Nido futon chairs and similar floor seating

December 11, 2023 8:41 AM

Have you ever sat in, or do you own, a Nido futon chair or something like it? Is it comfortable for lounging and reading? This feels like a long-shot question, so here is an alternative question: do you have any other suggestions for comfortable floor seating that (importantly!) can be filled with wool?

I have about 20 kilos of high-quality raw wool (washed and dried, but otherwise straight off a sheep's back) that needs using or giving away. I am in need of a floor seat that I can sprawl on and read a book. I would like to try to solve both these problems in one go.

I am considering getting a local futon-maker to stitch an interpretation of a Nido futon floor chair. But I've never actually sat in one, and am not sure it'll be all that comfortable, especially if it is filled with pure wool. Have you ever sat in this chair? How did you like it? What would have made it more comfortable?

Any other thoughts on comfortable frameless floor seating filled with raw sheep's wool and nothing else would also be welcome.

posted by tavegyl to Shopping (4 answers total)

Best answer: Buy a beanbag bag. I'd line it with tent nylon or something suitably slippy to prevent wool felting up against the inside, but... beanbag.
I can't say I've ever interacted with a futon of any kind, but I have extremely positive childhood memories of lounging around on a half-filled woolpack (large burlap bag used for storing and transporting sheared fleeces).
posted by ngaiotonga at 11:01 AM on December 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: For your consideration (possibly not optimal in comfort or practicality, but perhaps optimal in delight)... Snorlax. Knockoffs (and they're all knockoffs, AFAIK) abound on Amazon and AliExpress.
posted by btfreek at 12:42 PM on December 11, 2023

Best answer: I haven't seen this futon design before and it looks very cool! I too am skeptical of its comfort though, especially since I can't find any images on their website of someone actually sitting in it. I would bet it's not very supportive unless it's propped against a wall.

At any rate, it might not be suitable for 100% wool fill. The Nido futon is filled with "12 cm recycled mixed fibre mattress with a core of 4 cm foam." The foam core gives it more structure than it would have with just a fiber fill. Also, the amount of wool required to make a futon this thick will probably be heavier than the foam and mixed fiber filling. So it would be harder to move around and more prone to collapsing.

If you have a good local futon maker, I would absolutely ask for their advice. My inclination would be to make a selection of chunky cushions in various shapes and sizes for a luxurious and modular lounging system. A beanbag chair is an intriguing idea, though it will be heavier than one filled with polystyrene beads. You could also look for inspiration in the world of "human sized dog beds."

Not quite what you asked but I love sleeping on wool and would make a mattress topper like this.
posted by doift at 9:59 PM on December 11, 2023

Response by poster: Thank you all. I won't bother with getting something like the Nido, I'm just not convinced it's that comfortable. I think a mix of beanbag and cushion seating is probably most practical. And I like your suggestion of a mattress topper, doift. The wool I have is actually inside a still-new all-wool mattress which gave one of us a bad back when used by itself, but a thinner topper on top of a mattress would certainly be more comfortable.
posted by tavegyl at 8:33 AM on December 13, 2023