Bean Bags

Bean Bags have been around for over 50 years now. They reached the pinnacle of popularity around 20 years back and were then forgotten. It is now in the past few years that they have made a strong resurgence and they are slowly replacing chairs and couches as not just comfortable seating alternatives but also for making a style statement.

The Bean Bag was the brainchild of three gentlemen called Gatti, Paolini and Teodora who in 1969 while working for the Zanotta company, (a Styrofoam factory) designed a new kind of chair and called it Sacco. The Sacco was a pear shaped chair but it had no legs and no back and no seat. It was a bag made out of vinyl and filled up with leftover pieces of Styrofoam pellets.

When these pear shaped chairs hit the market in the early 70?s they were made out of leather and had a head rest. The colors were limited, leather was an expensive item and being a new concept, they found few takers in the initial years. But soon their popularity grew, leather was substituted with other less expensive materials and the beanbags were filled with plastic pellets, a new material. Many leading furniture manufacturers and dealers added bean bag chairs to their lines. In the 90?s it reached the height of its popularity with many people, especially youngsters preferring this comfortable and pliable seating option to the rigid chairs and couches.

The bag had this unique quality to mold itself to the sitters shape and was not just comfortable but ergonomic as well. Soon many other uses were discovered and these were found to be helpful in several medical therapies and meditation exercises among other things. The fact that it was very light and could be carried around easily made it even more popular. Once it reached this popularity zenith, the downfall began and for the next many years, people evicted beanbags from their homes and their memories.

Fatboy PortretTurquoise Original Bean Bag

Beanbags resurfaced a few years ago with a brand new character. They were now not just ultra comfortable, they were chic and stylish and let you make a style statement.

There were not just many new colors and fabrics to choose from; there were many new unique shapes and designs to suit individual preferences. It came as sofas and couches which could accommodate more than one person. These beds let you sleep in total comfort all night long. There were special bean bags for children and large sized adults. There were even made especially for pets. In this age of customization, it could be customized in the fabric, color, design and shape of your choice.

Though the fundamental design is still the same as it was 50 years back, these have undergone major changes and these are more comfortable, elegant and sophisticated versions of the early ones. They are now in fact posing a stiff challenge to conventional seating furniture. Here?s how contemporary bean bags are better than before:

Comfort: These are ultra comfortable thanks to high quality filling that has really improved over the years. They come filled with high quality polystyrene beads, urethane foam or a combination of both, which prevent premature sagging and provide enhanced comfort

There have been significant changes in bean bag design over the years. The original or the standard shaped is still available but now there are many more exciting shapes to choose from. There are round ones that can be used in place of pillow and cushions. There are ottomans in both cube and rectangular shapes which are very versatile and can be used for seating, as end tables and foot rests. Pancake beanbags make great body pillows and have room for two. There are loveseats and sofa beanbags and the video loungers are very specialized bags for gamers.

Safety: The new generation bean bags have enhanced security features like double sewn seams, double locking zippers and materials that conform to international safety guidelines. The usage of filler bags inside the main cover makes it sturdier and safer without any risks of beans escaping and posing a safety hazard for children. With these improved safety measures, it become safe for people or all ages and can withstand heavy usage for many years.

Choice: The modern house owner is totally spoilt as far as choice in beanbags is concerned. Now you have an endless variety of fabrics, patterns, colors and sizes to choose from. Sizes range from super small to super large and everything in between. The high quality fabrics used in modern bean range from cotton, suede, vinyl, leather, denim, faux fur, fleece, corduroy to name a few. There are floral bean bags and there are ones with tiger stripes and in many more designs. These are available in every color you can possibly imagine. What more can one ask for!

With so much going in their favor, this time around it seems that bean bags are here to stay!

Bean Bags over the years

A brief history of bean bags

The resurgence of bean bags

How modern bean bags are far superior to their predecessors