I purchased 3 of these "guaranteed for life" binders and returned all 3 after one week of school for my sixth grader. The D ring (top one) on all three became stuck and would not open without the aid of pliers! Needless to say we are very disappointed. Hopefully we just had a defective bunch as the binders looked very sturdy.
This is the 2nd year in a row that my kids have used this brand/style of binders. They are great and last the whole year. They also have a lifetime warranty. You can't beat that! They are pretty as well.
So far so good... The material is a flexible plastic/rubber and doesn't get dog eared or damaged like the vinyl cover cardboard type. The lever to open the rings requires only one hand to operate. Overall good value...