What Is The Best Bean Bag Filling?

November 4, 2018

Bean bags are some of the most comfortable furniture pieces around! You can use them in any space, making them versatile pieces to add to any room. But what makes bean bags so comfortable is their filling. Many think that the filling is simply made up of tiny balls (or even beans, hence their name). However, there’s more to those small ball than you think! Here are a few options of the best bean bag filling there is:

EPP Beads

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A popular bean bag filling is EPP Beads, which stands for expanded polypropylene. It’s a type of thermoplastic polymer that is quite popular in Asia. These beads are very strong, durable and resilient. When they are crushed or bent, the filling returns to its original size and form, which means they can be compressed without losing their cushioning traits.

They also don’t lose their volume like other beads do and don’t have a strong odor. However, they are susceptible to fire, which is why they aren’t as popular in the U.S. or Europe.

EPS Beads

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The majority of bean bags are filled with EPS builds, which stand for expanded polystyrene. EPS is sort of like Styrofoam given its hard-celled plastic qualities. Besides being used as bean bag filling, EPS is also used to make disposable coffee cups and packing and shipping cushioning materials.

What makes it so great for bean bags is the fact that it’s lightweight and can keep its form for years and years. EPS is actually 98% air, which is why they’re so light. The only downfall is that EPS beads aren’t biodegradable. But you can use them again in other ways. You can take them to your local recycling center to be reused, or you can keep the beads to use for craft projects or as soil filler for potted plants.

Compressed Foam

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Many newer bean bag chairs now use compressed foam, aka memory foam. This is a type of polyurethane that’s produced via a special process to increase its viscosity and density. In the scientific community, it’s called viscoelastic foam or low-resilience polyurethane foam. It was first invented by NASA in 1966 and is now being used for mattresses and pillows. But memory foam pieces are large and have irregular shapes, making them have odd texture in bean bags.

Rice, Beans and Other Natural Fillers

There are some bean bag options that actually use natural fillers like beans and rice. Dried beans or other dried grains like corn or rice are becoming popular filling options as more and more people are looking for natural fillers versus manmade ones.

Currently, buckwheat hulls is the most popular natural filler given how hard they are. But when used inside of a thick lined interior, they are actually quite comfy. Other natural fillers include sand and small pebbles, but thee are more for therapeutic purposes since they can be heated and warmed for optimal comfort.

Bean bags an actually be filled with just about anything you’d like, but some are not as comfy or make practical choices. But it’s all about comfort in the end. But if you like your bean bags firmer than usual, you might prefer EPS beads. However, if you prefer it soft, compressed memory foam is a better choice.

There you go! All the different ways you can fill a bean bag! But in the end, the best bean bag filler is really up to you given you’ll be the one lounging on the chair.

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