Product review: Sumo Omni pillow

Sumo Omni Lounge Review: By Mother Brain

What is this Sumo lounge you speak of?

Okay… I’m just gonna come right out and say it… I love to lounge. Most often, I can be found lounging/gaming while sprawled out on the couch or the floor. So, imagine my excitement when the glorious Sumo Omni pillow arrived at the GoNintendo headquarters. Of course I had been anxiously waiting for the day it would arrive. To make my wait more bearable, I visited the Sumo lounge website. I wanted to get a feel for this futuristic beanbag/pillow/chair thingy. When I looked at their News & Reviews section I was served a hefty helping of WOW! This fabulous piece of furniture has been featured in Jive, Playboy, Game Informer as well as on television’s HGTV and TechTV . Suddenly I was a little kid waiting for Christmas again. Then, one day… HO, HO, HO! Santa, (OK it was the UPS guy) delivered. This, my dear goombas, is what I found inside the huge box from Sumo.

Tell me more!

I’ll paint you a picture. Before me was a 4.5′ x 5.5′ black nylon pillow, chair, beanbag, bed, ULTIMATE LOUNGE ACCESSORY. Weighing in at just less than 20 pounds, I easily picked it up and placed it smack in the middle of GoNintendo’s gaming central to try out the 10 lounging positions that sumolounge.com claims their pillow can be used for. I molded and tucked, squished and settled until my Sumo lounge formed into a sort of high backed chair. I turned on my DS and began to play a little Animal Crossing. Holy shovel! The combination of the Ballistic nylon fabric covering and Virgin Polystyrene Foam beads created a seat that was firm enough to keep its shape and support my back. At the same time, it was pliable enough to keep my butt from falling asleep. OK, let’s pause for a moment. I feel like I need to bring up an important point about beanbag chairs. You know how most beanbag chairs start out all fluffy and comfy but then after a few sittings, it flattens out and becomes a useless pile of Styrofoam and vinyl? PLEASE do not apply this phenomenon to the Sumo Omni pillow. In fact, time after time, the chair goes back to its original form without loosing any of its fabulous features. If, for some reason, your chair does get flat (or if you just want a fuller, firmer chair) you can order more beads directly from sumolounge.com

Alright it’s cool… but is it comfy?

So, I had to really challenge the awesome comfort of my new favorite chair. First, I sat on it smack in the middle and rested my chin on the front of the pillow so I could hold my DS out in front of me. AWESOME. Then, I positioned it like a loveseat and played that way for a while. FABULOUS. Next, I sat it like a traditional beanbag chair and perched on top of it. INCREDIBLE. Later, I laid on it sideways and watched some TV. A LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN. Finally, I put it flat on the floor and sprawled out on it as if it were a mattress. Sadly, my test session ended there because I fell asleep. I’ve tried sitting in it every which way (I’ve discovered way more than the 10 positions that the website touts). The bottom line is that I could not get uncomfortable in that chair. If I had to pick, I’d say that my favorite position is sitting on it like a chair but crossing my legs “the pretzel way” as I call it in my classroom. However, I’ll swear on my Miyamoto autograph that everyone can find a comfortable way to sit on the Sumo Omni pillow.

Hey Motherbrain, is it practical?

Well, young goomba I’m glad you asked! The Sumo chair is a bit large when it’s spread out like a pillow, but it doesn’t really take up any more space than a conventional piece of furniture. When it’s scrunched up it takes up less room than a recliner. This makes the beanbag ideal for small apartments and dorm rooms (I know because I’ve lived in both) as well as in your living room or bedroom. No matter what your favorite color is, there is a Sumo for you. The Sumo pillow comes in eight colors; pitch black, charcoal green, platinum, midnight blue, fiery red, pure white and hot pink. So, I’m sure you can find a chair to match your décor. Ooh, I also really like the fact that it’s made out of space age Ballistic nylon. Ya know why, because it’s really easy to wipe up when you spill coffee, juice, PB&J or ice cream (to name a few things) on it. Sumolounge.com even states,” Nothing will stain it & your Omni will always look brand new”. Say that about your nice, white couch.

Some closing thoughts…

If you can foot the somewhat hefty price tag (its well worth it) you NEED one of these chairs. It’s perfect for gaming and great for watching TV and movies. It’s also great for just hanging out, but be careful because everyone’s going to want to sit in it. BACK OFF NICKY HILL… it’s my Sumo chair!