![Lumaland Luxury bean bag on bedroom floor](jpg/lumaland_lifestyle.jpg)
The Best Bean Bag Chairs
We spent four weeks rigorously chilling, cuddling and sleeping on eight of the top-selling bean bag chairs on the market. We tested durability, washed the covers and researched safety of filling materials and in the end, found the Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair to be the best bean bag chair. Lumaland stood out because of its shredded foam filling and quality microsuede cover. All our testers loved this bag’s back support and how easy it was to change the cover making machine washing a breeze. For a kid-sized bean bag, we found Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair stood out from the competition because of its comfort, easy-to-clean cover and lightweight design.
We spent four weeks rigorously chilling, cuddling and sleeping on eight of the top-selling bean bag chairs on the market. We tested durability, washed the covers and researched safety of filling materials and in the end, found the Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair to be the best bean bag chair. Lumaland stood out because of its shredded foam filling and quality microsuede cover. All our testers loved this bag’s back support and how easy it was to change the cover making machine washing a breeze. For a kid-sized bean bag, we found Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair stood out from the competition because of its comfort, easy-to-clean cover and lightweight design.
Table of contents
- Compare the best bean bag chairs for adults
- 1. Best for adults: Lumaland – Luxury
- 2. Best for kids: Big Joe – Dorm
- Other products we recommend
- Products we don’t recommend
- How we selected finalists to test
- How we tested
- The four best bean bag chairs for kids
- Important features to consider
- The bottom line
Compare the best bean bag chairs for adults
Product | Price | Fill Material | Cover Material | Avg. Comfort Rating | Size WxLxH |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A. Lumaland - Luxury | $$$ | Shredded foam | Microsuede | ☆☆☆☆ | 48"x48"x28" |
B. Sofa Sack - 5-Foot | $$$ | Shredded foam | Microsuede | ☆☆☆ | 60"x60"x34" |
C. Fugu - XL | $$ | Shredded foam | Microsuede | ☆☆☆☆ | 44"x44"x27" |
D. Flash Furniture - Oversized | $$$ | EPS beads | Cotton | ☆☆☆ | 41"x41"x18" |
The four best bean bag chairs for kids
Product | Price | Fill Material | Cover Material | Avg. Comfort Rating | Size WxLxH |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A. Big Joe - Dorm | $ | Polystyrene beads | Polystyrene vinyl blend | ☆☆☆☆ | 33"x33"x32" |
B. ECR4Kids - Classic | $$ | EPS beads | Vinyl | ☆☆☆ | 35"x35"x19" |
C. Chill Sack - 2-Foot | $ | EPS beads | Microsuede | ☆☆☆ | 24"x24"x20" |
D. American Furniture Alliance - Child's Large | $ | EPS beads | Polyester | ☆☆ | 31"x31"x25" |
1. Best for adults: Lumaland – Luxury
The Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair ranked highest for comfort with all but one of our testers, plus it has an easy-to-remove cover and no odor. Our testers loved Lumaland’s shredded foam filling and microsuede cover. This bean bag’s price tag is under $200, meaning you can get a quality bean bag without breaking the bank.
The Lumaland is four feet wide, a size our testers found to be comfortable for one adult. It is also available in three foot and five foot diameters. Our testers ranked the Lumaland as one of the easiest bean bags to get out of due to its taller height at around 28 inches.
Top Pick: Lumaland - Luxury Bean Bag Chair
This bean bag chair offers quality and comfort for under $200. Its comfortable foam filling and easy to clean microsuede cover push it a cut above the competition. Available in eight different colors, the Lumaland's large 4-foot diameter makes a perfect adult lounger.
Straight out of the box, the Lumaland had no musty foam or packaging odor. Like other foam bean bag chairs, the Lumaland’s assembly requires foam contained in an inner polyester lining to be broken up and placed in its outer cover. While the foam had already puffed up slightly during shipping, breaking up the rest of the foam was quick and easy.
