The best bean bags from South African sellers, and how to pick one

The tear drop shape is the sensible default. The listing says it has built-in back support, which is the single feature that turns a bean bag from a floor cushion into something an adult can sit in through a full film. A round pouffe will not do that.

It also sits near the bottom of this range on price, well under half what the oversized corduroy and outdoor models ask. For a seat that will mostly get used by whoever gets to it first, that is the right place to spend.

The catch. The listing gives no dimensions, fabric detail or filling weight, so you are buying on shape alone. No shopper ratings either.

Same principle as the top pick, with more of it. The listing promises built-in back support and a leather look finish, which is the easy answer in a house with sticky hands, since a wipe-down beats a cover wash.

Price is roughly double the top pick. You are paying for size and the finish, not for a different kind of comfort.

The catch. Two loungers in this range share the same name at almost the same price, so check you are ordering the one with back support described.

The Junior King is pitched at children and pre-teens and comes in at well under half the top pick. For a room where the chair will be dragged around, jumped on and outgrown in three years, that is the right amount to spend.

The listing mentions customisation, which in practice usually means colour choice. Worth asking the seller what the options are before you order.

The catch. Thin listing, no size given, and pre-teens grow. Check the dimensions with the seller if the child is tall.

Ordinary bean bag covers and Highveld afternoon storms do not mix. This is described as weather-resistant and portable, which is the whole reason it exists on this list.

It sits in the upper half of the range on price. Two other oversized corduroy models are pitched at covered patios only, which is not the same thing.

The catch. Near the top of the range on price, and the listing does not say how it handles sustained sun or how the cover is cleaned.

Three matching pieces in PU leather, a sofa and two chairs, for roughly half again what you would pay buying the three-seater sofa on its own from the same range. As bundles go, the arithmetic is on your side.

This is the most expensive thing on the shelf by a good margin, so treat it as a furniture purchase. PU leather is the practical choice for a set that will see daily use, since it wipes clean and does not need covers off and into the machine.

The catch. Easily the priciest pick here, and the listing gives no dimensions, so measure your room before you commit.

Decide first whether you want a sack or a seat. A round pouffe is fine as a footrest or a spare perch, but adults tend to slide out of one after twenty minutes. Anything described as having back support, a tear drop shape or a wedge will hold you up properly. Pay the difference.

Match the cover to the room. Leather look and PU wipe clean, which is what you want where food, pets and small children happen. Corduroy and quilted fabric feel better and look warmer, but check whether the cover comes off and washes. Only take a bean bag outdoors if the listing actually says weather-resistant. Covered patio is not the same as poolside.

Size is the thing listings hide most often. Bean bags photograph enormous and arrive smaller than you pictured, or the reverse. If a listing gives no dimensions, ask the seller for the width and height before you order, and ask whether it ships filled or whether you top it up yourself.

Plan for refilling. Beads compress and every bean bag goes flatter over a year or two of real use. A bag with a zipped inner is far easier to top up than one that is sealed, and a cheap seat you can refill will outlast an expensive one you cannot.