Can You Fill a Bean Bag With Cotton?

BySarah Williams

One of my friends wanted to fill his bean bag with Cotton. So he asked me about my opinion about this. I had to do a little research, and here is what I found. 

Bean bags’ unique properties are primarily based on their filler type. People use different kinds of fillers according to their budget, comfy level, and attitudes. Moreover, using eco-friendly things has become a trend in this century. 

Hence, natural bean bag fillers such as hay, pebbles, sand, Cotton, and rice are famous these days rather than synthetic expanded polystyrene balls. Among these fillers, Cotton gives a soft and fluffy feel. Therefore, it is used to prepare cushion seats, furniture, pillows, and mattress.

Do you ever use cotton-filled pillowcases? If it is yes, you may easily understand my point. If you ask, can I fill my bean bag with Cotton? My answer is “BIG YES.” 

You can fill bean bags with Cotton. Let’s look at the factors one by one. I will answer all of your questions regarding what type of Cotton can use for bean bags, how much Cotton do need to fill the bean bag, and how to prepare Cotton to fill the bean bag. So, keep reading!

fill bean bag with cotton

Table of Contents

Natural Cotton

Cotton is a natural (Gossypium sp.) fiber type mainly grows in the USA and Central America to South America. It is also well grown in India, Pakistan, Southern Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula countries. 

Four types of natural Cotton use commercially, scientifically known as Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium arboretum, Gossypium herbaceum. 

Due to its quality and purity, Gossypium hirsutum is a wildly using cotton type. However, every natural cotton types have relatively the same physical properties. These properties make them ideal for bean bags. Let’s see one by one. 

Pros of Using Cotton to Fill the Bean Bag

Lightweight

Cotton makes with thousands of light-weighted, white, or cream color short fibers. Naturally, these short and thin fibers loosely pack with each other. Hence, Cotton has lots of air pores. So, if you want to prepare a lightweight bean bag, cotton fillers are the ideal choice. 

Super Soft

In addition to that, Cotton is a very soft, quite strong material that resists pilling and wrinkling. When you are selecting a suitable bean bag filler type, what is your primary expectation? Is it a level of comfy? Hence, Cotton can fulfill your basic need as a bean bag filler. 

Safety and Healthy

People face different kinds of circumstances because of their fabrics and materials. But natural Cotton is skin-friendly. If anyone has sensitive skin, allergies, or any other skin issue, Cotton is the answer. A Bean bag that is filled with cotton fillers is good for them. 

Have you ever you worry about the safety of a toddler’s bean bag? So, Cotton is the best filler that suits your kid’s soft and sensitive skin rather than the synthetic stuff. 

Good for Emotional and Mental Health

The cotton fillers can adjust to the user’s body shape. Also, it reduces pressure spots in the body. These beautiful features will definitely impress you. Moreover, this comfy structure helps to release stress and irritating feel. 

Hence, cotton fillers help to calm your mindset and give a refreshing feeling. 

No or Little Static Charge

The mostly using expanded polystyrene balls (EPS) have static charges. Therefore if they spill out accidentally, it may mess up your entire room. Also, it can damage electrical equipment. 

But pure Cotton has a little or zero static charge. It is a great advantage. Because an accident can occur at any time, you can minimize the impact using cotton fabric. Hence, Cotton is suitable for a toddler’s bean bags too. 

However, if your bean bag damage accidentally and fillers come out, inhalation can occur. Thus, keep your kids and pets away from damaged bean bags. 

Hydrophobic Material

Generally, Cotton is a pure cellulose fiber. These fibers are naturally coated with wax to protect them from elements. Natural Cotton will have hydrophobic properties unless the purification and production process removes these inherited waxes and oil. If you use them for a bean bag, the hydrophobic property becomes an advantage.   

However, the wax removed Cotton is primarily available in the market. Thus, check the product description carefully before purchasing them. 

Good price

You can purchase 1 LB (453 g) cotton pack for a lower price than EPS beans. Comparatively, this price is worth it for its features.

Keep you Warm

Rather than EPS filler, Cotton has a unique feature, and it can warm your body. Thus, cotton fillers are ideal for winter seasons too.   

Environmental Friendly

Do you have any idea about how much polythene waste that we release to the environment per year? Generally, the USA releases 38 million tons per year. So, to create a green world, we have to go for environmentally friendly, recyclable substances. 

Therefore, Cotton is a good alternative for synthetic fillers. Due to natural fiber, manufacturers do not need to produce them. Hence little or no energy or fuel consumption during the manufacturing process. 

Cons of Using Cotton as Bean Bag Filler

Natural Cotton does not have fire retardant or flame-resistant properties. It is a significant disadvantage. Therefore do not use Cotton filled bean bag near the stove or any other fire-emitting tool like a barbeque machine. Because if any accident occurs, it will ignite continuously.

cotton filling

How Much Cotton Need to Fill a Bean Bag?

The required amount of Cotton depends on the bean bag volume. Most bean bag covers consist of their volume and fill 2/3 of the bean bag using Cotton.  

 Also, you can fill one liter of your bean bag with 450 grams of Cotton. So, if your bean bag has 100 liters, you should fill 75 liters from it. Then you can buy 55-75 lbs of natural Cotton.

Read our guide on calculate how many bags of beans to fill a bean bag.

Prepare Cotton to Fill Bean Bags

There are two types of natural Cotton available in the market. One is pre-prepared Cotton, and another one is raw Cotton with the outer shell. If you purchase purified natural Cotton, you can fill them into a bean bag directly. 

However, if you are purchase raw cotton balls, you have separate snow like white cotton fibers first. Then fill the bean bags using them. But try to purchase prepared cotton packs because the raw cotton balls purification process requires some equipment and skills. 

Wash Cotton Filling

Yes, you can wash cotton filling if you want. But using a washing machine is not a practical thing. Hence, you should practice this manual method.

Step 1: Remove cotton fillers to the separate cloth bag 

Step 2: Take a large basket and fill water into it. For instance, you can use the bath tab as an alternative for the basket. 

Step 3: Mix a mild detergent with water and dip colon filler bag into it

Step 4: Gently scrub the cotton fillers

Step 5: Rinse Cotton with fresh water

Step 6: Let them dry under sunlight 

Generally treated cotton cab absorb about 25 times its weight in water. It means the treated Cotton is hydrophilic. Hence, it will take 1-3 days to dry. However, if you use non-treated Cotton, it will not absorb the water because it is coated with a wax layer. 

Other than this method, you can let Cotton dry under sunlight. It will increase the fluff properties of the material.

Read our guide on how to wash and clean a bean bag.

Final Words

Eco-friendly fillers are better than any other fillers. These are not only comfortable your life. But also protect the whole earth. So, to add extra value to your dollars, fill the bean bag with cotton fibers. It is one of the best methods to relax your body healthily. 

I’m sure you will be a loyal fan of Cotton soon!

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