backyard granny flats

Backyard Bean Bags

People often wonder if bean bags can be used in their backyard. Absolutely they can. So, what makes a great backyard bean bag?

 

A great bean bag for your backyard is one that is waterproof, heat resistant, mould and mildew resistant, and stain resistant.

 

Today I will elaborate on why these features are ideal for backyard bean bags, including the best colours for outdoor bean bags, why weather proof and waterproof is very important, and the best filling for outdoor bean bags. I will cover common backyard set ups, and how to fit your bean bags into these surroundings. I will talk about how to care for your outdoor bean bag, and finally, how many you may need in your backyard.

 

outdoor bean bag sofa
Our bean bags are made to live outdoors

 

Let’s get started, so you can choose your backyard bean bag and sit back and relax.

 

Common Backyard Set Ups

 

Common backyard set ups include:

 

• Pools.
• Decks.
• Firepits.
• Pergolas.
• Gardens.
• Lawns.
• Pebbles.
• Paths.
• Ponds.

 

So, how do you fit a bean bag into these settings? Well, let’s go through each area below.

 

Pools

 

Here at Bliss Bean Bags, we make all of our bean bags from Marine Grade Vinyl, so they are safe to be used around both salt water and chlorine pools.

 

bean bags by the pool
The best thing about UV proof and waterproof bean bags is that you can rest assured they will be fine by the pool

 

Our most popular bean bags that are sold to be used around a pool are the:

 

 

For more ideas on how to choose a bean bag to go around your pool, you can read my blog post about;  Choosing Pool Bean Bags.

 

Decks

 

A great idea for a deck chair is a chair bean bag with a footstool.

 

This gives you something to lay back on, so it feels like a normal deck chair.

 

The best thing about it is that unlike a normal deck chair it doesn’t take up much space when you are not using it.

 

Firepits

 

It goes without saying that you have to be careful around a firepit.

 

A good bean bag to use around this area is one that works well on its’ own, that are easy to get into and out of, and easy to move.

 

These include our grand lounger or low lounger.

 

You can have just one around the fire pit, or a few for each member of the household.

 

Pergolas

 

Our bean bags can be left outdoors all year round, so you can have yours set up as a day bed in your pergola.

 

Our large bean bags work well to fill a pergola, as they become a feature point, and somewhere you can lay back and rest whenever you want.

 

Gardens & Lawns

 

We see the garden and lawn as a beautiful space to place a bean bag.

 

If you have the room available, our larger bean bags are the most popular choices for these spaces.

 

Black bean bag
Just be sure to try and pick light colour bean bags. As darker colours can get hot in the sun.

 

In any one of these you can lay back and let your worries melt away while listening to the sounds of nature.

 

Pebbles & Paths

 

We see these as great outdoor areas to place a bean bag, where you can sit and relax and take in the views of nature, or chat amongst your family and friends.

 

A great choice for these outdoor areas is again a bean bag that is easy to climb in and out of, and can be picked up and moved easily.

 

So our grand lounger or low lounger are both great options.

 

Again, you can always have just one to relax by yourself, or several, one for each member of the household.

 

Ponds

 

Outdoor bean bags are great for gatherings, as they don’t have a huge footprint, so you can place a few together.

 

For example, you could use several bean bag lounges and ottomans, creating a sofa for a much lower price than you would normally pay for an outdoor lounge.

 

Bean Bag Care for the Outdoors

 

What’s great about outdoor bean bags is that, unlike other types of outdoor furniture, they don’t need to be treated with special products.

 

Just a small amount of preventative maintenance and light cleaning will keep them going for a long time.

 

Our suggestions for keeping your bean bag looking great for the long haul are:

 

  • Bring it inside when not using it – If you’re not using it outdoors, bring it inside.
  • Doing so keeps things such as acid rain and concentrated airborne
  • pollutants such as oxidants, gases, and damaging chemicals that are
  • particularly prevalant in big cities from harming it.

 

Especially if you live in a humid climate, in can be particularly helpful to store your bean bag in a cool, dry place when not in use.

 

  • Occasionally clean all over – Accidents happen, and there are times when you may spill something on the bean bag.

 

Then, you can just clean it with a damp cloth, and warm, soapy water. But also clean it all over on occasions to get rid of any outdoor dirt and grime that may have built up.

 

Just use mild soap or detergent that has been diluted in water, never products that contain bleach. After cleaning underneath your bean bag, be sure that it dries prior to putting it back on the floor, or you could attract mould to grow.

 

Because of the fabric that we use, mould and mildew should not grow on our bean bags. But I will advise you that if you do notice mould growing, one of the best ways that you can clean this off is with clove oil. This is a natural remedy for killing mould, without using dangerous chemicals.

 

For more tips, you can read my article, “How to Clean a Bean Bag”.

 

Best Colours for the Outdoors

 

At Bliss Bean Bags, we build our bean bags so they withstand outdoor use.

