6/10/2015 Update: I've consistently used one of the replacement cushions I received in 2012, and, unlike the earlier cushions I'd purchased, it's still going strong. I rarely need to add more air. Whenever I've needed to deflate it for travel, I've done so very carefully & slowly.
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October, 2012: The 5 stars of my review pertain to the comfort and appearance of the cushion and the customer service I've received from the seller. As far as the durability of the cushion, I have some comments but am not ready to definitively review that yet, so I'll follow up in the future when I have more information. Below is more detail regarding the comfort, customer service, and my prior experience with durability.
1. Comfort: I'm a long-time meditator, and I've tried numerous cushions, seats, and benches for my practice. This is the most comfortable thing I've ever used for uninterrupted meditation periods of 45 minutes and longer. I love it. I can really customize the feel of this cushion by quickly inflating or deflating it somewhat. I've always been careful to never overfill or underfill the cushion, but within those parameters, there's quite a bit of leeway in terms of getting exactly what's comfortable for my body at any given time. The cushion is lightweight, portable, and neat in appearance. I've never experienced the problem with deflating the cushion that a few reviewers described; it's always deflated quickly and easily for packing into a suitcase.
2. Customer service: I had some problems with my initial order of two cushions (more on that below, in item 3). The seller responded promptly and provided fine customer service. Our correspondence involved multiple emails over a period of time. I was pleased with the seller's responsiveness, helpfulness, and efforts to keep me informed of the status of my replacement order.
3. Durability: Each of my cushions developed problems within 4 months of steady use per cushion. (I mainly used one cushion for awhile. When it developed a leak, I switched over to the other one.) Because they're so lightweight, I was gentle in my use of both cushions and careful to not under- or over-inflate them too much, or proceed too quickly when adjusting the air pressure. Nevertheless, over time, they each developed a leak. One cushion got a leak in a lateral compartment; another one started leaking in the larger middle compartment. It got to the point that I needed to re-inflate daily, and then, the leak increased to the point that the leaky compartment was flat before the end of a 45-minute sit.
I contacted the seller and heard back immediately. He promised to send two replacement cushions at no charge once he had them back in stock, and he did so promptly. During our correspondence, I asked him what was different about the replacement cushions. He described the testing that some of the newer cushions had been put through by the manufacturer and said he'd sent a sample to another lab for additional testing. Not knowing anything about professional product testing and materials science, I can't comment on the rigors of the tests used, other than to say that my subjective impression is that a genuine effort seems to have been made to provide a durable product.
I received my replacement cushions a couple of weeks ago and have been using one of them daily. It's as comfortable as the original cushions and appears identical in size, shape and appearance. After I've used my cushions for awhile, I'll report back. So far, so good -- but it's too early to comment further on the durability of these newer cushions.
When I ordered my original cushions, I found slightly better pricing on the mobilemeditator website.
| Brand | Mobile Meditator |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | Portable, Lightweight, Adjustable |
| Color | Hunter Green |
| Size | One-Adjustable-Size |
| Fill Material | Polyester |
| Age Range (Description) | Adult |
| Product Care Instructions | Hand Wash Only |
| Number of Pieces | 1 |
| Pattern | Solid |
| Variety | Travel Pillow |
| Product Dimensions | 18"L x 6"W |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 8.27 x 7.4 x 2.05 inches |
| Package Weight | 1.35 Pounds |
| Brand Name | Mobile Meditator |
| Manufacturer | BrightSpot Solutions, LLC |
| Part Number | MMHGR |
| Fill Material Type | Polyester |
