I tried the Moon Pod, a bag chair meant to mimic flotation therapy, and it reduced tension caused by my chronic back pain.
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Is Moon Pod the Best Bean Bag Chair Out There? (We Tried It!)
Updated Dec. 27, 2023
If you’re a big fan of the famous Gravity Weighted Blanket—designed to stimulate the sensation of a hug—you’ll be interested to know about its creator’s more recent invention: Moon Pod.
Entrepreneur John Fiorentino reimagined the beanbag chair to mimic flotation therapy, which intends to relieve contact points and pressure within the body while floating. Moon Pod creates a similar zero-gravity-like sensation with ultra-lightweight, super-dense beads. And reviewers are calling it the best beanbag chair they’ve ever used.
We were instantly curious. So, we decided to get a Moon Pod for ourselves and see if it truly lives up to the hype. Spoiler alert: I did not expect my lower back to feel the relief it did while relaxing in my Moon Pod.
Read on for all the details about the one-of-a-kind cosmic chair.
On This Page
What is Moon Pod?
Moon Pod is a “float chair” designed to support the shape of your body for comfort, relaxation and anxiety relief.
You’re probably thinking: What makes Moon Pod different from other beanbag chairs? It’s filled with high-density EPS beads (think of those lightweight beads used to make slime foam) meant to make you feel like you’re floating rather than sinking. Moon Pods can help relieve back and neck pain because they adapt to your shape and position.
Beyond the cloud-like comfort, Moon Pods are popular because of their minimalist, stylish appeal. Moon Pods don’t look like the loud, colorful beanbag chair you grew up with, those made of plastic your legs would stick to after sitting for too long. Moon Pod is made with soft, jersey-like fabric in modern colors—and it fits into just about any decor setting.
Moon Pod Product Features
At just 12 pounds, Moon Pods are incredibly lightweight and only take up about four feet of space on the floor. So, you can move them around from room to room with ease or store them away in a closet when not in use.
Moon Pods support up to about 300 pounds and last for years, too. If you do notice your Moon Pod sagging or sinking over time, you can refill the inner sleeve with extra beads by reaching out to customer service.
Even better, the outer shell can be machine washed after kids or pets leave behind a mess. (Phew!) And Moon Pod is available in five colors: Navy, charcoal, gray, light blue and pale pink.
How We Tested It
As someone with chronic lower back pain, I was thrilled (and skeptical) when the giant Moon Pod box arrived at my doorstep. I carried the surprisingly lightweight box upstairs and opened it carefully. You’ll want to avoid using a knife or scissors to open the box, as they can puncture the chair, but the packaging reminds you of that in big bold letters.
Moon Pod arrives with the outer shell removed, so the first step is stuffing the bag chair into its cover. The sleeve is stretchy and soft to the touch. I love the feeling of the material—it’s akin to jersey-knit sheets but fuzzier (like a peach).
Sitting in the chair was great. I didn’t sink in as much as I thought I would because the inner beads are dense enough to provide ample support. The beads squish and move enough to form to your shape, but they don’t feel like they’re deflating when you’re on top of them.
When propped against a wall, Moon Pod holds the shape of a chair, so you can sit in an upright position with back support and without sinking. I like that feature, which seems to be uncommon with other beanbag chairs.
Moon Pods do sit low to the floor. While they’re a little tough to get out of for that reason (I tend to roll out of mine), they seem ideal for a kid’s room or nursery, where parents want to be low to the ground to watch a baby playing on the floor. They’re also great for small spaces, like under-the-stairs reading nooks.
Pros
- Supportive and comfortable
- Sleeve is made of extra-soft fabric
- Available in 5 colors
- Machine-washable cover
- You can buy sleeves separately to change color or swap out while washing
- Outdoor cover available for purchase, so you can use your Moon Pod on the patio or by the pool
- Pillows and footrest are available for purchase
- EPS beads are environmentally friendly
Cons
- Can be difficult to get out of
- Expensive, but more affordable than other leading beanbag chair brands
FAQ
Are Moon Pods legit?
We think so! They’re very comfortable for lounging and make the perfect addition to any reading nook, basement, kid’s bedroom or outdoor space. While I wish they were a tad bigger (there’s a Super Moon Pod), I do notice that my Moon Pod helps alleviate some tension in my back—and I’m someone who suffers from chronic back pain.
What’s the difference between a Moon Pod and a beanbag chair?
The primary difference between Moon Pods and other beanbag chairs is that Moon Pods allow you to sit, recline and lie down. Plus, the high-density, high-friction EPS beads that fill Moon Pods give you a weightless, zero-gravity experience.
Are Moon Pods waterproof?
No. However, if you buy the outdoor cover, it’s water-resistant and easy to clean.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
With more than 3,000 reviews on Moon Pod and Amazon combined, the beanbag chairs are clearly popular with consumers (besides me).
Verified purchaser Amy Wright says, “The monopod is truly zero gravity. I have the ultimate support for my ailing back pain.”
Christy Novosel gives Moon Pod five stars and loves it. “We got our Moon Pod today and within 3 hours, we ordered the backrest, footrest, and another Moon Pod! This is glorious for someone with back or shoulder pain,” they write. “I’ve been getting cortisone injections in my shoulder for the past year. Any strenuous activity sets my shoulder pain off. I sat in this glorious adult bean bag, and I didn’t want to get out! Great support and it’s SO comfy…Worth the price!”
“Be prepared to fight over who gets to use it,” Samantha Blackburn writes. “We bought a Moon Pod for our 8-year-old son’s birthday, and he LOVES it. In fact, our whole family fights over who gets to sit in it! It is super comfortable. We love it so much that our daughter asked for one for her birthday too, and we are happy to oblige. I do advise getting darker colors though, as the littles have already stained the cover.”
Final Verdict
All in all, I would recommend Moon Pods to anyone looking for flexible, low-to-the-ground furniture that provides a good amount of support. I’ll put mine in a cozy reading spot to enjoy my books. I might also splurge for the outdoor cover to enjoy cool summer mornings from my Moon Pod.
I would also consider buying a Moon Pod for adult use in a nursery or in a bedroom for a kid of the right age and size.
Note: You should avoid leaving an infant or small child unsupervised around any beanbag chair, and you should never allow a child to go underneath a beanbag chair due to suffocation risks. Additionally, children under the age of 12 months should never be put to sleep on any beanbag chair.
Where to Buy Moon Pod
Moon Pods retail on Amazon and the official Moon Pod site for about $300. If you want to shop the full line of colors, accessories and extras, we recommend heading over to the official site.
If you’ve been looking for an extra lounge chair that alleviates back pain, this is the beanbag chair we’d go with. Once you sit in one of these suckers for yourself, you’ll sing, ‘fly me to the Moon Pod.’
Originally Published: June 07, 2023