The Lumaland’s zipper quality made the cover easy to remove and replace, even when the inner foam was completely broken apart. This means cleaning the Lumaland is no problem for anyone with a washing machine.
The Lumaland’s foam filling makes it heavier than other EPS filled bean bags. This bean bag’s heaviness and quality means it is meant to be a more-or-less stationary furniture item.
Lumaland offers eight different color options for this bag’s microsuede covers. Half of these colors could be described as mature neutrals, meaning the Lumaland looks at home in an adult bedroom or living room.
This bean bag showed no signs of wearing or flattening after four weeks of intense use. This bean bag’s quality is apparent in its comfortable foam filling and outer microsuede cover. For under $200, the Lumaland is a great option for adults looking for a comfortable classic bean bag.
Key takeaways:
- The Lumaland – Luxury is filled with shredded foam that was rated most comfortable by our testers.
- The microsuede cover is easy to remove and replace, making cleaning simple.
- This bean bag had no musty foam odor and was easy to assemble.
- Its tall height (28”x48”) makes it easier to get out of than other lower-hieght bean bags.
2. Best for kids: Big Joe – Dorm
While the Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair may be marketed for college students, it is also a top choice for children. It can comfortably fit a wide age range of children, yet is under three feet wide. The Big Joe’s versatility comes from its structure, which includes arm- and backrests.
The Big Joe had the firmest structure of all of our bean bags. Our testers appreciated this firmness and rated this bean bag chair as the most comfortable for kids. While the Big Joe is less cuddly than other unstructured bean bags, it offers more support.
The Big Joe’s structure is ideal for children and teens who play video games because of the increased back support. Also, the Big Joe comes equipped with a drink holder and side pocket that could be useful for gamers.
Big Joe is filled with Megahh Beads, the company’s own proprietary polystyrene bead, which our testers found comfortable. Unlike with other kids’ bean bags, our testers did not want more or less beads inside. However, as noted earlier, polystyrene beads lose their structure over the course of years and need to be replaced. Additional Megahh Beads, which are fully recyclable, can be purchased for under $20.
Best Bean Bag Chair for Kids: Big Joe - Dorm
This bean bag chair offers quality and comfort for under $200. Don’t let the name fool you, this bean bag isn’t just meant for dorm rooms. Big Joe’s comfortable structure, durable fabric and lightweight filling make it a versatile, comfortable chair for kids.
This bean bag chair was also the easiest to move because it is lightweight and has a built-in handle. This bean bag chair is only about four pounds, meaning that even a child could move it. The bean bag’s tough nylon-polyester blend fabric is waterproof, stain resistant and durable. This means the Big Joe could be easily taken and used outdoors.
The Big Joe has double zippers, which securely enclose inner beads. This is important as EPS beads can be choking hazards for small children. The Big Joe’s cover is not removable. The recommended cleaning method for the bean bag chair is to spot clean with a mix of water and detergent.
No assembly was required when we received the Big Joe, and it had a very low amount of off-gassing odor that dissipated in about a week. The Big Joe is a comfortable, extremely durable bean bag chair that comes for under $50.
Key takeaways:
- Our favorite bean bag chair for kids, the Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair is under three feet wide and fits a variety of ages from children to teens.
- The Big Joe’s structure includes a backrest, armrests and bottle holder. Our testers found that this structure was filled with a comfortable amount of EPS beads.
- This bean bag is extremely easy to move and can be used outdoors because of its tough waterproof fabric.
- No assembly is required for this bean bag chair, which is low on off-gassing odor.
Other products we recommend
Sofa Sack – 5-Foot Round
While the Sofa Sack’s quality microsuede cover ranked well with our testers, our testers cited disappointment in the chair’s foam filling. Our testers complained that the Sofa Sack’s foam was too hard to snuggle into. Multiple testers noted that the bean bag chair was comfortable for laying down flat, but did not offer any back support when sitting in an upright or slightly reclined position.
