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We’ve all seen the pictures of Google’s bean bags, massive slides, relaxation pods, and hammocks. Google’s offices are a source of envy to many office workers.
Today we take a look at Google bean bags across their worldwide offices.
The Google bean bags served to show that the company was dedicated to the well being and happiness of their employees.
And years later, bean bags are now a staple feature in a lot of workplaces wanting to emulate their look.
The bean bags at Google mostly have water-proof, nylon covers, while the fillings inside can vary.
Some of the most popular fillings are polystyrene, polypropylene, and compressed foam. These stuffed, comfortable seats are not only a versatile piece of furniture in terms of their use, but also add a great pop of color to their surroundings.
Here are some pictures from Google offices around the world:
It seems every continent (apart from Antarctica) has Google bean bags. The image below was taken at Googles AI center in Africa:
The NYC office has a great range of furniture, including something a little different – Just like this hamburger bean bag:
One thing that is common in all these pictures of custom Google bean bags is the vibrant colors. These colours help foster a work environment that is comfortable and easy on the eyes for the employees. Besides comfort and aesthetics, these bean bags serve another big purpose too.
Statistics from companies with similar work cultures suggest that the design of a workplace has a significant impact on the productivity of its employees.
Working for Google may be fun, but it’s not easy. When you are a part of the team running the world’s biggest search engine, you have a lot riding on you. This pressure to perform can cause employees to burn out, drastically impacting their productivity.
Therefore, Google has created dedicated spaces for its employees to take a break and blow off some steam before they get back to work. This has been essential to maintaining the quality of the work and the company’s reputation.
Even in break out areas bean bags work well off-site.
How Do Bean Bags Effect Work Productivity?
Findings of a report by the British Council for Offices suggest that 43% of employees aged 18 to 24 prefer a non-traditional office, while 28% opposed such an idea.
Given the option, many people would like to work in a resort-like environment that is flexible, and cooperative. As opposed to the fixed office furniture, bean bags provide that flexibility.
Google and other good companies realize that hiring new workers would cost them more than the investment cost of retaining employees.
By providing a work-commissioned relaxation space with bean bags, table tennis, and other leisure items, companies are actually trying to make it really difficult for their existing employees to leave.
Branding is also a great key of promoting the company to visitors and potential candidates. We have crafted bean bags for Google in the past with embroidery included:
When you have couches instead of workstations, you are basically giving your employees the message that you don’t care what they wear and where they sit.
As long as they finish the job at the end of the day.
The attraction of a lenient and creative workplace makes it difficult for the workers to quit, and as an employer,
you save resources that you would have otherwise spent finding and training new people, waiting for months before they are as productive as you would want them to be.
Why Google Uses Bean Bags?
Google is one of the biggest companies out there. It has no shortage of resources to spend on its office furnishings.
Then why does it prefer a simple bag filled with polystyrene beans over sophisticated, hi-tech work stations?
Actually, Google has those too! But the work environment remains largely non-traditional. Here are some of the reasons that will help us understand the logic behind Google’s use of bean bags:
Low Cost
Even though a company like Google wouldn’t have any shortage of resources, bean bags are simply a smart decision in terms of cost.
In comparison to the traditional furniture that is mostly metal, wood, or plastic, bean bags are quite cheap.
This is primarily because a material like wood is expensive, and requires added effort to maintain it.
This includes keeping it safe from moisture and regular upkeep, which is expensive for a company with as many offices as Google.
Easier Maintenance
Bean bags are usually made of vinyl, or leather, and other materials that are easier to maintain. If the cover gets dirty, all you have to do is simply take out the stuffing, and wash it.
If you feel the need to replace the beans – which you won’t, at least not for a fair while – you can do that easily too, as the filling is inexpensive and easily available.
Fewer Space Issues
Compared to fixed furniture that takes up a lot of space, bean bags don’t have this issue. In a small area where you would be able to install a limited number of workstations, you can accommodate a lot more people using bean bags.
This way, you can take complete advantage of a limited space without making it feel cramped.
This is possible because unlike traditional office furniture that requires specific dimensions to fit in, a bean bag can fit in a small corner of the room as well.
Ultimate Comfort and Freedom
A working environment where one has to sit in a chair for long periods can not only be really tiring, but in extreme cases, it can also be a huge health hazard.
In such a working environment, bean bags can be the best seating solution.
This is because they provide a cushion for the body, taking away any pain that can arise from sitting in a chair all day long, allowing the person to only focus on their work.
Bean bags provide the ultimate comfort. The stuffing is really soft and quickly adjusts to the shape of your body.
If you want, just sit on it the way you would sit on a chair and the beans inside will adjust on their own. If you want more comfort out of it, simply stretch your legs out or on to a footrest and you are all set to lie down.
King Bean Bags we offer are popular across many office environments:
Similarly, if your office decides to take a lead from Google, and invest in some bean bags, your employees will be able to work the way they would like to.
For instance, if an employee feels that an air conditioner in front of their workstation is turned up too high, and they can’t do much about it, their productivity will suffer.
In contrast, if there is an option of bean bags in the office, the employee will simply pick one up, and find a cozier, more comfortable spot to work from.
A Conducive Environment
Workplaces the world over are moving away from what was once considered the traditional professional workplace.
More and more companies, including Google, are adopting policies where academic degrees are not as essential as they once were.
Offices are adopting policies that allow their employees more flexibility, getting rid of dress codes, and letting employees choose their own work hours.
A comfortable, open-plan seating arrangement, where bean bags are given preference over cubicles and workstations, is also essentially part of the same trend.
There is of course, a bigger purpose behind it, and that is to create an environment conducive to productivity.
Google, Bean Bags, and the Future
Google has held strong to its place among the biggest, most successful companies out there by making some of the smartest choices in the industry.
Their immense emphasis on employee welfare has been a significant contributing factor to this.
Offering a great work-life balance, health and leave benefits, and an opportunity to work in an environment that enables you to optimize your productivity, Google has managed to produce results far beyond anyone’s expectations.
And a lot of the credit for that goes to bean bags.
Conclusion:
If we can help with crafting handmade bean bags for your office or home space, please reach out. Like Google bean bags we can craft customised furniture for any look you are after.
With over 120 colour combinations and over 20 styles the possibilities are almost endless!