Coming all the way from the distant lands of Japan, the futon, a traditional style of bedding lasting since centuries in the East, is now coming to the West in an incredibly popular fashion. You probably already know what we are referring to, as you have most likely seen a futon somewhere in a movie, picture, or by yourself. The futon consists of a mattress traditionally placed on the floor without any frame, used at night, and then plaid and aired in the sun daily or very often to prevent mold development.
Despite Japanese being a fascinating culture, we will not talk about this specific type of futon in our review: occidental futons differ greatly from the Asian counterpart. First of all, because they share the shape and dimensions of a traditional Western mattress, then because they are usually too thick to be folded and aired every day after a night of sleep.
Futons are also called “sofa beds”, as mattresses are quite often folded on top of a sofa; they can alternatively be positioned flat on a bed and are perfect to be used for your guests. They come in a great variety of sizes and materials.
Choose Your Best Rated Futon Mattress in 2023
DHP 8-Inch Independently Encased Coil Futon Mattress
Overview
Thick, firm, and comfortable, the DHP futon fits on every frame and will be just perfect for sleeping. It also makes up for a very nice and luxurious sofa or couch, as the covering is soft and attractive.
- Price Range: $200 – $500
- Mattress Type: Memory Foam
- Firmness: Medium
- Warranty: N/A
Pros and Cons
+ Made of high-quality pocket coils.
+ Super fast shipping. As it sells online only, this is a worth mentioning factor.
– The warranty is not made available immediately.
Description
The futon is pretty simple, as it is only made of a cover and a seat cushion. Nonetheless, they are designed with great materials that will guarantee its long-lasting effects. The cover is made of microfiber and feels extremely soft at the touch, while the mattress itself is made of pocket coils that grant ultra support to your body while sleeping.
What Makes It Good
Even if it’s not often used as a mattress for a master bedroom, after a few nights sleeping on it, you will realize how for such a price, you got a futon as comfortable as some average mattresses on the market. This is because it is not only soft but also firm enough for your body movements to be sustained throughout the whole night: the next morning, you’ll wake up feeling as fresh as a daisy.
Kodiak Best Futon Lounger Mattress
Overview
Available on 6 different colors, the Kodiak is a great way to change your decor and apply it to a sofa or your bed.
- Price Range: $200 – $500
- Mattress Type: Foam
- Firmness: Medium
- Warranty: 1 year
Pros and Cons
+ The futon includes the pillow and pillow cover, and they are movable since not attached to the futon itself.
+ Versatile and easy to create different styles using various colors and pillows.
– The futon comes without a frame.
Description
The mattress is made of 80% blended cotton and 20% polyurethane foam, no waterproof, while the suede finish is 100% polyester blend. The futon meets and exceeds rigorous CA117 fire safety tests, and the materials are of superior quality.
What Makes It Good
It is very versatile and works wonders with a frame from the same manufacturer, so if you already own one, then going for this futon will be a perfect choice. If you don’t, you can check online as it is selling separately from the mattress.
Nirvana Futons Extra Thick Loveseat Futon Mattress
Overview
This made in the USA futon is made of high-quality foam and poly-cotton fill to provide superior comfort and support. Upholstered in colored twill fabric and natural-colored tufts, it comes with a cover for a clear luxury look.
- Price Range: $200 – $500
- Mattress Type: Foam
- Firmness: Medium
- Warranty: 3 years
Pros and Cons
+ 3 years of warranty is something unmatched for the majority of other futons on the market, a very important aspect to keep in mind.
+ The premium natural cotton is used specifically to reduce moisture and maintain an appropriate temperature.
– The futon’s cover is non-removable.
Description
The Nirvana Futon consists of a multi-layered, high-density block, which provides uniformity and great comfort to your body, as well as support for your spine and correct sleeping posture. It is designed to stand the test of time and will prove excellent in durability and longevity.
What Makes It Good
The look from the Nirvana futon is clean and luxurious while not putting aside comfort and softness. In fact, it’s totally the opposite: it will feel wonderful to sleep on it for both children and adults.
Artvia Home Deluxe Futon Sofa Mattress
Overview
100% made in the USA, the Artiva US company presents this memory foam futon mattress available in different colors. Perfect for both children or guest beds, as well as living room sofas and more.
- Price Range: $200 – $500
- Mattress Type: Memory Foam
- Firmness: Medium
- Warranty: 1 year
Pros and Cons
+ Thick and firm as much as necessary. Not too much, but enough to give comfort to your body while sleeping on it.
– The frame is not included.
Description
The mattress is 8 inches tall and designed to be perfect for both sleeping or sitting on it. It is made with quality cotton, foam, and fiber for the best comfort you can imagine. It features a tufting providing strong support so that your body will feel relaxed on it.
What Makes It Good
Stylish and modern, the futon is impressive, especially for the quality of its materials. It isn’t much heavy, and it can also be flipped for a change in color so that if you want a change in the bedroom or living room, you don’t have to buy a new one.
