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Bean Bag Chairs for Adults: What Size and Shape to Get

How big a bean bag chair an adult needs, from 4 foot loungers to giant sizes that fold out into a bed, plus fill, covers and the zipper check for kids.

By Cozy Homeware editorial team5 min readHow we research

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A black bean bag chair on the floor of a bright, white-walled room

For one adult, choose a bean bag about 4 feet across; for two adults, or to stretch out, go to 5 or 6 feet. CordaRoy’s sizes its one-adult chair at 42 by 42 inches on the floor and its two-adult chair at 60 by 60 inches. Measure the floor first, since big sizes fill a small room fast.

How big should an adult bean bag be?

Makers sell bean bags by diameter, and the numbers climb fast. Ultimate Sack names its foam bean bags by size: the 3000 is about 3 feet, the 4000 about 4 feet, the 5000 about 5 feet and the 6000 about 6 feet. Its 5 foot model is listed at 50 to 58 inches across when fully expanded and 30 to 34 inches tall when fluffed.

CordaRoy’s publishes a size guide that pairs each size with the people it fits and the room it suits. Its chairs also fold out into a mattress, so the chart lists both shapes.

Size (CordaRoy’s) Floor footprint Unfolded as a bed Fits Suggested room
Full 42 x 42 in 54 x 75 x 8 in Seats and sleeps 1 adult 10 x 10 ft
Queen 48 x 48 in 60 x 80 x 10 in Seats 1 large adult, sleeps 2 12 x 12 ft
King 60 x 60 in 76 x 80 x 10 in Seats and sleeps 2 adults 14 x 14 ft
Giant 72 x 72 in Does not convert 4 or more people 16 x 16 ft

CordaRoy’s advice is to pick a size that fits the floor plan without crowding other furniture or walkways. Mark the footprint on the floor with painter’s tape before you buy. Our guide to giant bean bag chairs covers the 6 foot sizes, their weight and the rooms they suit.

Which shape suits how you sit?

Shape decides whether a bean bag holds you upright or lets you sink.

  • Classic teardrop or pear. Taller at the back, so it gives some support for reading or gaming. Usually bead filled.
  • Round lounger or foam sack. A wide, low dome you sink into. Most adult and giant sizes take this shape.
  • Convertible. A chair that unzips into a floor mattress for guests, like the CordaRoy’s line.
  • Giant. Six feet and up, sold as a floor lounger for two or more people rather than a chair.
A green bean bag chair on the floor beside a gray couch against a brick wall
A pear-shaped bean bag sits taller at the back, so it gives some support for one person.

If you want to sit up and read, a taller pear or a firm foam sack in the 4 to 5 foot range keeps your back supported. If you want to stretch out for a film, a 5 or 6 foot round lounger gives room to lie across it.

Foam or beads: what the fill changes

Fill sets how a bean bag feels and how much upkeep it needs. Loose polystyrene beads are light and easy to move between rooms, but CordaRoy’s, which sells foam bean bags, says they compress fairly quickly and need topping up. Shredded foam feels more like a soft cushion and holds its shape, but it is heavy: Ultimate Sack lists its 5 foot foam model at about 50 to 55 pounds, held in a separate inner liner under a removable, washable cover. Our bean bag filling guide compares every fill and covers how much to add.

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The zipper check for homes with children

A locked zipper is the one bean bag safety detail to look for before buying. In 2015, CPSC reannounced Ace Bayou’s recall of about 2.2 million bean bag chairs after the deaths of two children. CPSC’s notice says “the zippers on the bean bag chairs can be opened by children who can then crawl inside, get trapped and suffocate or choke on the bean bag chair’s foam beads.”

Safety

CPSC says the voluntary standard requires non-refillable bean bag chairs to have closed and permanently disabled zippers. On any bean bag at home, check that the outer zipper is locked or disabled, for example with a metal staple, so a child cannot open it.

The same hazard applies to removable covers. In 2018, CPSC announced Comfort Research’s recall of about 1,200 bean bag chair covers because children could open the zippers and get inside. When you shop for a cover with a zipper, look for a lock or a child-safety zipper. Ultimate Sack, for example, lists a #10 zipper with a child safety lock on its 5 foot model. Our guide to bean bag chairs for kids covers kid sizes, liners and the ASTM safety standard.

What to check before you buy

Check What to look for Why it matters
Diameter 4 ft for one adult, 5 to 6 ft for two Matches the seat to the people using it
Floor space The footprint plus room to walk around Large sizes crowd a small room
Fill Shredded foam or beads Foam holds shape; beads are lighter
Liner A separate inner liner Keeps the fill in when you wash the cover
Cover Removable and machine washable Covers take the wear
Zipper Locked, disabled or child safety CPSC hazard for children

A bean bag pairs well with a warm throw blanket for film nights, and a large one makes a generous housewarming gift for a first apartment with more floor than furniture. For the rest of the room, see how to make a room cozy.

More bean bag guides:

A soft gray faux fur throw draped over a white sofa with patterned cushionsThrow blanketsSizes, weights and fabrics for a throw to pull over your knees.
A living room corner lit by a warm table lamp, with a throw on the sofaMake a room cozyWarm light, soft textures and fewer drafts.
Lit candles and a small wooden house ornament with pine cones on a tableHousewarming giftsGifts for first apartments, new homeowners and downsizers.
A gray bean bag chair in a sunlit corner of a room beside a small side tableBean bag fillingFoam, beads or memory foam, and how much to add.

Frequently asked questions

What size bean bag chair does an adult need?

For one adult, look for a bean bag about 4 feet across or more. CordaRoy's lists its Full size, 42 by 42 inches on the floor, as seating one adult, and its King size, 60 by 60 inches, as seating two.

Can you sleep on a bean bag chair?

Some bean bags are made to convert into a bed. CordaRoy's chairs unzip into a mattress, from 54 by 75 inches for the Full to 76 by 80 inches for the King. A standard foam bean bag is a lounger, not a bed.

How heavy is a large bean bag chair?

Heavier than most people expect. Ultimate Sack lists its 5 foot foam bean bag at around 50 to 55 pounds, so a giant size is not something you move from room to room every day.

Are bean bag chairs safe for children?

Check the zipper. CPSC says the voluntary standard requires non-refillable bean bag chairs to have closed, permanently disabled zippers, and it has recalled chairs and covers whose zippers children could open and crawl inside.

What is the difference between a bean bag and a foam sack?

The fill. A classic bean bag holds loose polystyrene beads that shift as you sit. A foam sack, also sold as a foam bean bag, holds shredded polyurethane foam that feels more like a soft cushion and keeps more of its shape.

Sources

  1. Bean Bag Size GuideCordaRoy's
  2. Best Bean Bag FillerCordaRoy's
  3. Ultimate Sack 5000 Luxe Big Adult Bean Bag ChairUltimate Sack
  4. Ace Bayou Reannounces Recall of Bean Bag ChairsU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  5. Comfort Research Recalls Bean Bag Chair Covers Due to Risks of Entrapment, Suffocation to ChildrenU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Keep reading

All guides →

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