Gamers have plenty of choice when it comes to what to sit on for a marathon gaming session. There are chairs, gaming chairs, armchairs, gaming armchairs (probably?), bean bags and now gaming bean bag chairs. I say “now” but truth be told, gaming bean bag chairs haven’t been uncommon for some time now. The plethora of options means it is difficult to decide what you should sit on when gaming. I mean, isn’t any old chair enough?
Regular followers of Grown Gaming will know that we are big advocates of not spending money needlessly. Yes, you could spend a thousand bucks on a gaming chair that looks like it was pulled from a Formula One car, but really, a £50 option from an office store might be more than adequate. It depends on your needs and budget.
Day-to-day, I use an office chair that I picked up from Ikea. It cost a little over £100 and it does everything that I need it to; supports my back and provides a decent cushion so I don’t feel physically fatigued after being destroyed online at my favourite game by someone half my age. While I think some gaming chairs look cool, I’ve never seriously considered gaming on anything else.
The team at BeanbagBazaar recently sent me the i-eX Beanbag Bean Bag Gaming Chair for review. Admittedly, until the email landed in my inbox, I had never considered picking up a bean bag chair of any description. Intrigued, I accepted their offer, and I’m glad I did—I really enjoy using the i-eX.
The i-eX Bean Bag Gaming Chair is a pretty big beast. With a diameter of 105cm, a width of 85cm and a height of 94cm, you won’t be able to miss it. While it isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as some gaming chairs it still looks smart and fits into my gaming setup nicely. The faux-black leather and stitching look premium and feel durable, which is a pre-requisite in a house with young children, such as mine. Both the beanbag chair and the footstool came pre-filled and, after a little pushing and prodding, the beans were in place and it was ready to be used.
The i-eX Bean Bag Gaming Chair is very well-designed. Aside from the quality materials and strong build quality, it supports the body everywhere it should. The seat feels deep and welcoming, while the back provides lumbar support – something I was apprehensive about, as I suffer from back pain, but this wasn’t prominent while using this chair for extended periods at a time. Your mileage may vary.
My children also loved using this bean bag – my four-year-old daughter especially would use it while watching marathon sessions of Peppa Pig before begrudgingly moving for our co-op time on Little Big Planet. While the chair is certainly not advertised at children, it seems to be just as comfortable for the little ones as it is for adults.
The i-eX Bean Bag Gaming Chair is obviously aimed at console gamers, or PC gamers who like to sit back and play games with a gamepad in their hand. Using this bean bag chair to play mouse-and-keyboard titles is just asking for trouble, as the chair isn’t designed to maintain the posture needed. This is fine, but will mean that PC gamers will need to have a more standard office-style chair in addition to the i-eX Bean Bag Gaming Chair to cover all bases. Console gamers need not be concerned.
Another point to note is that the i-eX Bean Bag Gaming Chair may be too large for some gaming setups. If you only have a small room or don’t want a chair that takes up too much space, this may not be the chair for you. However, if you’re looking for a comfortable chair that you can game in for hours at a time, it ticks the right boxes.
BUY/WAIT/AVOID?
I am very impressed with the i-eX Bean Bag Gaming Chair. It is well-designed and remained comfortable for long gaming sessions. I am pleased to have it as a cornerstone in my gaming setup.
With that being said, whether you should pick up an i-eX yourself will depend on your personal circumstances. If you’re a PC gamer looking for a chair to cover all bases, this isn’t for you – it just isn’t suitable for playing at a desk. However, if you’re a console gamer, or a PC gamer who already has a computer chair or never sits at the desk to use the mouse a keyboard, the i-eX should be a serious contender.
The i-eX Gaming Bean Bag Chair is available from BeanBagBazaar for £74.99.
