Lifetime Warranty
Today, I share pictures and links of the best bean bags for schools, libraries and universities.
And cover safety issues, durability concerns and how to keep them stain proof.
In fact…
According to research common polyester bean bags can be toxic and produce harmful effects.
There have been other dangers mentioned about soft furnishings as well.
These concerns need to be tackled so you can be confident to use them with students no matter their age.
So without further ado, let’s get to it..
If you prefer to “jump” to a relevant section of this article please use the list below:
1. Safety Checklist Before Buying Any Bean Bag
2. Best Bean Bags for School Libraries
3. Bean Bags for Pre-school and Kindergarten
4. Bean Bags for Primary School Students
5. Bean Bags for High School Students
6. Bean Bags for Tech Schools and Universities
7. Vibrant Colour Ideas to Promote Learning
8. Bean Bag Couch Ideas
9. Jumbo Bean Bags for Larger Spaces
10. Durability of Bean Bags & Keeping Them Clean (without harsh chemicals)
11. Bean Bags for Special Needs Schools
12. Ideal Sizes for Classrooms
Safety Checklist Before Buying Any Bean Bag
When opting for school bean bag chairs, safety is the #1 priority.
We have sold bean bags to 100’s of schools over the years and have replaced other name brand bean bags at schools simply because they failed at some point.
Either due to splitting, tearing or being UV damaged to an unrepairable point.
To prevent this from happening to you, be sure to ask any bean bag supplier these questions below:
• Are they made of commercial grade fabric?
• Do they comply with Australian Law? Click here to see what this means exactly.
• Are they fitted with in-built safety lock zippers?
• Are they hypoallergenic?
• Will they resist flames and are they fire retardant?
• What are the conditions of their bean bag warranty?
• Is the fabric UV resistant?
• Is the thread used to bind the bean bags UV resistant?
• How well do they handle stains?
I know this seems extremely biased!
Please forgive me for this. However, I thought to add this video below from a comparison we did with another bean bag to highlight issues our school clients have had with some other products in the past:
One of the greatest dangers of bean bags is the possibility of children inhaling the beans from the filling itself.
We, like other reputable bean bag sellers manufacture all our bean bags ourselves, (we are not an importer) nor do we buy stock from an overseas source.
This allows us to be in direct connection with the manufacturing process and we have strict quality control procedures in place for each step.
1. When each panel is cut it is checked for frayed edges as damaged fabric means weak fabric.
2. We sew each panel together checking every stitch line before moving onto the next.
3. We double stitch higher pressure points internally, so the panel gaps are as small as possible, there is far less stretching over time and the thread is not exposed to the outside environment
Best Bean Bags for School Libraries
Libraries across Australia are generally quiet places to rest, sit and read.
So quite bean bags are important.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely stop the sound of beans shuffling in a bean bag, although having a thicker walled bean bag will reduce the sound a lot.
A “solid” fabric like leather or vinyl provides greater sound deadening and prevents the rustling of beans from one side of the room to another.
Back support is also important for library bean bags as children will be sitting for extended periods of time.
For this reason it’s important to choose a design which supports a child’s posture.
By having a tapered top, it prevents the beans from swelling out.
Internal stitch lines and double stitch lines create the smallest gaps possible between each panel. This ensures the places with greatest pressure remain firm.
Through our design process we also found that keeping the width of the back rest limited, we were able to mimic traditional furniture.
This means that the backrest always remains upright. Ensuring much better posture for students.
Lastly for a little fun, many of our past educational clients opt for brighter colours in a library setting.
Since modern libraries are less formal than they used to be decades ago, many teachers and librarians opt for bean bags which stand out a little.
Bean Bags for Pre-school and Kindergarten
Having a little toddler myself, I know that their excitement for life and limited focus means falling over a lot.
Having bean bags at day care, makes me feel a lot better about the consequences of little ones tripping near a piece of soft furniture rather than chairs with sharp edges.
We have a bean bag for toddlers (shown below) which is well suited for all children up to 6 years of age.
For older children this design will be a little too small however.
And they would be better suited to bean bags used in Primary Schools.
Bean Bags for Primary School Students
We get a lot of questions from teachers and parents asking about “Bean Bags for 9 year olds” or “Bean Bags for 10 year olds”
And the great news is once children are in year 1, there is a greater range of bean bags to choose from.
Popular choices for our Primary school clients are listed below:
Bean Bags which are lower to the ground are a popular choice for this age group of students.
These Bean bags for tweens can also be handled by year 5/6 students to move around if need be.
For instance, if you are arranging a class outside or need them relocated for a school carnival.
Bean Bags for High School Students
Bean bags for teenagers open up an even bigger range to choose from.
The Lounge chair bean bag is the most popular choice for all school students from grade 1 to grade 12.
However, as children grow they may prefer bean bags which are higher off the ground and for this reason the second most popular choice for high school students is the Grand Lounger:
Our Grand lounger is the preferred choice for break our study areas and common rooms since the seating height is closer to that of a standard desk chair.
This means if students need to reach for anything at desk height it makes life a little easier.
