Bean Bags for Work From Home: Is it a Good Option?

Are you sitting in a regular office chair? Is it a pleasant experience? If you’re looking for a change, then Bean Bag Chairs might be a comfy alternative for you.

The soft texture and flexibility of the Bean bag make work hours much more comfortable.

You can use them in your home office or even choose to work outdoor while working from home.

Bean Bags are an excellent choice for those who work from home. It provides a comfortable and pain-free work environment. In addition, given the multiple options of Bean Bags to choose from, they make a great addition to your workplace.

During the pandemic, most of us have switched to the work from the home module. The transition put us all in a dilemma to choose comfort or ergonomics for working.

The Bean Bag is a perfect solution to the problem proving us the benefit of both.

Read on to find out its advantages, disadvantages and proper usage, etc.

Should you Use Bean Bag for Working from Home?

Bean bags are conventional when we think about something to sit on while working. However, they have multiple benefits, like comfort and relaxation.

While working for long hours at home, we want something comfortable and can work comfortably.

Bean bags are a perfect choice for working from home as they are ergonomic as well as fun.

Health benefits like posture control, back pain relief, and portability make it perfect for the home office.

Also, it goes along with any decor allowing it to be used as a working seat and an outdoor and relaxation seat.

Advantages of Using Bean Bags for Work from Home

Bean bag has multiple health, cost, comfort, and other benefits.

If you seek to buy a bean bag for work, these advantages are worth knowing.

1. It provides Relaxation and Comfort

According to research, relaxation boosts your productivity. Bean bags provide ultimate relaxation as they are very comfortable to work on due to their softness.

Their squishy interior adapts to the shape of anyone sitting on them; this provides comfort and eases the user.

You can unwind when you sit in a bean bag that conforms to your desires.

They also have a soothing effect. In an emotional sense, they may be quite calming.

A bean bag provides consistent pressure to support your body, allowing you to relax.

2. Easy Moving

Chairs are popular for working from home, but moving them anywhere is quite a hassle.

Meanwhile, with beanbags, you can easily move them anywhere.

You would certainly want to work in a sunny place in cold winters or move away from blinding lights during extra-bright days.

3. Easy Cleaning

Another advantage of the bean bags is their ease of cleaning. They usually come with removable covers, which can be thrown into the washing machine to clean.

Even if it is not removable, you can scrub them easily, and they will be good as new.

4. Multiple Styles

Bean bags easily blend in with the room interiors. If you plan to move them to a new room or change your room overall, new covers to match the room aesthetic can be used on them, and they will perfectly fit in with the room.

There are various choices for bean bags; different colors, textures, etc. You can also get your bean bags custom-made.

5. Reasonable Price

Baan bags are quite cheap compared to chairs or other furniture. The pairing of a basic casing and filling is inherently low-cost.

It’s only a matter of packing the casing with cheap materials and zipping it up once they get the casing perfect.

No lathing, finishing, or detailed upholstery craftsmanship is involved as in traditional furniture construction.

For just $22.99, you can buy this foam-filled Bean Bag.

Disadvantages of Using Bean Bags for Work from Home

Even though bean bags are comfortable and flexible, they have some disadvantages.

1. Non-durable Furniture

They are less durable than sturdy chairs made of plastic or wood. In addition, the bean bag filling can flatten over time.

Some bean bags tend to rupture, spilling their contents all over the floor.

Usually, fixing the tear by stitching it back together and replacing the spilled bag filling would suffice.

You might get your bean bag restuffed if you’ve lost a lot of the internal filling or it’s time to replace it.

2. Safety Hazard

While working from home, you need to be mindful of other people at home.

For example, bean bags can be a safety hazard if you have kids, as babies have difficulty getting up once laid back on their tummies. This can easily suffocate the child.

Other risk hazards to children include accidentally ingesting the Polystyrene ball filling may cause choking hazards.

3. Less Support

As bean bags are very soft, you would have no support to stand up.

If you are elderly or pregnant, a bean bag might not be your best choice.

In addition, the Bean bag does not support the legs or arms very well. This can cause leg and shoulder pains.

4. Environmental Threat

The Polystyrene fillings in the Bean bags are very difficult to dispose of. In addition, they are an environmental threat.

According to research, polystyrene materials are marine pollutants that cause harm to marine animals.

Instead, you can use Bean bags filled with buckwheat hull filling. Beans are another filling option.

Dried beans will not mold but naturally decompose in the ground. Cedar shavings can be a good option if you’re searching for something with an extra bounce.

Producers remove the cedar tree’s bark and carefully cut it before placing it into bags.

It has excellent resistance to deterioration and may withstand rotting for up to forty years.

5. Excess Relaxation

Bean bags are perfectly designed to relax your body.

However, you might get too relaxed while sitting on the bean bag and fall asleep, which would be disadvantageous.

It could also decrease your productivity if your mind only diverts towards relaxation.

Try to switch positions or get up to stretch in a while to avoid this problem.

For information on other chair alternatives, read the article; 10 Best Office Chair Alternatives for Lower Back Pain.

Bean Bags and Ergonomics: What do Experts Say?

If you work long hours or have to sit in front of the screen all day, you might be familiar with the back and joint pains that come along with it.

Bean bags are simple yet ergonomic seat doctors recommend for people with back issues.

These problems can be faced with a generic office chair as they are quite hard and rigid-shaped, which can cause discomfort.

In addition, they need to twist their body to reach for something constantly, and the inability to control the distance between them and the screen adds to the problems.

In contrast, Bean Bags are quite flexible and suitable for everyone. Bean bags are healthy for you as they are good for overall posture and pain.

It can help you feel better if you’ve had surgery or had an accident with your muscles or joints.

After any surgery, one of the most common issues is sitting on a surface that is too firm for your position.

