The History and Evolution of Bean Bags

Bean bags seem like a relatively contemporary invention. A product of the 1960s or ‘70s, perhaps. But while that’s when they really became ‘cool’, their origin was many years before that. Not just centuries, but millennia. So, sit back and relax, while we take a quick look at the history of the bean bag and how we developed the seats we all love today.

Bean Bags: The Origin Story

An ancient history

Egypt

The first record of bean bags was around 2000 B.C. in Ancient Egypt. Made from small leather pouches, filled with dried beans, they’re believed to have been used for games, juggling, and other forms of entertainment. And although they are a long way away from the bean bag chairs we know today, they were certainly the start of a good idea. But the Egyptians weren’t the only ones to come up with it.

China

More than 4,000 miles and several hundred years later, similar bean bags were developed in China. There are records dating back to around the 12th century, mentioning small bags of beans and sand being used in the practice of tai chi.

America

Native Americans are also believed to have invented a form of bean bag – using pig’s bladders – to use recreationally. They are attributed with creating the game of ‘hacky sack’. But it was many years later that bean bag furniture first became a thing.

Bean bags as furniture

Roger Dean

The first patent for a bean bag chair came in 1968. It was filed by English designer Roger Dean, and referred to as The Sea Urchin Chair. And, surprisingly, it strongly resembled the very contemporary memory foam bean bags that are so popular today. It was filled with blocks of foam rather than any kind of bean, but it worked on a similar premise.

Zanatta Design

Next, came the offering by Zanatta Design in Italy. These seats took the large, pouf-like shape of the bean bag that we still identify today. But they were firmer, made from shaped and stitched leather. So, although filled with thermocol pellets (which were later replaced with shredded poly-foams), they didn’t quite have the comfy mouldability that we now recognise.

1970s – 1990s

As the 1960s slipped into the 70s and 80s, bean bags began to become cheaper and more accessible. Filled with expanded or extruded polystyrene pellets, bean bags began to find homes in the rooms of students and teenagers. They took on a looser, more sack-like design, suited to a more informal aesthetic. But with simple zip fastenings and cheaper fabrics, they were easy to make – and easy to break. And consequently, began to slip out of favour.

1995

In 1995, bean bag design became legislated. A poor health and safety record meant that something had to change. From then on, bean bags had to be made with reinforced seams and safety zips. And both the covers and the filling had to be fire resistant. After that, bean bag design began to change.

Modern bean bag furniture

It was in the early 2000s that bean bag furniture as we know it today really began to evolve. From simple sacks into nuance designs, including gaming chairs, arm chairs, and sofas. Since then, a wide variety of fabrics have been deployed, and a couple of different fillings. Bean bags have become more robust and more comfortable, at the same time as becoming more durable. And they’re no longer being confined to kid’s bedrooms and student housing, but used in every part of the home – including the garden.

Bean bag furniture is now a staple of the modern home. It’s versatile, lightweight, and supportive. And it comes in such a vast array of designs and styles, that you can find the perfect piece for your home. Those beans have come a long way since Ancient Egypt, but they’re still very much doing their thing!

Feeling inspired? Check out Big Bertha’s been bag furniture collection.