In the never ending search for a chair that can handle boys and bigger people that come for a dinner, we might just have found our favorite. We had bought expensive contemporary chairs from a big name furniture maker before and within the first week they started breaking. we never replaced them in fear of ordering online. but we gave in and bought these.... they were the cheapest ones on the list that would look good with out table. Too bad they were only in black but in the future we are thinking of spray painting them. So I assembled them easily, we went with the wood bottom because our boys would rip the padded ones. and within 30 minutes I had 6 chairs assembled and at my table! They are not at all as heavy as I thought they would be so that was great. Now they will handle the heavy set guests and the boys who insist on leaning in their chair. OH! and the other surprising thing is the metal looks like wood until you touch it .. :)