Comfort is my number one priority and I'll spend the money to get it. If your not comfortable, your moving around, figiting and just might not want to remain there and you have to be there when the animal is. Some of the generic, cheaper treestands might suite you well for a couple hours but for the long stay on the stand, they don't necessarily fit the bill. I stock up on some of the cheaper stands for when I'm popping into a stand for a short stay but for the long haul, comfort is number one.