So, we need equipment that supports our posture and relieves aches and pains. Bean bags are ideal for this purpose.

The filling in the bean bag adapts to your body to relieve any pressure.

According to research, it supports the muscles well, offers postural support, and supports the spine.

A Back Pillow is an ergonomic suggestion to offer you the best experience working from your bean bag, as your lower back requires the right support.

Read about: How to Work from Home Ergonomically without Desk?

Can Bean Bags Replace Office Chairs?

Using Bean bags in place of Office chairs can sound like a bizarre idea to many. Nonetheless, it is feasible.

Today, technology is wireless and no longer bound to a workstation, which removes the need to use hard office chairs suitable for working on a desk.

Bean bags provide ergonomic features and comfort to users, which is more beneficial for work productivity.

Besides, if the bean goes along with the office aesthetics, it’s a bonus given the variety of Bean bags available.

Bean bags are comfortable to work seats that are functional and portable, making them a perfect choice for working on.

How to Use Laptop on Bean Bags?

Most people work by placing laptops on their legs while working by sitting on a bean bag.

However, this is not a good position because it strains the wrists and hands. You might also get cramps and pains in the joint by prolonged use of this position.

You can prevent the pain by using a lap desk. As the laptop screen can be adjusted to eye level, the lap desk also supports the wrists.

Some even have foldable features and extra slots to hold your drinks while you work.

How to Work From Bean Bags?

Bean bags are quite comfortable and easy to use. However, if you follow these pointers, you will have a better experience using them.

• Add an extra pillow. Although bean bag chairs give lumbar support, a small cushion or rolled-up towel sheet between your back and the back can provide extra support.
• Nobody should sit for lengthy periods in a seat. Even if it’s a bean bag chair, rest every 30-60 minutes. Then, for improved circulation, get up and stretch.
• Looking at a computer strains your eyes, particularly if you stare at it for more than 20 minutes. Moving your eyes might prevent you from getting eye strain when working from your bean bag chair.
• Laptop use may put you at risk for upper-extremity problems. So from the comfort of your seat, try a couple of these hand exercises.
• Using a lap desk might prevent discomfort and strain in your upper extremities.
• Footrests relieve back pain and allow workers to alter postures by moving their weight.
• Good posture begins at the top of your head. Facing forward at eye level automatically brings your neck into a favorable position.
• Shoulders should not droop forward since this will cause your spine to bend. Your shoulders, on the other hand, should be held straight.

Things to Consider While Working From a Bean Bag

While working from a Bean bag, you must be careful while sitting and standing up.

In addition, you’ll need to lower yourself down due to the lower seating position securely. You can’t just fall back upon it like a chair or a sofa.

While on your bean bag, you may be more comparable to lying down.

Kneel close to the bean bag rather than dive directly into it. This should be done gently, with your back straight and upright. Once you’re in a kneeling posture, begin lowering yourself onto the bean bag while rotating.

As you are doing this, make sure to utilize your arms to support yourself.

Below are some more tips on working from the bean bag

• Cuts and scrapes can be mended using a flexible adhesive labeled GOOP to fill up the affected region.
• Apply the Goop to the afflicted area, allow it to dry, and then massage away excess Goop. The following day, the chair should be suitable to use.
• Bean bags should be kept away from sharp edges and baseboard heaters. In addition, back pockets with pointed items might potentially pierce your chair.
• Spills that are water-soluble, like soft beverages, may be easily cleaned off the surface of polyurethane bean bags with a damp towel.
• Use an organic solvent like Varsol or gasoline to remove grease, oil, and waxy stains. The chair may then be cleaned with soap and water to eliminate any traces of the solvent.
• Before you sit down, don’t place your hand on the bean bag.  This position will cause it to become unbalanced.
•  Wait until you’ve achieved your final seated posture before starting to wiggle. Wiggling the beads too soon will redistribute them and tighten up regions that should still be free and ready to mold.
• During use, bean bag chairs or couches should never come into contact with walls or other furniture. Their flexibility will be impaired as a result of this.

What Kinds of Bean Bags are Available?

Bean bags are available in a variety of forms and sizes. There are also sofa bed bean bags, couch bean bags, slab bean bags, and loungers, in addition to the basic adult bean bag chair.

They’re also available in various colors, sizes, and materials. Cotton, corduroy, real leather, faux leather, suede, fur, and other fabrics.

Which Type of Fabric is Best for Bean Bags?

The finest fabric for indoor bean bags is linen or natural fiber; it feels the greatest on your skin and will work well if you don’t mind stains.

Marine-grade vinyl is excellent for outdoor applications or when you require a fabric that is a little more resilient.

Other varieties of fabric to choose from are listed below

• Cotton breathes well, and because it is a natural fiber, it blends well with existing furniture.
• Waterproof, stain-resistant, and colorfast Vinyl bean bags are a great choice.
• Corduroy can be stretched in many different directions and yet hold its shape.
• Faux suede is significantly stronger than the real choice due to the plastic fibers in the faux option.
• When it comes to bean bag textiles, leather is the most costly and also the most resilient.
• As a woven-backed fabric, Velvet can withstand the additional stresses that bean bags impose on traditional furniture.

Best Bean Bags for Working From Home in 2024

There are a variety of types of bean bags to choose from. The table overviews some of the best Bean Bags for working from home.

Final Verdict

If you need a comfortable seat to work from home, Bean Bags are the best choice.

It provides back support and adapts to the user’s body type making it ideal for working all day.

It is available in various colors, fabrics, and sizes. This makes it versatile enough to go well with any room’s interiors.

Even though it provides comfort, measures such as taking breaks, eye exercises, and lap tables are necessary.

Related Article:  10 Effective Tips to Ergonomically Work from Couch