 

This means that the sun will not cause the colours to fade or the material to crack, so it is entirely up to you to decide what colour you want in your outdoor setting.

 

However, we do still like to advise our clients what colours tend to work best in different weather conditions.

 

If you live in a place that is warm and sunny, then lighter colours are best for as they are heat resistant – they don’t get hot in the sun and won’t fade.

 

Darker colours are not necessarily the best choice, as similar to a black leather car seat, they can be uncomfortable to sit on when warm.

 

If you live in a warmer climate and would prefer a darker colour, you can counteract this by having a lighter colour on top and a darker colour on the sides.

 

Now, moving on to those who live in a colder climate, or are planning on using your bean bag outdoors more during winter.

 

For those weather conditions, warmer colours, such as a teal, charcoal, or chocolate, are great.

 

You can view the range of colours we have to offer here.

 

Why Weather Proof and Waterproof is Very Important

 

For a bean bag that is being used outdoors to be long-lasting, it must be made of materials that are weather proof (that is, UV resistant), and waterproof.

 

The UV Radiation from the sun can cause excessive damage to some man-made materials that are used to design a bean bag.

 

If you have your bean bag in direct sunlight, you don’t want their colours to fade or them to look patchy, all because you had a few days that were more than 35 degrees.

 

So, a weather proof bean bag needs to have:

 

  • UV resistant qualities in-built into its’ fabric.
  • Thread that is also UV resistant.

 

This means that the fabric is able to disseminate the UV radiation from the sun, so the fabric doesn’t get damaged.

 

This is important because otherwise the fabric can crack, rendering your bean bag useless.

 

Now, if the thread itself is not also UV resistant, unfortunately the UV resistant fabric has no purpose.

 

Basically, a bean bag only as good as thread that is used to hold it together.

 

After all, the thread is what binds all the fabric panels together, so this cannot be affected by the UV radiation.

 

UV resistant bean bags such as ours at Bliss can also have added stabilizers within the fabric itself.

 

These stabilizers work by absorbing the UV and dissipating it, so it deviates rather than hitting the strength of the fabric at full force.

 

Now, moving onto why it is important that a bean bag is waterproof.

 

First, it is important to mention that no bean bag can be completely watertight,

 

Even if the fabric itself is waterproof, the water can make its’ way through stitches or zipper lines, and then get inside the bean bag.

 

This is not a big problem. Where the problem arises is that there is the potential for mould or mildew to grow either on or inside the bean bag.

 

What is really important is that, if you feel any water has pooled up inside your bean bag, you remember that it cannot escape.

 

As such, what you must do is give them time to dry. Do so by removing the inner liner, turning it inside out, and placing it in direct sunlight just long enough so it completely dries out.

 

Because if your bean bags remain damp and not drying in the sunlight, this can attract mould to grow.

 

For more tips on how to help prevent mould or mildew from growing on your bean bag, you can refer to my sub-headings “Best Filling” and “Bean Bag Care for the Outdoors”.

 

It is also important to note that, when it comes to bean bags, there is a difference between waterproof and water resistant.

 

After all, you may be keeping your bean bag around the pool or out in the rain, so it is important they are safe from water.

 

Water resistant bean bags are resistant to water penetrating them to some extent, but they do not totally repel all the water.

 

Whereas waterproof bean bags are completely impenetrable, so no water can get through.

 

Though both types of bean bags are okay to be left outside.

 

However, water resistant bean bags can weaken given time, because a little water may have penetrated them.

 

Best Filling for your backyard bean bags

 

Regular filling is best – that is, those tiny foam balls called “expanded polystyrene beans” (EPS.) These feel like Styrofoam and are only 3 to 4 mm round.

 

For information on where you can buy this filling, you can read my blog here.

 

But why is this filling the best for outdoors?

 

Well, mould will not grow on these beans, whereas mould is likely to grow on any alternatives, such as edible beans, sawdust, shredded paper, cedar shavings, rice, hay, buckwheat hulls, recyclables and more.

 

I also suggest staying away from foam, as it will nurture bacteria and other nasties if used outdoors.

 

How Many Do You Need?

 

The answer to this question all depends on you and your household, and what you are using the backyard bean bags for.

 

Some questions to think about are:

 

  • How many people are there in your house?
  • Are you going to be using them for entertaining?

 

For example, if you are planning to kick back and relax when you have your friends and family over, you can take a look at our King Bean Bag.

 

At 165cm x 135cm, this fits more than one person on there, in all sorts of different seating positions.

 

This super-sized bean bag can be used to lay back and relax, read a book, talk amongst yourselves, or so much more.

 

Conclusion

 

Bean bags can be used in so many different settings in your backyard, and they fit in easily.

 

What is important to make sure is that the bean bag is waterproof, heat resistant, mould and mildew resistant, and stain resistant.

 

Get all these things and the colour right for the climate in which you live, and you will have a great set up in your backyard.

 

 

 

Spread the love