This bean bag chair from Sumo Lounge is both versatile and durable. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14979 If you've ever owned a bean bag chair, you probably know that they tend to be leaky, unsupportive, and expensive. Otherwise, they'd be perfect for gamers! Sumo Lounge has addressed these concerns with its Omni model. It's a high quality product with many potential uses around the typical gamer's bedroom or living room.
My first question was whether or not the Omni would hold up to any abuse. Though it would take years to do a truly thorough test of the product, I can say that its outer shell material is much, much tougher than that of any other bean bag chair I've seen. This stuff looks bulletproof, but it's still smooth to the touch and perfectly comfortable against clothing or skin. It also resists liquid spills, so don't worry too much about your gallon-sized Mountain Dew dumping onto the chair. It is possible to open the bag to add or remove foam pellets, but the access point is guarded by a zipper buried under the strongest Velcro I've ever tried to pull apart. It's very unlikely that any pellets will be leaking out of this thing; the only ones I ever saw seemed to leftover from the factory and sticking to the outside of the bag.
Unlike many bean bag chairs, the Omni has a certain inertia to its form that lets you shape it in more ways than you'd expect. The shape-holding quality seems to be a combination of the type of pellets used and the design of the bag itself, with thick seams around the edge rather than one amorphous blob. The seams look a bit uncomfortable, but you can't really feel them when sitting down. This ability to hold shape means that you can arrange the Omni in several useful configurations, including some that support your back and even your neck. You can also spread the bag out flat to serve as a floor pillow, and in this shape it's easily big enough for two people. In fact, the Omni is so large that you should make sure your room has enough space for it. Despite its size, the bag is not very heavy and can easily be moved around the room or lifted into a different shape.
At over $100, the Omni is a significant investment. Its price seems extravagant until you realize that this is a piece of furniture. If you figure that it will last years in your home and be the "go to" seat for eager guests, it's definitely worth the price. There is an optional footrest called the Otto (which I have not tested) that does seem overpriced for its size and utility, but the Omni itself is very reasonable.
Sumo Lounge’s Omni is definitely the highest quality (and largest!) bean bag chair I have used. It feels practically indestructible, yet very comfortable and stable in a variety of positions. Because of my back problems, I was quite worried that I wouldn't be able to tolerate sitting in it for very long. It's possible to sit in the Omni in ways that are surely unhealthy, but it's large enough and sturdy enough that you should be able to find a configuration that supports all critical areas of the body. Perhaps the best thing about the Omni is how cool it looks, and how it will instantly attract anyone who sees it. This is one seat that everyone will be fighting over at parties.
Pros:
Able to withstand nuclear blasts, swarms of locusts, and Dr. Pepper Works well for both solo gaming and social gatherings Enormous but very lightweight Cons: Too large for some small rooms Careful tweaking may be needed to find supportive positions Appearance: 7.0 It's a giant bag. While not the sleekest thing in your living room (that would be the Wii), the Omni has a modest sheen and comes in a large array of colors to match your other furniture. Its attractiveness may be diminished if it's larger than anything else in the room, which is understandable.
Comfort: 8.0 This is the most important attribute of a chair, but with a bean bag, it depends largely on how you arrange the product. There are some uncomfortable positions possible, and you probably won't be satisfied with simply launching yourself onto the Omni. With some lifting and sculpting, it's possible to create several viable shapes for the chair that can support your back, prop up your head, let you sit close to the floor, or even support two people at once. The foam beads don’t move around too much once you put weight on them, which helps to enhance the stability and supportiveness of the chair.
Quality: 9.0 The Omni makes sitting down fun again. That sounds odd, but you'll understand it when friends come over and start to play musical chairs with it. You can spend hours propped up in a tall configuration for gaming, or lay it out flat as a floor pillow to play card games on the low coffee table. In that sense, the Omni lives up to its name and proves to be very useful indeed.
Value: 7.0 The Omni is priced fairly for its quality, but consider its utility before ordering one. This thing requires quite a lot of space to be used properly. If you're looking for a supplemental seat in an already crowded room, buy a metal folding chair that can be stored away easily. If you need a whole new piece of furniture that will become a permanent fixture in the room, the Omni is definitely worth the asking price.
Construction: 10.0
The outer shell is made of very thick, very strong Nylon that is liquid and stain-resistant. The beads inside are strong enough to hold a shape under pressure - exactly what you need when sitting down - yet they are easy to reposition when the bag is lifted. Access to the inside of the bag is tighter than Fort Knox. Every bean bag chair should be made this way.
Final: 9.0
The Omni is a huge step up from most other bean bags. If you're looking for a new gaming chair and have plenty of room, the Omni is an excellent option. It's also great for watching DVDs, reading books, or just lounging around with friends.
Topic: REVIEWS: Omni Bean Bag Chair (Read 3441 times)
