What's safe to fill a bean bag?

[malyita]

Know dd1 would love a bean bag, but I can't find one that's not going to off-gas horrible things forever. I could certainly sew one, but what to fill it with? Is it totally crazy o fill it with actual beans? Or maybe wool? Would that squish around and be remoldable? Buckwheat? Any other great ideas or sources? Favorite patterns? TIA.

Molly

[jillyofthevalley]

I just filled ours with beans.  We've had them for years with no problems.

[babymommy2]

in my experience bean bags ARE filled with beans, hence the name.  You could use anything small hard and round, lentils, barley.

[malyita]

It seemed like it must be at least historically possible, due to the name. Do you have to do anything to discourage pests, or are they not really a problem with a dried bean?

[MovnMama]

Seems like the biggest detractor would be the potential weight (if it's a bean bag chair that could fit an adult, I mean - clearly I'm planning one for myself!). Would a chair filled with beans be too heavy to move?

[Shane]

We used popcorn for our cornhole bean bags.  It called for corn like you would get from a feed store, but we don't have a feed store near us, so we used regular popcorn.  That was 2 years ago.

[Think of Winter]

Just a warning about using corn, I made a bunch of corn freezer/hot packs a few years ago.  The extras (they weren't being frozen/microwaved periodically) got infested with something, I think pantry moths.  It was disgusting, and I had to throw all of them away, and I did bake the corn first.  I didn't have any trouble with actual beans in our bean bags.  Um, not that I know of.  I haven't cut one open.

By the way, I got the impression that the op meant bean bag chairs, not bean bag toys.  I can't imagine purchasing enough corn or beans to fill a bean bag chair!  Not to mention it would weigh a ton, and you'd still have the pest problem.  How about recycling stuff that you already own?  Packing peanuts, shopping bags, old pillows, etc.  If you have a source for a grease fleece, and don't mind the dirty work of cleaning it, that would make a good filling.  I mention that because I have 1 1/2 feed bags full of uncleaned grease fleece in my shed that need a big project:) 

[beanma]

small bean bags = rice, beans, wheat berries, buckwheat hulls

large bean bag chairs = packing peanuts, cornstarch packing peanuts (more smooshy, so might not last as long), clean plastic bags, bubble wrap, polyester fiber fill, etc. I think real beans would be really, really heavy like 75lbs heavy.

hth

[malyita]

I did mean a chair. I calculated for lentils, and it would be conservatively over 100lbs. Yikes. I've settled on buckwheat. It seems to resist pests and moisture and generally be a good weight compromise and has much the same feel as a traditional bean bag chair. Each chair will be about 45lbs, which I can move around, but the kids can't. I think this is actually good for minimizing the risk they will suffocate each other. The price is up there compared to a regular bean bag chair, but very good for a natural filling and cover one. Each bag 45lb bag of buckwheat was $75.  I found a supplier who has these big bags for pillow and mattress makers in Seattle, which was great. I also discovered in my search that buckwheat hulls are sometimes sold as mulch. http://thebirkettmills.com/shop/mul-tex-buckwheat-hulls If you live somewhere it is carried so you don't have to pay for shipping it could be a good option. No one around here has it anymore, sadly.

If you have to order, I think this is the best price, though I didn't look into shipping costs: http://www.buckwheathull.com/

I'm typing this all up as it seems to be a pretty common question but no one ever updates with what they did. Hopefully now future searchers will get good ideas.

I'm now seriously considering making a mattress out of buckwheat hulls (more densly packed) for when the girls are ready for their own bed.

[purpleheather79]

Would you mind posting the info for the supplier you found in Seattle?

Thanks!

[malyita]

Winsor Trading Company

2450 6th Ave S # 209
Seattle, WA 98134-2029

[phone]

[dmichlen]

What type of beans do you use in the bean bags?

[dmichlen]

What type of beans do you use in your bean bags?

[vtfiver]

ive done it may times with rice