getting used to looking at. These are sturdy chairs that look like they wont fall apart after six months and for the price I paid, I'm pleased.