Home Improvement Pick

Hand Knitted Round Cotton Pouf Ottoman, 20 Inch, Black

A knitted round that works as a footrest, a low seat or a surface for a tray, which is why it earns floor space that a footstool alone would not. It is 20 inches across and 14 inches high, hand knitted from thick cotton rope in a twisted spiral that starts at the center of the top face and widens out, so the surface is deep ridges rather than flat fabric. The filling is polystyrene foam beads, which keeps it light enough to move with one hand while staying firm enough to sit on, and it takes an adult of 265 to 330 pounds. Because it is soft sided it can be pushed against a sofa or a chair without marking either. Cleaning is a vacuum and a blot with a damp cloth rather than a wash.

What you're getting

• 20 inches across and 14 inches high, low enough to use as a footrest
• Hand knitted from thick cotton rope in a twisted spiral worked from the center out
• Polystyrene foam bead filling, light to move with one hand and firm to sit on
• Takes an adult of 265 to 330 pounds
• Soft sided, so it can be pushed against a sofa or a chair without marking it

Why we picked it

A footstool does one job and a pouf does three, which is the whole argument for it in a small room. This one is firm enough to be a seat rather than collapsing like a bean bag, and light enough that moving it is not a decision. The knit is doing structural work as well as visual: thick rope worked in a spiral holds the drum shape from the inside, so it keeps its edges instead of spreading into a mound the way a stuffed round does.