How Do Traditional And Futon Mattresses Compare?
When it comes to topics that are near and dear to people’s hearts, it is hard not to include great sleeping on that list. And if you are wanting deep, peaceful sleep, then I would recommend a futon mattress as a great choice. We will discuss why through this article and on this site. If you find that you have a particular question about owning a new futon, search our site. I’m sure it is covered somewhere.
A futon mattress will help avoid feeling like you're sleeping on a bed of nails.
One of the most important ideas regarding your sleeping futon will be its comfort. This seems like an obvious statement but it actually encompasses several points. One of the greatest steps that has taken place more recently has been the comparability between traditional and futon mattresses. In other words, in the past you would have had to sacrifice some of the modern comfort conveniences to own a more flexible option in the futon. Now, this simply is not the case.
A Futon Has Much More In The Way Of Convenience Than A Traditional Mattress
If you are new to the futon world, then you might only be aware of the old notion of what they were for. In the past, these beds were relegated to the college dorm room or poor student set. Now, because of the advances we will get to in a moment and because of the flexibility that a sofa-sleeper allows, they have come back in vogue.
Probably the most arguable point in favor of owning a futon-sofa-couch is its ease of use and convenience. When you do a fair amount of entertaining or hosting, it is likely that you may have some unexpected overnight guests. This is not a problem with a futon sofa-sleeper type bed. This can easily convert from couch at the party to bed for the evening. And, the best part is, it does not lose anything in the way of comfort doing so. If you have ever been a guest at someone’s home who had one of these fold-out couch beds you know how that bar always seems to hit you right in the middle of the back making a good night’s sleep all but impossible. Not so with a futon bed. These are very comfortable and easy to convert. No worry about removing the cushions, folding it out, getting the sheets on, stooping over or stubbing your toes or banging your knees on that hard metal frame.
Another Thing To Consider Is Futon Mattress Material Options
You might be thinking that this is where the old traditional mattress will win out. Granted, there are definitely more options in general when it comes to brands and models of the normal types. However, what has happened is that the manufacturing of mattress materials have changed quite a bit and this has allowed for greater parity between the two. Where you once only had access to spring coils in a traditional bed, now is offered in futon styles. The futon mattress actually has the lead in some categories now! They also have more natural materials offered at reasonable prices, as well as memory foam and toppers.
You could look long and hard for the downside, but you may come up noticeably shorter these days. The old futon that had problems with flattening out after just a little use and becoming landfill material with a short life span is gone. The in-fill now is made with better quality and longer lasting materials. I never thought I would see the day of the individually wrapped inner coil spring futon bed mattress.
Many of the more traditionally produced mattresses contain chemical agents either used in production or for fire resistance that can cause some people health problems. Many times, this is due to the off gassing created by these volatile compounds being released into the home and, specifically, breathing them in while your head is rested and sleeping for hours. Since, they make crib mattresses this way too, if you are looking for your child, you might consider this.
The Traditional Japanese Futon Mattress
No initial discussion about futons would be complete if we didn’t mention a bit about the history of this type of mattress. In a traditional sense, the development of the futon was from a floor-sleeping type of approach. That is to say, there was a mat – tatami – that was used beneath the mattress itself. This mattress portion of the futon is called the shiki or shikibuton or shiki futon. Then, there is an often quilted, soft upper cover portion. This piece is known as the kake or kakebuton or kakefuton. So, what you would have is a two part system that would combine these to give you a traditional Japanese futon mattress. There is more history to this futon story, but you can read more about that by following the link above. The point is that we have adopted the futon and then adapted it to fit our own Western lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with change, in fact, it is sometimes how the most innovative home products come about.
One Closing Thought About Your Futon Mattress
Because of the nature of the flexibility of a futon bed, you may be researching one as a sofa-sleeper for an additional room or as your main sleeping bed in your master bedroom. In each case, a different type of frame could be considered. Because most temporary guest sleeping arrangements require a smaller sized bed, the frame will usually only afford you the flexibility of some minor storage of magazines and such or have armrests. On the other hand, if you go with a queen or king size, you can opt for more elaborate headboard designs that incorporate various shelving and storage. Likewise, the futon frame itself could lend itself to storage options. So, the next time you hear the words “futon mattress”, you don’t have to think that someone is short changing their guests. They might actually be designing quite a flexible yet comfortable and elegant space.
