The basics of bean bag construction are largely the same: A bean bag consists of a cover — made of fabric or sometimes real or fake leather — that encases an insert. This insert is stuffed with either expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads or shredded foam. When a bean bag is done right, the beads provide a smoother experience as you move and adjust, whereas foam tends to feel a bit chunkier yet adds a stronger sense of buoyancy.
EPS beads are made from tiny plastic resin spheres that expand when exposed to heat and steam; this is the same material used to create packing foam. These beads have been used as bean bag stuffing since the category’s debut, the Sacco Bean Bag, which was invented in 1968 by three Italians designers and is still available today. When it comes to EPS beads, we quickly learned that two factors separate the good from the bad: the amount of beads used and their size. Our least favorite bag had thick beads, about half the size of a marble, and you could distinctly feel each one under the cover. By contrast, the most comfortable bags had beads that were tiny and created a more uniform, yet malleable, surface.
Some bags held so few beads that we sank right through them, while others were so overstuffed that our weight barely made a dent. The larger beads we encountered had an awful smell, sort of a wet-dog-soaked-in-formaldehyde stench that refused to go away.
With a couple of exceptions, the bags we tested were around 4 feet wide. This is a decent middle ground to fit either an adult or a child/teen, and bags of this size don’t take up too much floorspace but still feel luxurious.
We also prioritized the following:
- an easy-to-wash cover
- a wide selection of color and/or fabric styles to choose from
- brands that offer a range of sizes to accommodate different spaces and body types
After paring our list down to 17 models, we called 10 in to test. The process included unpacking, fluffing, and then lounging in each bean bag chair. I sat in them while working on my laptop, and I paid close attention to how the covers felt against my skin and how the filling felt beneath my body. Over four weeks, we noted how the foam options held their shape with increased compression and whether the stitching held strong.
We also got opinions from about 25 Wirecutter writers and editors, who offered their thoughts on the bean bags during a company gathering. We caught several staffers working from the bags in the weeks that followed, and we paid attention to the bags people gravitated toward the most. More than two dozen kids also weighed in during our annual Take Your Kids to Work Day. Ultimately, we ended up with six picks.
