Behind every great gamer is a good chair. It’s easy to take our faithful seating appliances for granted, even though it would be nearly impossible to play without them. An uncomfortable gaming chair makes for an unpleasant play experience, so good seating is important.
Bean bag chairs have long been a staple for gaming setups. They’re comfortable, versatile, and (mostly) portable. The Sumo Omni Plus is an oversized bean bag chair that has a lot to offer gamers. It may not be made specifically for gamers, but it’s spacious, cozy, and washable — good for the snack crumbs and energy drink spills that it will inevitably have to endure.
Super-sized and super versatile
The Omni Plus measures in at a whopping 5′ by 4′. It’s large enough to comfortably sit two people, which makes it good for sprawling out or playing local co-op. If you’re like me and tend to play until you fall asleep between loading screens, the Omni is big enough that you can curl up for a nap — or the whole night. Gamers who are over 5’2″ may find this a little less agreeable than I did, but it’s still a lot better than dozing off in a chair, regardless.
The Omni’s shape can be changed to suit a variety of positions. You can put it on its side for a hammock-like lounge chair, lay it flat for a spacious work and play surface, or adjust it vertically for a more traditional style seat.
Switching between these positions is relatively easy, but it isn’t quite a breeze. The chair weighs in at 35 pounds, which is a little cumbersome when you’re trying to wrestle something that large into a specific shape. Because this bean bag isn’t stuffed with anything that resembles beans, the filling can sometimes be a little stiff and difficult to work into the right position. But the few minutes of struggling are worth it.
Comfort is king
Generous space and versatility mean nothing if a chair isn’t comfortable. Luckily, the Omni is stuffed with shredded foam that offers a little more comfort and support than traditional bean bag chairs. Imagine a memory foam mattress that’s been chopped up and stuffed inside a suede cover. That’s essentially what the Omni is. If you’re thinking this sounds like a pretty stellar seating apparatus, you’d be right.
In longer gaming sessions, I did find that the Omni gets marginally less comfortable over time. This was mostly an issue when I used it in a position that had no back support, though, so my discomfort may be more my own fault than any sort of design issue.
No matter what the position, the Omni holds its shape and supports the body’s weight. Even after getting up, the chair will maintain the impressions that you left while sitting. Some might consider this a downside, and I do have some concerns that if the chair is left in the same position for too long, it could risk losing its shape. But it will be a while before I’m able to tell for sure.
As I mentioned earlier, this chair is big enough to sleep in — if you’re willing to curl up a little. I spent more than a few nights in it after dozing off during a gaming session, and each morning I woke up in it I expected to be hunched over like a sage quest-giver. Even though I have a bad back, this surprisingly wasn’t the case. It was certainly more comfortable than sleeping on my couch, and I could only tell a mild difference between the discomfort I felt after spending a night on it versus a traditional mattress. Comparing the Omni to the various other bean bag chairs I’ve owned over the course of my life, I can say that this was a pleasant surprise.
Sound to good to be true?
So far, I’ve probably made it seem like there isn’t a single thing wrong with the Omni. This is not to say that it doesn’t have flaws, but let’s be honest — there are only so many things that can be done wrong with a bean bag chair. And the Omni gets pretty much all of them right.
The sometimes frustrating process of coaxing the thing into position was my biggest quibble, but there’s only so much that can be done about that when you’re working with 20 square feet of dense foam. I love that the suede cover is removable and washable, but putting it back on and getting the foam to properly fill out the cover was a pain. I had to sit in it a while before it was totally back to normal.
These downsides are fairly easy to overlook, given how much I’ve enjoyed sitting and playing in the Omni.
I’m writing this review from the Omni. In zebra pants.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a bean bag chair to game in, the Omni Plus is a great option. It’s comfortable, versatile, and washable — three qualities that any gamer will really appreciate. This chair well-suited to leisurely play and other non-gamer activities, like Netflix binging or snuggling (or both).
Gamers who are looking for something to keep them as comfortable as possible during long play sessions should look elsewhere, as should anyone who needs a significant amount of back support. Of course, those gamers have probably already realized that a bean bag chair of any sort just isn’t for them.
You can pick up the Omni Plus (in 11 different colors) straight from the Sumo website for $199.
[Note: The unit used for this review was provided by Sumo.]
