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GamersReports


Jul 24, 2008



Ann Tancio


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Sumo SumoSac Bean Bag Chair

From time to time here at GR we are privileged enough to have the opportunity to review items that do not necessarily have any direct relation to gaming. This includes things like speakers, headphones, and even furniture. Today’s falls into the latter category. The SumoSac Beanbag Chair, made by Sumo, is basically the Cadillac of bean bag furniture, if you catch my drift. Sumo was gracious enough to send us one of their “sacs” for review, so let’s check it out!

As I said, the request from Sumo to review their chair was one of the more unique review requests we received, but it was a very welcome one. As you may or may not know, bean bag chairs are currently one of the more chic items for urban living, and they have come back into style with a vengeance within the last year or two.

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The first thing you will notice when the chair arrives is the weight. The package that contains the chair is heavy. I mean twenty pounds or so heavy. Sumo vacuum-packs the bean bag chair parts in order to save on shipping, so the box it comes in is column-shaped, and about the size of two tower-style PC computers standing side-by-side. I actually had no idea what the package was when I received it until I checked the packing list.

When I say that Sumo vacuum-packs the chair, I mean it, folks. I had to rip the box in order to get the bean bag chair out! Now, just to let you know, the SumoSac does require some assembly. The contents of the package included three components. In order to understand why, you must know that the SumoSac has an inside and an outside covering. The inside cover is the part that contains the actual “beans” of the chair, and it fits inside the suede-style outer covering, via a zipper. These two parts plus the SumoSac literature make up the three-part package.

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The Flip-Flops Are Adult Size, The SumoSac Is Big!

As I said above, the SumoSac does require some assembly. The inner-sack that contains the beans, since it has been vacuum-packed, has to be broken up a bi before you can fit it inside the outside cover. This took a bit of doing, to be honest, but eventually I was able to get the beans flowing. Once they were broken up, it was an easy task to unzip the outer case and fit the inner bean case inside. A quick zip-up of the outer case and you are ready for pure bean-sitting bliss. Plus, when you drool on the sack when sleeping, you can zip off the cover, wash it, put it back on, and no one will be the wiser.

 

Before we go on, I have to talk about the actual “beans.” Usually, bean bag chairs are filled with little, white, round, sphere-shaped Styrofoam pieces. This is not the case with the SumoSac. This chair is top-notch all the way, even the insides. The filling is made up of packing-peanut shaped furniture-grade urethane foam. This is akin to that “memory foam” material that has become popular in the last few years. This means when you plop down on the SumoSac, the comfortable butt-dent you sit in should still be there when you come back!

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The Inner Sack With The Urethane Foam Beans

While all the above “features” of the SumoSac are great, they are all moot if the chair itself is not comfortable. Not that I really had any fears about this being true, but stranger things have happened. Fortunately, that first sit was great. If you enjoy sitting down and having every part of your body cradled, then this SumoSac is for you. Me and my sister both sat in the chair at one point, and there was ample room. My sister slept in the chair one night as well, and she was not even trying to, the SumoSac is just that comfortable. Factor in the fact that I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, as many of you know, and just the simple fact that I can sit in the chair without having to get up after a few minutes is a very big endorsement in and of itself.

 

Of course, this would not be a GR “review” if we did not mention any drawbacks the product had, however small they might be. The one sticking point of the SumoSac is price – it will cost you around $200 USD. We know this may sound like a big chunk of change, but if you count the fact that you will not have to replace this chair for years, it does reduce the shock value of the price somewhat. If you factor in the price of a WalMart or Target bean bag chair that must be replaced every year or two, due to dirt and “wear and tear,” the money will eventually start adding up. The SumoSac you can keep for years, as I said, and if dirt strikes, you simply wash it or I would bet you could even contact Sumo, who may replace your covering, should it need replacing.

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The SumoSac bean bag chair is one of the most unique and impressive products that we have had the chance to review. I was pretty excited when Sumo asked us to review their new SumoSac, as I had seen promo shots of the Sumo products used at such events as the 2008 Much Music Video Awards, Z100’s Zootopia, the E For All Expo, and other big events. I am glad we did get the chance, as Sumo has made a great product that deserves exposure. Yes, the initial monetary layout may be a bit steep, but the fact that you will own this chair for years to come, and the fact that it is made of high-quality components, more than offset the price tag. We certainly recommend the SumoSac to anyone who wants to add a great-looking, chic, comfortable, and quality piece of furniture to their living space.

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