My back was hurting from years of slumping at my desk. I needed something ergonomic that cradled my back, looked cool in my "creativity room," and made me feel inspired to design. I had tried out a Lovesac at a nearby mall, and it was heavenly, but I couldn’t justify spending that much. So I got online and found something even better: the Sumo Omni.

I read a ton of reviews before finally deciding on the Sumo Omni: a squishy bean bag chair filled with tiny styrofoam "microbeads." What swayed me was:

• Only $125 instead of several hundred for the Lovesac
• Only 18 pounds, and easy to move from room to room
• Can squish into a bunch of different shapes for different ways of sitting or lounging
• Made of tough nylon, and wipes clean with a wet cloth, so it always looks new, and pets or kids can’t destroy it
• Made in Canada, which is kind of cool

I was looking for a scenario like this:

 
When my Sumo arrived 2 weeks later, I set it up in my creativity room, and it was great! I love the way it kind of "molds" to your sitting shape, and then stays that way until you move it again. It has a certain rigidity when it’s punched into the shape you want, which is ideal for working so you don’t get swallowed up. And the sides of the bean bag form armrests of sorts.

As you can see, Kira likes it too:

There are a couple of downsides to this chair, though:

• It’s noisy until you get settled into it.
• It tends to flatten over time. I ended up ordering another $40 refill of microbeads to make it fluffy again, and now it’s perfect. I wish they filled it  more than they do from the beginning.
• It can get kind of hot and sweaty if you sit in it for hours (which you will, because it’s so comfortable). If using it in the summer, you might want to throw a towel or cotton sheet over it.
• It’s hard for some people to get out of. (Tip: roll over to the side onto all fours.)
• If you ever open up the velcro enclosure out of curiosity, you’ll regret it. Those tiny styrofoam beads go EVERYWHERE. (Tip: refill it in an empty bathtub. That way you’ll be able to herd all the beads.)

Disclaimer: I have raved about this chair so much that several other people have ordered them, and I’ve ordered 3 for family members, in red, black and khaki. I would like to point out that I did NOT get this chair free, like Sumo often does when trying to get bloggers to review them. However, if Sumo wishes to send me another one, I certainly won’t object!