LOVE, love, love our new chairs! Though they are relatively comfortable without cushions, I still purchased cushions for mine for extra comfort, especially since I have young kids who were used to our older faux leather cushioned chairs, which these replaced. I’m hoping they stand the test of time, and that since they are stained black, rather than simply painted black, a furniture pen will do the trick for any touch ups they need over time. They were relatively easy to assemble, (took about 20 minutes per chair). My husband found it helpful to have myself or one of the children sit in the chair for added counter pressure as he tightened the screws for the seat into the frame.