Built to last, loved for life; sharing ApiHappi ethos on Fashion Revolution Week

Fast furniture? Never heard of her. Here’s why we only build things that last through the years.

In a world obsessed with fast everything, from fast food to fast fashion, we’ve made a very deliberate choice to embrace slow and steady. To take the time and build furniture that lasts. 

We’re pretty proud of the reputation that ApiHappi beanbags have as tough beans that survive a lot; all kinds of spills, rowdy house parties, questionable body fluids from kids and pets, being dragged up and down stairs, thrown across rooms (you really shouldn’t), climbed on, and even bitten (don’t ask).  They’ve taken beatings in cafés, restaurants, hotels and resorts with high guest turnover and lived to lounge another day. They don't just hang in there—they get better with age like a good pair of jeans.

And all this didn’t happen by accident. It all comes from our belief that things should be built to last.

💫 Made so it lasts

Every single ApiHappi beanbag is built with our co-founder Aparna’s almost neurotic levels of attention to detail. It starts with our fabrics—we only work with handlooms and materials we can trust. Before a new textile is used, we put it through our in-house strength and colour-fastness tests (basically the obstacle course from Gladiator, but for fabric) done by our other co-founder Etosha using unnecessarily aggressive maneuvers channeling his football training.

We also line every beanbag with a cotton underlayer. Why? Because handloom is a living, breathing textile. It can stretch and warp—and the cotton lining helps guide it back into shape. It’s like giving the beanbag a moral compass. 

And here’s the real deal: we make every beanbag like it’s the only one that will ever be made. That’s how personal this is. (Aparna even bids goodbye to each bean 🥹). We hate disappointing people, so we build the way we mean it. We want you to still be high-fiving about buying an ApiHappi beanbag five years later.

🌍 Conscious creation, always

We’re sharing our built-to-last philosophy for Fashion Revolution Week, a global movement born from the tragedy of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, where over a thousand garment workers lost their lives making cheap, fast products in unsafe conditions.

Since then, designers, brands, and makers around the world have been uniting to encourage consumers to ask one question: Who made your clothes?

At ApiHappi, we love this question because it applies to everything beyond clothes. And, not just because we can proudly tell you the answer—but because we want you to know the answer.

We work with partners like Kandygs, who’ve been weaving magic in Sri Lanka since 1971. Their fabrics are rich, ethical, experimental, and lovingly made by real humans—most of whom are women. Kandygs invests in their weavers, and it shows in every thread. And that’s not all, from our fantastic seamstress Kalyani, to our incredible Dumbara artisan Saman, the people who are part of making ApiHappi beans are our extended family. So, when you lounge on a beanbag made by all of us, you’re part of our family too. 

Transparency is a big deal for us. That’s why we often invite you behind the scenes, through our Instagram, our personal pages, our studio stories, and sometimes, even to our home. We want you to see the slow life we’re building and the choices we’re making—because the more you know, the more power you have to choose well. This also means that if you buy something from us, there’s a chance we’d invite you to our dog’s birthday party (it’s really important, guys). 

🔁 Repair, refill, relounge

Most furniture isn’t built to last. It’s built to be replaced. That’s not just wasteful—it’s depressingly cynical. We just don’t believe in building sacks of synthetic sadness that fall apart just in time for next year’s sale. At ApiHappi, we believe products should grow with you, not expire on you. That’s why our beanbags are refillable. Got a flat spot? We’ll fluff it back to life. Need extra beans or advice on ecofriendly filling alternatives? We’ve got your back(side).

This is repair culture. This is reuse culture. This is ApiHappi culture.

And this week, as the world asks itself how we can do better by people and planet, we want to say this loud and proud: Durability isn’t just a product feature. It’s an ethical stance.

Because when you build things that last, you reduce waste. When you buy things that last, you say no to overconsumption. When you choose brands that work with people, not just factories, you close the door to exploitation.

💚 Things that become part of your life

The best part of building furniture that last? The longevity is not just physical, it’s emotional, too.

Being built to last, our beanbags have become a part of people’s life stories. They’ve held sick kids through flu seasons. They’ve been the crash-landing zone for post-exam naps and dogpile hugs. They’ve comforted people through breakups and celebrated the extra weight of new love when two bodies refuse to separate (seriously guys, get a room, not a beanbag). They’ve sat through entire seasons of Game of Thrones and White Lotus with their humans, and they’ve progressed from Harry Potter reading pads to Playstation lounges as their little folk grew up. They’ve made homes feel softer, cafes cooler, and hotels warmer. 

📢 So here’s what we want to tell the world

It’s not just for Fashion Revolution Week, let’s ask questions about our purchases every single day. Let’s demand durable products. Let’s choose better, let’s support good things made by good people.

Built to last. Loved for life. That’s the ApiHappi way.