Mudra Crafts foldable meditation bench review
Pine, slow-closing hinges and a 2.5 inch cushion, at 3.7 pounds.
A handmade pine seiza bench with angled pedestal legs, slow-shutting hinges and a padded seat, folding flat at 3.7 pounds.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Material | Clear coated natural pine wood with slow shutting hinges |
| Seating area | 18 by 7 inches |
| Cushion | 2.5 inches thick |
| Height | 8 inches at the back, 7 inches at the front |
| Folded size | 18 by 7 by 3.5 inches |
| Weight | 3.7 lb |
| Assembly | None required |
| Design | Angled pedestal legs to align pelvis and spine |
Specifications above come from Mudra Crafts' published product specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- The angle is the feature. An eight inch back and a seven inch front tips the pelvis forward, which is what lets the spine stack without you holding it there.
- Kneeling with the weight on a bench rather than on your heels removes the ankle and hip problem that ends most cross-legged sittings.
- Three point seven pounds and folding flat means it travels to a class or a retreat, which a buckwheat cushion set does not.
- Slow-shutting hinges rather than a folding mechanism that catches fingers, which sounds trivial on a piece of furniture used by people with their eyes closed.
- No assembly and no squeak, and a squeaking seat in a silent room is a genuinely distracting thing.
Where it falls short
- A bench moves the load to your shins and the tops of your feet. If your ankles do not like being extended, this position will not suit you and the cushion is the answer instead.
- The height is fixed. Kneeling height is as individual as sitting height, and a bench that is slightly wrong is uncomfortable in a way you cannot adjust away.
- An 18 by 7 inch seat is not generous. Larger practitioners should check the dimensions rather than assume.
- Pine is soft and it marks. The clear coat helps and it will still show a knock.
- It is a seat for one position. A cushion can be sat on cross-legged, knelt over, or used as a prop, and a bench does one thing.
What owners report
Kneeling sitters consistently report that a bench solved the hip and knee pain that cushions did not, and cross-legged sitters just as consistently find kneeling uncomfortable. That split is about bodies rather than about products, and it is why trying both matters more than reading about either. Build quality reports for this bench are good, and the folding mechanism and lack of squeak draw specific praise.
Which seat suits you is worth deciding before spending, and our meditation cushion vs bench comparison covers how to tell from how you sit now. If the sittings themselves are what you are working on rather than the seat, how to meditate and the timer are the free half. Never practise breath holds in or near water.
Who it suits
- Anyone whose hips or knees end a cross-legged sitting.
- People who already kneel comfortably in seiza.
- Practitioners who travel to classes or retreats.
- Small spaces, since it folds to three and a half inches.
Who should skip it
- Anyone with ankle problems, since kneeling extends the ankle.
- Sitters who want one seat for several positions.
- Larger practitioners, who should check the 18 by 7 inch seat first.
Alternatives worth considering
Half the price for the same kneeling position, with an anti-slip washable cover and detachable legs. Less refined, same geometry.
Check price on AmazonIf kneeling does not suit your ankles, a buckwheat cushion on a padded mat is the other way to make floor sitting work.
Check price on AmazonA bolster can be straddled like a bench, sat on like a cushion, or used to support knees in either position.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
Is a meditation bench better than a cushion?
It is better for some bodies and worse for others, and there is no general answer. A bench suits people whose hips are tight or whose knees complain cross-legged. A cushion suits people whose ankles dislike being extended. The way to find out is to kneel on a stack of books for ten minutes.
Does kneeling hurt your knees?
Done on a bench, the weight goes through your shins and the bench rather than through your knee joint, which is why it often helps people whose knees hurt cross-legged. If kneeling itself is painful, stop, and consider sitting on a chair rather than pushing through it.
What height should a meditation bench be?
Somewhere around seven to nine inches for most adults, with a forward tilt. This one is eight at the back and seven at the front. Taller people generally want more height, and a bench that is too low forces you to sit back on your heels, which is the position the bench exists to avoid.
Can you meditate in a chair instead?
Yes, and plenty of long-term practitioners do. Feet flat on the floor, sit forward off the back rest, spine upright. There is nothing about floor sitting that improves practice, and there is a great deal about pain that interferes with it.
Keep reading
- Meditation cushion vs bench
- How to meditate
- Meditation for beginners
- Elfzone meditation bench review
- Zafu and zabuton set review
- Gaiam yoga bolster review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.