Review: The Sumo Omni - A Laptop User's Best Friend

The Sumo Omni by SumoLounge.com
by Agent Zero​

Hey guys, it's Agent Zero reviewing an accessory that I was not sure I would like, but actually ended up loving. For lounging purposes while gaming or doing work on my laptop, my search came down between the Sumo Omni ( www.sumolounge.com) and the LoveSac ( www.lovesac.com), the latter costing considerably more (double) than the former. The winner was the Omni, which is a beanbag type chair that comes in many different color (fiery red was my choice).

What is the Sumo Omni?

It's a square shaped bean bag chair made of "space age nylon" and filled with, well, beans (or more accurately, these little foam beads). Looking at the picture on the website, I had no idea how comfortable it would be considering the model looked a bit small (whereas I'm 6'2", 180lbs) and the 10 positions it could be used for looked confusing to make.

The Omni came in a large, rectangular white box that was a bit battered. I was weary the inside contents had suffered as well and that I'd be confronted with an annoying mess of beads and cloth. Once I opened it, however, the Omni was in perfect condition:



I unpacked the Omni and beat it up a bit, then laid it flat. I was impressed by the color, the fabric felt high quality but not abrasive. I was hesitant about the "Space age nylon" but as it turns out, it's quite comfortable to lounge in.

Here is the Omni out of the box, once unpacked:



However, to get a true and accurate measurement. I set my Dell XPS M1530 on top of the Omni just for the sake of giving everyone a scale:



Putting the Omni to Use

Once out the box, there was no setup, no assembly-- nothing. Just take it out, punch it around until it takes the above shape, and it's ready to go. The thing I was most weary about was the material, but it turned out to not be a problem at all. It's smooth to the touch and produces that familiar scratch sound when rubbed (though the material itself was not abrasive to my back).

I tried some of the positions found on the website ( www.sumolounge.com) and found that some of them were difficult to achieve at first. It takes some practice (lifting and throwing the omni down, punching it a bit, sitting and standing) to finally get the perfect shape. You can do anything from sitting on the Omni, laying on it, or straddling it-- it holds your weight and I never once felt uncomfortable. The beads hold up well, and with a laptop on my lap, it was difficult to get up. It's recommended to set the Omni by a wall or something to lean on, I achieved a great shape this way. It's something that I use just about every single day now.

This is my brother (5'9", 180lbs), using the Omni:




Breathability wise, I had no problem. My back stayed dry and cool for hours (despite my laptop heating up from usage) and I'm very impressed with the quality of materials used. It's even possible to sleep in the Omni as I accidentally ended up doing:




Pros:
+ Size, it's big enough to support a 6'2", 180lb man and just as durable. Prepare room in your living space, however, don't underestimate it.
- Weight: only weighs 18 pounds itself, one can easily move it from room to room.
+ Material used to create the Omni is durable, confident in its ability to withstand spills and other damage.
+ Really comfortable. Period. Provides good back support (when anchored to a wall, but even without, great place to lounge).

Cons:
- Price ($129) might be too high for some, however, other comparable items cost more. This is actually considered competitive.
- Not as comfortable without an ottoman. Luckily, the website sells one ($75) to match the color of your Omni.


The Bottom Line:

Durable, comfortable, and competitively priced.

I highly recommend the Sumo Omni for not just gamers/laptop users, but anyone looking for a comfortable piece of furniture. I use it more than my other chairs because it provides great back support (for someone like me, who has back pains). The cons listed are valid, however, an ottoman is negligible and not a necessity and is available if you want one. As for the price, many other similar products (such as the lovesac.com) is so ridiculously overpriced with less durability that I think the Omni is the clear choice. They have a money back guarantee and a friendly staff for those who have questions on their products.

Thanks to Andrew Milligan who was a pleasure to deal with, and answered all my questions promptly. He's made a great product!


Links of Interest

Visit their main site: www.sumolounge.com

 

Just stumbled on this review, great review, agent zero. i was looking for a beanbag, but they run 200+ and this seems perfect. might be in for 2 of these bags but do you know if they ship international? More info please!!

 

Hey, nice review and pics!! Not only just to use for *gaming*...but for chillng and just lounging *slacking* as well!!!

I would hang out on this w/my laptop

 

Why is it called SUMO ?

 

I think they do, they have a uk website but I'm not sure. Contacting them directly would be your best bet.

Thank you very much, Cin! I enjoyed reviewing this product, despite certain snags after the review (not related to the actual product).

Haha, hm ... maybe because you can wrestle with it as well? It's quite durable, I've jumped off my bed and onto it. It withstands.

 

thanks for the response, i had one more question. i do like the look of the white sumo, but i am afraid of it getting dirty, can you tell me more about the material? very intersted in this. thank you again!

 

Nice review. DARN YOU! LOL Now I want one and I don't have $130 to blow on a giant beanbag!

 

Nice review indeed!

 

Great review, looking to order one soon! I need to be lazy. lol

 

I have one of these its flipping amazing!

 

jooooee, that looks interesting also. I'm now considering both ... Which is better, anyone have opinions?

 

OMgoodness..now that looks quite, comfy...also

Thanks for sharing!!!

 

You don`t get out too much, do you?

Wow, Cin posting somewhere else rather than OT

 

HA! should've known... Well, of course, silly!

I am actually groovin on both of these beanbags *sacks*, they are pretty cool

 

Wow,another thing for bed lovers.

 

I love how for the different colors of the beanbag the just had to photoshop it.... there is no way they took pictures of the same girl in the same position with the beanbag in the same position for each color. Thats so lame tho you really need to take actual pictures.

Id like something like this out of mindset but in reality I find I never use them (have had some in the past) and now I have no space for it with all the other stuff in the house. Whats cool is there is a guy who makes these here in town and custom makes them to any size/pattern, I had him make me some custom car seat covers and they are still brand new like after 3 years.

edit: just noticed the sumo is the same, they just photoshoped all the different colors and they use the same pictures for the 4,5, and 6 foot versions, so they definitely do not have accurate product pictures and to me thats misleading and borderline false advertisement.

 

How do you wash a Sumo Omni?