Futon sofas are a great addition to your home. If you haven’t got the space for a sleeper sofa, then a futon sofa is a great alternative.
This is because futon sofas offer all the benefits of a sleeper sofa, without a lot of the drawbacks. So, if you are considering a sleeper sofa for your home, but have been discouraged by the size of them, then a futon sofa might be the best option for you.
Futon sofas are designed to be easy to open, but if you have ever owned a futon, you will know that this often isn’t the case.
In this guide, we’re taking a look at how to unfold your futon sofa, and how to troubleshoot some other issues that you might experience with your futon sofa. So to find out more, keep on reading.
How Do You Unfold A Futon Sofa?
The way in which you unfold your futon sofa will differ depending on the type of futon sofa that you have. There are three main types of futon sofa which you may own, these are bifold, trifold, and loveseat futons. So, let’s take a look at how you unfold these different styles of futon.
Bifold Futon
Bifold futons are usually pretty easy to open, this is because they simply pull open from the seat. So, stand in front of your futon facing it, and grab beneath the seat. You will find either a bar, base or handle, and you should pull on this.
In some cases, you might need to unlock a latch to be able to pull on this component.
With the latch unlocked, simply grip tightly onto the bar/base/handle, and pull towards you with force, while simultaneously taking a step backward. When the futon mattress is completely flat, your job is done.
Trifold Futon
Beneath the front of a trifold futon, you will find a hidden deck, you will be able to access the latch (and unlock this) by lifting the seat part of your futon. With this unlatched, you should then unfold the mattress so that it is ready to lie flat on the lower part of the futon.
Lift the seat of the futon, and pull down the third deck before adjusting the height of the legs so that the bed is level. Adjust the mattress so that it is covering the third deck, then move onto the backrest of the futon.
Locate the braces on the back of the futon, and unlock these, this will allow you to lay the backrest flat, and the futon will be fully converted.
Loveseat Futon
The loveseat futon opens very similarly to a trifold futon. So, you should first locate the hidden deck, then pull this out to form the bottom part of the bed. Then pull out the third deck and adjust the legs as necessary.
Finally, press down on the back of the love seat, and you will be able to lay it flat. With the entire futon completely flat, you can simply adjust the mattress, and then it is ready to be used.
Why Is My Futon Stuck?
There are lots of reasons why your futon may be stuck, and unable to fold. If your futon is older, then it is possible that the internal components of the futon have aged beyond repair, and you may simply have to buy a new futon.
Likewise, if you do not use your futon regularly, then it is possible that the internal components have rusted, and this is the reason it will not unfold. But, the most common reason why your futon is stuck will be because it has jammed.
So, if you suspect that this has happened, the first thing that you need to do is remove everything that is on top of your futon.
The most common reason this happens is when bedding becomes jammed in the folding components, so removing everything on top of the futon allows you to identify if this is the cause of the jam.
Should this be the cause, then removing everything off the top is usually enough to fix the problem.
If this doesn’t fix the issues that you are experiencing with your futon, then you should check the hinge pins of the futon. If any of these pins are loose, missing, or screwed incorrectly, then this could be what is causing your futon to become stuck.
Why Won’t My Futon Stay Up?
As well as experiencing issues where your futon will not fold out into its bed shape, it is also common for people to experience issues where their futon will not lock back into sofa form.
In a lot of cases, this is more frustrating than a futon that will not collapse, because suddenly you will essentially have a bed taking up a lot of floor space in your lounge.
Thankfully, quite a lot of the issues that might be preventing your futon from collapsing could also be the cause for why your futon will not stay up. So, the most common reason why your futon will not lock back into place is because there is bedding jammed in the latches.
If you are experiencing issues when trying to lock your futon back into place, then we would recommend removing everything from on top of it, and trying again.
If this fails, you should then check the frame of the futon. We would recommend looking at the pins which we mentioned earlier, and also looking at all the latches. If this doesn’t solve the issue, then unfortunately, it might be time for you to begin looking for a new futon.
Summary
In short, the way in which you should unfold a futon sofa will depend on the style of futon sofa that you own.
Above, we have looked at how to unfold the 3 main types of futon sofa, and we have also looked at some possible reasons why your futon might be stuck, or not staying up. So to find out more about how to solve these issues, check out the guide above.
