Bean Bags: Ten best uses

Bean bag chairs have many uses and are suitable for a whole host of environments, so whatever purpose you have in mind for such items of furniture, you are bound to find there is a bean bag that suits your needs. 

One activity that bean bags can prove to be particularly useful for is reading. By cosying up on a bean bag, you can while away an afternoon engrossed in a good book. Whatever you choose to read - be it a thriller or fantasy novel - you can give your full concentration to the action taking place between the pages. Unlike hardbacked furniture, you can be confident that you will still be comfortable even if you've been sitting on your bean bag for hours on end. 

The comfortable nature of bean bags also makes them ideal for watching television programmes and films on. Get your snacks lined up and make sure your remote is close at hand before kicking back in front of the TV on your bean bag. However, if you're having a film night or are having your friends over to watch the football you may find getting several bean bags or a large bean bag sofa will help ensure everyone has somewhere to sit. 

And the fact bean bags are comfortable to watch TV on means that they are equally well-suited to sit on when playing computer games. Whether you've a preference for platform games on the PlayStation 3 or like playing Guitar Hero on the Nintendo Wii, you may find gaming bean bags to be the optimum item of furniture to sit on as you attempt to advance to the next level or break your high score. 

But bean bags can also be used for more academic purposes. While children are unlikely to be overly keen on doing their homework at the best of times, they are bound to be even less willing to do it if they are in a room where they are uncomfortable and simply cannot settle. However, by using bean bags to create a place where they can read and write in comfort, kids may be more receptive to the idea of doing schoolwork. And when it comes to the weekend, they may want to invite their friends over for a sleepover. Should the number of children staying the night outnumber how many beds you have, large bean bags could be an ideal place for young ones to get some sleep. 

Another occasion that bean bags can prove to be of great use is during a party. If you find yourself running out of chairs, pulling out bean bags can help ensure everyone has somewhere to perch. And they can prove to be much more relaxing and fun to sit on than a hardbacked chair - it is supposed to be a party after all! 

If you're keen to make the most of the pleasant weather by having a barbecue, be sure to consider outdoor bean bags. These can be perfect for sitting on while you enjoy a spot of alfresco dining and if the weather takes a turn for the worse and suddenly starts raining, they will not be damaged. 

The comfortable nature of bean bags makes them ideal for pregnant women. As they get ready to give birth, expectant mums may find that sitting on bean bags offers them relief should they experience back pain, they are carrying another person around with them after all. 

However, bean bags do not just have to be used in the home. Such a comfortable form of seating can also feature in offices and other working environments. Useful in areas such as staff canteens, bean bag chairs can help employees to relax during their lunch hour. Alternatively, bean bags can be used in informal meetings. And by doing so, a workforce could be more productive than one which has to sit on uncomfortable furniture all day long. 

But who says bean bags just have to be used by humans? Dogs and other pets are sure to find them a cosy alternative to lying on the kitchen floor. 

With so many uses, you're sure to find a bean bag that is suitable for you.