When feathering our nests, be it a college dorm, our investment property, or our own homes, we often want to create a space that feels welcoming, inviting, and comfortable. We add accents that are attractive to us and somewhat functional, although sometimes function gives way to fashion, and we end up with a space that looks great but is about as comfortable as an uncovered bus stop. A polished accent chair, recliner, or lounger is a beautiful design piece for any living room, game room, or typical small spaces, but its functionality fails if it does not provide adequate comfort to the user.
Thankfully, there is a solution; the bean bag chair.
If the term "bean bag chair" doesn't elicit warm fuzzies, you aren't alone. Most of us remember bean bag chairs as white, pellet-filled, cheaply covered, lounging sacks that were virtual staples in the bedrooms of our youth. To consider adding one of these brightly colored eyesores to a proper living space as an adult seems preposterous, therefore we often give it no second thought. However, the bean bag chair of the twenty-first century has grown up right alongside us. It has shed its shabby vinyl or microsuede exterior and molded into beautiful, luxurious fabrics that complement practically any space. It's traded in its cheap, white bead filling for more substantial and environmentally friendly interiors that provide a seating experience that is actually comfortable, not just convenient. Today, there is a bean bag chair to suit any need, space, and taste.
The Birth of the Bean Bag Chair
So whose idea was it to fill a sack with beads and call it a chair? An Italian design team, actually! Three Italian designers were commissioned with the task of providing a seating option that would be both comfortable and unique. They developed a leather, pear-shaped chair, filled with polystyrene beads. It's flowy, unstructured design was an immediate hit with the flower power hippie movement of the 1960s, and thus, the bean bag chair was born.
The Bean Bag Chair Comes of Age
After its initial release in the late sixties, the Sacco bean bag chair inspired many cheap, poorly made duplicates, much like the ones we remember from our childhood. The 1970s saw the bean bag chair explode onto the scene. It seemed every manufacturer was clamoring to get a version of the accessible seat on the market. The push for more bean bag chairs prompted the discovery of even cheaper fillers and materials. While this made the bean bag chair affordable at almost any level, the quality and attractiveness of the chair definitely declined.
Bean Bag Chairs on the Decline
As the market became flooded with cheaply made bean bag chairs, their popularity and demand experienced a decrease in the eighties and nineties. Adding to the decline was the discovery that there were no safety standards in place to regulate the production of the bags. Young children were not as safe as the chairs did not provide a child-proof lock on the outer sack to prevent a child from opening them. It seemed as though the late eighties and nineties might see the last of the bean bag chair.
The Resurgence
Have no fear, our bean bag chairs survived their troubled teens and emerged more reliable and safer than ever. Increased safety standards now ensure that all bean bag chairs are as safe to use as any other standard chair. Child safety locks ensure the zippers on the bags cannot be opened to prevent a child from entering the bag or pulling out the filling.
Along with increased safety standards came a plethora of new and respectable designs and fabrics that have allowed the bean bag chair to experience a further rise in popularity, especially among millennials. The comfortable, stylish, no-nonsense model of a chair that can quickly adapt to any space and any occasion makes the chair appealing to those of us who would prefer not to be restricted to a one-size-fits-all design.
Bean Bag Chairs Today
Today more than ever bean bag chair popularity is on the rise from living rooms to dorm rooms, giant bean bag chairs to bean bag loungers, the options are endless when it comes to the iconic sack bean bag chair. Not only seen as something very on-trend, the bean bag chair is just an all-around excellent piece of multi-functional room furniture. Today bean bag chairs not only appear in children's bedrooms, but adult living spaces, media rooms, college dorms, hostels, investment properties, standard rooms, reading nooks, and the like. There's literally no space a bean bag chair can't fill. But how can you know what chair is right for you? It would be great to have an insider's view about fabric type, size, refill, and functionality so that you can make the best buying decision possible before pulling out the credit card. We're here to help. At CordaRoy's, we're committed to making the best possible bean bag chairs designed with functionality in mind. Here's everything you need to know about bean bag chairs from the team that creates the best.
