A Sumo wrestler enters the ring, striving to be the best beanbag in its class. Will it emerge victorious?

When it comes to furniture, nobody wants to be a beanbag. Bean bag chairs are grungy, lumpy, and uncomfortable. Most importantly, they're passe. Nobody wants to buy a beanbag. So what, pray tell, is a “Sumo Lounge” then? While I did find the phrase “bean bag” hidden one or two times among the web site for this $129 “super-sized pillow”, the Sumo Lounge Omni tries to differentiate itself from its retro brethren with the promise of quality. The Omni features “Sumo Beads” (high-quality polystyrene foam) enclosed in rip-proof space-age nylon.

One nice thing about the Sumo Lounge is that it is easily formable. You can manipulate the formless bag into the ultimate seat, and it will stay that way. True to the company's claims, the “Sumo Beads” are fantastic at conforming to your body shape.



Unfortunately, the Omni has large seams on its sides, which tended to get in the way whenever I wanted to sit in an upright position. It wasn't terribly uncomfortable, but I found myself using the Sumo Lounge for mostly reclining positions. This isn't necessarily a bad thing – my television was far enough away and elevated enough that I still had a great view – but those looking for an alternative to a chair or sofa should look elsewhere.