Have you ever slept or at least tried to sleep on a futon bed? You probably got up the next morning with a pain in your back or a sore shoulder. I bought a futon about fifteen years ago. I thought it was great in my little room. I had a couch to watch television and a bed all in one. That was until those sleepless nights. I don’t remember much from those days but what I do remember is DO NOT BUY A CHEAP FUTON! Futon beds can range in price anywhere from $99 to over a thousand dollars. Really it is pretty simple, the more you pay the more you sleep. And the less you pay the less you sleep. There are some beautifully made futons that have quite a hefty price tag and really you get what you pay for.
Futon beds are a great invention. They are great space savers and most of them are built quite nicely. The misconception the majority of people have about futon beds is that they are all uncomfortable. Most of those beds are indeed uncomfortable. They are not meant to be used as a replacement for a regular bed. Think of them as just an extra bed for company. There are some futon beds that actually are quite comfortable, they just cost more than there cheaper stereotypes. But the cheaper ones are great if you have company over and you need an extra bed for company to sleep. In this situation comfort isn’t really an issue, it is better than sleeping on the floor. But, if you are buying a futon bed that you will be sleeping in every night than it is best that you spend more money to sleep in comfort.
Futon beds were invented in Japan and were designed to be stored away in the closet when not in use. The whole idea of turning a bed into a couch was a western one and the western futon was also designed much larger than the Japanese one having more of a resemblance to a full sized mattress. The futons of these days have certainly come along way from those of the 70’s. Today they are more practical and there has been a lot of changes to give them added comfort. Basically a good rule of thumb is to pay somewhere in the middle of the price range depending on what it is being used for. If it will be used nightly spend a little more, but, if it’s only going to be used a couple of times a year, you are probably safe in shelling out less money.