Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with futon

Where in Europe can I buy a Japanese futon?

westerly — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:49:15 -0800

Where in Europe can I buy a Japanese-style cotton futon? There used to be a company in Scotland called Mariko-san who made these (I have one). They still exist on the Internet Archive, but that isn't quite the level of physical reality I was hoping for.

Mine is old and gross. It's about 3-4cm thick and heavy. Those I can find on American websites are bloated, inches-thick things trying to mimic mattresses. Shipping from Japan is too expensive for me. Where can I buy a new one, or would it be practical to make one?

I do not want a Western-style futon-on-a-slat-bed, even without the slat bed. They are like sleeping on a pile of badly-stuffed teddy bears.

You can't give this stuff away. Literally.

Robson — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:52:45 -0800

I'm moving on Sunday, and all efforts to sell (or give away) my bed and futon/couch have failed. There's no room for them in my new apartment. What should I do with them?

If we sleep on this, will we not fall?

ManInSuit — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:39:09 -0800

We have put a futon on top of a (very crappy) mattress base. Is this a bad idea? Mrs ManInSuit and I have been sleeping on an awful futon on the floor for a few years. Recently, we decided to change things so that we can sleep on an awful futon raised off the floor (mostly so we can store stuff under it)

We went to Ikea and got a metal bed frame (Hajdeby) and what they call a "matress base" or "foundation" in the flier, but the sales guy called a "box spring". (It is called a "Jonaker foundation" in the flier we have. It looks a bit like this but is even cheaper. None of the stuff we bought seems to be findable online, like we got the stuff too crappy for Ikea to speak about in public...)

Now we are going to throw our futon on top of it. But... It looks like it's just a few not-so-strong slats holding this thing up. I can see how this might work better w. an actual mattress, which distributes the weight well, but maybe less well w. a futon, which doesn't.

Does anyone know? Is it a bad idea to put a futon on top of something like this? Are we just dizzy from the altitude? Any ideas, suggestions, ill-formed opinions more than welcome.

Wood Futon Frame Plans

gzimmer — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:59:14 -0800

Looking for plans to build a futon frame out of wood. I bought a crappy used futon and paid to much. Unsurprisingly, after heavy use as a bed, there were too many points of failure for me to continue to "repair" it. I'm rather attached to the mattress though, since it's fairly comfortable (and the only thing keeping me from sleeping on the floor ATM).

I'm living with several people who have built their own lofts for their beds, so I'm not completely new to "carpentry", but the only plans I've found online have been rather unnecessarily complex and made for experienced woodworkers with far more tools than at my disposal.

Can anyone direct me to some straightfoward, barebones, stupid easy futon plans?

Stupid Futon problem

storybored — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:56:39 -0800

Help me with my stupid futon mattress. When in 'sofa' mode, the futon mattress keeps slipping down. People who come to visit end up having their legs sticking out like little children when they sit down because the mattress extends out pas the edge of the frame. Very embarrassing. How do i stop the mattress from slipping so that people can once again put their feet on the ground? Also, I don't want a new futon. This one is the right size and everything. It's just the slipping thing....Thanks for any advice.

Is there a futon that provides good support?

arnicae — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:21:13 -0800

Futonfilter: Does a futon exist with good support? My current one needs to be flipped at least weekly and beaten (no joke) to keep the Grand Canyon from yawning into existance at night. We have a queen futon place directly on the floor in a sleeping loft. For now, any replacement mattress must be able to be rolled/folded and pushed up a ladder through a 4x2 hole to get up to the loft, but we're interested in information for the future as well.

We have a ~$120 futon. We've had it for a while but it was used as a guest bed (and rarely sat/slept on) until this year. I can sleep on anything, but my partner has problems with the futon developing large craters that he falls into and wakes up with aches and pains.

We try to flip it on a regular basis and my partner beats it with a broom while I hold it up to redistribute the stuff inside the futon.

