While there are records of bean bags going back to ancient China, it wasn’t until 1968 when William Roger Dean filed for the first bean bag patent that the movement was truly born. Once bean bags hit the scene in the late 60s, the uptake was immediate. These were fun, new ways to relax around the house. As the designs and materials evolved over the years, adults are now using what might have initially been a fun item for the kid’s room. Bean bags are inexpensive, flexible, stylish, and extremely comfortable.

Are Bean Bag Chairs Good for Your Back?

Are bean bag chairs good for your back?

A frequently mentioned criticism against bean bags is they aren’t great for your back. Like most furniture you’re using, back issues will arise if the product is of low quality. Some folks have chronic back pain that can never be addressed. But for most of us, if the product is poorly designed ergonomically, that will only exacerbate the problem.

The thing to look for when shopping for bean bag chairs are those filled with memory foam. Many of the makes and models we are reviewing contain memory foam. This is a useful filler because it molds the bean bag around your body, resulting in the ideal contoured support.

The other benefit with a memory foam bean bag chair is you can adjust it any time you want. If you’re having a specific pain in your lower back, for example, you may adjust your posture to place less strain on that area, and the memory foam will behave accordingly.

It’s also important to properly inflate your bag once it arrives. It’s tempting to want to jump, crawl, and play all over this new fluffy toy, but it can take a couple days for your bag to fully inflate. Give it a little time, and the pay off will be worth it.  

The Best Large Bean Bag Chairs for Adults

FUGU Bean Bag Chair, Premium Foam Filled 4 XL

Fugu giant oversized bean bag chair for adults.

This 4 XL number is filled with incredibly soft pillow grade foam, engineered to engulf you as you slip in and then pop back into its original shape after you’re through. Bean bag chairs like this are great for reading, relaxing while watching a movie, talking on the phone, and even napping.

Manufactured in the States, the FUGU cover is made of micro-suede. There is also a protective liner that can be removed (to be washed or replaced). Double-stitched seams are evident throughout, and the variety of colors is extensive. You also get a whopping 28 cubic feet of premium foam, and in terms of floor space, carving out an area of 4.5′ x 4.5′ should suffice.

Once you get up, do make sure to fluff. This will help the chair to bounce back and regain its shape after you’re gone.

Love it? Click here to buy now.

Jaxx 6 Foot Cocoon, Large Bean Bag Chair for Adults

Jaxx oversized cocoon bean bag chair for adults.

Some days are harder than others. We’ve all been there, desperately wanting to crawl into a cocoon with a bottle of wine and take an extended time-out. The good folks at Jaxx are on the same page, and this 6-foot bean bag chair, in the very shape of a cocoon, is a great addition to any home.

Wine not included, the Cocoon features two positions – flat like an extended bed or placing it on its side in the position of a chair. Frequent online comments point to the pressure-relieving support this model provides. It’s not every day you receive medical benefits from a chair!

The polyester cover is micro-suede, removable, and washable as well. Made in Atlanta, Jaxx provides a one-year, 100% guarantee, and based on reviews, very few have had any issues. The Cocoon is available in charcoal, chocolate, chestnut, navy, silver fox, and white. Charcoal appears to be the most popular, although the white Cocoon does look stunning.

To see pricing, click here.     

Lumaland Luxury 4-Foot Bean Bag Chair with Microsuede Cover

Luxury large bean bag chair for adults by Lumaland.

Many bean bags are double stitched, but Lumaland double stitching is one of the best in the industry. It’s so good they even have a motto around it – “double stitching, double quality!” Lumaland products are known for their resistant and sturdy quality, with a reputation for reliable workmanship. While this particular model is a 4-foot bag, they have a wide variety of options – everything from 3-foot up to 7-foot.

Some bean bag chairs can be rather informal – by nature, it’s an informal product. But these bags are praised for how well they can blend in with a more formal bedroom or living room environment. Another great feature is the zipper. Some brands don’t make this easy, but these zippers are strategically placed so you can effortlessly remove the outer cover for washing and then zip it back up, no worries. 

To read the latest reviews, click here.

Fatboy The Original Bean Bag Chair

The original bean bag chair by Fatboy.

Now we’re talking! Fatboy has been manufacturing some of the best bean bag chairs on the market for some time. Their style is unique because their bags are not round or oval-shaped, but are (lying flat) more of a square. Thus, folding the Fatboy up into a chair shape is functional and a natural shape for this bag. Filled with polystyrene beads, Fatboy chairs are for lounging, hanging out with friends, watching TV, or even working on your laptop.

