Underground Journal

The Kings of Your Sleeping Nights: Futons and Latex Mattresses

The futon has enjoyed a stellar reputation as a space saving, multifunctional piece of furniture in American lives. It is trendy, has clean, modern lines and gives endless choices for versatility to the homeowner who needs a little change in their decor every once in a while.

Futon beds are no longer just the big, clunky wooden frames or hollow metal constructions that they once were. Sleek futon frames with subtle (and removable) legs covered in microfiber adorn many living room spaces and easily convert to extra sleeping space for guests. Some of these more modern futon beds come with fold out trays and have a clickable adjustment mechanism to place the chair into several reclining positions or lay in flat as a bed.

As a $700 million annual industry, futons show no sign of fading to the background. Demand is steadily increasing and designers are still coming up with new patterns and textures made exclusively for the futon.

The futon mattress seems to have gone through several incarnations since the futon became popular in the U.S. a few decades ago. Filled with layers of foam and batting, the mattress has seen a significant increase in thickness over time. Most U.S. futon mattresses are about the thickness of a twin bed mattress.

Futons used to have mattresses were detachable from the frame. While these still exist, most contemporary Western futons are made with mattresses permanently attached. The futon can be “let out” by adjusting the back of the futon sofa and lowering it. The Japanese futon – the original futon – still often uses the detachable mattress concept and folds into a sitting space during the day.

Some who have invested in low end futons have complained about being able to feel the long piece of wood along the futon mattress when they lay on it. This piece of wood is the component that enables the futon to fold, so there is no getting rid of it. High end futon manufacturers have gotten around this design challenge by creating a thicker mattress.

One solution for low end owners is to make sure that you also purchase a memory foam topper for the futon. It will cost you additional money, but it will make a comfortable sleeping space for your extra family and guests. Although some keep the low end futons for decor purposes or because they attach some sentimental value to it, it defeats the act of bargain buying to have to buy so many other accessories in order to enjoy a futon. It is a better buy in the long run to simply purchase a high end frame that will not hurt your back.

The fact that the futon can be altered in many ways to fit sleeping and decorating preferences means the market has exploded with design possibilities. The futon cover, for example, can be made of almost any material imaginable, in any print and any color.

Futon covers have a practical purpose: they help preserve the life of the foam and batting inside the mattress. It is very easy to have accidental spills on a futon. Simply wiping the spill up does not always protect the material that inside the mattress. Foam and cotton are quite absorbent; sometimes no amount of pressured blotting will prevent the spill from soaking to the core of the mattress.

The option for covers that go on futons ranges from allergenic to waterproof to mold-proof. You can choose the protection that is most important to you and your family. Futon covers range in price from about $40 to $250, depending on the durability and brand. Some top-name designer brands with high quality leather have gone for as much as $500 – which is, for some, more than the cost of the futon.

If you are the kind of homeowner who likes to change the curtains and rugs every few months just to mix up the design a little and give it a fresh approach, the alternative futon cover will fit perfectly into your decor habits. For a very reasonable price, you could make everyone believe that you broke a meaningful sweat “upgrading” your futon and room accessories.

For those who resist changing the look of futons and like the same cover, there is an simple way to tell when it is time to get a new cover: look for holes, rips and tears, especially right around the zipper or corners. No matter how much you would like to hold on to a worn futon cover for its color, it is never a good thing for the life of your chair. Keeping the cover after discovering holes exposes your futon to moisture and potential mold and creates more wear and tear on your mattress. Shop for a new futon cover that is the same color. Perhaps it will not match your original choice exactly, but it will lengthen the life of your chair.

It is important when you shop for a futon cover to know the size of your futon mattress. Covers tend to run a little large, but you need almost an exact fit in order to make sure the cover has enough give to not stress the seaming, but not so much that the cover slides when you sit on it or appears sloppy and wrinkled when you are not sitting on it. Nothing can ugly up a beautifully decorated room in a house quicker than a baggy or saggy chair. No matter what else in the room is gorgeous, the conversation piece will be the eyesore (when the owner is not around, of course).

Becoming a futon owner could be one of the simplest joys of decorating. With futons, there is an ease of style that encourages relaxation and exchanges that do not have to be so formal. Hosts can also relax about their design choices, too, when it comes to the futon. Rarely is any choice for designing a futon a bad choice. Any kind of wild pattern, texture or color decision you can make will hit the mark.

Find articles about choosing a Latex Mattress at the Latex Mattress Center.

(0) Comments Permalink