Sorting it out…

Before we dive into the whole "what’s in a Bean Bag" issue, let’s define the what exactly the furniture is.  Bean Bags refer to a generic term that encompasses a wide range of soft furniture products.  Bean Bags can be defined, in the classical sense, as a fabric bag filled with polystyrene beans.  However, modern bean bags are so much more than that.  In the last handful of years, Bean Bags have expanded to include any product that looks like a bean bag, even if it’s filled with something else.

We’re all familiar with the spherical bag shape.  But we’re also now seeing, on the market, Bean Bags shaped like giant pillows.  With that in mind, the term "Bean Bag" is, as I stated above, a generic term that describes a wide range of products. Why do we call these other chairs bean bags?  My opinion is because many people know what a bean bag is, but they may not have heard of a foam chair or a fiber filled chair or other products.  And if you don’t know what something is, you won’t know how to search for it.  When retailers market the foam chairs, for instance, they will group it into the Bean Bag space in hopes to expose new customers to these new and fun products.

It’s all about letting people know that you have the traditional product, but look over here, we have something new and better.

So getting down to brass tax…What’s in a Bean Bag?

First, there is your traditional, polystyrene Bean-Filled Bean Bag.  These are great, but they flatten over time, and if the bag rips, the beans get everywhere.

Next, there is the Shredded Foam Filled Bean Bag.  These products are filled with a shredded, furniture-grade urethane foam.  Usually, the foam is placed in a liner.  The liner is placed into a fabric cover and when the foam fully expands (the product is vacuum packed so you can get it to your home, or have it shipped to you easier) the Chair is ready to sit on.  The nice thing about Foam Filled Bean Bags is that if they flatten over time, you can easily re-fluff it to get it back to its original, expanded form. 

Then there are Fiber filled Bean Bag Chairs.  These items are filled with a fiber-fill; the same filling that would be in any generic pillow.  There are different types of Fiber Filling.  Some better than others.  These products are soft and lightweight.  I really don’t have an opinion about how good these products are in relation to the others, because I’ve never owned one.  But my guess is that they are slightly better than a standard bean bag, and slightly below.

Now, the Foam Chairs are a unique animal in their own right.  Even if people have not heard of Foam Chairs, or Foam Bean Bags, many have heard of Love Sacs, FUF Chairs and Jaxx Sacs.  For this product, it’s all about branding.  I know in my local mall, there used to be a store that sold these Foam Filled Chairs, but that is long gone.  Online is generally the place you will find a product of thise type. Unfortunately, without being able to sink into these chairs, you may not be aware of how awesome they are.  And since the mall stores closed over the last bunch of years, there is no where to take one for a test drive.

Whatever you call it…

It doesn’t matter which bean bag product you choose.  They all serve a purpose and are good for that purpose. And they all cradle your body in casual comfort.  So my advice is to pick a room in your home and pimp it out with whatever type of Bean Bag that suits your needs, wants and desires.

For more specific information on the types of products out there, check out this article on Bean Bags and FUF Chairs.  Or read more about the possibilities of Softening your Rec Room.