Any ideas? Is there a futon that has support? Should we be considering the rolled up latex mattresses from Ikea? thanks

I love the smell of a damp futon in the morning ... wait, no I don't.

I Said, I've Got A Big Stick — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:01:43 -0800

I just discovered an absent-minded guest left a damp towel on top of my futon, which of course got the futon damp. It was there about a day before I discovered it, and now both the towel and the futon have a very slight musty smell. I figure I can run the towel and the futon cover through the wash with some baking soda or something to get rid of the smell there, but I'm concerned about the futon (which is cotton with a foam core). Should I just let it finish drying out and hope for the best, or is there something I can do now to prevent a lingering odor and/or futon ickyness?

Albany bed

Jaltcoh — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:06:30 -0800

I'm moving to Albany, NY, and I'm trying to figure out the most practical way to set up a place to sleep in my apartment (bed, futon, or mattress) as quickly and easily as possible. I'm going to be moving to downtown Albany, NY in a few weeks, and I'm trying to figure out how to have a bed in my apartment ASAP after I get there. This could be just a mattress or a futon. I'll be moving into my apartment as soon as I get into town. I won't have a car.

So my question is: what's the quickest, simplest way to do this? Should I call someplace in advance and have them deliver it to my apartment the day I arrive? Should I just head over to a store the first full day I'm in town? Any specific store recommendations?

I can bring a sleeping bag to tide myself over the first night I'm there, but I'd like to have a real bed (or a least a mattress) by the second night.

I want to spend the absolute minimum amount of time and effort on this, as I'm going to be taking the bar exam a few days after I arrive. Also, since I want it to be as hassle- and risk-free as possible, I want to avoid makeshift options like Craigslist.

(I have searched on Google and Google Maps for things like "bed," "futon," and "mattress" along with "Albany," but it's really haphazard. Many places have almost no information beyond a phone number and address, and the first place I tried to call seemed to be out of business.)

Bed for a nomadic lifestyle?

SampleSize — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:31:29 -0800

I'm about to embark on a nomadic lifestyle for, I believe, a few years. I will be spending in the neighborhood of 3-6 months at a time in various places, renting rooms, subletting, etc. What do I do about a bed? Maybe some of the places I stay will be furnished, but some will likely not. I know I could go the futon or Aerobed route, but both sound a bit uncomfortable for my 34-year-old body. Also, if I should ever have a lady over (hey, it could happen...maybe), futon kinda screams "college dropout" a little louder than I would like; An Aerobed even moreso.

So, any alternatives?

searching for a small foldout couch/futon

waylaid — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:29:34 -0800

I'm looking for a small, comfortable couch futon that converts into a small fold out bed. I live in a small basement studio and space is at a premium. I'd like one no wider than 45 inches, that can unfold to a small bed, and that sits at a high level (no ground level ikea futons) Target has this futon, which is sort of ideal. I'd like one that folds outwards even more. However, every futon I look at is at least 5 feet plus, which is too wide for the narrow space I have. Any idea, MeFi-ites?

It is firm. We must break its spirit.

rbs — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:33:29 -0800

How can we make a futon mattress stay folded? My girlfriend just bought a really nice futon frame and mattress. It's firm and comfortable and wonderful. The only problem is that the futon doesn't like to fold into couch mode. If we press it down and sit on it, it's comfortable, but when we stand up, it'll pop back out.

How can we break its spirit?

How can I make a futon mattress for 100$ or less?

Obscurum — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:28:22 -0800

How do I go about making a futon mattress or something close to that on a 100$ budget? Ok here is my dilemma, recently I had to make a big move to a new apartment.
Sadly I got myself in over my head in debt doing so and have lost a lot of my bigger furniture in process. I'm stuck in a very small studio now and on top of that I'm broke.
After looking at how long it will take me to pay off my two credit cards it will be a good 6 months before I can afford to go out and buy a nice proper bed.
I have looked and looked for people selling used futons and so far they all want more then 100$ and I'm just not going to part with that much for a used one if I can avoid it.

