How to Fill a Bean Bag Chair

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Last Updated: April 8, 2021

Widely popular in college dorms and family rooms, bean bag chairs are infinitely adjustable. They're available over the internet in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and fabrics. Filling (or refilling) them can be difficult though, so follow these steps, then take a rest in your new chair!

Steps

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Return the package immediately if there is a problem.
Higher quality bean bag chairs, constructed of materials such as leather, tend to be more durable, less likely to puncture and provide greater longevity, but a variety of other materials are available.

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One person holds the chair open while the other carefully pours the filling into the chair. Fill the chair in a room with no breeze, so the light filling doesn't blow around and make the procedure more difficult.^{[1]
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Some zippers have locks to keep the zipper closed. Others have special patches to keep them safe around small children.^{[2]
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You'll notice right away a sinking feeling like sitting in quick sand, as the filling settles and trapped air is pushed out of the chair.^{[3]
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Your chair will be your new best friend. Oh, and don’t forget to get out of your chair and clean up your mess!^{[4]
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What is the filling item?

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The most common filling is tiny polystyrene balls.

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Where will I find polystyrene to buy?

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You can find it at Target, Lowe's, The Home Depot and Staples (it is also known as Styrofoam). You can also crumble any Styrofoam used as packing material that you have at your house.

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Where can tiny polystyrene balls be found?

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Any store that caters to crafting and hobbies. Michael's and Hobby Lobby are a couple of examples. Wal-Mart might also have them.

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Tips

Some prefer bean bag chairs to be about half filled for more of a "sink-in" feeling while others prefer it to be almost filled to the top. Bean bag chairs may be purchased unfilled, allowing customization in the amount of filling to get exactly the feeling you want.

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Try to get a bean bag chair with quality stitching and a durable material such as leather. You want to make an investment in a product that will last and provide years of comfort.

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You can order additional filling. The most common type of filling is polystyrene, the technical term for Styrofoam which is also used to make Styrofoam coolers. The filling used in bean bag chairs is polystyrene that has been ground up into tiny Styrofoam pellets to provide a light and comfortable filling. Polystyrene gives you exactly the right comfortable feel. Polystyrene is also inexpensive and lasts.

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Warnings

If you decide to fill your bean bag chair with reground polystyrene make sure to purchase enough filling that you will have some extra left over when complete. Over time the filling will become compressed and settle as the air is pushed out of the chair. You can use the left over filling to refill your bean bag chair and keep it in like-new condition.

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If you have children, be warned that kids will often want to jump on the bean bag chair. All bean bag chairs are built to take abuse, but do have limitations. It's best to keep children from jumping off furniture or stairs and onto the chair.

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Polystyrene filling may present choking hazard for children. If you have children it is advised you purchase a bean bag chair with a secure zipper or security flap that children cannot easily open.

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