Best advice on refilling a bean bag

July 7, 2021 10:37 PM

We just emptied our big sleeping bear bean bag so we can wash it. I’d like to refill it with something better than styrofoam beads, but what and how much? Memory foam seems to be a new filler type and natural buckwheat shells are also growing in popularity. I’d like something without the staticky / gets-in-everything problems of foam beads. Do you have experience with these materials? Are simple volume calculations based on advertised dimensions of a spherical bear close enough when ordering filler? Any other advice for reviving a sad bag?
posted by migurski to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

From my experience with buckwheat hull pillows, they are VERY heavy. Your beanbag full of buckwheat hulls will be incredibly unwieldy and difficult to move around.
posted by mollymayhem at 4:27 AM on July 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

I agree that staticky foam balls are super irritating but what will happen to them when you pick your refill? Will they go to the landfill? Maybe it is better to just keep them and supplement them with some other complimentary stuffing to revive the bear. My dog has a GREAT bed full of shredded foam. I was able to find a specialty foam store in Toronto and it seems like you're in a major urban areas so maybe you will have some luck with that too.
posted by cranberrymonger at 6:31 AM on July 8, 2021

PS. Shredded foam does compress a bit over time so it wouldn't be terrible to order a few more.... litres???? than you need.
posted by cranberrymonger at 6:34 AM on July 8, 2021

There's a functional reason big bean bags are filled with those tiny foam beads. If your plan is to continue enjoying the bean bag, you should re-fill with the beads. Maybe even add a little more, as they do get crushed a bit with use over time.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:17 AM on July 8, 2021

Another reason to eschew buckwheat hulls: they make a lot of noise when you move around, so not ideal if you're watching a movie.
posted by Morpeth at 10:50 AM on July 8, 2021

What you want are memory foam scraps. They are more expensive than styrofoam balls, but wont cause static or make a mess. The scraps are generally at least the size of deck of cards, not little shreds.

I've bought these online before to fill a LoveSac knock-off I sewed. They were the first company to sell beanbags like this, but were super expensive and the foam chunk fill was not.
posted by ananci at 2:08 PM on July 8, 2021

Yeah, they use the staticky beads for big beanbags because they're pretty much the lightest filling available. Shredded foam (like Coop pillows are filled with) will be a bit heavier but you might get nice results combining the two. If you have a local friendly foam shop they should be able to hook you up for cheaper than the Coop refill. (In Seattle ours is literally called Friendly Foam Shop.)
posted by doift at 6:48 PM on July 8, 2021

White Lotus Home sells a few different materials in bulk. They make bean bags filled with their eco foam, which is also what they use in their "very firm" mattresses.

Buckwheat hulls get crunched and require refilling after a while. They're kind of noisy for pillows because your ears are right up against them, but I don't think that would be an issue with seating unless you move a lot. A blanket would probably cover up the noise. The hulls make me sneeze when they're not enclosed in an allergen pillow case.

You could try kapok, which is light and fluffy but can be packed densely for use in mattresses. Note: flammable. And allegedly sticky.

Most of your options are going to be sold by weight, not volume.
posted by Comet Bug at 10:04 PM on July 8, 2021

Apparently you could also use cork, which this company combines with natural latex.
posted by Comet Bug at 10:10 AM on July 13, 2021