What is a Futon?

The name 'Futon' actually refers to the style of mattress. These mattresses have been used in Japan for thousands of years as their main form of bedding. The Japanese futon is very thin and is padded with approximately 5 centimetres of cotton, making it quite hard to sleep on.

During the day the Futon was usually rolled up and stored in a cupboard because most Japanese dwellings did not have the luxury of dedicated bedrooms for people to sleep in.

The Western Futon

Here in the West we generally do have separate bedrooms so our beds do not need to be rolled up out of the way every morning. This means our Futons can be a lot thicker and more comfortable with the addition of Foam, Wool and even Latex in them. We have found that a 12.5 centimetre thick Futon is quite adequate, while an 18 centimetre Futon will provide optimal comfort.

Because we do not need to roll up our Futons every morning we need to support them on a slatted base so air will flow around them and help to prevent any moisture problems. This has led to the Western 'mattress and base' version of the Futon bed we have been manufacturing and selling to the public for over TEN years.

The Futon Base

The Futon base is just as important as the mattress. It must look great, be built to last with high quality materials and be easy to assemble or dismantle. If a Futon base requires a set of instructions or a box of tools to put together then it is badly designed and constructed.

The true test of a good Futon base is in it's strength and durabilty. These are not always easy to determine at time of purchase so the guarantee that comes with your bed is very important. We think our guarantee is the best in the world and reflects the confidence we have in our products.