Chair bag: how to choose and best use in design (110 photos)

Who invented the beanbag chair?

The idea of creating a beanbag chair belongs to Italian designers Cesari Paolini, Piero Gatti and Franco Teodoro. Initially, they proposed filling a PVC film bag with water, but the film could not withstand the load, so such a chair could not fulfill its intended purpose and was very heavy.

The invention pleased the owner of the furniture factory, Aurelio Zanotta, who for the first time launched the production of frameless furniture. It was he who came up with the idea of filling a fabric bag with plastic balls, and named this chair “Sacco”, which means “bag” in Italian. The second name, “bean bag,” which is now used all over the world, was given by the Americans.

Bedroom

The small size of the bean bag chair allows it to be ideally placed in a relaxation room.

It is enough to find one free corner near the large bed to add coziness to a comfortable sleeping room. The best effect is obtained from the combination of a bean bag chair with a floor lamp or sconce. This is a very popular solution among those who like to read an interesting book at night.

A teenager will be very happy to see a stylish beanbag in his bedroom. You can choose a model with a special cover to match your child’s hobbies; the modern assortment has a lot of varieties with covers for sports, travel, automobile and other popular themes.

Why is the bean bag chair popular?

Bean bag chairs have a number of advantages compared to regular furniture:

Ease. Even a child can move it.
Easy to care for. If the outer cover gets dirty, you can easily remove it and wash it in the machine.
Practicality. If you are tired of the color of the chair, you can order or sew a new cover, this will give the furniture a “second life”.

Convenience. When used, the “sacco” takes on an anatomical shape, perfectly supports the spine, without creating stress on other joints. It is very comfortable to sit or lie on it and you can relax after a hard day. This feature will be appreciated by pregnant and nursing mothers.

Product care

A bean bag chair created by yourself will last for a long period of time if you provide appropriate care. Options for such care directly depend on the material used for the cover. A product that is not stuffed with polystyrene foam needs regular replacement of the substitute itself for certain reasons:

Certain materials that are characterized by the possibility of caking, decrease in size, and also form a layer that requires elimination;
Dampness often causes mold to grow;
The occurrence of insects in the upholstery causes the filler to be replaced, as well as the covers to be treated accordingly.

Having tried out a chair made by yourself, it immediately becomes clear whether it was created correctly. If the body lies down and does not fall through, then the proportions and shape are calculated as correctly as possible. Errors can be corrected by adjusting the amount of filler. A successfully created pouf is very convenient and easy to use.

What are they made of?

A bean bag is a bag with filling. Usually two covers are used: an outer one (which is removed for washing) and an inner one.

The fabrics for the outer cover can be any, but most often it is Greta, nylon, leather, fur, velvet, burlap.

Durable and breathable materials such as cotton or polyester are suitable for the inner cover.

What is inside?

The filling for chair bags used to be paper, beans, buckwheat husks or rice.

Currently, modern material is used - foamed polystyrene. The advantages of expanded polystyrene include:

Light weight. So, a beanbag chair weighs on average about 2 kg
Environmentally friendly. Polystyrene is completely safe for health; it is even used to create disposable tableware
Hygiene. Not susceptible to mold or microorganisms
Low thermal conductivity, so a chair filled with polystyrene does not allow cold from the floor or ground to pass through, it can even be used in the garden or on the terrace.
To give the chair additional softness, synthetic down is added.

To save money, some manufacturers stuff the “sacco” with foam chips. When crushed, the structure of the foam granules is disrupted, they become less soft, and the material does not “breathe.”

Some of the granules turn into dust. Before purchasing a bin bag, you need to determine what is used as a filler. It is not recommended to purchase furniture filled with foam chips.

Advantages and disadvantages of frameless chairs

A cushion chair, a pear chair, a frameless pouf - no matter what they call a bean-bag, but one thing is obvious - this piece of furniture has its pros and cons. The obvious advantages include the following:

