Best place to buy a futon from in the UK

There are many shops on and offline that sell futons of all shapes and sizes but if you’re looking for the cheapest place to buy your new futon from then online is the best place to buy from.

Buying your new futon online will save you £’s compared to buying a futon from your local furniture or department store just choose your style, double or single, metal or wood constructed futon and then compare prices from a few futon companies. Futons are usually considerably cheaper than traditional sofa beds and best of all the range of covers and fabrics add a modern and stylish look to any room. Plus an added bonus with futons is the interchangeable covers so should you spill something that just won’t clean off or simply fancy a change of look just replace your futons cover with a new one, works out much cheaper than replacing a whole new sofa bed.

The most popular style of futon is the two seater or sometimes referred to as a twin seat futon. These two seater futons make great use of confined space yet are still large enough to provide comfortable seating for two adults as well as opening up to become a useable sofa bed size sleeping area. Futons are especially good for small apartments, bedsits, student dorm rooms, or as a guest bed in a spare room that can be quickly and easily converted to a bed for unexpected guests staying over.

Need to buy a futon in a hurry look for a futon company who carry a selection of futons in stock ready for immediate dispatch. Choose a futon that’s in stock and your
new futon could be with you in 2-3 days. Futon sofa beds that are already in stock are most likely available at very competitive prices because the retailers would much rather move stock on than have it sit around gathering dust.
Fabric choices for futons will affect the price you pay, choose a hard wearing but plain fabric as these will last longer and be cheaper to buy when compared to the cost of a more stylish but less hard wearing cover.

Traditional Sofa beds do differ from futons not just in looks but also in prices, traditionally sofa beds looked exactly the same as a standard sofa, but underneath the cushions they had a fold out metal frame which is reason for the extra costs. Plus most people will sleep better on a futon when compared to a normal sofa bed this is because of the futon mattresses which are much thicker and offer better support than the thin ones sofa beds use. Another point to note when comparing a futon to a sofa bed other than the actual price is the weight, the metal framed sofa beds are very heavy, buy a futon much cheaper and they are much more funky to look at.

What is a Futon?

Futon is the English name given to the Japanese traditional style of bedding known as “futon” Basically a traditional futon is the name given to Japanese bedding that consists of a padded mattress and quilts that are pliable enough to be folded up and stowed out of the way so that a room can be used during the day for purposes other than that of just a bedroom.

Futons in Japan consist of basically two elements, the first is a shikibuton which is the bottom mattress and a kabebuton which refers to the quilted bedcover. Futons are sold in Japan through specialist stores known as futon’ya and often come in sets consisting of blankets and pillows.

Futons sold in the west are based on the original Japanese futons but with quite a few differences, almost all western futons are constructed around a wooden or metal frame so rather than being folded up and put away as in Japanese homes they almost always double up as a sofa or chair.

Futons when laid out fully will often resemble normal single or double beds in terms of size and comfort, partly due to extra layers and banding that are used in the construction of western futons.

Western futons mattresses usually have a removable cover which is handy if you get spills or are using the futon as a sofa in your living room and fancy a change of décor, it’s much cheaper to change a futon cover than it is to change a traditional sofa for a new one or even the cost of professional recovering a sofa.

Futon mattresses are typically filled with offcuts of foam of various types and sizes but more recently in recognition to the environment, more eco-friendly fillings are used, although this does tend to be in the higher quality futons.

Sofa beds do differ from futons slightly, but were the line is drawn can be confusing, traditionally sofa beds looked exactly the same as a standard sofa, but underneath the cushions they had a fold out metal frame and a thin mattress, most people will find they will get a better night’s sleep on a futon when compared to a traditional sofa bed as the futon mattresses are much thicker and offer better support. Another point to note when comparing a futon to a sofa bed is the weight, the metal framed sofa beds are very heavy and if you fancy a change of colour scheme or stain them you cannot recover a traditional sofa bed as easily and cheaply as the more practical futon.

Futon Mattress types

There are a few different types of mattresses you can get for your futon, each with a different feel and comfort level.

