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After our customers purchase their bean bags, one of the main questions that we get asked is – where should I buy my bean bag filling?
Generally, we tend to recommend Kmart, Target or Big W as they are easy to access and have a steady price set across Australia at $12 per 100 litre bags.
Alternatively, you can choose to buy 500 grams from Spotlight, also for $12, but you will be buying less bean filling for the same price. In fact you will have to spend close to twice as much as Spotlight
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Then again, if you have the time and the patience and want to get thrifty, there are many other DIY options. Old clothes, stuffed toys, crumbed foam, shopping bags, shredded paper, the list goes on.
Today’s article is all about where you can purchase bean bag filling, and the benefits to this, or the DIY options and just how you can use them to fill your bean bag.
So, kick back, relax and get ready to learn.
What Are Bean Bag Fillings Made From?
Typically, bean bags are filled with tiny foam balls known as “expanded polystyrene beans” (EPS.) They feel like Styrofoam and are only 3 to 4 mm round.
The benefits of EPS beans include:
• They are a fairly low in price.
• They light-weight, which makes your bean bag easy to move.
• They are soft and comfortable.
• They outlast other products, especially when it comes to their strength, endurance and resistance to being crushed.
• If made and sold in Australia, they contain a fire-retardant additive, meaning that they are non-flammable.
The unique qualities of this filling are what gives your bean bag its cosy, relaxing and versatile features.
Why Doesn’t Bliss Bean Bags Sell the Filling?
You will notice here at Bliss Bean Bags, all of our bean bags come with beans not included. Although that may seem unusual, we’re simply trying to do you a favour and save you some valuable dollars. Unfortunately, the postage costs of EPS beans are too expensive for the volume that is needed to fill your bean bag.
Although the beans weigh next to nothing, it’s their cubic volume that is measured to calculate their postage costs. As a result, bean filling is generally freighted in bulk to the stores in Australia that stock it.
Below, I recommend some of these places where you can purchase the filling from instead.
Where Should I Purchase My Bean Bag Filling?
As previously mentioned, I tend to recommend Kmart, Target or Big W as the stores from which to purchase your bean bag fillings.
With locations all across Australia, these stores are easily available, and their bean bag filling maintains a fixed price set at $12 per 100 litre bags. Some of the stores will even deliver to you, of which we will go into more detail below.
1. K-Mart – K-Mart offers both a Click & Collect service, where you can order online and pick up in store to ensure the availability of your item, or a Delivery Service where they will package up the filling and deliver directly to your door for a slight fee, depending on your location. Visit their website for further details.
2. Target – Although not available online, visit the Target website to find your nearest store and purchase their bean bag filling in person.
3. Big W – Also not available for purchase online, you can visit the Big W website to find your nearest store.
4. Spotlight – Spotlight ranks lower in my recommendations on where you should purchase your bean filling, as they only sell 500 gram bags, at the same price as what you will purchase a 100L bag from the other stores – meaning, you will be getting less bean filling for the same price.
The benefit, however, is that they too offer delivery directly to your door, for a slight fee. You can also check for availability of the product in your local store on their website.
What Should I Know About Purchasing Bean Filling?
Filling a bean bag can be tricky. It’s not only a case of “what filling do I choose?”, but “how do I make sure I get everything in order to fill it up properly?”. Here’s some advice to help you;
1. Make sure you leave enough room in your car when you go to pick up your bean filling – the bags are larger than you think.
Here’s a picture of the typical size of a 100L bean bag refill. Depending on what sort of car you have, it might fit in your boot, or you might have to leave room for it on your backseat. Whatever your space, just make sure there’s enough of it.
2. Purchase the correct quantity of material.
It’s important to make sure that you purchase enough material to refill your bean bag. If you don’t, your bean bag is going to be flat and uncomfortable, and you’re going to have to make a return trip to the shops. Ensure you know just how much filling belongs inside your bean bag so you can match it.
