Mattresses

The modern day futon bed has evolved well beyond the days of being found exclusively in college dorms and efficiency apartments.

Originating in Japan as a mattress on the floor that could be folded away during the day futons quickly became an great success among people who required both a bed and sofa in a compact space.

Futons were first used by students of Asian heritage because of their admiration of the traditional role it played in the Japanese home. They spread quickly in popularity due to their low cost and functionality.

Some bright person came up with the idea of taking it off the floor and created a foldable frame that could serve as a comfortable sofa during the day and cozy bed with a decent mattress at night.

Frame designs vary significantly between the different manufacturers but the better quality futons are made of hardwood with their supporting slats placed close together. This not only provides both comfortable support but it prevents the mattress from being squeezed between the slats. Too much pressing between the slats can cause you to feel the pressure of the bars against your back and can cause some discomfort and possibly back problems.

Knowing where you will locate the futon helps you in choosing the frame type. Some models need to be placed away from a wall in order to function as a bed. Sometimes this distance can be four to six inches away so you may need to buy a wall hugger futon. A special hinge will allow it to fold out without bumping your wall much like the wall hugging recliners of today.

A superior quality futon will also have a higher quality mattress. At first these mattresses tended to be on the heavy side because they were filled with cotton and could weigh eighty pounds. If you shop around you can still find an all cotton futon mattress but newer mattresses are usually based on a polycotton blend and weigh somewhere between thirty and fifty pounds. This poly blend gives superior support and softness without all the added weight of all cotton.

Recognizing the growing popularity of futons major mattress manufacturers are also getting into the futon business with their innerspring models selling well. While these can be much more comfortable than the traditional futon mattress for sleeping they can be a bit of a nuisance when it is time to use the futon as a couch.

One of the great things about a futon is the decorating choices you have. You can cover your futon mattress with anything from silk to cotton and you can easily coordinate it with your other furnishings. You can even find real or fake leather covers to give your futon a very rich look.

If you thought you knew all about futons you might need to go to a store and check out what is available as the new models are nothing like the hard metal framed futons with the lumpy mattresses you might remember from your college days.

More great latex mattresses information here…