The Cotton Mattress
This mattress is really just cotton, it’s filled with it and the cover is made from it. It a rather firm mattress but is still flexible so that it can be turned in to a sofa. Usually supplied with the wooden framed sofa bed making it easy to change the position from sofa to bed. It is prone to absorbing moisture so after a while it takes in the sweat when in use and need a good air out and flipping over every few weeks. The can occasionally build up lumps where the cotton has shifted when used and can make it hard to get it back to the original shape, the flipping helps prevent this.

Cotton Foam Mattress
This is normally the most popular of the futon mattresses, it hold its shape and form a lot better than the 100% cotton mattress and is rather cheap compared to other types. This mattress is firm an resilient to shape loss and still offers great comfort. The core of this mattress consists of layers of foam surrounded by cotton. Normally the more layers of foam that there are the softer the mattress will be. This shape hold for a long time it can last for 10-12 years before it needs replacing so for its price and life span it is a great one to buy.

Wool mattress
Not the best choice for a futon mattress as most people are allergic to wool, is it on the other hands a very good insulator so keeps you nice and warm. The mattress filling is not all wool as it does not hold its shape very; they try to stop this by adding foam layers to stop the wool from shifting too much.

Polyester Foam Mattress
Polyester provides a firm support which is what we look for in a futon mattress, they use a very small amount of cotton around the foam of the mattress to provide a bit of softness. The less cotton you use in a mattress the longer it will last. This mattress is good for all body types and can be more comfortable than Talalay latex mattresses. The polyester foam mattress is very resilient and holds its shape very well so maintenance is very low and will need turning over ever 4 months.

Innerspring mattress
Hard to label this as a futon mattress as it is more like a box spring mattress, in the centre are the springs surrounded by foam. They are not flexible so are not often found on fold out sofa beds but are used on sofas that have pull out extensions to make it a bed. More expensive than cotton and other futon mattresses but are more comfortable and will outlast and cotton mattress. It is worth paying a good price for theses as the can last up to three times longer than a standard cotton futon. Very simple maintenance will only need flipping every 6 months and are best used as your main sleeping area.

I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so!

It is a true fact that most people who sleep on bed mattress futon are not aware that bed mattress futons were first invented by the Japanese. Over many decades, the Japanese have slept on bed mattress futon placed on their floors. This is because they do not see that it is necessary to have an bed with a frame, box springs and headboard. All of these early bed mattress futon were actually consisted of thin mattresses, small pillows, and a blanket. Every morning, the bed mattress futon could be rolled up and stashed in a closet. Today, bed mattress futon units are as popular in western countries as they are in Japan and has very much become a comfort item.

To understand bed mattress futon deeply, we should know that in its most basic form, the bed mattress futon is a plain cotton mat that is nimble and thus easily folded. bed mattress futon is the English spelling of the Japanese word which describes their bedding system. This is referred to as "shikibuton" or floor cushion where the person sleeps and the "kakebuton" or known as comforters in the western societies. The floor mat is the part of the bed mattress futon system which has been assimilated into the American bed mattress futon idea. 

During the late 1960s, most bed mattress futon were hand-made by small industry merchants. Currently, people can still buy the handmade equivalent but most bed mattress futon are already streamlined and made in manufacturing facilities have the capacity to produce thousands of bed mattress futon units in a single day. Numerous traditional innerspring mattress manufacturers have also invested in machines to produce bed mattress futon, and quality have been nothing shorter than excellent. 

Modern bed mattress futon units are made from various materials like cotton, wool, polyester, foam, latex, and even innerspring units so that customers can get various levels of bed mattress futon comfort from firm to soft. Some bed mattress futon come with frames and in order to appreciate the value of a good quality bed mattress futon frame, all we need to know that it needs to be easy to operate, sturdy, and most of all durable. A quality bed mattress futon is vital to your experience in using a bed mattress futon. Most bed mattress futon will feel the same, however, the trick is to identify those manufacturers who dare to back their bed mattress futon units with extensive warranties that can range up to 10 years. These are off product clues you need to be aware off.

