Short answer: a cloud chair is a large, round, floor-level seat filled with shredded foam instead of polystyrene beads. The foam gives it the dense, sink-in feel of upholstery rather than the light, shifting feel of a bean bag, and it does not compress flat over time. In Australia they are sold in roughly three sizes: around 127cm across for one person, around 150cm across for two, and 180cm and up for a family. They are also sold as cloud sacks, foam bean bags, sensory chairs and bean bag alternatives, which all describe the same category.
Where the name comes from
There is no standards body for this. "Cloud chair" is a descriptive name that stuck because the products look like one: a soft, round, slightly irregular shape that you drop into rather than sit on. Different brands use different words for the same thing, which is why searching for one of them turns up inconsistent results.
- Cloud chair, cloud sack, cloud couch: the round foam-filled seat.
- Foam bean bag, foam-filled bean bag: the same object, named by its filling.
- Bean bag alternative: the same object, named by what it replaces.
- Sensory chair, therapy chair: the same object, named by why people buy it.
- Crash mat, crash pad: a related but different product. Flat rather than round, built for landing on rather than sitting in.
If you are comparing products across brands, ignore the name and compare three things: the fill, the assembled diameter, and the weight. Those three numbers tell you more than any product title.
The one thing that actually defines the category: the fill
A traditional bean bag is filled with polystyrene beads. Beads are cheap and very light, which is why a bead bag weighs around 4kg. They are also hollow spheres, so they compress permanently under load. That is why a bead bag needs topping up after a year or two, why it makes a rustling sound every time you move, and why a split seam becomes a household event.
A cloud chair is filled with shredded foam, usually a high-density polyurethane blend. Foam is heavier, quieter and springs back rather than compressing away. A 127cm cloud chair weighs around 24kg and a 150cm one around 35kg, which is roughly ten times a bean bag and is the clearest signal you are looking at a different product class. That weight is also why cloud chairs cost several hundred dollars rather than under a hundred.
The practical difference: a bean bag moves out from under you and has to be reshaped every time someone sits down. A cloud chair holds its shape and applies even pressure around the body, which is the property people describe as calming and the reason the category gets recommended for sensory regulation.
What sizes exist
| Rough size | Diameter | Typical weight | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact | Around 127cm | Around 24kg | One adult, or two children. Bedrooms and smaller living rooms. |
| Large | Around 150cm | Around 35kg | Two adults, or two to three children. The common lounge-room size. |
| Family | 180cm and above | 36kg and above | Sprawling, sharing, doubling as a spare bed. Needs a lot of floor. |
Comfort Cloud's own range sits at 127cm (the Cosy Cloud, 24kg) and 150cm (the Haven Cloud, 35kg), plus a flat Crash Cloud at 150cm x 180cm. Other Australian brands go larger. We have put the full size and price comparison, including our competitors, in our foam cloud chair comparison.
How to pick a size without regretting it
The mistake people make is measuring the chair instead of the room. A 150cm chair needs more than 150cm of clear floor, because you need space to get into it and space for legs to come out the other side. Mark the diameter on the floor with tape before ordering and live with it for a day.
The second mistake is buying for the biggest possible occasion. A chair sized for the whole family at once is oversized for the 95 percent of the time one person is using it, and oversized cloud chairs are genuinely hard to move: 35kg does not get dragged to another room casually. Two smaller chairs are usually more useful than one enormous one.
Are cloud chairs good for sensory needs?
They are widely bought for it, and the reason is proprioceptive input: the deep, even pressure that shredded foam applies around the body when you sink into it. We have written separately on what proprioceptive sensory input is.
Two caveats worth being straight about. First, a round chair is for still, seated deep pressure. If an occupational therapist has described crashing, jumping or heavy work, a flat crash mat is the correct product and a round chair is not a substitute. Second, no chair is a therapy on its own. If the purchase is being made on clinical grounds, the specification should come from the person who did the assessment.
In Australia, sensory seating under $1,500 is generally treated by the NDIS as low-cost assistive technology. We have set out how that works, with links to the NDIS source pages, in our NDIS funding guide.
Common questions
What is the difference between a cloud chair and a bean bag?
The fill. Cloud chairs use shredded foam, bean bags use polystyrene beads. Foam is denser, quieter, holds its shape and does not need topping up. Beads are lighter, cheaper and compress over time. A foam chair weighs around ten times what a comparable bean bag weighs.
Is a cloud chair the same as a cloud sack?
Yes. Cloud sack, cloud couch, foam bean bag and bean bag alternative are all names for the same category of product. Compare fill, diameter and weight rather than product names.
Do cloud chairs go flat?
Shredded foam compresses far less than polystyrene beads and does not need topping up in the same way. Australian brands typically warrant against the foam going flat, ranging from around 12 years to lifetime depending on the brand.
How heavy is a cloud chair?
Around 24kg at 127cm across and around 35kg at 150cm. Family sizes run from 36kg to nearly 50kg. These are pieces of furniture rather than something a child moves between rooms.
Can you wash a cloud chair?
The cover, yes, on most brands: it unzips and goes in the machine on a gentle cold cycle, then lays flat to dry. The foam is not washable, which is why it is worth checking whether the chair has a water-resistant liner between the cover and the foam.
How much do cloud chairs cost in Australia?
Broadly $650 to $1,100 for the common one and two person sizes, and up to around $1,200 for family sizes, depending on brand, fabric and current discounting. Traditional bead bean bags sit at $99 to $299, which is the gap you are deciding whether to cross.
Comfort Cloud is an Australian therapeutic seating brand based in Somerton Park, South Australia, and an NDIS registered provider. Full specifications for our range are on our FAQ and factsheet.