At first I thought an airbed would work but it's just not holding up to time.
I got a rather nice one for about 75$ two months ago but it sprang two leeks after the first month. I was able to patch them up and keep it up ok until a friend sat on it tonight and it somewhat exploded. Seeing as there is now about a 7 inch hole I don't think it's fixable.

I was going to just go out and buy a new one but then that's 75$ more down the drain.
Plus I'm sure it will just die like the last one in a month or two.

This got me thinking, how hard would it be to make a makeshift full bed?
I know there is a store that sells zip up futon mattress covers for around 15-20$.
And they look like I could stuff them and make one out of them.
So that just leaves the question of could I find a material to fill it with to work as a bed?
I'd have about 80$ to spend on stuffing for it or so.
Is there any cheap material I could use to stuff it with that would be livable to sleep on for the next 3-6 months?
Or am I doomed to just go get a new airbed and be stuck plunking down the 75$ ever 2-3 months for a new one.

How can we recycle a used futon? (in Toronto)

winston — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:56:34 -0800

How to recycle a futon mattress (in Toronto)? It's had daily use for 15 years so it's at the end of it's ability to be a comfortable bed or sofa. Used stuffing can't legally be used in stuffed products for sale. But surely it's good for something (anyone need a bunch of dog beds?). It's 8 inches thick and IIRC there's three layers of cotton alternating with two layers of foam. It's a really big thing to be sending to the landfill. We don't really have the space to have it hanging around (The new sofa's already here. The two of them take up almost the entire living room. We have no storage space.) so solutions that use it up bit-by-bit probably won't work for us (but might be helpful for others reading the thread).

Any suggestions?

milarepa — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:29:08 -0800

I am looking for the sort of futon frame that closely resembles a pallet used by a forklift. They sit very low to the ground (~8 inches) and essentially consist of horizontal slats raised off the ground a bit. Does anyone know where I can find one, preferably in New York? I used to see these around everywhere, but can't seem to find them now. I know they are not hard to build, and I would build one, really I would, but trust me I have nowhere to build it. So, with that option thrown out, can you suggest where I could buy one pre-manufactured? If that option falls through, I'll find someone to build it for me, but I'd like to avoid that if possible.

Can I get a new mattress for my Ikea kids bed?

dhacker — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:19:15 -0800

Can you recommend a new mattress for this kid's bed from Ikea? We have one these beds which is a great and interesting design. The mattress, however, is an odd size and not very comfortable. What's my best bet for getting a new one? A custom made futon? Where can I get on in Western Mass? Something else?

New futon mattress help.

pieoverdone — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:15:56 -0800

In 2000 I bought a really sweet mission style futon frame, but with a totally shoddy mattress. Time for a new one. The current one is basically just fill stuffed into a cover. To make it bearable I’ve duct taped a featherbed cover to it and wrapped that up in another cover and put a fitted full sheet on top of it for aesthetics. It’s time for a new one and I need personal recommendations. I’ll need a full size one that will get equal use as a couch in folded position as well as flat like a bed. What’s best, foam or springs? How do the spring filled ones hold up being folded for a long period of time? Who on the intertubes will deliver for cheap/free? I heart my futon and want the new mattress to last quite a while. Thanks in advance for answering the question at hand and not suggesting I spent the money on a couch or a bed.

C-c-c-c-old F-f-f-futon

DrSkrud — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 16:10:15 -0800

I sleep on a futon mattress directly on the (carpeted) floor, in the basement. I think the coldness of winter seeps through the basement floor and into my mattress. How can I keep from freezing when I want to get to sleep? I have a very good, thick, down blanket, so that's not the issue. The problem is that the mattress itself is always cold. Even after being under the covers for a while, if I shift or move on the mattress, the new spot is inevitably cold again.