To be creative with your bed mattress futon, you can dress them up with the many choices of high quality futon covers. Many bed mattress futon retailers offer covers of anything from a solid twill to a dual layer oriental tapestry. The reason behind the high demands for bed mattress futon units is because of its simple functionality and versatile comfort. Having a bed mattress futon will enable you to transform your living room with it's beautiful design into an extra bedroom with a comfortable futon bed.

Finally, it is also apparent that bed mattress futon have been a common in university dormitories and other urban living quarters for many years. bed mattress futon units are stylish, convenient, and versatile to own. bed mattress futon can blend into nearly any setting. Besides being light weigh and simple, bed mattress futon provides sleepers with a cheap comfortable place to rest and relax.

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How To Assemble A Futon Frame

Most futons are made very similar and use the same parts to assemble them. When shoppers buy their futon they often have a set of instructions that came with the futon frame. Time passes and these instruction disappear or get misplaced and it's time to move the futon. Not having assembled futons on an everyday basis, it may not be immediately clear how the futon goes together. In this article we'll examine the parts and assembly of a standard futon frame to hopefully help those who may have lost instructions.

Laying out the parts:

When you purchased your futon you most likely had 6 main wood parts. 2 arms, 2 rails and a seat and back section. The back section looks different than the seat section as it has 3 pre drilled holes on the sides with the wood sides extending down to allow the seat section to be connected to it. Versus 1 or 2 holes on the seat section. Your hardware will consist of 8 bolts, 8 barrel nuts (shaped like a barrel), 4 nylon rollers, 6 metal pins, 6 washers and 6 cotter clips, allen wrench.

Attaching the hardware:

Take the 4 nylon rollers, 4 metal pins and 4 cotter clips and locate the wood backrest of the futon. It will have the three holes drilled into each side. Two of these holes are close together and the 3rd hole is towards the bottom of the side. This hole by itself will connect to the seat section. The nylon rollers have two ends. A small round top and a larger round bottom. The larger round bottom is placed against the wood over the hole and a metal pin is pushed down through the small round top through the roller and out through the hole in the back rack. On the other side slide a washer over the pin use your cotter clip and push it through the small hole in the metal pin to secure it. Repeat this step for the other three nylon rollers.

Next find the wood seat section and locate the hole closest to the end on the side. (Sometimes wood seat sections have two holes. The second hole towards the middle is for attaching what is called a kicker block. Your frame may or may not have this.) After you have located the holes on the ends of the seat section lay the wood seat and back sections face up meaning the slats in these section are facing up or are closest to the top. Now take the 2 remaining metal pins and push them through the remaining holes in the sides back section in through the holes in the seat section. Slide a washer over each pin and secure it with the remaining cotter clips.

Attaching the arms and stretchers.

Locate your two wood arms and two wood stretchers. Look at the arms and notice that one side of the arms has two routed out grooves. During assembly these routed out grooves need to face inward towards each other. Next, locate your two stretcher rails. These rails will have 4 small circular holes drilled out on the one side of the stretcher on the ends. During assembly make sure these holes face in towards the holes of the stretcher across from it. Take your barrel nut and place it inside one of the holes intended for the barrel nut. Barrel nuts usually have a phillips or flat screwdriver point and make sure this is facing out. Also make sure the threaded hole in the barrel nut lines up with the holes in the ends of the rail as your bolt will need to thread into them. Now take the bolt and push it through the outside of the arm and into the rail threading it into the barrel nut and use your allen wrench to wind the screw into the barrel nut. Repeat this step on the other bolts leaving them loose. On the rail that is closest to the routed out grooves in the arms leave two of your bolts out and make sure this area allows you to move the arm outward somewhat. [The reason for this is to make sure we can spread the arms enough to get the seat and back section into the frame without scratching our arms.]

Moving the back/seat section into the frame.

