Bean Bag Filling: Foam, Beads or Memory Foam, and How Much to Add

For a bean bag that keeps its shape, choose shredded polyurethane foam; for a lighter, cheaper fill, choose polystyrene beads, which compress and need topping up. Memory foam feels denser and slower. Bean Products suggests 100 to 150 liters for a 3 foot bag and 200 to 300 liters for a 4 foot one. Lock the zipper afterward.

For choosing the bean bag itself, start with our bean bag size and shape guide.

Foam, beads or memory foam: how each one feels

The fill decides whether a bean bag feels like a soft cushion or a shifting pile, and how often you will be adding more.

Shredded foam

CordaRoy’s, which fills its own bean bags with shredded polyurethane foam, says this fill does not flatten easily and bounces back, so it needs topping up less often. The trade is weight: Ultimate Sack lists its 5 foot foam bean bag, filled with 100% new shredded polyurethane foam in an inner liner, at about 50 to 55 pounds.

CordaRoy’s sells its foam filler in 5, 10 and 20 pound packs and says you add or remove foam to set the firmness you want.

Polystyrene beads

Expanded polystyrene, sold as EPS beads, is the classic fill. CordaRoy’s describes the beads as lightweight and inexpensive, but says they tend to compress and lose their support fairly quickly. A bead bag is easy to carry between rooms, but expect to top it up.

Memory foam

Shredded memory foam is memory foam cut into small pieces. It springs back more slowly than standard shredded foam, so the bag feels denser and molds around you. Knead and fluff the bag every so often to break up any lumps.

How much bean bag filling do you need?

Beads are sold by volume and foam by weight. Start with your bean bag’s own label or size chart. Without one, Bean Products, a Chicago maker, gives these rough amounts for a full fill:

A top-up takes much less. Bead refills are often sold in 100 liter bags, like the Posh Creations refill sold at Target, which its listing puts at about 3.5 cubic feet. One cubic foot is about 28.3 liters, which helps when one bag is labeled in liters and another in cubic feet.

For foam, there is no single chart, because the right amount depends on how firm you like it. CordaRoy’s advice is to fill and fluff until you reach the firmness you want. The practical method is the same for both fills: buy less than you think, fill, sit in it for a day, and add more if you still sink to the floor.

How to refill a bean bag without the mess

1. Pick the spot. Work on a hard floor you can sweep, or in an empty bathtub, away from fans and open windows.
2. Find the inner liner. Most bags have an outer cover and an inner liner that holds the fill. Refill the liner, not the cover. CordaRoy’s clips the zipper pull on its liner for child safety, so you open it with a paperclip.
3. Make a funnel. For beads, roll a sheet of card or cut the bottom off a large plastic bottle. Posh Creations suggests unzipping the bottom of its refill bag and pouring from there.
4. Pour in stages. Add some, close the liner, sit in it, then add more.
5. Close and lock. Zip the liner, then the outer cover, and put back any lock or clip.
6. Clean up. A damp cloth or a vacuum hose picks up stray beads; check behind furniture too.

New foam needs time. CordaRoy’s says to allow 24 hours for a pack of its foam filler to expand, and up to 3 to 5 days for a whole new foam bean bag, depending on size. Bouncing the insert and kneading lumps speeds it up.

Refill or replace?

CordaRoy’s suggests refilling when the cover is in good shape and replacing the bag when it is torn or worn through. Signs the fill is finished:

• The bag has gone flat and stays flat after fluffing.
• You sink through to the floor when you sit down.
• It has started to smell.

If the cover is ripped, the zipper is broken or the lock is missing, a refill will not fix it. A new bag with a locking zipper is the safer buy, especially with children at home.

What to do with old filling

Old beads scatter, so pour them into a strong plastic bag and seal it. Then check your local waste rules: some areas take polystyrene at drop-off sites, while others ask for it to be bagged in household trash. Posh Creations describes its EPS beads as recyclable, but whether your area accepts them is a local question.

Foam that is still springy can fill a floor cushion; flat, crumbly foam goes out bagged with the cover.

A refilled bag pairs well with a warm throw blanket.