The Basics:

Immediately after unpacking the unit I thought it was nothing like what I was expecting. Granted the pictures on their site are limited, but online the chair looked like it had more structure and you could see a seam along the back’s sides. This chair was very rounded and in fact initially it wouldn’t stay upright without someone sitting on it or without being propped up. This is evident in the side picture shown below.



Performance:

Right after pulling this out I laid it in the lounge position and immediately my son was excited to jump aboard and try it out. Right away he was talking about how comfortable it was, but not to take his word for it I gave it a shot too. I was pleasantly surprised about the back support, something I need more of as I get older, without being too stiff you slide down and rest your head on it. But as mentioned above the Sumo Switch arrives super stuffed causing what would normally be flat surfaces to be rounded. This presented the first problem; within seconds of converting to the chair my son ran over and hopped on. Luckily I was standing right there otherwise he would have flipped it right over into the stack of firewood. That rounded bottom basically made it an unstable rocker. Even side to side rocking is an issue for his 60 or so pounds. If he doesn’t sit dead center it wants to roll over. Me on the other hand, well my big butt keeps it well planted. I also suspected that the fiber fill would settle down over time and this rockiness would subside. After a couple nights of use I have confirmed this to be true. My son still can’t jump into it, but it is no longer an imminent tipping hazard. I suppose if this were truly an issue for you, you have the option to remove some fill.

In chair mode I found the Sumo Switch to be comfortable for several hours of movie watching or gaming. Though it is worth noting that the back rest is only half height, so there is no neck support. This issue is somewhat compounded by the angle of the back; since you are leaning back those that have back/neck issues may find this lack of support to cause some discomfort after a few hours. But the reality is you really should get up and move around some anyway. The seating surface is rather large, big enough for an adult to site Indian style (crisscross apple sauce) but does make it a bit deep for smaller frames. Overall I found myself readjusting far less on this chair than I do on my sofa.



But what really sets the Sumo Switch apart from other chairs is the ability to become a lounger. Flipping this bottom cushion out makes the Switch supremely comfortable. Since that angled back is fairly large it isn’t just propping up your head which often causes neck strain. I found this mode to be the most comfortable but it does take up a lot of real estate.



Conclusion:

The Sumo Lounge Switch is a well-made versatile chair. I found it to be very comfortable over several hours of seat time and super comfortable in lounge mode. My only real complaints are with back/neck support for extended use, the tipping issue and occasionally some static build up. As I mentioned, I was comfortable for several hours in this chair but if you have back/neck issues this might not be a good choice for you. The tipping was mostly an issue for smaller frames and those that can’t sit still (kids). Also the static was also a kids issue. The constant moving around, sliding the chair made it look like they were attached to a Van de Graaff generator.

Currently Sumo Lounge is selling the Switch for $279, with free shipping. While this is a bit pricey for a single chair, it is more or less in line with other high end bean bag pricing. So if you are an average size adult looking for a gaming/movie watching chair you can convert to a lounger in seconds, the Switch deserves your consideration.

Pros:

» Comfortable in chair mode
» Super comfy in lounge mode
» Price in line with other high end bean bag seating

Cons:

» Back/neck support could be issue for some
» Straps to hold it in chair mode to aide stability would be appreciated

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