Are Bean Bags Good For Back Pain?

Does your work require you to sit in one place for a very long time? Then you may develop back problems eventually! 

You need to ensure a proper posture while sitting in one position for extended periods to prevent health issues, such as back pains, sciatica, and more. That is why many doctors recommend good chairs to sit on, which have an ergonomic design that can prevent such problems. 

Here’s where simple yet outstanding bean bags come into the picture. They are cozy, versatile, suitable for long-term use, and can provide you with exceptional comfort while sitting. Even if you are using  bean bag chair for boats or other outdoor activities.

The question is, are bean bags good for back pain? If you already suffer from chronic back pain, it is natural to feel skeptical about them. That’s why we have addressed the different aspects of using a bean bag and how it can help you with minimizing your back pain.

So, before you head to the nearest Walmart that sell bean bags, let’s dive into this article!

Sitting Posture And Back Pain

Similar to other activities, such as standing or walking, it is essential to maintain a good posture while sitting as well. A proper sitting posture helps relax your muscles and fully support the spine so that you are not fatigued easily.

Conversely, a bad posture can cause undue stress to your spinal column, especially if you are sitting for long hours. And if you keep sitting with a poor, slouchy posture, then you will eventually develop chronic lower back pain. That, in turn, can give rise to a host of other health issues if left untreated.

Chronic back pains are quite common among adults and can vary in intensity from mild to severe. While mild back pains are easier to manage, severe ones can cause you a lot of trouble. That is why it is important to sit with your back in an upright and relaxed position.

And bean bags can help you do just that as they are far more ergonomic and comfortable than conventional chairs. While they started out as visually appealing home accessories, bean bags have become a pretty useful furniture today due to their flexibility and comfort.

What Are The Benefits Of Bean Bags For Tackling Back Pain?

There are numerous benefits of using a soft bean bag chair over a conventional chair. Some of these benefits have been discussed below.

1. Bean Bags Are Extremely Comfortable

Compared to conventional chairs, bean bags offer superior comfort. Regardless of their build, conventional chairs typically have a hard structural framework made from plastic or metal, which reduces their flexibility. 

However, bean bags have no such structural framework to speak of. Instead, they are made from soft filling packed inside a large bag so that you can easily adjust yourself and sink into it. As a matter of fact, you can also sleep in a bean bag without any problems.

No wonder a bean bag is preferred in place of conventional chairs; after all, it helps relax your body better. It minimizes your back pain by making it comfortable to sit in one place for a long time.

2. Bean Bags Are Highly Malleable

Thanks to the soft filling used in bean bags, they are highly malleable. As a result, they can easily adapt to the contours of your body for optimum relaxation and comfort.

For a conventional chair, you will be required to adjust to its contours so that you are comfortable. So, they are less versatile when compared to a bean bag.

Back pains typically occur when the chair you’re sitting on is not ergonomic. As such, it cannot easily adjust to your body, forcing you to sit with a poor posture, either bent forward or backward or slouched improperly. But in the case of a bean bag, you don’t need to worry about such issues. 

Their malleability makes them more ergonomic, due to which you won’t need to slouch or lean forward awkwardly while sitting, thereby alleviating and preventing any back and neck pain.

3. Bean Bags Allow Better Posture Management

Another benefit of using a bean bag is that it allows you to manage your posture more easily compared to conventional chairs. This is possible since it does not have a rigid structural framework that most chairs generally have.

Now, thanks to modern design principles, conventional desk chairs and couches are relatively more comfortable to sit on. However, you will still need to adjust your posture if you expect the optimal comfort levels from such chairs. These adjustments are not at all necessary in the case of bean bag chairs. 

Once you sit on it, the bean bag chair will adjust itself. So, you don’t need to keep twisting and turning in the chair to find the most comfortable posture. The chair itself will realign according to your spinal curvature and the position of your body parts. This makes it easy to manage your posture and prevent back pain.

4. Bean Bags Offer A High Degree Of Mobility and Convenience

Since they do not possess any solid components, such as plastic or metal, they provide better mobility and freedom to the different body parts than conventional chairs. Thanks to its soft fillings, you can easily move your legs, shoulders, arms, and neck.

That’s not all; bean bags are relatively lighter than a regular sofa or a desk chair. So, they are more portable and convenient to carry around. That’s good for your back as well – albeit in a slightly different sense!

What Should You Look For In A Bean Bag Chair?

Now that you know the benefits of a bean bag chair, should you go ahead and promptly purchase one. 

But before that we would like to suggest some key aspects that you should keep in mind to find the right bean bag. These will help you ensure that the bean bag you buy is a worthy investment. So, if you are curious to know what they are, keep reading.

1. Type Of Filling And Materials Used

One crucial factor that you should keep in mind before you buy a bean bag is the materials that have been used to make it. Typically, there are two primary components – the bean bag cover and the bean or fillings.

The cover of the bean bag is generally made from soft fabric or leather, which are both equally comfortable. So, you can get whichever you want, as it is a matter of personal preferences.

Conversely, the fillings or the beans are either made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam. Generally, the EPS filling comes in the form of tiny beads which are stuffed inside the bean bag while Styrofoam is used as memory foam. 

That said, EPS beads are softer than Styrofoam filling, which makes them better to sit on. On the contrary,  Styrofoam filling can better adjust itself to your body shape. Therefore, before buying, you should keep these aspects in mind.

2. Shape And Size

Another important aspect to consider is the size of the bean bag. Bean bags come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, so you need to pick the one that best suits you.

To use your bean bag as a chair as well as a makeshift bed, it needs to be large enough to accommodate your whole body. However, if you only want to use it for sitting, then a smaller size will suffice.

Besides, you should consider the shape of the bean bag as well. The most basic type is the round-shaped bean bag, which is also the cheapest. Apart from that, you can opt for a square or armchair-shaped one, which is slightly expensive but offers greater comfort for your back.

Are Bean Bags Good For Back Pain Final Words

And that’s all we had to say about bean bags and their usefulness for managing back pain. While they may not be able to cure your back pain overnight, they are definitely better than your everyday chairs in mitigating them considerably.

If you haven’t used bean bags before, you should be slightly careful. Sitting on them may feel a little awkward for the first few days. But trust us, once you get accustomed to it, you wouldn’t want to sit on anything else, and your back problems will be gone for good. 

Now that we have arrived at the end of this article, we hope that we have been able to convince you about the benefits of bean bags in managing back pain. So, go ahead and get yourself a bean bag!

And now, it’s time for us to wrap it up. Until next time, folks!