Futon bed

The futon originally comes from Japan where it is nothing more than a cross between a mattress and a quilt that can be folded up and stored when not in use. These “proper” futons enabled a sleeping surface to be quickly created and removed allowing a room to be multi-functional, i.e. not just a bedroom.

The Western futon is very different. See below.

The Futon (in Europe and the USA etc)

In the west the futon has developed somewhat from the basic Japanese version. The big difference is that - rather than simply fold the futon bed away for storage when not in use, it is transformed into another item of furniture like a chair or a sofa.

Western futons are not only comprised of a foldable mattress, but also a steel or wooden frame and it is the way that this frame and mattress combination work together that is important.

The frame can be arranged or configured in two different settings. The first sees it set-up as a seat (be it a single chair or a sofa), whilst the second sees a transformation into a horizontal bed.

It is this multi-purpose function that has made the futon so popular and so versatile and as a result it has become a big seller.

Where to use a futon

The futon is a brilliant temporary solution if you want to ensure that you can always offer a bed at short notice to a friend or family member. Furthermore, because the futon looks like a chair (if it is in a single bed format) or a sofa (if it is in a double bed format) it can be placed in any room of the home. This means that you can use the futon as a chair in a bedroom, a living room, a dining room, a study or any other space in a house.

When the futon is required as a bed it can be transformed in less than a minute and the extra sleeping capacity that you want is provided. All it needs is a pillow and some bedding and it is ready to sleep on.

Different types of futon

The futon comes in many shapes and forms from the simple to the much more elaborate.

The basic futon is normally in a single bed format and it has a very basic frame (usually wood) that enables it to transform into a simple armless chair.

Many of the more expensive futons convert into double beds and they are often referred to as sofa beds. These sofa beds can be simple in appearance and mechanism, or they can look like normal sofas with moulded arms, twin cushions and a thick padded backrest.

With the more expensive sofa bed futons, cantilever mechanisms and side sprung mattresses open out to provide a large and comfortable bed that appears to pop out of the sofa. These sofa beds can be expensive, however they are indiscernible from regular sofas and this means that they can be used in any situation without detection.