Do you remember that bean bag chair that you begged your mom for back in the day? It seemed like all of the cool kids (and cool adults, honestly) had them and you desperately wanted one for yourself.
A comfortable, understated piece of furniture, the bean bag chair secured a special place in our hearts as a funky, casual piece of furniture that usually replaced the regular, boring old chairs of before. They were a staple in every living room, game room, even bedroom. Simply put, they were awesome.
Sometimes we wonder why they ever went away. Sometimes we wish they could come back. Well, guess what? They are coming back, stronger than ever. Here’s how and why they’re returning to our lives.
- They’re Safer than Ever Before
You may have remembered one of the biggest flaws in the bean bag chair design: the beans. Not literal beans, usually, but the filling of bean bag chairs were primarily tiny white beads that were designed to move with you when you moved, keeping the shape of the bean bag chair while forming to you and your body.
Unfortunately, these beads had quite a few logistical issues. First, they tended to stray and roll around quite a bit, meaning you didn’t always get enough of them under your bum for support. I mean, we are talking about just some little beads that could sometimes be made out of literal styrofoam, not the sturdiest material in the world.
And then the huge safety hazard. Kids seem to get their hands on the tiniest things to put in their mouths and these white styrofoam balls were no exception. If you sat on your bean bag chair too hard, it had a tendency of bursting open, causing a million white beads to spew forth. Then, the kids would get to them and it was just game over.
With today’s technology and the knowledge of yesterday’s problems, bean bag chairs of today are made with safety in mind. Many use polyurethane foam, which is cut into random pieces. This material is much stronger than the foam beads of the past and is much harder to choke on.
- They’ve Gotten Comfier
Remember how we talked about those styrofoam beads earlier? Yeah, those weren’t exactly the comfiest things ever, if we’re being honest. They shifted weirdly and at random, and it seemed difficult to get into the right spot with the right amount of beads under you and around you.
The polyurethane we mentioned before is much more comfy and supportive, so you can be sure your bum won’t sink straight to the ground through the fabric. These foam pieces actually mold to your body, surrounding you in bean bag magic.
- Bean Bag Chairs are Now Versatile
It used to be that a bean bag chair was just that; a bean bag chair. And that was cool, we respected that. But now we want more.
That’s why the best bean bag chair out there is more than just a chair. It can double as a comfortable, large bed (even up to king size) making it twice the bean bag it was before, and giving you a great excuse to go out and buy yourself a bean bag chair again.
- We’ve Missed Them
Perhaps the biggest reason of all for the return of the bean bag chair is simply that we missed them. We somehow talked ourselves out of them, claiming they were “no longer practical” or “not grown up,” but now, we have no excuse to not bring them back. They were cool back then, and they’re still cool now. So let’s welcome the bean bag back with open arms.
