Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Bean Bags And Foof Chairs - Similarities And Differences

Children love bean bag chairs and Foof chairs because they are soft and comfortable to the body and because they can throw themselves into them. These chairs look like bags generally and will fit into the shape of the person sitting on them. They come in variety of colors and patterns and will fit right in with rest of the children's furniture.

Imitating children, even adults have come to love both types of chairs, as easy lounging chairs for watching television, playing video games, reading, relaxing, and even napping. Since they come in such a wide variety of colors, materials, and shapes, both bean bag chairs and Foof chairs can be placed in any part of the house without disturbing the décor. Because of this versatility of use, they offer a great space saving opportunity. You can eliminate several other items of furniture from your house while replacing them with a bean bag or a Foof chair.

Differences between Bean bag chairs and Foof chairs

Foof or Fuf chairs are sometimes called and commonly mistaken for bean bag chairs, but are in fact different. Traditionally bean bag chairs were basically bags full of beans made of polystyrene, a type of plastic. Styrofoam packaging is made of similar substance. These beans are normally full and stiff, but can be crushed when pressed. They provide a studier support to the sitter than Foof chairs. However the sitter will sink lower in a bean bag chair than in a Foof chair. Long usage takes away the bean's fullness, so they have to be replaced periodically.

Foof chairs or modern bean bag chairs as they are sometimes called are in contrast not filled with beans but with shredded foam made of polystyrene. Same kind of foam is used in pillows and mattresses as well. However the foam is shred into small pieces before filling the Foof chair. This foam, which is currently under patent, conforms to the shape of your body giving you maximum comfort. Since there are no beads you will not feel any pressure from the chair as in a bean bag chair. This means you feel as if you are sitting on air or on a cloud.

Foof chairs are more expensive than similar bean bag chairs.

Some manufacturers offer a blend of both beans and shredded foam in their bean bag chairs to get the best of both worlds.

Buying bean bags and Foof chairs

Before buying either a bean bag chair or a Foof chair, you should be aware of the range of sizes, colors, prints, and materials, they are offered in, as well as of the price and other quality considerations. We will try to give a brief outline below.

Traditional bean bags come in several shapes; round or ball, teardrop, and pear shape. Foof chairs are produced in round or ball, oval, and cylindrical, shapes. However various manufacturers produce both types of chairs in many different custom shapes to attract children, such as chairs that look like balls in various sports; baseballs, footballs, soccer balls, and basket balls, for instance.

They also come in range of sizes. Sizes differ from one manufacturer to another. Smallest ones made for children aged 3 to 5 may be as little as 36 inches in width and 120 inches in circumference, while large ones can be 7 feet in width and can be used as a sofa holding up to three adults, for activities like watching television.

The fabrics used as cover can be as varied as the shape of the chair. Denim, leather, velvet, and micro-fiber, are some of the materials used both in bean bag and Foof chairs. Most commonly used materials are cotton and vinyl. Their colors and patterns can only be limited by the imagination, though some materials like leather do have limitations when it comes to color.

You should ensure that any bean bag chair or Foof chair you buy have these essential quality features; a quality fabric, seams double stitched, child proof zipper or double zipper, ability to refill the bag periodically, and a warranty for at least one year. You should also check whether the fabric is spot free, is washable, and is resistant to the sun. These chairs should be kept away from heat sources and fire, even though foam and beans are nowadays especially created to be fire resistant.

Tameka Norris has been living in small spaces since she was 10 years old. She now runs a website titled Furniture for Small Spaces to help people who go through the same frustrating circumstance of trying to make big bulky furniture fit in places that barely offer enough room. She offers nifty tips and tactics, a Q & A section for people in need of answers, photos of her own small space trials, projects for the DIYer and recommendations on furniture choices.

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