Have you recently purchased a bean bag chair, only to discover there are no instructions? Or did you receive a flat-packed bean bag lounge as a birthday present? Many manufacturers and suppliers deliver their products in plain plastic bags, with no instruction. One of the most frequently asked questions we are asked is how many bags of beans do I need to fill a bean bag. And you're probably asking yourself: 'bean bag filling how much do I need'?
What You Need to Know
The first thing you need to know is how many beads are in the bag of filling. In Australia, most fillers are sold in one hundred litre bags. We're talking about the white round fuzzy soft filling, technically referred to as EPS (expanded polystyrene). If you buy your filling from K-Mart, Target or Big-W, chances are you will purchase a one hundred litre bag for twelve dollars. The weight of the bag is not relevant unless you know the density. Few manufacturers of filling will be able to tell you the density. What is important is volume. So, try and buy one hundred litre bags where possible.
What Shape is Your Bag?
Traditional Round Shape
Bean bags come in all shapes and sizes. Before you know how much filling you’ll need, you need to know the shape of your bean bag. To calculate the volume of a traditionally shaped round bean bag, you need to know the diameter. The diameter is the distance across the base, from one side to the other. Round bean bags come in different diameters. 60cm diameter is suitable for a toddler – 100 litres 80cm diameter is suitable for a small child – 200 litres 96cm diameter is suitable for a teenager or small adult – 300 litres 104cm diameter is the standard size for an adult – 400 litres 112cm diameter is a large bag suitable for taller adults – 500 litres 120cm is a huge round bean bag, requiring 600 litres of beans.
Bean Bag Loungers
A typical lounger is 120cm long and 60 cm wide. The seat will be approximately 30cm and the headrest will be 60cm high. This style of lounger requires 300 litres or three bags of filling. A double lounger, say 120cm long and 120cm wide, with a 30cm high seat and a 60cm headrest will require twice the amount of filling. In other words, you will need 600 litres or six bags.
Bean Bag Chairs
Beanbag chairs come in all shapes and sizes. However, a standard chair shape like our Merlin or Big Boppa usually requires 300 – 400 litres of filling, or four bags. Large chairs such as our Copacabana require 450-500 litres of beanbag refill. So you should consider buying five hundred litres if you need to fill a bigger chair.
Bean Bag Pillows
A small pillow shape like our Cabo measures 135cm x 105cm. What is 135cm in feet? Just under four and a half feet! To fill this beanbag we recommend two hundred litres. A large pillow shape such as our Hayman or Portsea will measure around 180cm x 135cm and requires 350-400 litres, so you need to purchase four bags of filling.
Helpful Hints
Go online and find a similar style to the product you have received. See if the supplier lists the required amount of beans for that bag. Alternatively, try to find the manufacturer of the bag you have. Don’t forget to visit our page on how to fill a bean bag the easy way. Don’t overfill your beanbag. If you put too much filling in your bean bag it will become too hard to sit in. It’s better to underfill it and gradually add more filling until you achieve the desired comfort level for you. You don’t want your behind to hit the floor, but you also don’t want to be sitting on a seat that’s as hard as cement! Always use two people to fill a beanbag (unless you want your loungeroom to look like a snowstorm)! Filling a bean bag is easy if one person holds the bag and the other person pours the beans.
Inner Liners & Filling Chutes
Make sure you buy a beanbag that has a filling chute or an inner liner. Filling a bean bag without a filling chute or an inner liner is much harder. All our beanbags have a filling chute or an inner liner. If you know the dimensions of your cover, you can always use a volume calculator. If all else fails, measure all the components of your bean bag, by breaking it down into smaller rectangular pieces. Once you’ve done that, you can measure each rectangle and put the measurements into an online volume calculator. This will give you the approximate volume of the beanbag in litres. Once you know that information, you will know how many bags of beans you need to fill your beanbag. If all else fails, visit your local store and ask them to fill your bag for you. Beware that many stores in Australia will not fill beanbags they did not supply due to legal reasons. In Australia, all beanbags are required to carry certain warning labels. They are also required to be fitted with safety locking zippers.
Bean Bag Filling Guide
- Amalfi – 500 litres
- Bermuda Triangle - 400 litres
- Big Bob - 500 litres
- Big Boppa - 400 litres
- Billy the Kid – 100 litres
- Cabo – 200 litres
- Capri – 500 litres
- Cayman – 500 litres
- Cocoon - 400 litres
- Copacabana - 500 litres
- Costa – 600 litres
- Freaky Cousin – 200 litres
- Hayman – 350 litres
- Large Dog Bed - 100 litres
- Large Round Dog Bed - 100 litres
- Legian – 250 litres
- Malibu Day Bed - 500 litres
- Media Lounge - 300 litres
- Merlin - 300 litres
- Portsea – 350 litres
- Rio – 300 litres
- Round Ottoman 75cm - 200 litres
- Samui Lounger – 300 litres
- Small Round Dog Bed - 36 litres
- Square Ottoman - 400 litres
- Square Pouf - 70 litres
- Ultimate Dog Bed - 100 litres
- Ultimate Large Dog Bed - 200 litres
