In 1969, three Italian furniture designers working for one
of Italy’s leading furniture companies, Zanotta, were about to change the
furniture world forever. It is said that Gatti, Teodora and Paolini discovered
this innovative design by accident when a bag of Styrofoam was left in the
warehouse ready for disposal, however this was never proven. These designers
found that the foam allowed the bag to move and mould around the user,
revolutionising the concept of a chair and providing an extremely comfortable
seat later to be known as a bean bag.
The very first mass produced bean bag was called a ‘Sacco’
and was pear shaped made from Italian leather and included a head-rest. It was
during the 1970’s that imitations of the Sacco became common in department
stores across the world. This new style of seating became incredibly popular
almost overnight and this giant ‘cushion’ was the fashion must-have for any
modern home. The 70’s also saw a boom in the amount of designers adding a bean-bag
to their line of furniture, everyone adding their own small adjustments.
Children’s bean bags were also incredibly popular due to the removable casing
which could be easily washed.
Their popularity began to dwindle due to concerns over
safety for children who were being injured by inhaling the pellets. This was
overturned in the 1990’s which saw new safety features including childproof
zips on the bags to prevent harm to young children. The 90’s also saw the
contents of the bean bag change from Styrofoam or PVC pellets to shredded
polyurethane. Companies then decided to add a premium for this filling as it
was seen to provide a much softer more comfortable seat.
Recently there has been an increase in designers using
premium materials for ‘grown-up’ bean bags such as faux suede, to attempt to
bring the bean bag into the luxury furniture market. Most of the covers used
today are machine washable and durable as to prevent them ripping as the
leather ones tended to. As the foam tends to get compressed after extensive
use, these bean bags are also refillable so you can replace the foam to
maintain the comfort and softness of the seat.
Bean bags come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and
colours to suit every home. They may come already shaped as a seat, with headrests
and possibly armrests. You will also find bean bag foot rests, loungers, box
seats and even sofas. An Elephant bean bag is
part of a hugely popular range of high quality bean bags. These giant sized
bean bags are incredibly comfortable, water resistant for use inside and outside,
wipe clean and durable. They come in an array of different colours and designs
for all the family with sizes for both children and adults and even an elephant dog bed!
When it comes to choosing a new seat for your home, a bean
bag is the perfect option. They are extremely comfortable, durable and easy to keep
looking fresh and maintained, making them great value for money too.
About Cotton George:
Cotton George is a family run business specialising in high quality and traditional
toys for children as well as grown-up products including Elephant bean bags. We pride ourselves in
providing the best possible service online so visit our website today to find
out more.