Super easy to put together! Was dreading putting another piece of furniture together after several recent nightmares...but this one took 10 minutes or less (after getting it unwrapped). I read several reviews about the color being off. But i went into this expecting to get a very dark brown (almost black) bench and that's what I got. if you're looking for gray, choose another bench. Very sturdy. Looks nice and like I spent more than I did. Tiny crumbs of food may get temporarily stuck in the small crevices between the seat planks. But it'/ not like they've stuck forever. All it has taken was a quick wipe down and they're gone. Very pleased with this purchase.