Does anyone know how to keep my futon warmer? Can I put some insulation between the mattress and the floor? If so, what can I use as insulation?

How can I make my sleeping (read crappy-futon) experience more comfortable?

sunshinesky — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 14:09:26 -0800

Comfortfilter: Help me sleep better- My futon is old, lumpy and I am currently too broke to replace it. My boyfriend and I share a double futon that is just killing us.

We went so far as to dismantle the structural part of the futon and now sleep with the mattress on the floor. This solved the problem of the beams crooking our backs, but we find that even on the floor, we wake up sore and unrested.

I assume this is because the 'ditch' in the mattress that forces both uncomfortably into the middle. Not to mention other lumps and humps.

I've tried heckling it, I've tried jeckling it and I've flipped, turned and jumped on the matress at great length.

What will help us be more comfortable, save buying a whole new bed? Is there some way to loosen and manipulate the innards of the matress? Some crazy pillow technique?

Any advice appreciated!

The princess and the lumpy futon mattress that could easily hide a thousand peas.

anjamu — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:13:08 -0800

Help me find a cheap fix for a lumpy futon mattress. As it happened, my "furnished" sublet didn't come with a bed for me, so for the next four months I'm set to sleep on an old futon of my roommate's.

However, the mattress is quite lumpy, and probably wasn't that comfy even when new. I'm a student, and too poor as a matter of course to buy a whole new mattress.

Which leads me to my question: what brand/style of mattress topper is both comfy and cheap?

Can a queen futon fit in a car

amtho — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 07:29:40 -0800

Can a queen-sized futon fit in a car? I've found someone willing to take my futon (not the frame), but they say the "only have cars" and are wondering if it will fit. I think I've fit a new queen-sized futon in the back seat of my 4-door Saturn, but it's been a while.

Also, any tips for getting the futon downstairs and into the car would be most welcome. We'll probably fold it in half & use rope to tie it up, then hold the rope for carrying, but it's still a very awkward load.

Where's the best place to get furniture online?

petah — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 14:06:33 -0800

Where's the best place to get furniture online? I'm looking to get a cheap couch/futon contraption for around 150-200 dollars, and so far I'm looking at kmart.com. I don't know where else to look.

What are some alternatives to futons?

CunningLinguist — Sat, 22 Jan 2005 04:32:51 -0800

Futon mattress alternatives? I have a lovely futon frame with a nasty lumpy old futon mattress. I'd like to get rid of the mattress and keep the frame, using it with my air mattress for overnight guests. Does anyone make sofa-type cushions that I could put on the frame to make it more of a couch? Could I make them myself? (+) I'd love a new couch, but they are expensive and I don't have room for both a sofa and the futon frame. Couldn't I get seat and back cushions and turn it into a couch? Googling just brings up throw pillows. I did find a site that offers custom cushions, but it seemed to be more for boats and RVs and I was scared off by highly technical foam choices. I could just get a new futon, but I'm sick of the way they look and would prefer something that looked more upholstered. Any ideas?

Futon mattress advice

ParisParamus — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 17:17:39 -0800

I am in the market for a new, fairly high-end futon mattress for my platform bed. I'm not particularly happy that the last one I bought lost its firm-yet-comfortable futon feel (and compressed) in about five years. Having searched the web and found no guidance, I was hoping the Mefi community might have some wisdom on the subject?

Choosing a Futon

nixxon — Thu, 13 May 2004 08:31:49 -0800

Futon advice needed. I'm looking for a good futon mattress, preferably king-size, to use as an every day bed. Price is a factor, but I'm looking for something that will remain comfortable and thick for years of peaceful snoozing. Google gives lots of options, ranging from crappy looking $400 mattresses to $2000+ ‘organic’ mattresses that seem like overkill to me.

Any pointers on what to look for or what to avoid? Are there specific brands that people have had good (or bad) experiences with?