A Closer Look At Futon Mattress

Futon serves a double purpose: it can be for seating or for sleeping. It can be folded and unfolded and can be reconfigured as a bedding or as a couch any time. This is why futon works best in smaller spaces, such as pads, dorms, and teen rooms, where every corner is multifunctional.

Futon's space-saver nature can be traced back to its history in Japan centuries ago. Japanese people slept on futons, mattresses stuffed with cotton or silk, and used another futon as a blanket. Every morning, they folded and tucked them in the closet to use the room for other purposes.

This Asian tradition was soon transported to the Western grounds, giving more bedding options to people with limited space. Today, futons are thicker, normally six to nine inch thick, and are made from cotton, foam, wool, or a combination of these materials. Cotton is still widely used, although pure cotton can make futons extremely firm and dense. The combination of cotton and foam, however, is more popular since the foam lends softness and comfort to the futon mattress. Foam also works well if combined with polyester. The polyester provides the firmness, while the foam provides the softness. Wool futon, on the other hand, is ultra soft, but it is rare in the market. Generally, the materials used affect the futonÆs overall feel, weight, and function.

There are wide varieties of futon in the market today. Buying, however, should be done meticulously. Foremost, you should figure how youÆre going to use the mattress. Will you be using it solely as a bed? Or as a couch? Or will you use it both as a bed and a couch? This is important because you wouldnÆt want to buy a futon mattress that is so heavy and firm you canÆt maneuver it, fold it, and fit it into the futon frame. Keep in mind that soft and medium futon mattresses are ideal for seat-to-bed setting. On the contrary, firm futon mattresses are generally heavier to move around and are usually limited to sleeping purposes only.

But because of its dual purpose, a futon mattress may be more prone to wear and tear. This, therefore, requires from you more care and attention than you normally give to the ordinary mattresses. Try to distribute the wear evenly by regularly flipping or rotating the mattress. Make sure also to properly fold and unfold the futon mattress and set it in a futon frame that fits it well.