This may seem like an odd review for a PDAPhone site, but I think it fits the topic of convergence. As we converge technology, we also want to converge our space around us as well. Would you rather be sitting in a hard wooden chair to watch TV, video game, or browse the net on your PDAPhone.... or sit in a really confortable beanbag? Before you answer that question, let me tell you about the Sumo.

I was a bit skeptical because I remember the little round beanbag chairs that were popular when I was a kid... yes, they did make them even way back then. They were kind of small and not all that comfortable. I would have probably never again tried a beanbag, but I was contacted about a month ago by the makers of the Sumo to see if I'd like to try one out. Being the Dad of four teenagers... yes, there are four teenagers living in my house as we speak... I thought we'd be a good proving ground for the chair.

A few days later, a couple of huge boxes arrived on our doorstep. This is not unusual as the last year had seen a lot of deliveries each week as our photography business has grown. These were unusually big however, and my wife alerted me to them. I pulled them in and opened them in the middle of the family room. I had honestly forgotten that they were coming.

We received a Omni and an Otto, both in Pitch Black. The first thing that I noticed was that they looked very high tech. The fabric is a durable rip-stop nylon material that is very comfortable, and not anything like that shiny vinyl that I remembered on my beanbag as a kid. The Omni is the beanbag chair and it is also not round like you may be used to. It is a large rectangle ... 4.5 x 5.5' in size.

During the last few weeks, this chair has been probably one of the most used pieces of furniture in our house. It has been used for sleeping... I actually fell asleep watching TV one night and didn't wake up until the morning... watching TV, video gaming, snuggling with my youngest daughter, and even as a prop in a wrestling battle with my kids. It has been used flat in the floor, as well as propped over the edge of a couch. Each of my kids has come up with the "correct way" to sit in the Omni, and they are all different. We also have 3 dogs, the largest being about 50 pounds in size, and it handles dog traffic just fine as well.

Something about the way the Sumo bags are made makes them very comfortable. You can lay there for a long time and none of your body parts get the pins and needles effect. Its large enough that you can position yourself almost anyway you want. The Otto has also gotten equal use, as every evening it has been under someone's feet as a foot stool... much more comfortable than a coffee table. At other times, it is a seat for our computer table... quite a versatile little chair/stool/anything you want it to be.

I guess the best way to summarize our happiness with the chair is this. Last night we were about to start a family movie. We have two rooms that are used for movie watching, and as we sat down my 16 year old daughter noticed the Otto wasn't in the room. She stopped the movie and went to the other room to retrieve it. Then the 3 kids of mine that were present had a discussion about who got to sit in it for the movie... when there were two couches and another very comfortable chair available. They all wanted to sit in the Sumo Otto!

If you are looking for some extra seating, a comfortable chair to relax in, or just a decorating accent... consider the Sumo products. I highly recommend them.

Sumo / Bean Bags / Bean Bag Chairs / Bean Bag Furniture / Bean Bag Store