We bought several of the most popular bean bag chairs available now and spent over 16 hours putting them to the test in The Lab, evaluating comfort, design, durability, and value. Our top pick, the Yogibo Max Bean Bag Chair, is versatile, has a washable cover, and can hold up to 4 people. Backed by our in-depth testing, here are the best bean bag chairs. The Yogibo Max comes in more than a dozen color options, and its washable cover is made from a comfy cotton-spandex blend. In our testing, we liked its oversized form, which can accommodate up to four people at a time, and we found that it does a great job cradling your body to keep you comfortable in any position. The Yogibo Max is one of the larger bean bags on this list, but our testers found that it was light enough to move around with ease and required only one person to move from one location to another. Although the Yogibo scored just below the Sofa Sack Ultra Soft Bean Bag Chair, we deemed it our Best Overall winner because of its versatile design and larger size. When the Yogibo was laid flat on the ground, multiple testers could sit side-by-side comfortably. Price at time of publish: $299 Our testers gave the Sofa Sack a four out of five in terms of comfort, and a five for its overall size. They did note that the chair could be made from higher-quality material, as it didn’t seem quite as durable as other products we tested. When hair and cheerios were scattered over the bean bag, it took several passes for the hair to be sucked up by a handheld vacuum. If you have a household with pets, this is worth noting. Price at time of publish: $80 The Big Joe Milano Bean Bag Chair impressed our testers, who gave it all fives in terms of materials, size, durability, and value. It’s a top choice for both kids and adults, and the brand even sells refill bags that allow you to re-stuff your chair if it sags over time. Our testers loved that the polyester fabric was incredibly durable, and hair vacuumed off it quite easily. This bean bag would be perfect for homes with both kids and pets. Price at time of publish: $71 Our testers did find that the bean bag is a bit cumbersome to assemble—some of the fill was leaking and putting the cover on was a two-person job—but once it was put together, they gave it a 4.5 out of five in terms of comfort, noting it conforms to your body and provides enough structure that kids could do their homework in it. The bag can be customized with your child’s name for an additional fee, and it’s GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meaning it is scientifically proven to meet rigorous chemical emissions standards. Our testers also loved that the bean bag cover is removable, so if it’s stained it can be machine washed and dried. Cotton is typically easy to care for, and stains come out with a little stain remover. Price at time of publish: $149 One of the reasons the Ultimate Sack is great for kids is because it’s easy to clean. Our testers found that the chair was easy to vacuum and didn’t even get static-y, and the cover can also be machine washed. The bean bag does need to be fluffed up after use to retain its shape, but we like that it comes with a 10-year warranty—a much longer period than most brands offer. Price at time of publish: $129 However, this bean bag chair scored somewhat low in terms of durability, with our testers rating it a 3.5 out of five. When our testers went to vacuum hair and crumbs off of the cover, the crumbs were harder to suck up once they became embedded in the faux fur shag. The two color options that are available—white and grey—are both light colors that will stain easily. Additionally, the cover is not machine washable, so large spills or stains would be extremely difficult to clean. Our testers also noted that this bean bag is a bit cumbersome to move around. There’s a handle on the top of the bean bag, but we didn’t notice the handle right away because it was buried in the faux fur shag. Price at time of publish: $199 The Jaxx Cocoon has a polyester suede cover that’s available in several colors, and it can be machine-washed if it ever gets stained. Our testers gave the material a five out of five, but they questioned its durability, scoring it a 3.7 out of five. It took several passes to fully vacuum the hair and cheerios off of the bean bag cover, and if the cover required machine washing, it would take at least two adults to remove it. Our testers also noted that the size of this bean bag makes it difficult to move from room to room. Similar to large pieces of furniture, you would have to decide where to place it and then keep it in one spot instead of moving it frequently. There’s no handle on this bean bag, either, which made it harder for our testers to maneuver in The Lab. Price at time of publish: $259 This cube-shaped bean bag chair would be a stylish addition to a mid-century modern living space, and at least 65 percent of its polystyrene bead filling is recycled. While we thought the chair was comfortable to sit in, it does need to be fluffed back up after use. The faux leather material is easy to clean, but we found that liquid can seep into the seams if you don’t wipe it up quickly. Dried crumbs and hair vacuumed up nicely, though. Price at time of publish: $299 for 28 x 28 While this bean bag got top marks in terms of comfort, the material does leave something to be desired. We didn’t like that it has a plasticky feel, and there’s a strong chemical odor when you first unbox it. Additionally, the brand claims the bag can be refilled, but our testers found the zipper nearly impossible to open. Overall, we scored it as a two/three out of five in terms of design. Similar to Pottery Barn’s Vegan Leather Lounger, this chair scored quite high for durability. Crumbs and hair didn’t stick to the cover, and a handheld vacuum made quick work of the mess. While we didn’t spill any liquids on this chair during our tests, we suspect that water would roll off of the cover and “bead up”, rather than sink into the fabric. Price at time of publish: $79 This bean bag chair comes in medium and large sizes (we tested the medium, which measures 36-inches in diameter), and the sherpa fabric is available in ivory or charcoal colors. We did notice that the cover seems to have extra fabric, which makes it bunch up underneath you sometimes, and the high pile sometimes gets caught in the zipper. The product is both GREENGUARD Gold Certified and Fair Trade certified, and both its cover and filling are made using recycled materials. In terms of durability, our testers gave this bean bag high marks, as crumbs and hair vacuumed off surprisingly quickly. However, it’s worth noting that the cover is not machine washable. It’s spot clean only, which might be difficult for households with kids or pets. Price at time of publish: $145 for cover only in medium We compared the workmanship of the covers and how many fabric and color options are available. We also figured out what it will take to keep one clean, whether they are machine-washable or able to be easily vacuumed or spot-cleaned. We figured out what it took to move a chair from one place to another and if one person could do it alone. To evaluate the bean bags’ durability and supportiveness, we dropped heavy bowling balls into them to see if they lose any oomph over time. And of course, we couldn’t resist just plopping down and leaping into them! Our editors took all of the consistently applied testing data and boiled it down to the 10 bean bags we think are the best.
What to Look for in a Bean Bag Chair
Filling
Most bean bag chairs are filled with polystyrene, which is like a dense styrofoam-like pellet. The small pellets are lightweight and easily shift for the sake of comfort but can become compressed over time. Another increasingly popular filling is shredded foam. This bean bag filling offers a more contouring and supportive option.
Cover Material
The cover material of a bean bag chair has a big impact on the aesthetics and comfort of the chair. A wide variety of cover materials are popular, ranging from stretchy knit fabrics that are easy to remove and wash to upscale leather or suede covers. Microfiber or shag covers make a cozy spot to curl up while canvas covers are durable enough for outdoor use. Covers are available in a wide range of colors and materials, so prioritize your search based on the care requirements you need and the look you want for your bean bag chair.
Support
The amount of support offered by a bean bag chair will vary, largely depending on the filling. Polystyrene beads offer the least support, as they easily shift when compressed. Bean bags with shredded memory foam offer the most support, with many conforming to the contours of your body. However, they will require regular rotation and fluffing to maintain a full appearance.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. She selected products to include in this list using scores and testing insights from firsthand testing in The Lab. Product testers put each bean bag chair through a number of tests, evaluating them on factors such as material, size, durability, and comfort. Their scores were then used to rank the bean bags and sort them into categories based on their ideal use.
