subject: Beanbag, The Comfortable Casual Furniture [print this page] Beanbags were first manufactured in the late 1960s. The pear shaped bag of polystyrene pellets was popular with children and young people for casual seating that was light and portable. It came in many colors and types of fabric and was affordable for anyone who needed seating for watching television or hanging out in dorm rooms. Usually the narrow top of the chair form supported the head and upper body and the bottom, broader part was for the seat. The shape of the chairs has changed with the years, but the form is still relaxed and free.
The original beanbags were simply a sack filled with polystyrene pellets. They were very comfortable and very soothing to sit on, but they could be a horror story if they sprang a leak. The first filling material, polystyrene pellets, was small enough pieces to be easily inhaled and it was subject to static, clinging to everything with which it came in touch.
Today the beanbag is filled with larger pellets, often mixed with dense foam rubber pieces. The filling frequently is contained in an inner sack that is then placed within the outer chair sack. Some companies make a chair filled with high density foam that hugs and supports the body. One can find beanbag pillows, or round beanbags. They range in size from four feet to eight feet across. That is a chair big enough to share with a friend. Some of the chairs are actually structured to resemble seats that are more conventional. Others are designed specifically to fit and appeal to smaller children.
Whatever the decor, one should be able to find a beanbag piece to go with it. Fun prints appeal to the young at heart, while vinyl covers can be shiny or matte and are the type of covering that is easy to keep clean. There are even manufacturers that sell slip covers that go on over the sack chair to give the option of preserving the original covering or redecorating seasonally or permanently.
The choice of shape, content and covering has grown tremendously over the years. The shapes are versatile, and they are incredibly comfortable as they cradle the body, fitting every curve. At the end of a long day, your home is the place you want to relax. The combination or choice of foam or pellets makes a custom comfort inside a favorite fabric for a uniquely you seating choice.
