BEAN BAG FILLING – UP TO 50 % OFF

On Thursday, November 11th, 2010 at 5:56 am, Comments Off

The bean bag is perhaps one of the oldest forms of toys. It is constructed easily and simply as it just involves filling a fabric bag with dried beans and it can already be used as a ball or a doll. During the 60s, the concept of the bean bag was used in furniture through the bean bag chair which since then has been a common piece of furniture in college dorms and kid’s rooms. Today, most bean bags are filled with different types of artificial or synthetic materials to maintain their lightness, which makes them different from their traditional heavy counterparts. One common type of bean bag filling is the polystyrene bead although there are also other types that can be used. It is a good idea to choose a natural bean bag filling, since this allows you to save money plus it’s good for our planet.

Polystyrene beads are the most common type of bean bag filling used in bean bags. These are small foam beads that move and shift easily, making the bean bag chair very comfortable. Polystyrene beads are available in “virgin varieties”. These are new and unused beads that are specifically manufactured to serve as bean bag filling. You can also purchase recycled beads which are made from polystyrene left over by other manufacturing processes. The beads are reground and reshaped to get the similar texture of virgin beads. Recycled bean bag fillings are usually cheaper as no factory waste is thrown and wasted.

Shredded foam filler is another common type of bean bag filling. This type is often made from the polyurethane foam which is like the foams used in chairs and couches. This filler goes through the process of shredding the foam into very small pieces which are then flattened and bounced back to their shape. This only means that you don’t need to refill your bean bag chair very often. However, the result is quite different from the tradition one since it’s more cushiony but is less fluid compared to polystyrene beads. It is good compromise to buy mixed fillers that contain both polystyrene beads and shredded foam. This way, you can enjoy the advantages of these two types of fillers.

If you want to go green with your bean bag toy’s foam beads, you are in luck because there are a lot of natural alternatives that you can choose from including beans, dried peas, unpopped popcorn, or rice. You just have to be aware however that food-based and natural fillings are very attractive to pests; thus, you may need to protect them from moisture damage. These bean bag fillings may also be heavy to be used in bean bag chairs. You also have another green option though and that is to recycle items you use in your home. The foam you cut from your mattress topper, Styrofoam packing peanuts, or even the used plastic grocery bags may used as fillers for your bean bag chair. In fact, there are many things or materials in your home that you can use as recycled filler for your chair. These things will not only allow you to save a lot of money, they will also help a lot in protecting the planet.