The backrest has 2 nylon rollers on each side. The top roller needs to be lined up with the routed out grooves in the arms that go up and down. If you installed the rollers correctly, the end of the nylon roller will fit into the groove and will push into it. (If it doesn't, your rollers are installed backwards, take them off and flip them around so that the larger part of the roller is against the wood.) Now take the bottom rollers on each side and line them up into the routed out groove that runs left to right. [This step might require a helper to get the rollers lined up in the grooves.]Important Note: Make sure that the seat and back section slats are facing upwards to where the mattress will rest right on them. If it looks like the mattress will sit down into the back and seat section because the slats are facing the ground, you'll need stop and flip the decks over and do this step again.

Finishing assembly.

Now finish putting the remaining two bolts and barrel nuts into the back arm and connect them together as discussed in the above step about attaching arms and stretchers. Go ahead and tighten all of the bolts. Tight enough but not too tight. Your futon should now be ready for use.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/876545

Futon best for you

When choosing a futon don’t go too cheap, usually cheap futons have less support and hard lumpy mattresses.

Getting a great Futon for your money can be hard but pick what you want and what will look good in your home.  First thing you should pick is the frame type which can be Wooden, Metal or Foam. Choosing your frame make your choice a lot easier by cutting the amount you have to look through by 50%.

New to chooses is mattress type, you can go for a normal futon type of mattress, Foam or leather. Depending on what mattress you pick depends on what colours you have available to pick from. With normal futon mattresses you can get new covers so you can change them any time for a new look. Leather futon Sofa Beds really only have the colour that you originally choose. I have found from experience that leather futon sofa beds have the extra comfort that you don’t get from a Standard Futon. Now that we have access to the wonder that is memory foam futons mattresses are a lot more comfortable than 10 years ago.

When it comes to price, a good Futon Sofa Bed will cost you around £500, between £400 and £600 is a good range when buying depending on your budget.

Great to put in guest rooms, kids rooms, and a lounge if you get the right futon sofa bed for a lounge it can be a full time sofa and then a bed for when family visit or friends stay round.

Benefits of a Futon Bed

People buy futon beds for many reasons, for many it’s all about making best use of available space, for others it’s all about style and the futon is used in the same way as a traditional sofa.

The appeal with futons is there versatility, just about any room in the home or workplace could accommodate a futon, even student dorms and children’s bed rooms are ideal locations for a stylish space saving futon bed especially so when compared to the floor space a traditional bed takes up. Teenagers just love the idea of having a sofa in their bedroom when they have friends round a futon really makes a bedroom look modern and trendy.

Futons come in all shapes and sizes with double futons being extremely popular, benefiting from a width similar to that of traditional 2 or 3 seat sofas but quickly converting to a double bed when required.

Many people see futons as temporary beds suitable for guests or spare rooms and yes they are great at doing just that but these days quality futons offer everyday sleeping comfort and durability and often get used buy owners with smaller living areas. Ideal for city crash pad or studio apartment.

Futon sofa bed frames come in four formats; these are metal, wooden, foam and sprung mattress along with a wide array of shapes and sizes from singles and doubles to corner futons and ones with magazine racks and matching shelving or coffee tables. Metal and wooden futons are going to be more rigid than foam or sprung mattress futons and can look great in any room of the home, such as a dining room or conservatory, ideally placed to double up as an occasional sofa bed when called upon, but for the most the futon will be used in much the same way as a traditional sofa, albeit with a little more style and costing much less to buy. Even after years of service your futon can be given a new lease of life in the shape of a new mattress, these are available for all sizes of futon and typically cost much less than the equivalent normal bed replacement mattress.

Fabric choices for futons are stylish and typically made from hard wearing materials although replacement covers and mattresses are readily available should you spill anything. Fancy a change or wish to update your colour schemes without having to outlay for a new sofa then a replacement futon cover is the answer and won’t break the bank. The ability to change colours or recover a futon without calling in a specialist upholstery company really can save a lot of money. If the futon is positioned in an environment prone to spills, areas such as children’s play rooms or bedrooms are accident prone locations were a futon wins hands down over a traditional sofa bed.

Need a futon in a hurry then look at our express futon range, typically delivered within 2-3 days. Futon sofa beds direct are able offer futon sofa beds at very competitive prices and with our excellent level of service. We know that our unique combination of quality goods at the right price will make dealing us a pleasure.