It wasn't too hard to put together, just have to put a little extra time into understanding the instructions. Most of the defects I noticed on the individual parts came from the shipping and packaging quality of the box. I only noticed two defects that most likely happened in the manufacturing process. The smell is strong but tolerable. I gave a 4 star rating because there were too many small things that could have been fixed by the manufacturer. But the chair works and looks great.