The cover is nylon and also comes with a protective coating that is stain and water-resistant. The design elements are unique, and that is due to Fatboy’s famous designer, Jukka Setala. Originally from Finland, Setala’s designs have won numerous awards, and the versatility of the Fatboy is what makes it special. One online reviewer raved, “This bean bag has survived over a week of punishment and is still the comfiest chair I have ever used. I’ve been practicing exciting ways to sit on it (which can take some practice).”     

Ready to buy? Click here

Big Joe Large Hug Bag Bean Bag Chair

Large hug bean bag chair for adults by Big Joe.

Most bean bag chairs are flexible. By this, we mean, you can literally shape them into anything you want, and once you get up, they’ll fall back into their original shape. This function alone is why they’re so popular. But the folks at Big Joe have gone another direction – the Hug Bag is not flexible. It’s cushy and soft and naturally inviting like other bag chairs, but its shape is distinctly a chair.

The Hug Bag is a giant bean chair. It’s shaped like a chair, performs like a chair, and is likely the largest chair you would have in your home. Because of its size, plopping Big Joe in the living room next to the couch is not advised. This chair takes up a lot of space, so a corner in the bedroom or home office is the best place.

Big Joe does what its name suggests – hugs. If you’re looking for a chair that you can sink into and catch up with friends over the phone, read a book, watch a movie or bounce the kids or grandkids on your lap, the Big Joe bag chair has you covered.

Filled with Megahh beans and double-stitched with double zippers, this is a heavyweight chair that will likely last a while. A cool purchase if you have the space.

To learn more, click here.

Yogibo Lounger Bean Bag for Adults

Large lounger bean bag chair for adults by Yogibo.

If there’s one word we’d use to describe this Yogibo lounger, it’s “sleek.” Unlike the previously mentioned Big Joe, this is a smaller and more portable bean bag chair, perfect for moving around the house and slim enough to fit into any space. The reclining shape also features a raised back, so working on your laptop is certainly possible as is settling into the Sunday morning newspaper.

The Yogibro comes in blue, black, green, pink, turquoise, light grey, and yellow. The beads are soft, and the outer cover is made of a cotton/spandex blend. You can easily remove the cover and throw it in the wash, and there’s no shrinkage issues here either. 

Love it? Click here to buy now.

Jaxx 7 ft Giant Bean Bag Sofa

Giant oversized bean bag sofa by Jaxx.

Now we’re wading into unchartered bean bag chair territory. One thing is a bag, but quite another is a full-on sofa! This is a monster bag, a virtual playpen for adults that is best for snuggling, reading together, literally sleeping (forget about a simple nap), and be forewarned, your dog will hijack it.

The cover, like most bags, is removable and machine washable, and the liner features a childproof zipper and is filled with foam micro-cushions.

The Jaxx sofa comes with a 100% guarantee that covers the foam fill plus manufacturing quality. Beware, it weighs 88 pounds, but you won’t be moving this sofa all that much. It looks best when placed in a large room, perhaps a veranda or even a “man or woman cave.” Having this sofa as a centerpiece in the living is indeed popular, but it likely won’t match your overall décor. What it will deliver in entertainment value, however, should not be underestimated.   

To see the latest pricing, click here.

FUGU Bean Bag Chair, Premium Foam Filled 6 XL

Fugu extra large giant bean bag chair for adults.

This chair checks in with 55 cubic feet of foam filler capacity. Chairs this large are classified as “frameless.” Wherever you want to take this product from a shape perspective, it is willing to go there. The ultra-soft pillow grade foam is exceptionally high quality, and as such, eliminates those annoying lumps or hard spots that can form with other brands.

This bean bag chair is excellent for corners because while large, it’s highly flexible. While most comments were favorable online, more than one person did mention that this chair needs regular fluffing. While the foam is high-grade and hard spots are not evident, a daily fluffing if you’re not regularly using it doesn’t hurt.

To learn more, click here.

To Sum it Up

We don’t know about you, but all this bean bag talk is making us long for a good movie and some chips and dip. We’ve covered a lot of different bean bag makes, models, and styles. Bean bags suffer from the myth that they are bad for your back, but with memory foam, unless you have a severe back-related medical issue, they are fine. In fact, they’re so flexible in this regard that they can adjust to your individual posture-related preferences. 

Before purchasing a bean bag, knowing where you’ll place it in your home is a must. We reviewed bean bags that are great for corner spaces, home offices, or the bedroom. We also discussed some that are virtual sofas, and require a room onto themselves. Bean bag chairs are not only geared toward kids. All the models we reviewed here are exceptional choices for adults and couples. 

It’s a big bean bag world out there. Define how you want to relax and where, and you’ll have a wide variety of options, guaranteed!