Dark Zero

Sumo Omni

At DarkZero we’re best known for reviewing games, but now and again we can make room for other products that tie in with the gaming lifestyle. Everyone is looking for the ultimate setup, and although the HDTV and sound system are two vital ingredients, seating is also an important consideration

To all intents and purposes the Sumo Omni is an oversized beanbag, so large in fact that no matter how big you were expecting it to be, you’ll be surprised at its enormity. Beanbags have been around for ages, but for the most part they are not very ergonomic as they lack back support, a glaring omission if you intend to sit and play games for extended periods of time. This is where the Omni’s size comes into play; if you sit towards the front, the surplus behind you arches up, giving you the support of a chair when you lean back. Also, because it is so large it’s possible to perch at chair height, something you’d never normally achieve with a beanbag. If space is your lounge is tight the Omni might not be for you as it’s too big to store away, but it could be used as a spare chair and it’s lightweight so you can move it around when needed. There’s no doubt it will go down well with kids and students everywhere.

The Omni is made from ‘space age’ rip-proof nylon which is very hard wearing. This is great as it won’t pick up dust and pet hair. One criticism is that when you unzip the side of the beanbag you will notice that all the beads are directly underneath the outer cover. This is slightly odd as what’s the point in having a zip to remove the beads if they will be bouncing around your living room and sticking to the cat? It would have been nice to see another bag inside to enable easy removal of the beads en-mass to machine wash the cover. However, in reality you’d never need to take the beads out as the material is water repellent and easy to wipe clean.

The Sumo Omni it’s actually a large rectangular pillow measuring 4.5 x 5.5 feet. It feels like there is precisely the right amount of beads inside, giving it a lot of depth that allows for at least 10 different ways for you to sit. As there are corners it makes a fair bit of difference when sitting square or diagonal to them, so you’ll have no trouble finding at least one to suit whatever activity you’re doing. It’s even possible to lay it flat like a small mattress. Whichever position you choose, once you get yourself settled it even remains comfortable even throughout the duration of a film, though don’t fidget too much as all beanbags generate noise when adjusting your position.

The Sumo Omni is currently retailing at 79.99 (RRP 99.99) with free delivery from www.sumolounge.co.uk. It comes in a variety of colours: pitch black, charcoal green, platinum, midnight blue, fiery red, tangerine, pure white, hot pink, funky brown and lime green. When gaming on a sofa you often find yourself leaning forward most of the time, which is bad for your back, but with the Omni it’s easy to move it that bit closer and sit back in comfort.

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