Best Futon Mattress

Maybe you spilled something on it. Maybe it is getting worn down. Maybe it ripped. For whatever reason, you need to replace your futon mattress, but you’re not sure if you can. The good news is you absolutely can. The better news is that you have a great many options out there.

How does one go about choosing the right futon mattress? Do you want something with extra height, or something thin and more like the mattress which likely originally came with your futon. No matter what you may want, there are multiple options to consider. Let’s take a look at some of the best.

Best Futon Mattress

What is a Futon?

The futon wasn’t just invented to fill basements and door rooms. It’s been around for a long time, with the name representing various things. The word futon stems from the Japanese word for “bed.” Well, it doesn’t stem from it so much as it is it. Organic Japanese beds, however, aren’t quite like futons. They’re made up of three parts: A pad on which to sleep, a blanket which covers you and a pillow. The sleeping pad is what has developed over time into the more modern futon.

If asked to describe a futon, most people would probably say it’s a couch with a thick cushion which can be converted into a bed. On this, they would be absolutely correct. However, there is even variation among these. Many futons now aren’t pads on a frame, but a mattress with its own legs, leaving the frame behind which you can have for daily use.

What it is and isn’t is not quite as important as understanding what the definition means to you and what you want out of a good futon. Chances are, since you’re looking for just a mattress, you somehow damaged yours, either through wear and tear or an accident. Keep in mind what happened to your old one as you head toward making a selection on something brand new.

Why a Futon?

Before we get to the reviews, let’s consider for a minute why one may want to continue using a futon over getting a normal bed or mattress situation. First and foremost, I think the primary benefits to having a futon are space and utility. These are basically the same thing, so I’ve put them together.

Being able to transform your couch into your sleeping area and back again means you have additional room for other activities. If you live in a studio apartment, for instance, you gain much more space than if you had a permanent bed. This also makes it easier to entertain guests. On the guest front, a futon also makes a great guest bed. In an office, for instance, a futon gives you a space for guests to sit, but can turn into a bed for them when sleepy times come around.

Another great benefit to the futon is cost. While the price of mattresses has dropped in recent years thanks to manufacturers being able to sell directly to consumers through the Internet, they still don’t compare to what it costs to get a good futon. A top-notch futon with a great futon mattress will typically only run a couple hundred dollars. A mattress, however, is rarely found below several hundred dollars, depending on the size you want.

What are the Options?

In the same way the mattress market it is incredibly varied, the futon mattress market is loaded with different things you may want. You can go with memory foam or springs. You can go tall or thick. You can keep it simple or get something super fancy. It really is going to depend on your personal style and what you’re used to.

Someone used to sleeping on a bed, for instance, may appreciate a futon mattress with a little more give to it, especially for back pain or for a heavy person. Something with a lot of springs isn’t going to have that sinking sensation you can achieve in a mattress, especially one with memory foam. On the other hand, somebody used to sleeping on a firm mattress, or even on the floor, might want a thin mattress to better take advantage of the solid base.

You might be interested in: Sleeping on the Floor: Bad or Good?

There are also other qualities associated with the different types of mattress. A 100 percent cotton mattress is going to the most flexible, the least rigid, the firmest and nearly the heaviest, assuming a thickness of at least six inches, which is recommended. A similar sized mattress using cotton and foam will be much lighter, but will also be quite rigid.

What to Look For

To achieve maximum comfort, you should aim for a mattress which is at least six inches thick. If you only have a futon with a bi-fold frame, eight inches is more ideal. Anything thinner should be used for sleeping on the floor. Obviously, the preference factor comes into play, as well. If you like a thin mattress, by all means, go for it, but you may find yourself feeling uncomfortable in the long run.

If memory foam is involved, make sure it’s of a decent density. Memory foam should be around four pounds per cubic foot while regular foam should run between a density of 1.5 to 2.5 pounds per cubic foot. Higher densities don’t necessarily mean more comfort, but they do mean longer lasting. The higher density, the better quality the foam, the longer it can take a beating without getting worn out. If you can find a futon mattress that good for both sitting and sleeping, then you’ve won.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at some top rated mattresses you may want to consider if you’re in the market to make your futon a little more comfortable.

The Verdict

Now that we have all this information, it’s time to figure out which of these are the best futon mattress for your frame or situation. Considering we’re looking at replacing a futon mattress, I would likely rule out the floor futons. This is, of course, only assuming the idea is to keep the futon so it can be used as a couch. If not, I would probably get the D&D Futon Factory mattress. The benefits of sleeping on the ground are many, and it seems like a comfortable option, though the EMOOR mattress also seems good. Fortunately, I don’t have to decide right now.

For pure futon purposes, meaning you’re going to use it as a couch and as a bed, the winner goes to the DHP futon mattress. It has 522 independently encased coils, which is more than any of the other items at which we’ve looked. The height is just right, making sure it can bend and move as needed without being too thick. Finally, it’s the least expensive option of the more mattress-like futon mattresses. The warranty on it isn’t so hot, only lasting for a single year as compared to the five years offered by the Futon Factory. This is better than none, though.

Truthfully, any of these would be a safe bet if your futon mattress needs to be replaced in a pinch, and each has their own redeeming qualities. For today, however, by all the information presented, I feel the DHP futon mattress takes home all the marbles.