The Sofa Sack came with a slight off-gassing odor, which dissipated after the first week. Its cover was very easy to remove and replace, which made cleaning simple. Overall the Sofa Sack’s cover quality was good, with tough zippers and microsuede material.
Because of its five foot diameter and foam filling, this bean bag is very difficult to move. While its cover has the quality of a good piece of furniture, its inner foam is lacking in comfort. The price difference between the Sofa Sack and Lumaland – Luxury is under $50, so if possible we recommend springing for the more comfortable Lumaland.
ECR4Kids – Classic
Our testers complained that the ECR4Kids – Classic Bean Bag Chair needed more of its EPS bead filling material. This bean bag chair also had a tendency to fill up with air, and then decompress when sat on. At 35” wide, this bean bag is best suited for kids 12 years old and under.
This bean bag chair’s best aspect was its tough vinyl cover, which was very easy to spot clean. This vinyl cover did not rank high for aesthetics with our testers, but definitely did the job for durability and stain resistance. This small bean bag is also very lightweight, meaning this bean bag could easily be moved for indoor and outdoor use.
Overall, we recommend this bean bag as a solid choice for those with kids 12 and under because of the bags light weight, tough cover and easy cleaning. However, you may want to buy extra EPS bead filling to give your kids extra comfort.
Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round
Our testers appreciated the Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round’s quality foam filling material, but some were frustrated with the bags small size. The Chill Sack is only two feet wide, and is suitable only for children under five years old.
This bean bag is safe for small children because it does not use chokable EPS beads and has a secure inner bag of foam. The removable microsuede cover is easy to remove and replace to machine wash. Two of our testers noted a slight musty odor initially. However, this disappeared over a week. Overall, this bean bag chair is a good choice for those with very small children.
Products we don’t recommend
Fugu – 4XL
The Fugu – 4XL Bean Bag Chair was the largest bean bag chair we tested. We found that after 3-7 days of use this bean bag measured about 6” wider than the advertised four feet. This is because of a breakage of the inner polyester lining that held the foam.
This massive bean bag chair was rated as above average for comfort overall by our testers. However, this bean bag did not rate as comfortable as the Lumaland because of irregular chunks of unbroken foam inside. Though this was technically our fault, the foam inside this bean bag was very hard to break apart during assembly. Our testers detected foam chunks even after four weeks of intense use.
The Fugu also had the strongest odor of all of the finalists. The bean bag chair reeked of “cardboardy,” musty packaging material. To make matters worse, we were not able to wash the Fugu’s cover in the washing machine because of a leak of foam in the bag’s inner lining.
Because the Fugu’s foam had broken through its inner lining, we contacted the seller for a refund. We did not get a response, but a few days later we received a new bean bag. Fugu’s confusing return process and quality issues were a pain. Therefore, we recommend either opting for the similarly priced Sofa Sack – 5-Foot Round, or paying around $50 more for the superior Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair.
Flash Furniture – Oversized
Multiple testers cited wishing there were more beads inside the Flash Furniture – Oversized Bean Bag Chair. The lack of filling contributed to its just below average ranking for comfort overall. This bean bag chair was our only adult bean bag that was filled with EPS beads.
At 40 inches wide, this bean bag comfortably fits one adult. It arrived already at its full size, and no assembly was required. It also had no off-gassing odor straight out of the box.
This bean bag had a good quality cotton cover with tough zippers that locked to ensure EPS beads stayed inside. Because this cover is non-removable, Flash Furniture recommends spot cleaning the chair as needed. This is a pain because of cotton’s tendency to stain and absorb smells. We do not recommend this bean bag because it is a pain to clean and needed more filling.
American Furniture Alliance – Child’s Large
The American Furniture Alliance – Child’s Large Bean Bag ranked lowest for comfort with our testers because of the cheap polyester outer material and the course EPS beads inside. While there was a good amount of beads inside the bag, our testers did not find these beads as comfortable as in other kid’s bean bags.
