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Sumo Lounge Sumosac Gamer chair review

Big is comfortable

Sumo Lounge Sumosac Gamer chair review
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We get asked to review some unusual things on occasion. But a bean bag chair, such as the one you see featured here, isn’t that unusual. In fact, there is a precedent, because we’ve previously reviewed Sumo Lounge’s Omni bean bag.

Given how many comfortable hours I’ve spent pocket gaming on the Omni, it seemed logical to also take a look at its ‘successor’ when Sumo Lounge got in touch to let us know of its arrival in Europe.

The Sumosac Gamer had previously been available to US customers but can now also be found on this side of the Atlantic. Everything’s big in America, they say, and the Gamer certainly hasn’t swam its way across the ocean because it’s no slimmer over here as it is over there, coming in at a considerable 42x42x34 inches once unpacked and allowed to fully ‘inflate’.

sumosac gamer 2Unlike the Omni, which is a true bean bag chair filled with polystyrene balls, the Gamer has opted for shredded furniture grade urethane foam. This, claims Sumo Lounge, effectively guarantees that the filling will never compress in the way that bean bags tend to (indeed, after months of heavy use our Omni is now something of a shadow of its former self) – only time will tell but common sense suggests the claim isn’t unreasonable.

The price you pay – other than the not inconsiderable £60 premium over the Omni (which comes in at £99) – is the need to ‘fluff’ up the Gamer after use should you wish it to regain its fullest proportions (in practice, the 42x42 dimensions are maintained, but the height tends to hover around the 26-inch mark).

Another difference from a standard bean bag – and specifically the Omni, with its heavy duty vinyl cover adding to the natural solidity you get from tightly packed polystyrene beads – is the difficulty in getting the Gamer to provide rock-like support for your back, neck and head when you require to sit up straighter. The Gamer will hold you, but you’ll need to position yourself strategically.

sumosac gamer 3Then again, this is more of a scenario you’ll notice when playing console games or watching television. For handheld fun, net browsing on your iPad and even normal lounging about the Gamer will happily swallow you into its soft, comforting hold in a manner that will make your sofa jealous.

Part of the comfort comes from the micro suede cover. Removable and machine washable, it’s also a far softer, more luxurious feel than the comparative harshness of the Omni. In fact, it’s such a lovely place to be that don’t be surprised to find you’ve inadvertently managed a quick snooze once your PSP’s battery has run out.

Sure, at £159 you might expect it to get you out of bed and make you coffee every morning, but there is a genuine quality feel to the Sumosac Gamer – you get the sense that it will last you many years. Aside from looking very much at home in even the most stylish, contemporary living rooms (you get the choice of four colours), it provides one of the most generously comfortable spots for you to engage in marathon pocket gaming sessions – assuming you can get other members of your household off it, of course.

Joao Diniz Sanches
Joao Diniz Sanches
With three boys under the age of 10, former Edge editor Joao has given up his dream of making it to F1 and instead spends his time being shot at with Nerf darts. When in work mode, he looks after editorial projects associated with the Pocket Gamer and Steel Media brands.