Mozaic Full Size Cotton Twill Gel Futon Mattress
Overview
The Mozaic Futon is made of high-quality memory foam available on the dual side option so that it can be flipped as soon as you feel it is wearing out.
- Price Range: $200 – $500
- Mattress Type: Memory Foam
- Firmness: Medium
- Warranty: 1 year
Pros and Cons
- It comes in a standard size, so it fits all kinds of frames.
- Reversible futon to make it even more durable.
- It will take several days for the futon to acquire its correct loft.
Description
The futon comes in the classical standard full size, meaning 75×54 and 8 inches tall. The futon is made of a 1-inch Visco memory foam, three pieces of 1-inch polyurethane foam, and a durable poly-cotton cover. This futon’s cover is of the best quality and is available in different colors. As previously mentioned, it is reversible and perfect to be used either as an upright sofa position or flat on a bed.
What Makes It Good
It is proudly made in the USA and follows all the necessary guidelines to provide a safe, healthy, and comfortable product. It is made in a safe and responsible environment and will be shipped to you in very quick times.
Types of Futons
As you can see from the list above, futons are highly versatile and can be used in different locations, positions, and with different aims. There are no definite types of futon, as the biggest difference is represented by the size of it. As we will see in the paragraph below, they may highly vary in size depending on their company producing them. Generally speaking, you’ll see standard futons then accompanied by several different versions of the same futon but bigger or smaller to fit every possible frame.
Apart from size, futons on the market are generally distinguished in two categories: Japanese style and American style. We briefly covered the first one in the introduction to our article, saying that it is still used in that country as the primary way of sleeping. The futon is placed inside, on the floor, without any kind of frame supporting it, and will be picked up, folded, and sometimes aired outside in the morning.
The American, or Western version, instead, works a little bit differently. It is not used as the primary way of sleeping and can be usually applied to both a bed or a couch. The major difference is that it has to be used with a frame (bear in mind that they are typically sold separately) and doesn’t need to be picked up and aired, or washed every morning.
How to Pick Your Best Futon Mattress for Sleeping
You will probably be the one sleeping on that futon, or alternatively, your guests will, so you must find something which suits you and your sleeping habits and positions. Here are a few aspects to have in mind in order to pick a futon mattress you’ll love.
- Firmness. Are you a heavy sleeper? Do you sleep on your side or on your back? Your answers to these and other questions are fundamental in understanding whether you will need a soft, medium, or firm mattress. Average sleepers usually choose a level of firmness around 6.5 points, but certain conditions or ways of sleeping might push you to choose a more or less firm mattress than that.
- What the layers are made of. Typically, the most comfortable futon mattresses are made of foam; however, foam is never the same for every product: organic, made of cotton, thicker… The possibilities are near endless. It’s up to you choosing which material feels better for your body.
- Size. Futons come in all shapes and forms. Typically, king size futon mattresses are the most common since they are perfect either you sleep alone, with a partner, or even earmark them for your guests. A king-size is not the only option, of course. Generally, you will be able to choose from about four, five, or even six or more different bed sizes.
As futons are often sold separately from their frames, you have to be extra careful when buying one because you need to make sure the futon you are buying will be compatible with the foundation you already own, or vice versa. The best futons, however, come in a standard size, so you shouldn’t worry too much.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Best Futon Mattresses
As it is for every product, a futon mattress will excel at some things but be pretty disadvantageous when it comes to some others. Let’s see some pros and cons together.
+ Ultimate flexibility. Futon mattresses are the kings of space and utility flexibility. They don’t take up too much space and can be used for everything: cover a sofa and have a comfortable place to rest, convert it easily and quickly into your bed or a guest’s bed. If you don’t have much space at home or, even better, live in a dorm, then the futon is something you should really consider.
+ Speaking of guests, you can offer them a good and incredibly comfortable night of rest simply thanks to your futon. As the materials are high quality but the price is kept at a very good level, you will have a premium product to offer to your guests without having to spend your whole life time saving on it.
+ Cost. For those on a budget but wanting to upgrade their nights of sleep to a new, better level, the futon is perfect. It costs way less than an average mattress but offers nonetheless a very good quality.
– Not the “best of the best” quality, however. In terms of comfort and responsiveness, they are great but still a no match to those luxury ones available on the market for around $1000.
– Durability. Contrary to standard mattresses, futons last much less and will need to be replaced after just a few years (around 5) compared to the 7/10 of the standard ones.
– Temperature. Futons don’t feature any temperature control and coolness technology and, because of that, tend to absorb the heat. At best, a futon mattress won’t keep you cool but simply at a room temperature level.
Conclusion
If, after our futon mattress review, you are still wondering whether you should buy one or not, we may conclude our review with a final comment: look at your life and ask yourself questions. Are you sleeping poorly but have a limited budget? Is the space in your room or house quite little? Are you looking for a solution to the guest room you have to remodel? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then probably a futon mattress is the right choice for you.
Comfortable, supportive, made of high-quality materials, and at a very affordable price, the futon has nothing to fear against the competition offered by standard and luxurious mattresses. What are you waiting for? Futon mattress stores are everywhere, including on Amazon.
