Outdoor Living
Not all pool bean bags are created equal - and choosing the wrong one is a soggy, mouldy lesson you only want to learn once. Here's exactly how to choose a pool bean bag that suits your pool, your lifestyle, and the Australian summer.
Buying a pool bean bag is one of those purchases that looks simple from the outside and has a surprising number of decisions once you actually start looking. Do you want one that goes in the water or just next to it? Does the fabric really matter? What about drainage - is that actually a thing you need to think about?
Yes, it is. And we're going to walk you through all of it.
We've been designing and supplying pool and outdoor bean bags to families, resorts, and holiday rental hosts for years. Here's everything we'd want you to know before you buy, so you end up with exactly the right piece for your pool setup - and not a soggy mistake you're quietly regretting by February.
This is genuinely the most important question, and it changes everything that follows.
In-pool bean bags are designed to float on the water. They're built with drainage systems that allow water to move through rather than pool inside the filling, fabrics that handle repeated chlorine and salt water exposure, and filling that performs when wet. They're for the person who wants to be in the pool, floating, drink in hand, fully committed to the bit.
Poolside bean bags are designed to live next to the wate - on the deck, the patio, the grass beside the pool. They handle splash, they dry quickly, they're UV and mould resistant, but they're not designed to be submerged or floated. They're for the person who prefers to watch from a supremely comfortable vantage point while others get wet.
Here's the good news though - Mooi Living's pool floats don't force you to choose. The Santorini Float, Lana Lounger, and Talia Float are all designed to work both in and out of the water. Float in the pool in the morning, drag it onto the deck for an afternoon in the sun, pull it inside when the evening gets cool. One piece, all the options. It's the kind of versatility that makes the investment genuinely worth it.
What you can't do is put a poolside-only bean bag in the water and expect a good outcome - waterlogged filling, slow drying, and potential mould are the result. So if there's any chance you want to use it in the pool, make sure you're buying from the pool float range specifically.
Not all outdoor fabrics are equal, and near a pool the difference matters more than anywhere else.
All of Mooi Living's pool and outdoor range is made from Olefin - a synthetic woven fabric that was specifically developed for heavy-duty outdoor use. Here's what makes it the right choice for pool environments:
Chlorine resistance - most outdoor fabrics degrade when exposed to chlorinated water repeatedly. Olefin doesn't. The colour is locked in during the manufacturing process rather than dyed on top, which means it doesn't fade or bleed when it gets wet.
UV resistance - the Australian sun is brutal on outdoor furniture. Olefin is rated to handle UV exposure without the fabric breaking down or colours washing out over a season or two.
Mould and mildew resistance - because Olefin doesn't absorb moisture the way natural fibres do, it doesn't give mould the damp environment it needs. This is particularly important for bean bags that get wet regularly.
Easy to clean - most marks, sunscreen residue, and pool water can be wiped or hosed off. The covers are also removable and machine washable.
Our Olefin Fabric Explained post goes into much more detail if you want the full picture — it's worth a read before you buy any outdoor furniture, not just bean bags.
If a bean bag is going in the water, drainage is the feature that determines whether it's actually practical or just theoretically nice.
A bean bag without proper drainage absorbs water into the filling during pool use. Without the drainage system, the water cannot easily escape. That filling then has to dry completely - which in a Queensland summer might take a day or two, and in a Sydney winter could take considerably longer. A partially damp bean bag stored away becomes a mould problem. A mould problem becomes a ruined bean bag.
Our in-pool designs - the Santorini, Lana and Talia - all have built-in drainage systems and inner mesh bags that allow water to flow through and out rather than sitting in the filling. After pool use, the water drains, the filling dries relatively quickly, and the cover can be removed and washed separately.
If you're looking at pool bean bags from other suppliers, drainage is the first question to ask. If they can't explain how it works, that's your answer.