Bean Bags for Tech Schools and Universities
Bean bag seating for universities across Australia have really grown in popularity.
Due to the fact that they work as alternative furniture in settings such as:
1. Left permanently outdoors on university campus’
2. Cafes
3. Libraries
4. Club houses
5. Student accommodation
Being made of Commercial grade vinyl, you could say our bean bags are over engineered and really only meant for environments that may take a heavy beating.
It is completely safe and is:
- Stain resistant
- Mould & mildew resistant
- Waterproof
- Flame retardant
Although we do not endorse smoking at all, our club and pub clients mention because of this quality they do well against cigarette ash as well.
Here are our most popular sellers for Universities and Colleges:
Every bean bag we make is made to order, so you can create your own colours to mix and match.
Vibrant Colour Ideas to Promote Learning
There have been many studies which show certain colours help students study and stay focused.
Painting walls and creating colourful fixed structures is one way to bring these colours to life.
Otherwise, a simple way can be with soft furnishings.
Bean bags suit bright colours extremely well which means they can be a perfect fit for any class setting.
In particular, red, blue and orange have a positive effect according to studies below.
Red – Promotes alertness and encourages creativity
Sky Blue – keeps student calm and promotes a sense of well being
Orange – Helps students with their memory work and critical thinking
Other colours also have positive effects for students and if you have time to discover more this is a great read.
Bean Bag Couch Ideas
Since Google showed the world what an office can look like, it changed what employees expected.
This design ethos seems to have trickled down to what parents and students now expect in schools these days.
This shift in design has meant that schools are not only looking for single seater bean bags but are actually looking for bean bag couches and bean bag modular sofa sets.
One benefit is cost; it is much more cost effective to purchase a modular bean bag set than it would be to purchase a traditional lounge set, which can cost thousands of dollars.
Also; ordering custom couches can take months for delivery and because they weigh so much it makes it difficult to rearrange a room once they arrive. Unlike bean bags.
We have come a long way since the first bean bag was invented decades ago, so this means that you don’t have to sacrifice the look of traditional furniture.
And you still get the unbeatable comfort a bean bag offers.
Jumbo Bean Bags for Larger Spaces
Is bigger really better?
If you have the space and want to encourage collaboration than the answer might be “yes”.
Note: King bean bags are a great choice when you need to rearrange a room from time to time, as they can be stacked in the corner of a room and taken out whenever needed.
Durability of Bean Bags & Keeping Them Clean (without harsh chemicals)
Like any product in life, you want them to last forever without having to worry about maintenance.
Unfortunately, when children and teenagers have their own space it might not be kept as clean and tidy as we wish.
The benefit of using marine grade vinyl is how well it holds up to stains from either food or ink for example.
90% of stains made on Bliss Bean Bags can be removed with a little bit of warm soapy water. However, when you encounter a really tough stain, such as black ink left to bake in 35 degree sun light Than water won’t be enough.
However even in such a circumstance we still don’t recommend any harsh chemicals.
Eucalyptus oil is like a magic eraser over tough stains when it comes to our vinyl.
Bean Bags for Special Needs Schools
Beans bags work very well in special needs schools or for children with disabilities.
In fact, www.Sourcekids.com.au asked us to write a column for them explaining why this is.
We recommend if you have a chance to click here to read the full article.
To summarise; if you don’t have time to read the full article.
Bean bags are ideal for:
• Sensory concerns children might have
• Comfort & Support to encourage better posture and extend concentration times
• Easing pressure on joints by reduce physical stress and encouraging a relaxed mindset
• Body awareness by making it easy to sit in, easy to move and offer minimal risk of injury
They provide a safe environment by giving students the confidence to focus on the tasks at hand without the added stress of physical distractions.
Ideal Sizes for Classrooms
Classrooms need to be cleverly designed to encourage learning.
And not to feel over-stuffed so they can provide the freedom for children to excel.
Due to this certain bean bags may be too large for a standard classroom size.
If the Australian standard classroom size is: 72 – 75m² according to official Queensland guidelines for example.
It means you need to be careful with how many bean bags you want for a room.
If you are looking for a breakout corner with a few bean bags we recommend these bean bags below since they take up a smaller footprint.
If the floor space you are looking to fill is much larger than a standard classroom size and you don’t need to concern your self with smaller ‘footprint’ bean bags as much bean bags such as the Circular loungers can be a great fit.
Conclusion
Bean bags for schools, colleges, universities and libraries have become more popular than ever and for good reason.
They provide back support, they are safe to use (if they follow strict Australian guidelines) and can be easily maintained when made from commercial grade fabrics.
Make sure the bean bags we design and manufacture have been thoroughly tested, have safety locked zippers fitted, are stain resistant and made to last a lifetime.
With a huge choice of colour combinations, you can match most school or school house colours.
For an extra touch of personalisation having embroidery on the bean bags will set them apart from any other available, making them truly unique as well.
We have been selling bean bags for years from Kindergarten to year 12 and beyond, all with a lifetime warranty.
If you have any concerns or further questions about school bean bags please let me know.