The first beanbag: Sacco

The first beanbag chair was designed in 1968 by three young Italians in their thirties--Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro.  They originally envisioned a fluid-filled envelope, but the excessive weight led to the use of polystyrene beads.

The Sacco was first produced by Zanotta in 1969 and is still in production today. Called "the anatomic chair" in the Zanotta sales catalogs, it was originally considered a "non-chair" and thus a break with tradition. Beanbags were first made of leather and canvas, and their loose filling allowed them to conform to the body. People quickly realized that the Sacco could be used as a chair, a chaise longue or a stool, and its popularity grew.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the beanbag chair became synonymous with the hippie culture. It has been copied by many manufacturers, with varying degrees of success, and remains popular among the young even today.

From design-museum.de, unicahome.com and 1000 Chairs by Charlotte and Peter Fiell

Sacco
design-museum.de

Sacco ad
zanotta.it

Mod Saccos
zanotta.it

zanotta.it