Don’t confuse this with those old waterbeds that had the ability to heat or cool the water.  While that was quite innovative at the time, we know now that those mattresses provided little support and were more of a fad than

anything else.  So, these innovations, along with some of the other inherent qualities of the futon make it a great bed for getting a good nights sleep.  These newer futons, just like the best neck pillow you can find, offer great support for quality sleep.  Without any further teasing or introduction, let’s dive into these 3 reasons why the futon mattress just may end up replacing your traditional bed when the time comes.   Photo credit

3 Reasons to Choose A Futon Mattress

1.    Support
There are a wide variety of mattress styles available now that claim to offer you back and neck support.  You’ve heard about them all, some have their own infomercials on Saturday morning television.  Some of the most popular are the memory foam mattresses and the air mattresses that you can control individually from side to side.

Actually, there is nothing wrong with either of these.  They can both be quite comfortable and do have their pluses.  The thing is, futons have some of these same options as well.  With the exception of individually tailored air chambers, there are memory foam futons and futons with individually covered coiled springs.

You might actually prefer something along the lines of the traditional futon mattresses that were made with layers of wool wrapped around a latex and cotton core.  These provide much in the way of support.  The material is quite dense, making the mattress feel very firm and, well, supportive.  This type of wool style has other benefits which will be discussed in a moment.

2.    Moisture Control
Not the most common thing you’ll hear when talking about a good night’s sleep, but the fact is we do perspire when we sleep.  If you are sleeping on a mattress that traps body heat or cannot adequately allow your body to vent the moisture, you will be very uncomfortable.  So, this is yet another one of those benefits touched upon with respect to the wool style – it is moisture wicking by itself, no extra ‘technology’ required.  One more thing that wool has in its favor is the fact that it is naturally antimicrobial.  So, it helps to eliminate the problem with mold growth and other problems associated with moisture buildup.

Not all futons have this as their material make-up, so keep this in mind.  In fact, the honest truth is that it is mostly the older futons that utilized this material.  With the push to more of the inner coiled spring styles and the ones memory foam and other ‘contemporary’ mattress materials, this moisture-wicking aspect afforded by the wool may be harder to come by.

3.    Cost
This is one of the main reasons that the futon gained so much attention in the 1980s here in the United States.  Traditionally, the futon mattress has been used for many hundreds of years in the Far East.  Many Japanese still sleep on a traditional Japanese futon with the upper quilted “kakebuton” and the mattress part “shikibuton.”  Here, to buy a new mattress that has the qualities of support and other comfort features mentioned, you might be looking at spending upwards of $800 USD or more.  With a futon mattress, you can expect that price to be in the range of $250-600 USD, depending upon size of course.  Also, many futon manufacturers will include a frame for your new futon with that price.  Now, if you want a more custom futon bed frame, then you can expect to pay for that.

You can actually get a traditional style of frame and use a futon mattress bed instead of the other.  You just have to ensure that the sizes will match up, of course.  This can be a little tricky unless you measure carefully before hand.  There are many styles of beds that are designed for children that you could use a futon mattress with.

Here is an example of a traditional bunk that you could likely fit a futon mattress on.

Even bunk beds, like the one shown can accommodate a child-sized futon bed.  This is a bit of a contemporary looking bunk, but you could just as easily find a match for a white bunk bed or other painted or unfinished futon bunk beds and frames.  In the end, it really comes down to your tastes and the way you want your child’s room to look.  After they are done playing all day, they just need a comfortable play to rest their little heads.  If you find that the size is right, then you can get that futon mattress bed to be a perfect answer to the sleep equation.

Remember, kids could probably sleep in a sleeping bag on a pile of rocks or sticks and have no problems going to sleep or waking up feeling totally refreshed. This simply isn’t the case with you or I.  But, this doesn’t mean your child doesn’t deserve a really fun room to sleep and grow up in.  I remember my first bed.  It was a twin mattress which was probably a hand-me-down from someone else in the family.  Didn’t bother me one bit.  I slept just fine.  Kids don’t really care about sleeping in single beds or big king size mattresses.  But, think about what we know now compared to then.  The materials that the mattresses are made of now are much healthier overall because many people have found that they are sensitive either to the chemicals or allergens present in the mattresses themselves.

A futon mattress doesn’t necessarily solve this problem because they can contain some of these same harmful or even toxic agents unless you shop carefully.  Luckily, the internet has solved much of this dilemma for us.  Now, you don’t have to pollute the air as much looking for that perfect mattress for your child by driving all over town.  In addition to the comfort of a futon for your child, there are also other benefits.  For example, futon covers come in a variety of designs and patterns that are perfect for a kid’s room.  You can find all sorts of prints from your child’s favorite characters.  This makes certain aspects of making your child’s bed that much easier for you as well.

We’ll give you a basic run-down on what you need to know.  As you’re online, you can search for the specific missing links in your search criteria.  You’ve got the futon frame – check.  You know you want a full futon mattress – check.  You get the point.  That way, all you have to do is basically check pricing, shipping, and some other basic details and you’ll be sleeping on cloud 9 in no time.

A futon can give you a clean look like this.

So, first of all, we’ll need to start at the beginning.  No doubt, you know what a futon mattress is at this point.  Not trying to insult your intelligence, it’s just that people find our site searching several different ways.  What you might NOT know, is exactly what is in that mattress your head (or your guests) will be resting on for hours at a time.  There are many different qualities in these, just like in traditional mattresses.  That’s why there is a tremendous price range (and mark-up if you’re not careful).

Make sure you know what your futon mattress is made of.  The most common is a cotton futon mattress, occasionally a cotton/poly fill.  This is the most basic type and still the least expensive most times.  You’d be wise to check for any off-gassing materials that may be present in the particular brand you are considering. Off-gassing refers to the fumes/gasses that are emitted from certain materials.  If you’re buying a cheap futon, check this out for sure.  Some companies get their products from overseas where certain guidelines may be a bit, shall we say, looser.

Also, just like their traditional mattress cousins, a futon mattress can include latex foam materials often referred to as a memory foam mattress.  These latex materials can often be less of a bother to some as they are hypoallergenic.  Another common material for in-fill in a futon mattress is wool.  Again, a natural material and makes for a wonderfully supportive, yet dense sleeping surface.  They are quite comfortable and can help with moisture control as wool is capable of maintaining warmth when wet, unlike cotton.  Newer to the futon market is the coiled spring mattress.  These are the most like a traditional bed mattress with innerspring coils, often individually covered in fabric ‘tubes’.  This helps to keep noise and movement transfer to a minimum.  Well, that will get you started on your hunt for the perfect futon mattress.  Now, you can check out our site for info regarding the right frame choice for your new mattress.