Futons are a wonderful way to save space in your apartment or room if you can’t find the space for a sofa and a bed. Having a futon can mean having a bedroom for the night and a living room in the daytime.
They can also be perfect for guest bedrooms that can turn into another living room when you don’t have anyone to occupy it. If you are thinking of getting a futon instead of a bed to maximize space, you need to know if they’d be a comfortable sleep for you. But first, what is a futon?
A futon is a mattress that can fold up into a couch or a piece of couch-like furniture. It doesn’t require any extra cushions or pillows and can be folded and unfolded easily.
When the futon is folded it acts just as a normal couch would and allows a good seating area, when the futon is unfolded it turns into a bed-like sleeping area that you can use for guests or even as a permanent place to sleep.
Much like a bed, a futon comes in all sorts of different thicknesses and any of the normal mattress sizes, meaning you can pick out a futon that’s the exact size and shape for you.
There aren’t many differences between futons and normal beds when it comes to comfort, futons can definitely be as comfortable as normal beds to sleep in if you get the right quality of futon.
High-end futons will be more expensive but will definitely be more comfortable to sleep in, the more expensive futon will be made out of higher quality materials such as hardwood frames that can properly support a mattress for long periods of time and steel Flexi slats that will evenly distribute your weight across the structure helping you with a more comfortable sleep.
If you’re buying a futon for under $300 then you may need to be cautious of the quality, some of the cheaper futons have bases that are made with steel bars or plywood that won’t properly support you for long periods of time and could break easily.
These types of bases may not be able to distribute weight evenly and could also lead to a few nights of uncomfortable sleep. If you’re looking for a comfortable futon made with high-quality materials then you are going to be having to spend around $300 to almost $1000.
Because the mattress on a futon is used as both a bed and a couch, the mattress is going to be firmer than if it was just a bed. This is because the usual softness of a mattress would be very difficult to sit on, the person sitting would sink into the futon and this makes it difficult to get up.
If you don’t mind a firm mattress then a high-quality futon is great to sleep on, however, if you prefer a softer mattress then you may need to think of some alternatives to help you sleep on a futon.
Can You Sleep On A Futon Every Night?
Yes, you can, there are benefits to having a futon as your permanent bed. The main one is the amount of space you’ll save in your apartment or room. You can use your futon as a couch in the day and unfold it as a bed at night, this alone has many advantages.
One advantage that we’ve found when having a futon as a permanent bed is an increase in productivity in a small space. It is no myth that when you make your bed in the morning you feel a little more productive at the start of your day, when your bed is a futon after you wake up you have to put your bed away.
This discourages having a short nap or getting back into bed and gives a clear distinction between when it is time to sleep and when it isn’t time to sleep. Having a good amount of space in your room also helps you mentally.
If you are planning on getting a futon to sleep on permanently though there are a few things you should keep in mind, the first is the futon you get, make sure to research what the base of the futon is made out of and if it distributes weight properly.
A futon made out of high-quality materials will cost you an average of $500, this is around the same price that a quality mattress will cost you so you aren’t losing out on money when buying a futon instead of a bed.
Another thing you should keep in mind when buying a futon is the firmness of the futon. Most of the futons on the cheaper end of the $300 – $1000 scale will be quite firm, this is fine if you don’t mind sleeping on firm beds.
However, if you aren’t a fan of sleeping on firm beds and want something a little softer you may have to spend a little more towards the higher end of that scale. Some futons come with a medium-firm mattress that is a little softer than a firm mattress but still firmer than most bed mattresses.
You can also get futons that have a memory foam mattress instead, these are better for people who aren’t a fan of firm mattresses as memory foam can shape itself around your body and sleeping position.
If you are still unsatisfied with the firmness of your futon then there are some ways that can be helped. You could for instance purchase a mattress topper.
All normal mattresses toppers will fit the same size futon as futons come in mattress sizes, they will provide you with a base to sleep on that will be softer than the default base of the firm futon.
