Want something a little more casual than a gaming chair to sit in front of the console? We were asked to check out the Designer Velvet Hi-Back Gamer Bean Bag from GreatBeanBags to see if it’s up to the task.
As it’s designed specifically for long gaming sessions, I settled in with a JRPG and a few books to try it out over the week.
Cats and Humans Love GreatBeanBags
The first thing to note is that the Designer Velvet Hi-Back Gamer Bean Bag is huge. It does change shape, so the exact size is difficult to say, but the 80cm (about 31.5 in) on the store page is about right. It also comes in a massive box, which if you ask my cats, was probably worth the price alone with how much they enjoyed it (and yes, they did decide the bean bag itself was a great sleeping spot too).
As amusing as it might’ve been, there is no RGB on this bean bag like many products labeled for gamers. The ‘Gamer’ aspect comes in from the shape. It has a high back, which is designed to help support your position while sitting down and facing a TV, controller in hand.
I found it surprisingly comfortable. At first, I didn’t think it’d work well as it looks like an amorphous blob. It does shape itself around the person sitting on it well and after half a second of adjustment, it comes up to provide quite a lot of support to my lower back when leaning against it. It molds itself quite closely, which is rather different than the gaming chair back cushions.
With how firm the back is after shaping itself, it’s possible to stretch my legs out without any worry of becoming unbalanced like a more standard bean bag. While sitting so low will always require a slight bend of the knees and more pressure than sitting in a chair, the seat is firm enough that it’s not much. Even after hours of gaming or reading eBooks, I still found it comfortable.
Tough Velvet
While I’m not planning on any destructive testing, the material of the Designer Velvet Hi-Back Gamer Bean Bag seems quite strong and reasonably thick. It seems like it’ll last a long time. The material feels quite nice too. It’s quite soft to the touch. Unzipping it at the bottom, a net containing polystyrene beans can be removed and replaced if it is needed after enough use. These can be ordered from the company, which is based in the UK but ships internationally.
It comes in 10 colors, with the one I received being platinum grey. It looks quite nice in my opinion, though as mentioned it’s rather large so it takes up a notable amount of space. It doesn’t always keep its shape after getting up either, so doesn’t look quite as neat as in the store pictures with the back always upright, but it still looks good.
Verdict
The Designer Velvet Hi-Back Gamer Bean Bag from GreatBeanBags is comfortable for long gaming sessions, supports the back well, and looks good. It seems like it’s tough enough to last a long time, while still feeling soft to the touch.
DESIGNER VELVET HI-BACK GAMER BEAN BAG IS RECOMMENDED
Many thanks go to GreatBeanBags for a review unit of the Designer Velvet Hi-Back Gamer Bean Bag.

A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.