You are invited to your friend’s baby shower and you find yourself browsing the internet and see a baby asleep in a huge bean bag and you think this is awesome, but is it a good gift?
Fabulous gift
Yes, baby bean bags make wonderful gifts. Adults and children have known for decades how relaxing it is to flop backwards and land in a seat that instantly conforms to your shape and hold you firmly making you feel like you are being held in a cloud of comfort.
While these bean bags are not quite the same as the standard bean bags, they share many of the same features. They are soft, pliable and contour around whoever sits in them and they are extremely comfortable to lie on.
Safety features
Some of these bean bags are designed to grow with your child. For newborns to toddlers, there is usually a safety harness equipped which will hold them still so they do not fall out while they are sitting around and playing. This harness is usually removable for when they get to be older so the chair will last a lot longer.
By adjusting the filling you can have the baby either reclined or in a seated position. This does raise the issue that the filling does move and once your baby is old enough to roll over this could pose a suffocation hazard if used without proper parental supervision.
This may be a better present for children who are over a year old or that are able to sit up unassisted as there is some concern regarding SIDS and bean bags. For older children, toddlers in particular, these make wonderful chairs and a place to relax. The fact they are lightweight as well makes them very portable so the child can carry it with them from one room to another unassisted allowing them to feel like they have their own special chair at all times.
Not for sleeping
One thing that should be mentioned is that these are never to be used with children when they are sleeping. These are essentially large sacks filled with thousands of small foam beads and pose a suffocation risk as they can form around the child’s mouth and nose. You should also regularly inspect this product for damage as the beads can be a danger if swallowed or breathed in. When babies sleep they should be laid out on a flat surface with nothing that can cover their mouth or nose. Unfortunately bean bags cannot provide this as when the child moves the beans move as well and the child can easily sink.
Other features
Baby bean bags can come with many different cover options and – if you are familiar with a sewing machine – a new cover of a material of your choosing is fairly quick and simple.
Baby bean bags are available through many sources from the local department store to online retailers and are relatively inexpensive. Usually you will choose a case with a design of your liking and then there will be instructions on how to fill this case. Again, regular checking of this product is advised as any rips or tears can not only be potentially dangerous but it can also create a very large mess as the small beans can and will stick to walls, doors and places they should not have been able to reach. After a period of usage you may also notice that the bean bag is looking less full. The beans compact and you can purchase more beans to top the bag up so it is once again full.
Conclusion
Baby bean bags are an original and handy present. They are fun for baby and for parents. However, the safety issues can make this a better present for toddlers, so perhaps hold onto it for baby’s first birthday.