Film School Rejects

Officially Cool: The Sumo Sultan – Not Just a Bean Bag Chair

There comes a time in every movie blogger’s life when he must get that fateful email. It goes something like this: “Hey, you’re fat and lazy. Want to try our product that is perfect for fat and lazy people such as yourself?” It is, as Aaron Sorkin might famously say via one of his Sports Night teleplays, the equivalent to getting “the call.”

Of course, when the folks over at Sumo reached out to me a little while back to solicit a review for one of their Bean Bag Chairs, they were far more cordial. But I heard their message. I’m chubby. I work in a job that requires me to sit around and watch movies, then sit around and blog about them. Both of these tasks can easily be done from the comfort of a bean bag chair. Thus, I am the target audience for such a product. And even though I’m obviously their guy and it should have just been a lackadaisical movie-watching experience, I found the Sumo Sultan to be much more than just a bean bag chair for a movie geek and/or gamer — it is a classy, cool piece of furniture that transcends the traditional idea of a bean bag chair.

 

Yeah, It’s Comfortable

As you might expect from a giant chunk of shredded furniture grade urethane foam wrapped in a micro-suede cover, it is quite comfortable. And I put it to the test. I watched movies on it. Played a few video games on it. Ended a very successful date with a very attractive lady on it. Got kicked out of my own bed by said lady and slept on it for a night. Heck, I’m currently writing this article from it. If the Sultan were a person, I would have an unnecessarily clingy relationship with it. I’d probably be pushing it away with my overt clinginess. It has become, without a doubt, the best seat in the house here at Reject HQ. Many a friend and or acquaintance has entered our living room, plopped down on the fashionable brown lump in the corner and been sucked in to the glorious realm of the Sultan. So yes, it is comfortable.

In addition to being comfortable and large enough for one or two good sized people, the Sultan is quite durable. It comes with a promise of never going flat, which for the most part appears to be true. Though I will say that in the few weeks that I’ve been testing it — and avoiding writing my review because it’s just so comfy — I have left quite a dent. This problem was solved, however, with a simple fluffing. It’s similar to a really good pillow in that it returns to its original puffed state with ease. This is, of course, only based on a few weeks worth of “heavy testing” — there’s no telling how it holds up over very long periods of time. And sadly, the only downside to the Sumo is that it comes with a one-week satisfaction guarantee, whereas other competitors offer longer warranties. Not sure why you’d need a 2-year warranty on a damn bean bag chair, but you might think you need it.

The Quality is in the Details

One of the best little things about the Sultan is that you can unzip the cover and machine wash it. The micro-suede cover comes out the other end clean and just as soft as it did when you first unwrapped your Sultan. And with a solid assortment of classy, traditional colors (Pitch Black, Khaki, Funky Brown and Fiery Red), it’s the kind of man-furniture that your girlfriend might actually let you keep it in the common areas of the house, next to the big TV. It is a simple product, but one that fits perfectly into the life of anyone who likes to “chill” and take in a multimedia experience, whether that be movies, gaming or blogging. Or, if you’re really awesome, a little bit of “quality time” with your lady.

But enough of the standard pitch — what I know is that this damn thing is uber-comfortable. I’ve had my moments in the past with the $700+ Lovesac Supersac, the previous champion of the big guy bean bags. And like the Lovesac, the Sumo Sultan feels like a $700 bean bag chair. The only difference is that the Sumo sells for $250 and ships to you at no cost. That’s enough to buy a badass bean bag chair and continue building your collection of Region 2 Italian horror Blu-ray discs.

For more information or to get your own Sumo Sultan (or any of the various other models, including the very cool and affordable Gamer), point your browser at SumoLounge.com.

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