Fabric
It's no secret that the best bean bag chairs are comfy. And gone are the days when the humble bean bag chair was relegated to cheap vinyl, nylon, shag, and polyester fabrics only. While these options are still available for purchase, there are much better, higher-quality fabrics in the market, that have transformed the bean bag chair from a college dorm staple to a respectable accent piece for any home. Consumers want more from a bean bag chair than just an additional seating option; they want complete comfort. Complete comfort isn't found atop a roost of white pellets covered in vinyl. New bean bag chair fabrics are made with comfort at the forefront of the thought process such as plush. At CordaRoy's, we design every bean bag chair with the highest quality fabric options, which are always animal and environmentally friendly.
Vegan leather—One of the most popular fabrics in use for bean bag chairs today is leather. However, the use of real leather presents several problems. Aside from not being animal-friendly, leather is harder to care for. A good, vegan leather cover, like the kind we use at CordaRoy's, can be safely tossed in the washer and dryer for cleaning. Additionally, vegan leather is more breathable than traditional leather. This is important for a chair that molds to the user's body; no one wants to get up from a chair to find they've left a puddle of sweat for the next user. Vegan leather is an understated, classic fabric that adds sophistication to a room. It provides a clean, polished look while offering comfort and versatility.
Faux Fur—This is the height of luxury. If you're looking for elegance, comfort, and a true statement piece, this is your fabric. We at CordaRoy's use a rich, cozy faux fur that is completely shed resistant, warm, and inviting. Once you sit down, you may never want to leave. Of all the fabrics available, none is quite as inviting as faux fur. As always, our faux fur bean bag is animal-friendly, machine washable and dryable.
Velour—This luxurious fabric is rich and velvety soft. Available in numerous color options, this fabric always looks polished and presentable. A definite upgrade from the microfiber couches and chairs that adorned your first apartment, this fabric is classic and timeless. And as with all CordaRoy's fabrics, it is machine washable and dryable, and animal-friendly.
Chenille—One touch of our most popular fabric, and you'll wonder why everything you own isn't made from it. Chenille provides a unique texture to any space. Think of it as adding a piece of artwork to your room. The texture and color of the fabric create a subtle statement that gives any space a pop of patterned composition. The best part is that it washes and dries (in your home washing machine and dryer) as good as the first day you receive it.
Corduroy—The availability of bean bag chairs in corduroy fabric means what was once reserved for your favorite jacket or pair of pants (so loved for their comfort) can now be enjoyed on your favorite spot in the house. Corduroy demands to be touched, and a bean bag chair covered in chunky corduroy fabric will be the most attractive spot in the home. This vintage fabric is tried and true, durable, and always on-trend. If it is soiled, it can simply be removed and thrown into the washer and dryer.
Sizes of bean bag chairs
When they first arrived on the scene in the sixties, bean bag chairs were only available in one shape and size, round and big enough for one medium-sized person. Today there are multiple sizes available, so there's no end to the possibilities of where you can use them. From ottoman or "poof" sized bean bag chairs to bags big enough for a family of four, there's no limit to where you can use a bean bag chair in your own space.
The ottoman or "poof"—The smallest of bean bag chairs isn't really a chair at all. Although it can serve as a stool style seat for a guest or even a proper bean bag chair for a small child, the ottoman bean bag chair is a great footrest, and always the perfect height for anyone to use. Because of the small nature of the ottoman bean bag chair, it's easy to stow it away, out of sight when it is not in use. Many prefer this option to traditional ottomans, which can be large and cumbersome, and take up valuable floor space. Having an ottoman that only makes an appearance when its needed means you can keep the open floor plan you value open! At CordaRoy's, our bean bag ottomans, or "pillow pods," have an additional feature that makes them even more versatile. Each pillow pod stows two emperor sized pillows. Imagine having the availability of guest pillows without having them taking up space in your already small linen closet! These aren't just any pillows, either. These larger than king size pillows are filled with our proprietary blend of polyfoam, or memory foam, for the most comfortable sleep possible. And as always, our pillow pods are available in multiple fabric and color options.