This bean bag had a slight chemically smell that dissipated over time. The outer cover is not removable and is hard to spot clean because the polyester material absorbs liquids and odors. At 32” wide this bean bag is a good size for kids 12 years old and younger, but does not deliver on quality and comfort.
How we selected finalists to test
We began our research by consulting online reviews from respected retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. User reviews from these sites were used to find out which features are important to consumers, and to determine the leading bean bag chair brands. We also read subreddits such as /r/furniture/, where consumers discussed which bean bag chairs had proved to be good purchases.
After determining which bean bags received a high number of positive user reviews, we narrowed down our list by excluding luxury bean bags that were over $200. We excluded luxury bean bags because our research found similar enthusiasm from reviewers for luxury and midrange ($50-$150) versions, so we chose bean bags that would deliver the most value.
Next we researched technical components of bean bag filling materials. We found the two most popular filling materials were polystyrene beads or shredded foam. It was important that our list of finalists contain bean bags filled with both types of material, so that we could put the two most popular materials to the test.
How we tested
Our bean bag finalists were cuddled, squished, bounced and kicked during four weeks of rigorous comfort testing by six different testers. Our testers incorporated all eight bean bags into their daily life. A comfort questionnaire was completed after the first and fourth week of use, so that any changes in the bean bag’s comfort would be noticed. In addition to comfort testing, we also took careful notes on the ease of each bean bag’s assembly and how easy it was to wash the cover.
Assembly and sizing
All of the shredded foam bean bags required an inner bag full of foam material to be broken apart and then put inside a cover. This assembly was simple, taking only about five to ten minutes. Foam bean bags take three to seven days for the foam to completely expand. During this period we sat, fluffed and flipped over bean bags multiple times to ensure foam was completely expanded before comfort testing.
The bean bag chairs filled with EPS beads did not require assembly. However, the majority of our testers noted that the ECR4Kids – Classic felt like it needed more beads than it came with. If you find your bean bag chair a bit “deflated,” additional EPS beads can be purchased online and added to your bean bags at home.
At the end of week one and week four, each bean bag’s widest and tallest dimensions were taken. We gathered this information to see if the bean bags would lose their structure or flatten out after intense use. Encouragingly, none of our bean bag finalists’ dimensions changed significantly. However, EPS beads usually lose their structure over the course of the first five years, so if you buy this type of bean bag you may need to purchase bead refills at a later point.
Comfort
During week one and week four of comfort testing, testers answered questions regarding neck and back comfort, how easy getting in and out of the chair was, presence of any off-gassing odor and overall quality of the bean bag. The testing revealed no significant changes to any of the bean bags’ comfort over the course of four weeks. The most significant difference noted by our testers was the dissipation of initial chemical odors from packaging.
During the course of our testing, we found that our testers were split on whether they preferred EPS beads or foam filling. If you are not able to test which filling material you prefer, we recommend considering whether you want a lightweight or stationary bean bag chair. Bean bags filled with EPS beads are much easier to move, while foam bean bags stay put like other classic furniture pieces.
Both musty and chemical odors were noted by our testers for multiple bean bags in our week one comfort testing. However, these off-gassing odors disappeared for most of our finalists by week four. The noted exception to this was the Fugu – 4XL, which maintained a very musty, “cardboardy” smell over the course of the four weeks. This odor was most likely due to the fact that the bean bag’s foam exploded from its package while it was being shipped. Further, we were unable to wash this bean bag’s cover because of a foam leak. The Fugu, like the other foam bean bags, came with its foam filling in a polyester inner lining that is then placed within an outer cover. This inner lining is not meant to be broken, however the Fugu’s sprung a leak.
Cleaning
Half of the bean bags we tested had removable covers that we washed in a washing machine. We found that the Lumaland – Luxury’s cover was exceptionally easy to remove and put back on because of the quality zipper design. Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round and Cozy Sack were not far behind; both bean bag covers were easy to remove and put back on. As previously noted, we were unable to remove the Fugu’s cover because of a breakage in its inner lining.
