The 11 Best Bean Bag Chairs for Kids, Tested

Other Notable Bean Bag Chairs for Kids

Our Testing Process 

For one month, 28 children ranging in age from 2 to 12 years old, along with their parents and caregivers, tested 24 bean bag chairs at home. They evaluated each bean bag chair on the following attributes:

• Ease of setup and use: We set up each bean bag chair right out of the box, noting how long it took and how involved the process was. We then moved the bean bag chairs around to determine how portable they were. 
• Design: Then the real fun began, with kids spending a month using their bean bag chairs in a range of scenarios on a daily basis. Activities included reading, playing video games, hanging out with family/friends, watching TV, and occasional (supervised) wrestling. 
• Comfort: Throughout testing, we paid particular attention to the comfort of the fabric and filling, whether kids and adults felt supported, if it was easy to get into and out of the chair, and how relaxed users felt when using them. 
• Durability: Through testing and beyond, we are continuing to observe how the bean bag chairs hold their shape over time, and how the fabrics hold up after washing and continued use.
• Value: After a month of testing, our testing team revealed the retail price of the bean bag chair the family was testing. We asked testers to evaluate whether they felt this represented a good value.

Our Experts

Before and after testing bean bags for kids, we spoke with the following interior design experts about what to look for when shopping:

Factors to Consider When Buying a Bean Bag Chair

Cover Materials

• Polyester: Polyester is typically stain- and water-resistant, making it a good choice for spill-prone kids. It also doesn’t slouch or change shape over time. On the downside: it’s plastic.
• Chenille: Thanks to its thick pile, chenille is plush and fairly easy to clean. When washed frequently, however, chenille may shrink or be distorted.
• Cotton: Cotton bean bags are generally comfortable because they resemble the feel of bedding. However, since cotton isn’t a particularly stretchy material, these bean bag chairs can be harder to clean and may be prone to ripping.

Filling Materials

• Beads: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads are a popular bean bag chair filling because they’re affordable, lightweight, and retain form even after repeated use. They’re also heat- and moisture-resistant.
• Foam: Foam-filled bean bag chairs can be super comfortable to sit on, but the foam also tends to expand when exposed to heat and oxygen. It’s also a little more volatile than other filling materials when it comes to retaining its shape long-term.
• Memory Foam: Memory foam is great if you want a supportive option that will retain its shape over time. But keep in mind that it’s typically much heavier than EPS beads, so it may be a bit tricky to move between rooms.

Style: Bean bag chairs come in a wide variety of colors, materials, and patterns. While brightly colored bean bags can be lively options for a playroom, some parents may prefer to find a bean bag chair that blends in with their home’s decor. “From an interior design standpoint, a good quality bean bag chair should seamlessly integrate with the rest of the room by not attracting too much novelty attention to it but still being a statement and comfort piece,” Bucur explains. We also highly recommend seeking the opinion of your child before making a purchase.

Cleaning: Let’s face it: Kids can be messy, and cleaning up spills probably isn’t at the top of their minds during playtime. Helpfully, many bean bag chairs come with removable covers you can spot clean or even toss in the washing machine. Pet parents will also want to seek out a bean bag chair that’s easy to clean since many popular cover materials gather pet hair. 

How to Use Bean Bag Chairs Safely

Before purchasing a bean bag chair for your kiddo, make sure to read the manufacturer’s age recommendations to ensure that it’s safe for them to use. Many children like to jump around on bean bag chairs, so consider the durability and quality of the bean bag’s materials. Plus, some bean bag chairs use small beads as filling, which could pose a choking hazard if swallowed, so look for options with safety precautions such as a childproof zipper or an inner lining that contains the beads.

Younger children, such as toddlers and infants, should not sleep or nap on a bean bag chair due to the health risks it poses. The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend that infants sleep only on flat surfaces that are not inclined and avoid soft bedding, which can cause overheating or pose a serious suffocation risk.

How Do I Fix a Flattened Bean Bag Chair?

It’s natural for some bean bags to go flat over time, especially those that are filled with EPS beads. Certain bean bag chairs simply need to be tossed around or fluffed up a bit to restore their initial cushiness. However, some may require you to buy a replacement filling from the manufacturer, which is usually easy to swap with the original filling.

Are Bean Bag Chairs Supportive Enough for My Kid?

Bean bag chairs are a fun seating option for kids and adults alike. However, they shouldn’t be your kid’s primary source of seating, since “bean bag chairs can sometimes help develop unhealthy sitting patterns that can damage your kid’s physical form over time,” Stefan Bucur says. This doesn’t mean that your kiddo shouldn’t own a bean bag chair; rather, it should just be used for shorter activities, like gaming, while structured chairs, sofas, and other sturdier options are best suited to longer undertakings such as homework.

Who We Are

Phoebe Sklansky is a commerce editor for Parents. As a stuffed animal lover herself, she recommends the Creative QT Stuffed Animal Storage Bean Bag Chair for its space-saving abilities. Prior to joining Parents, Phoebe was a freelance writer for multiple home and entertainment outlets. She holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.