Youth size bean bag chairs—One of the most popular sizes for bean bag chairs are youth size chairs or your typical kid's bean bag chair. Typically under 40" x40", the youth chair is a perfect size for tweens and younger. Whether they prefer to use them for gaming, schoolwork or reading a good book, your favorite young person will love a chair as comfortable as it looks that is perfectly sized for them. The bonus of owning a CordaRoy's youth-sized bean bag chair is what's inside. Each CordaRoy's bean bag chair contains a fold-out bed! No more sleepovers on the floor. Simply pop out the mattress, and your child or their guest will feel right at home and enjoy a great night's sleep.
Adult size bean bag chairs—Now available are bean bag chairs and bean bag lounge chairs that are larger area-wise and contain more filler than ever before. This is great news for adults who, until now, knew bean bag chairs to be only partially accommodating to their full size, and remember the angst of flattened out bags whose pellet-filling crushed under their weight! The introduction of foam style filling means bags can be produced in much larger sizes and retain comfort and durability. CordaRoy's adult-sized bean bags are even more impressive as each one contains a different sized bed. Our chairs are available in full, queen, and king size, and each contains a mattress of that standard measure. Never before have you been able to accommodate guests so easily while still retaining your space. Owning a CordaRoy's bean bag chair means never having to compromise comfort, style, space, or setting. Simply open the outer pouch of the bean bag chair, pull out the enclosed mattress, and your guests will be sleeping on an incredibly comfortable mattress in no time.
Filler
By now, you may be wondering just what you'll find inside the bean bag chairs available today. While some bags still use pellet style filling, we here at CordaRoy's use a proprietary blend of polyfoam. It's both safe for the environment and safe for your family. Our foam is cut into variated sizes and shapes before being placed inside our mattress covers. The mattress is then inserted into the bean bag chair making the chair one of the most comfortable and versatile bean bag chairs around. The foam molds to the body of the person sitting in the chair and encompasses them in soft, cozy seating. The benefits of foam filling, as opposed to pellet filling, are great. Pellet filling, no matter how it is manufactured or placed within the outer shell, always goes flat eventually. Basically, pellet filling has a shelf life. Foam filling can last a lifetime, and CordaRoy's bean bag chairs are backed with a lifetime guaranty that ensures your chair and mattress will be as comfortable on day 3,650 as it was on day one. Additionally, the polyfoam filler ensures a luxurious night's sleep for anyone using the mattress feature of our chairs. And because we know everyone has a preference as to the firmness of their mattress, CordaRoy's mattresses are customizable simply by adding or removing some of the polyfoam pieces inside.
Functionality
While the original intention of the bean bag chair was to be used solely as a seat, bean bag chairs are experiencing new uses like never before. Used as permanent seating, additional guest seating, and gaming and media chairs, bean bag chairs are virtual furniture chameleons. Another benefit of using a bean bag chair in your home furnishings is the ability you have to quickly and spontaneously rearrange a room to suit your situation. Simply drag the bag to a new location to change things around and create a new look.
Of course, we'd be amiss to not mention the versatility and functionality provided by a CordaRoy's bean bag chair. Owning a CordaRoy means owning two pieces of furniture in one. Every CordaRoy's bean bag chair conceals a bed inside its cover. The possibilities for functionality are endless. In the guest room alone, you'll find you're able to reclaim this once rarely used space. With a CordaRoy, you don't need to invest in a bedroom suite for the guests that occupy the space once a year. Use the room how you wish and rest assured when guests arrive, your CordaRoy convertible bean bag chair will provide an excellent night's sleep with the enclosed mattress.
You'll also enjoy the benefits of a bean bag chair in lesser thought of areas-like book nooks and lofts. It can be difficult to figure out the perfect pieces of furniture to occupy these types of spaces, and once you decide on seating, it's often uncomfortable and uninviting. A bean bag chair fits neatly into these spaces and begs for you to take a seat and stay awhile.
The bean bag chairs of today are quite different from their humble predecessors. New fabrics, fillings, sizes, and designs have made it possible for bean bag chairs to claim their right as valued pieces of furniture. Affordable, stylish, and as comfortable as it gets, bean bag chairs can look forward to a bright future as more people are attracted to their versatility, durability, and functionality.
