about the beans...

 

 

What do I fill the bean bags with?

Bean bags are usually filled with a product called expanded polystyrene (EPS) beans (or beads). This is because of their price, weight, softness and resistance to crushing. The unique qualities of EPS beans are what give a comfortable and adjustable characteristic to bean filled furniture. Some people have tried seeds, dried beans, corn and even packed the bean bag with leaves, but these are usually too hard to be comfortable or too heavy for the fabric of the bag to contain.

The EPS beans that are made and sold in Australia have a fire retardant additive so that they are non-flammable. The beans are non-toxic but can present a choking hazard to small children or animals if inhaled or swallowed. This is why regulations in Australia require that child-proof measures like lockable zips be used in the manufacture of bean bags.

 

Does Bean Bags Australia sell beans online?

No, sorry we don't. This is because it is very expensive to ship polystyrene beans in the small quantities you need to fill a bean bag. The beans weigh basically nothing but their cubic volume is calculated for shipping making it uneconomical to supply with the cover.

We recommend either having your bean bags filled at your closest bean bag shop, or obtaining EPS beans which are commonly sold in 500gm (100L) bags from the major retail chains who sell them around Australia.

They are available from: 

K-Mart, Big W and Target.

 

A filling service is provided by:

Foam Home & The Bean Bag Factory

Unit 5, 43 Hutton Street
Osborne Park, Western Australia

Telephone: (08) 9244 1274

Our bean bags can be seen and purchased filled at Foam Home. They also provide a repair service!

 

 

Recommended filling volumes for all bean furniture available from the Bean Bags Australia online store:

100L is equivalent to approximately 3.5 cubic feet or 500gm in beans. 

Cylinder or Cube Footstools: 50L
Kids Bean Bed: 200L
Toddler Bean Bag: 150L
Fruity bean bag: 200L
Smiley bean bag: 200L
Toddler Stretch: 150L
Puffy deluxe bean bag: 300L
Classic polyester bean bag: 250L
Stretch Classic King Size: 450L
Stretch Classic Queen Size: 300L
Comfy Chair: 350L
Twin Comfy Sofa: 700L
Smart Gamer Chair: 300L
Soccerball: 500L
Whisper Lips Sofa: 500L
Heart Ottoman
Tongue Stretch Recliner: 450L
Dreamy Stretch Sofa: 700L
Smile! cushion: 40L

 

How to empty or fill your bean furniture:

Our bean furniture are fitted with lockable zips that comply with Australian Safety Standards to prevent access by children. The beans could be harmful if  inhaled or ingested by children or animals but otherwise are non-toxic.

The instructions below will probably take longer to read than to do the deed, but  please read them carefully first to make this as easy as it should be.

 

Before you start...

Please ensure that children are not around you when you do this.

Find an assistant - it is much easier if you can get a friend to help you.

 

You will need:

• ►a bucket to scoop up any beans spilled.
• ►a sack or a bag with no holes in it if you wish to store the beans (inside-out pillow slips are ideal),
• ►a vacuum cleaner and a dustpan with broomto clean up any beans spilled.
• ►The use of a draught-free area like the bathroom. The bathtub is ideal for catching any spillage, but a shower recess will do - just somewhere where you can contain the beans if you spill any. Make sure you plug the bath or cover the drain in the shower recess to prevent the beans going down the drain. 

 

With the bean bag or chair upside-down, open the zip as shown in the example images below:

 

 

To top up the bag:

1. Having unzipped both zippers and with the bag upside-down, hold the chute of the bag open with both hands.
2. Cut the corner off the plastic bag with scissors to create a makeshift "spout".
3. Have your assistant clasp the corner of the bag closed until ready to pour and turn the filling bag upside-down so the "spout" of the bag is inside the filling chute of the bean bag.
4. Then,  your assistant to carefully release their grip on the corner of the bag containing the beans so that the beans start to pour down through the bean bag chute into the bean bag.
5. Don't over-fill! Leave room at the top of the bag so that the beans can move when you sit on the bag.  If you are not sure, you can close the zip and turn the bag over to try it out and repeat the process until it is filled enough and comfortable to sit on.
6. Keep your eye on the bean bag filling up and have your friend pinch the spout of the filling bag when ready to stop.
7. When filled to requirement, use the paperclip to close the outer and inner zips tight and then remove the paperclip. The zipper heads will automatically lock when paperclip is removed.
8. If any beans are left in your filling bag, securely tie the top and store where children cannot access it.

 

To empty the bag:

1. Once the inner zip is open, choke the chute with your hand to prevent the beans pouring out and turn the bag right way up so the beans will flow down to the chute in your hand.
2. Ensure you have a bag large enough, or enough bags to store the volume of beans in your bean bag.
3. With a friend holding the storage bag open over the bathtub, position the chute into the receiving bag and release your grip on the neck of the chute to allow the beans to flow down.
4. As the beans fill near to the top of the receiving bag, choke the chute again to stop the flow. 
5. Close the outer and inner zippers of your bean bag to prevent any left over beans or polystyrene crumbs from coming out.
6. Securely tie-off the storage bag with a twist tie or something similar and store where children cannot access it.

 

How long do the beans last?

This depends greatly on how you use the bean bag, but based on our experience of 15 years in the bean bag business, typically with daily use you can expect to get 12 months to 2 years of use from the original filling. Then, when the beans have reduced or flattened down in your bag and it is not as comfortable as it usually is, a simple top-up with EPS beans of around 25-50% of the volume of the bag may be required.

 

More Questions?

If you have any queries or comments regarding filling our bags please feel free to contact us.