Buying a Futon

Futons are fast becoming popular pieces of furniture because they do double duty – sofa and bed all in one, meaning they also save space in tight rooms. In shopping for a futon the most important thing to do is carefully check the framework. Ultimately, the frame of a futon determines its durability and strength.

It also reflects a specific style. Buying a futon with anything less than good hard wood (oak, ash, maple, for example) is asking for a short life span. Avoid alder and white pine, neither of which can handle the on-going conversion of a futon.

The Futon does double duty as both sofa and bed

Note – be sure that the foundation wood is throughout the frame – some manufacturers use lower quality wood on the back slats, which makes them susceptible to cracking.
Besides the wood, metal-to-metal connectors also extend the life expectancy of your purchase. Screws that go into the wood actually compromise the stability of the overall piece.

Once you’ve found well made frames you can consider the style. If you know you might need to use your futon in more than one room of the house, then look for a classic clean line that will fit in easily no matter the surroundings. This also begs the question of bi-folds or trifolds.

Far from boring, futons now come in an amazing array of styles

You’ll notice that the tri-fold sits differently against the wall, and uses the width of the mattress as the couch sitting space. The bi-fold uses the length of the mattress as the couch length. Which one works for your space depends much on the room and your needs.

What about the mattress? Overall you want at least 6” of padding to keep from being uncomfortable. The thicker your mattress, the longer it will last without getting lumpy. These will also cost a little more. In both cases cotton and foam blends are a good choice for overall longevity and adaptability. Cotton wool is also a good choice, but isn’t very flexible for the couch position.

Purchasing a Coffee Table
Coffee Tables serve a variety of functions beyond being a convenient surface. New styles, shapes and functionality features in coffee tables have been showing up in the furniture ...

Childrens Bedroom Furniture
As with anything else that touches your childs life, you want to assure comfort, safety, and too, you want to be certain that it can hold up to the...

Scratching Posts for Cats
Providing a scratching post for your cat is a super way to assure good health for the cat and for your furniture and sanity. Cats who use a good scratching post...