I took the ring off the back because it kept banging loudly every time I moved the chairs. But these served me well for 2 years -- the seat is soft, and because there's no side one can curl up on it, sit cross-legged, etc. Very convenient. The one downside is that the stuffing did become a bit beaten down in the middle of the seat by the end of the first year; that said, these were my dining room chairs and someone sat in them almost every day.