This is less complicated than it sounds but worth thinking through:
A single seater works well for someone who wants their own dedicated float - it's more manoeuvrable in the water, easier to move around the pool deck, and takes up less storage space.
A double seater is for sharing - two adults, or one adult sprawled out with maximum space. Our Lana Lounger is our double seater and it's genuinely generous in size. If you're tall or you simply like space, the Lana is the one.
A large floating bean bag in a small pool is awkward — for the person on it, and for anyone else in the water. As a rough guide, you want at least a 4x8 metre pool to comfortably use a double seater float without it dominating the entire space. For smaller pools, a single float or poolside loungers are the more practical choice.
The Santorini Pool Float is our most visually striking pool piece - the stripe colourways are bold, it's generously sized, and it photographs like a resort. It's designed to float in the pool with its inner mesh bag and drainage system doing the work, and it looks just as good parked on the pool deck when it's not in the water. If you've got a pool and you want the full effect, this is the one.
One of our best selling Pool Floats is our Lana Lounger is our most versatile pool piece. It's a double seater that works in the pool, beside it, on the deck, or dragged inside when the weather turns. The drainage system handles pool use, the Olefin fabric handles the Summer climate, and the machine-washable cover handles everything else. If you want maximum value from a single purchase, the Lana is the answer.
The Talia Float has a sculpted, reclining silhouette that looks like it belongs at a five-star property - because it does. We supply these to resorts and high-end holiday rentals alongside domestic customers who simply refuse to compromise on how their outdoor space looks. It reclines beautifully on the water, dries quickly, and the understated colourways work with virtually any outdoor styling.
If in-pool floating isn't your thing - and plenty of people prefer a great seat beside the water to actually being in it — our outdoor lounger range is where to look. The Lachlan Sunlounger and Cojelo Suave are both built from the same Olefin fabric as our pool floats, handle pool splash without complaint, and are available in colourways that suit everything from a modern coastal home to a lush tropical garden.
A pool bean bag is an investment, and a straightforward care routine keeps it performing and looking great for years.
Give it a rinse with fresh water to remove chlorine or salt residue. Both are fine in small doses - accumulated over weeks without rinsing, they can slowly degrade even durable fabric.
Let it drain and dry fully after pool use before folding or storing. Our drainage systems make this faster than you'd expect, but don't rush it. A damp bean bag in a shed is where mould starts.
All our pool covers are removable and machine washable. Zip it off, cold wash, hang to dry, zip it back on. Do this regularly throughout summer - it takes ten minutes and keeps the fabric looking fresh.
Olefin handles the elements well, but storing your pool bean bag undercover during winter significantly extends its life. A garage, shed, or outdoor storage box is ideal. If it's going to live outside year-round, that's fine - just expect more weathering over time than a covered piece would show.
Can I fill my pool bean bag with any type of beans? We recommend standard EPS bean bag beans. They handle wetting and drying well, they're light enough to maintain buoyancy, and they're widely available across Australia. Our filling guide has specific recommendations and quantities for each of our pool pieces.
Will the colours fade in the sun? Olefin fabric is dyed at the manufacturing stage - the colour is locked into the fibre rather than sitting on the surface. This makes it significantly more fade-resistant than standard outdoor fabrics. With proper rinsing and care, the colour holds well for multiple seasons.
Can children use pool bean bag floats? Yes, with appropriate adult supervision - the same supervision you'd apply to any pool float use. Our double seaters like the Lana are popular with families for exactly this reason.
What if I'm furnishing multiple pool areas? Our Trade Program is designed for resort owners, holiday rental hosts and property managers ordering multiple pieces. It includes trade pricing and dedicated support - worth looking into if you need more than a few pieces.
Browse our full pool bean bag float range, or if you're not sure which piece suits your specific setup, get in touch — we're always happy to point you in the right direction.
And if you're still deciding whether a bean bag float is the right choice over a standard inflatable, our post 5 Reasons a Floating Bean Bag Beats Every Other Pool Float covers that ground - and then some.
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