due to its structure, the chair is able to take the shape of the body of the person sitting in it and transform in any direction;
a bean bag chair is great for pregnant women - good back support allows you to sit in it with maximum comfort, relieving the load from the most vulnerable areas of the spine;
the pear chair also serves as an indispensable assistant for nursing mothers - for many, the long feeding process must be done in a comfortable and ergonomic position that will allow both the baby and the mother to relax;
the use of a bean bag chair in a children's room is difficult to overestimate - the object does not have sharp corners, is safe and light, able to take the shape of the child's body, giving him the opportunity to relax after a long stay at a desk or computer desk;
frameless furniture is very mobile, even children can change the decor of their room by moving a bean bag chair indoors;
The abundance of shapes, sizes and design options for covers allows the owner of an apartment or house decorated in almost any interior style to find their own option;
the ability to clean the removable cover at home (machine washable) makes this interior element incredibly practical;
the ability to quickly change color accents, and therefore the entire image of the room, by simply changing the cover;
bean-bag is filled with polystyrene foam balls (usually) - and this is a practical, safe and comfortable material;
frameless chairs can be used in almost any room of the home and even outside it - organizing a relaxation corner is incredibly simplified with the help of a bean bag chair; you just need to place it along with a light source and any objects for studying (book stands or coffee table).

But, like any other piece of furniture, the pear chair has its drawbacks:

the chair has no legs, the lower part constantly rubs against the floor covering, which means that the cover can quickly become unusable;
polystyrene foam balls wrinkle and transform over time - you need to buy additional filler and add it to the bag (but this disadvantage can easily be turned into an advantage - the bag will “grow” with your child);
not every interior style accepts the use of frameless furniture - in a classic design such a piece of furniture will look out of place.

As you can see, bean-bags have many more advantages than disadvantages. All that remains is to decide in which room you can use this stylish and original piece of furniture.

What types of bean bag chairs are there?

Today, manufacturers offer a large selection of bean bag models.

"Pear" has a small soft back. It is comfortable to lie on or sit leaning back
“Comedy” is similar to the previous version, but has a wider back
Ottoman. Can be round or square
Armchair - pillow
Large sacco can be used as a sofa
Chairs in the shape of animals, fruits, and balls have gained popularity.
Bean - bag - transformer. Thus, an Ikea beanbag chair when folded is used as a pouf, and when unfolded it is used as a chaise lounge.

Product options

Manufacturers of such chairs offer a wide variety of shapes. Let's talk about some of them.

How to make a bean bag with your own hands?

If you haven’t found a suitable bean bag in stores, you can sew a bean bag chair yourself. The easiest way is to create a “pillow” or “pear”. The pattern can be found online or made to your own measurements. With certain skills, you can create an exclusive and original item.

Decide on the fabric based on your tastes and the functional purpose of the future chair
Make the outer and inner covers with a zipper. The top cover must be removed for washing, and the inner cover must be removed to add filler after shrinking.
“Zippers” must be long and of high quality so that there are no problems when removing covers
As a filler, it is better to choose foamed polystyrene with a density of at least 25 kg/m3

Pay attention to the size. For children, the chair should be small - about 70 cm in diameter; for adults, you can sew a chair with a diameter of 90 cm or more

It will be more convenient to move the bean-bag around the apartment if you sew a handle to it.

Outer cover

It plays a major role not only in appearance, but also in practicality and durability. The most suitable option - Oxford fabric, thanks to its special dirt-repellent properties, will become a practical and convenient option, and frequent contamination will not cause you trouble.

For outdoor use it will be an indispensable and durable option. If you plan to place this item at home, upholstery with furniture fabric is possible.

How to care?

The outer cover can be easily removed and washed by machine or by hand depending on the type of fabric. You can also use a vacuum cleaner or steam generator to remove dirt. Products made from eco-leather and leather can be wiped with a damp sponge/rag.

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With prolonged and regular use, the filler will shrink. Therefore, you will need to purchase a similar filler and add it to the previous one.

Armchairs - bags are inexpensive, so everyone can afford such a miracle - furniture. Bean-bag will enliven your room, place the necessary accents and help you relax in comfort.

The nuances of buying a chair

Lightning. The zipper should be invisible; this will only be a plus for the design of the pouffe chair; it creates the integrity of the piece of furniture. The lock must be practical and of sufficient length to avoid injury for changing and maintaining the outer cover; the length of the zipper must be 100 cm.

Pen. This typical element is not present in all models; for better convenience and hassle-free movement, it is advisable to have a pouf with this accessory. The seams should be neat and firmly formed elements, preferably double or triple stitching with a fixing tape. Premium segment models are decorated with reinforced threads.

Equipment. Models must include a repair kit, but are usually sold together with mid- and higher-segment models. The set includes a replaceable outer cover in case of failure of the main one.

It’s a nice bonus that the manufacturer includes a replaceable filling in the kit in case of shrinkage – an inevitable factor when using a pouffe chair.