The EPS bean bags did not have removable covers. Instead these brands recommended that the bags be spot cleaned as needed. We found that the ECR4Kids – Classic and Big Joe – Dorm models were exceptionally easy to spot clean because of their resilient vinyl and polyester covers.
Important features to consider
Filling material: All of our bean bag finalists were filled with either a type of expandable polystyrene (EPS) bead or shredded foam. EPS is the same material used in disposable coffee cups and packaging peanuts. It is a good material for bean bag chairs because it is lightweight and can hold its form for several years.
EPS is not biodegradable, but EPS beads may be recycled. Bean bags that use recycled EPS beads have a shorter lifespan than those that use non-recycled EPS beads. Unfortunately, this means that consumers who want to “go green” and use recycled EPS beads may end up having to refill their bean bags sooner than those who opt for non-recycled EPS beads.
Only one of the bean bag chairs we tested specified whether its EPS beads were made from recycled or non-recycled material. The Big Joe – Dorm uses Megahh Beads, which is Big Joe’s proprietary formula. The company claims this material has no recycled components. Our other bean bag chairs did not specify whether their EPS beads were made with recycled or new material.
Shredded foam is also popular as bean bag chair filling because of its high density and comfort. This is a heavier material that often requires the consumer to break apart large foam pieces by massaging the foam within a cover. If the foam is not broken up enough, irregular-shaped foam chunks can be uncomfortable when sitting. However, when broken in correctly, this material provides a high degree of comfort.
Cover material: Durability, comfort and style are all important considerations when choosing a bean bag cover. We tested bean bags with microsuede, cotton, vinyl and polyester coverings — all durable materials that minimize tearing and bleaching.
Half of the bean bags we tested had removable covers which could be washed or switched with ease. This removability is especially important for microsuede or cotton covers, which are best cleaned in the washing machine. Spot cleaning is often adequate for bean bag chairs with vinyl or polyester covers.
Removable bean bag covers use zippers, therefore zipper quality is very important to the overall removability of the cover. More secure bean bags use double zipper systems that ensure the bean bag cover does not gradually slide open.
Size: How much floor space are you willing to devote to your bean bag chair? Bean bags are available in a wide variety of sizes. Typically, child-sized bean bag chairs are under three feet wide, while adult bean bags usually range from four to six feet.
Structure: The traditional bean bag is a structureless bag of beads, but there are now more options for those who want a more structured seat. Structured components such as armrests and cup holders may be especially desirable for those planning to use their bean bag chair for long periods of time, such as gamers.
Weight: Our testers lugged bean bags up and down stairs, so trust us, lightweight bean bags are a plus. While lightweight bean bags filled with EPS beads make life easier when rearranging furniture, heavier foam can provide more comfort to some users.
Aesthetics: The wide range of bean bag covers available means that a bean bag can be a stylish component to a room. Brainstorm which colors and textures would work in your space before beginning your bean bag chair quest.
The bottom line
The primary job of a bean bag is to be comfortable. Durability, style and low odor are big pluses as well. The Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair delivered on all of these components. Its shredded foam filling was easy to break apart and ranked as the most comfortable by our testers. Testers also loved the softness of the bean bag’s outer microsuede cover. This cover is a breeze to machine wash because removing and replacing it on the bean bag is simple.
The Lumaland comes with no odor straight out of the package, and is large enough to comfortably fit one adult. The bean bag chair proves that a quality adult bean bag can be purchased for under $200.
The Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair took our top spot for kids because it fits a wide variety of age ranges from small child to teen. This highly structured bean bag delivers on back support and is extremely lightweight. It is stain resistant and priced under $50, meaning parents can save more money for the college fund.
The Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round is a quality option only for those with children under five years old. Its foam filling and microsuede cover ranked high for comfort, but the bean bag’s small size is limiting.
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