3. Inspect your refill bag.
A common problem is that the refill bag has holes in it – I’m sure you’ve seen that trail of foam balls leading to the counter at one of the shops we’ve mentioned above more than once. You’ll want to make sure that the bag you purchase doesn’t have any holes or tears in it that will allow the foam to escape. Inspect the bag thoroughly before you purchase it for any rips that may have you cleaning up a pile of little foam balls. If you see no holes, rips or tears and no beads escape when you give the bag a good shake, you’re safe.
DIY Bean Bag Filling Options
Not sure you feel like splashing your cash on little foam balls? Well, there are so many DIY options you can choose from instead.
For a detailed look at alternative bean bag filling (see our other article)
For now we list the most popular choices below:
• Stuffed Toys – Has your child grown out of some of their stuffed toys? As they grow older, they’ve probably got a lot they don’t use anymore and wouldn’t notice missing – so in the bean bag they go. To make it more comfortable, cut open the unloved and unwanted toys, pull out their stuffing, and place it inside they bean bag. This will give your bag a relaxing, spongy feel.
• Old Pillows & Quilts – As with old toys, the insides of old pillows and quilts that you no longer use can be used as a filling for your bean bag. Simply cut open the unwanted quilts and pillows and use their stuffing to create a pillow-top feel to your bean bag.
• Crumbed Foam – Crumbed foam is basically memory foam, that you shred into pieces and then insert into your bean bag. If you manage to collect enough of this, it makes for a very comfortable filling.
• Shredded Paper – Do you own a paper shredder and are not exactly sure what you should do with the shredded paper?
Well, you’re in luck, because it’s one of the simplest ways to refill your bean bag. When the paper in the bean bag gets flat, simply recycle it and refill it with more paper.
• Shopping Bags – You know those plastic grocery bags that we spend money on, and then forget to take back to the grocery store with us to reuse? Well, they now have a great purpose – as bean bag fillings. Soft and light, they will make your bean bag comfortable and versatile. Keep in mind if you are going to use this method, you’ll need quite a few bags. Ask your friends and family if you can have theirs if they don’t intend on using them – explain it’s your form of recycling. When you have enough bags, roll each of them into a ball, and twist the handle so it holds that shape. No need to worry about tying them – the handles will hold the ball shape when you place them inside your bean bag.
• Packing Peanuts – Also known as foam peanuts, foam popcorn or packing noodles, this packaging material is used to protect fragile objects and prevent any damage to them during shipping. Made from an expanded polystyrene foam, they make a great bean bag filling. However, unless you intend on buying them in bulk from your local post office, you may have to save for a while to get enough to fill your bean bag. Another option is to combine these with your plastic shopping bags and voila – no waiting, and you have yourself the perfect combination for a comfortable bean bag filling.
• Old Clothes – If you have children, you’ll notice how quickly they grow out of their clothes. Even if you don’t have children, you’ll notice yourself with a pile of clothes you don’t wear often, and with a pile you’ve worn so much they need replacing more than the refill in your bean bag.
Use this clothing – simply roll each piece into a ball and throw it inside your bean bag. You may find that it makes your bean bag initially feel a little on the bumpy side, but just shake it out. However, if you choose to use this method just know your bean bags to tend to get a bit heavy and are not as easy to move around.
Conclusion
After purchasing your bean bag, you’re going to need to purchase your bean bag filling. We recommend that you purchase the tiny foam balls that come in 100 litre bags from K-Mart, Target or Big W – mainly because not only do they never waiver on their $12 price, but there’s a good chance that there will be one of these stores very close to you. If not, K-Mart delivers right to your door.
If you are a little on the thrifty side, you can consider our DIY options instead, and create your own materials from stuffed toys, old pillows and quilts, crumbed foam, shredded paper, shopping bags, packing peanuts or even old clothes. Although this may save you some money, it does require a lot of time and patience.
And if you want to learn more about recyling bean filling for alternative use, check out our other post.
Call me biased, but I do still believe that what you purchase from the shops may be your easiest, most comfortable, safest and simplest solution.