Ronin Meditation Bench (Portable, Folding, Walnut)

The craftsmanship on this bench is phenomenal. One thing I didnt expect was the smell. When it first comes out of the box it has the most amazing smell, probably due to the natural oil stain they use on the wood. This is, I do not exaggerate, one of the most beautiful things I own. As far as the comfort for meditation, its not as comfortable as another meditation bench I own. But I don't really care because of how portable the ronin is. I'm in the military and have to be able to pack up all my things into an incredibly small amount of space. This is really the only way that I can keep up my meditation practice when I'm on deployment.

A nice piece, but unnecessary

Let me first say this the bench looks great. Although the shipping was slow i emailed zen posture asked about it and they imiditaly responded with a helpful answered so i have no complaints there. They are an amazing company. That being said the bench doesn't function as good as it looks though. The problem is that the magnet that have "holding" the two legs together does nothing and you wobble the whole time you are meditating. Thats on hard wood there is no way you could possibly do this on carpet. Also my legs on the bench are slightly uneven doesn't really bother me all that much but might be a contributing the source of the problem. I think I'm going to add a latch to hold the legs together better and sand the other one down so they become even. Great looking bench though at a great price.

I have been sitting on this bench daily for about a week now, and so far, it's the most comfortable bench and meditation position that I've used so far. The angle and height are just right for me, and I like how the support is only at the center, leaving plenty of room for any leg position. I also find the rope padding comfortable enough and slip-resistant.This is also one of the highest quality pieces of woodwork I've seen. Everything is cut and aligned perfectly, folded or standing. The light weight and compact folded size is also very convenient for travel. It did need a touch of oil on the hinges for smooth and squeak-free operation, but aside from that, there are no creaking or straining noises.

This is a very high quality piece of furniture. Very well made. Quality wood. A nice piece to have in your house. The only downside is that you have to position yourselfe carefully otherwise the two folding center pieces unfold themselves. You aren't going to fall off or anything like that, but it isn't like a bench you can just plop down on. I do like the way if folds up. Makes it a little nicer when you have to bow into the Zendo with this thing under your arm.After sitting on it for 8months: the guy who makes these is a true craftsman and I still love the bench. That said...the pedestals are still hard to keep together. I actually placed a bolt between them to hold them together. Would be nice to have that option. Also, I find that the Ronin is very low to the ground, which works well on a hard floor. But on a zabuton cushion in the zendo, the bench sinks into the cushion and squashes down on your heels underneath. Not painful, but annoying enough for me to order another model from the same place for use on a cushion.. I recommend another model for use in the zendo.

The bench is beautiful and extremely well-made. I've been using the bench for 30-minute meditation sessions and it's incredibly comfortable to use -- the height is perfect. Also hats off to Mike who was quick to answer my questions related to the bench. Will likely purchase more in the future for friends.

I am so happy I bought this on a whim. It encourages excellent posture, gives my knees a needed break, is simple and minimalist but absolutely a work of art, and it is such a quality-feeling object. One does have to be mindful getting in and out of position, as the very cool hidden magnetic closure can separate when moving around too vigorously, but I'm happy to be more careful and mindful when getting in and out of position. In the worst case, it just means things slip out of position for a second, and I just have to readjust it a little. I happily deal with that in exchange for all the perfection of this little bench.

I love the visual aesthetic of this bench--you can tell it's well made. In fact, it's so clever it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how to open it up. The rope is beautiful.The reasons I'm not giving it 5 stars are:1. It's a bit difficult, while sitting, to find the exact center of balance. The hinges move so well, you can be sitting a bit skewed and never know it. I'm sure this will improve as my practice improves, but I'd like to have a little kinesthetic "hint" that I'm balanced in the middle with the pieces of the upright straight.2. The front corners poke into the backs of my thighs. I wish the corners were rounded off even a bit. I'm an average-weight woman (size 8-10) but when I'm sitting I feel like I'm uncomfortably over-spilling the bench.