The Rise of The Mini Bean

There’s a reason why we never made cat beanbags, although many people have asked us over the years. It’s because cats always want your beanbag. They have no qualms enjoying and claiming beanbags designed for humans; so, we didn’t really see a point.

But, things changed when we adopted our resident hell-child— Beelzebub, the black cat— who, for no particular fault of his own, always reminds us of medieval portrayals of the devil. As a tiny kitten in a house full of some very big dogs, borderline trauma was an everyday possibility for Beelzebub. So, Mama-Happi Aparna made him his own little mini beanbag. It was super comfy, and also helped Beelzebub lock down his territory within the fur family. We realized that even when we had to move Beelzebub to new environments, as long as the little beanbag came along he was able to cope and negotiate his space. It became Beelzebub’s own island where he was king and left alone to plot evil. This was how the original Mini Bean was born. 

Soon, people visiting our place started sitting on the Mini Bean because it was comfortably low to the ground. Noticing how our friends and family of different sizes—from tiny humans to 6 feet tall towers— were enjoying the Mini Bean, we realized that we had unintentionally designed our way into a great product. 

Testing it out, we made some adjustments and perfected the Mini Bean. It’s now designed for cats and humans who want to achieve a catlike zen state. Our favourite part about the Mini Bean is that it’s super easy to store and fill. A Mini Bean can occupy even a little corner in a room, and the small size makes it easy to try eco-friendly alternatives for filling—like buckwheat hulls, recycled foam, cushioning material, or a combo of old clothes and crumpled up newspapers. We also fine-tuned the Mini Bean so it’s a great meditation pillow—giving just enough support for the small of your back, and that little lift to relax your hips enough to sit crosslegged with ease. Basically, you can hack into like 10% of the bliss of lotus position without really trying. All ApiHappi Mini Beans are made using upcycled fabric from our in-house collection of offcuts, matched piece by piece. 

Coming to its original purpose as a cat bed, we find it far more fitting than a flat one. Cats, who’ve never quite forgotten being worshiped by ancient cults, still very much appreciate a throne to survive this unceremonious world—flat just won’t do for their five millennia deep superiority complex. 

So, drop us a message to order. ApiHappi Mini Beans are now available.