gamers hell

Sumo’s back for a new match…

Whether you’re a PS3 fanboy, waggle obsessive or just like sitting down for long periods of time, you know the importance of having a comfortable piece of furniture around-especially on those days where getting up to get food becomes a major event, involving lighting-fast speed to slap together a PB&J sandwich. If you recall, we took a look at Sumo’s Omni and SumoSac chairs a little bit ago. Well, summer is here and Sumo has introduced some new products to their repertoire, among them is their Omni Plus.

And in this corner, the Omni Plus…

Like having the company’s two forerunning solutions mate in a bizarre ritual of interbreeding, the Plus combines the innards of the Sac with the versatility of the Omni. One of our concerns with the Omni was its use of standard foam pellets, like those found in many other beanbags out there. The problem with the pellets is their propensity to flatten over time, causing the consumer to have to refill the cover with a new set of beads. This, however, is where the Plus differs, mainly.

Along with ditching the stain-resistant, easily-cleaned vinyl for the SumoSac’s much more comfortable micro suede cover, the Plus has been filled with furniture-grade urethane foam. Those two changes make for an overall more relaxing rest while playing games, watching movies or doing whatever else, and you don’t have to worry about having to break in new beads. Also, there are no more vinyl strips lining the edges of the Omni, so no more worrying about losing an eye if you happen to turn your head the wrong way.

Not all changes are always for the good…

Unfortunately, while the changes may have made for the better, in terms of comfort, it’s been at the cost of the numerous ways to use the product. The stiffness of the pellets and vinyl made the Omni a great small room accessory that could be set up in a multitude of different ways. The switch to micro suede and foam has caused the Plus to lose some of that rigidity, making it more of a body-sized pillow, requiring it to be propped up against something in order for it to support your back. This problem is somewhat reconciled by a pair of buckles on either side of the bag, and by clipping them together, you form a jelly bean-shaped seat.

Also, the switch to micro suede makes things less easy to clean, and without any way to separate the cover from the insides, it won’t be as easy to clean this sack, as opposed to either the SumoSac or Omni.

Stick with the over-sized sacks, maybe…

With dimensions of 54 by 45 by 35 inches, the Plus is slightly smaller than the original Omni (4.5 by 5.5 feet), and will cost you an extra $50. The changes made to the product may have made it more comfortable, but you’re losing some of versatility of the original. At this point, if you’re looking for a smaller chair, filled with the same lasting material, you might want to just go with the company’s SumoSac Gamer model.

Hell yeah:
+ Micro suede + urethane foam = more comfort
+ Buckles create a great floor-chair
+ Good place to crash if taking a nap

Oh, hell no:
– How many positions can you find on this Omni: three
– Cleaning could be a hassle
– Same price gets you a Sac

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