What is bean bag ? (Which are the best fillers used in it)

Bean Bag: When I was younger, I thought a bean bag was a tiny little cloth bag filled with beans that I played tossing with friends. Then when I saw the first bean bag, I thought it was filled with the same lentil beans that filled up my tossing toys. Now I know a lot more about bean bags than I did then.  

I have had many bean bags in my home over the years. They self-destroyed themselves;  ok, fine, we did that –  stomping on it, jumping from a height, and eating and smearing many different sauces on it – all killers to bean bags. But then what are bean bags for, if not for getting comfortable on?

Don’t you love watching movies lying on an oversized bean bag, munching popcorn? But nothing can match watching movies in a theater. Now you can combine these two experiences if you go to some theatres in US and Australia; you can lounge on bean bags and watch blockbuster movies – just like you would in your own home.

Bean bags did start as small tossing bags. They were used as toys by kids but have evolved into much more — even to the shape and size of a big bed.  

What is a Bean Bag?

A Bean bag is a  cushion filled with different pellets that serve as stand-alone furniture, specifically a very comfortable informal seating. They are mostly round, but various shapes and sizes are available today – from small-sized kid bean bags to big XXXL bean bags. They are shaped like a pear, a sphere, a pill, or a box.   

It is the epitome of convenience & comfort in seating. You can relax in a bean bag like no other chair.

Today most of the bean bag covers come with a kid-friendly opening with a safety break-away zipper, which locks the zipper in place to prevent spills of the pellets inside the bean bag.

Removable external bean bag covers with an internal cover to fill the pellets make taking out the outer cover to clean easily.  

What fabric is used for a bean bag cover?

The best thing about a bean bag as a piece of furniture is that you can choose it to suit your interior. It is available in so many different materials and patterns and designs that whatever your design style, there is a bean bag to go with it.

The most frequently seen material as a bean bag cover is polyester. It is inexpensive and may not be the quality bean bag cover you are looking for. The next popular material is nylon. You also get cotton, canvas, faux fur, suede, leather, corduroy, and microsuede bean bag covers. I think microsuede fabric makes the softest and most comfortable bean bags.

Nylon and polyester, which are UV-retardant and water-resistant coated, are used to make outdoor bean bags.  

4 of the best fillers for bean bags

Natural fillers

You can fill the bean bag with dried beans or grains, like rice, beans, corn, wheat, and buckwheat hull, the way it was done a long time back. 

It may not be as bouncy as the plastic beads, and you will need a lot of this to fill big bean bags ( on top of that makes it a dead weight), but you can rest knowing that you are lying on things from nature.

Expanded polypropylene (EPP)

These lightweight beads that do not lose their form easily are the best plastic filler for bean bags. Just do not expose them to oxygen; they will stay the same for a long time. One disadvantage is that moisture can damage these beads.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads

These lightweight beads are the commonly used ones; they are very comfortable, durable, and resilient, though less than polypropylene beads. You will get virgin EPS beads and recycled EPS beads.

Ensure that you get the virgin beads if you want them to last and keep their shape (you can test it by squeezing a single bead in between your thumb and forefinger. Let go and see if it immediately retains its original shape. A virgin EPS bead would.)

Foam

Shredded foam is another filler used inside bean bag chairs. The irregularity of the shredded foam makes it less popular than the other options.

Memory foam is another option. Memory foam, with its many advantages, is taking over the bed space. Now they are starting on bean bags as well. The comfort and ease of memory foam make it a favorite of many who do not have qualms about spending quality filler for their bean bag. Memory foam is expensive, but they are very comfortable.

Buying or making bean bags?

A Bean bag is nothing but a cushion, a fabric bag. You make a round cushion in your preferred size and fill it with your choice filling and have a bean bag. The bean bag filled with beads is available in the stores, as well as bean bag covers which you have to fill with the beads of your choice later.

I prefer to buy the full bag with beads, as filling the bean bag is a pain. ( ie If I am not making the bean bag myself – If that is the case checkout the tutorial to make an easy bean bag cover here) 

The beads being round and small and lightweight, fly all around the place and simply refuse to get inside the bag when you want it to.

How to properly  fill your bean bag

Even if you have bought a readymade bean bag with all the beads you need to be filled in properly, you will have to fill beads inside after some time – around six months or so because most of the beads will somewhat flatten with a constant pressure of body weight on them. You can add more beads to your reduced bead volume. There is no need to discard the beans inside the bean bag.

Clean the surface where you intend to fill the bean bag. This way, even if you spill the beans when you gather them, you will not get dirt and debris along with it.

Make a funnel with a large sheet of newspaper; tape the loose ends and insert the tip into the opening. Fill beans through the funnel.

Do not fill the bean bag 100% full. 2/3 portion is enough for comfortable seating

How many beads should you buy for different-sized bean bags?

A bag of polystyrene beads comes in 500 gm or I kg packages.

For an XXXL BEAN BAG ; 46 inches by 28 inches bean bag (accommodating a person with weight 59-100 kg – adult sized) you need about 2.5-3 Kg of beads.
For an XXL BEAN BAG 42 inches by 24 inches bean bag (accomodating a person with weight 30-55 kg) you need atleast 2 kg of beads.
For an XL BEAN BAG 39 inch by 21 inch bean bag ( accomodating a person with weight <30 kg)you need atleast 1.5 kg of beads
For smaller kid sized bean bags, you may need to fill .75 -1 kg of polystyerene beads.

How to take care of your bean bag

A Bean bag is one piece of furniture we put on the floor and forget about it till it is time to plop down on it. Because it has no corners or creases on it we feel that it does not attract dust. But that is not true. You have to take care of your bean bag like any other furniture in your house.

You can choose a bean bag made with a material coated with mold retardant coating to prevent mold or dirt from settling on the bean bag. This will make your job easier in taking care of your bean bag.

 If you have a fabric bean bag, do vacuum it. If you have a polyester or nylon one, you can clean it thoroughly with a dampened washcloth. Remember to use a dry cloth to wipe off the wetness.

In the case of a food-spill, do not wait till it has settled and developed into a stain. Wipe it off immediately with a wet cloth. The same is the case with sweat and oil.

If you are careful, a bean bag can and will last a long time, till you have had enough of the sight of it and replace it with a new one.