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Futons and sofa beds are both popular pieces of furniture with a dual purpose – as a daytime seating and a nighttime sleeping spot. But they don’t look the same, aren’t equally comfortable, and the price difference is real. So how do you choose between the two and is one of them generally a better choice than the other?
Which Is Better? Futon vs Sofa Bed
Futons are better for people who:
- love minimalism,
- need/want small and easily movable furniture,
- are on a budget, and
- are into furniture that serves more than one purpose.
Designed in a simple way and taking up less space, futons are a common choice for those who live in small apartments and aren’t obsessed with having a furniture piece that looks cheap. Futons offer a mattress thicker than that of the sofa bed and that’s why some people use futons as a bed every night. No need for extra space to keep the seat cushions while it is open.
A sleeper sofa is a better option for those who:
- want the primary function to be for sitting,
- want it to be comfortable and last long,
- aren’t strapped for space, and
- have a separate guest room and want to have the sofa bed option just in case.
Sofa bed mattresses are often a couple of inches thin – mainly so that they can be folded away. The hidden mattress isn’t too comfortable, but then again, it isn’t supposed to be used too often. The seat cushions are very thick and comfy, as well as the upholstered arms and back.
Both sofa beds and futons can be used for overnight guests, with futons being slightly better for frequent overnight use, and sleeper sofas being better for sitting, but slightly less so for sleeping.
What Is a Futon?
A futon is defined as a thin mattress that can either be placed directly on the floor (Japanese-style) or on a folding frame (Western-style).
Speaking of the most common type in the US, a Western futon or a futon sofa has a simple wood or metal frame and a foldable mattress (or a two-piece mattress). It is very easy to fold and unfold and is commonly found in dorm rooms. Futon beds are great for saving space so they serve as a couch-like piece during the daytime and a bed at nighttime.
Futons come in a variety of sizes, often matching the regular bed frame sizes. Since the seating area will make a half (or about half) of the total sleeping area when unfolded, a futon is a great way to save space.
The main problems with futons are connected to comfort – they are sometimes not comfortable if they are tufted with huge hard buttons pressed too much, or they have been sat on/slept on for a while and got all lumpy and flattened, both of which make the sleeping surface uneven.
Futon pros
- Easy to move around – lightweight
- Easy to fold and unfold
- Excellent for those who are on a budget
- Great for small spaces
Futon cons
- A lot of them are not comfortable for sitting or sleeping
- Looks cheap
- Not too durable – tends to get lumpy or flat
Japanese vs. Western futon
In short, a Japanese futon is bedding for sleeping on the floor, and a Western futon is a simplistic expandable sofa-style bed.
“Futon” is a Japanese word for a bed – a traditional Japanese bed that is kept on the floor, or more accurately, on a tatami mat (which is like a floor cover).
The mattress itself is called shikibuton, so calling a Japanese mattress by the name of a “futon” would be technically inaccurate. However, the majority of people in the west only think of the mattress itself when talking about Japanese futons, so it’s not a bad idea to be aware of all these terms and nuances when looking to buy a futon.
The Western futon is raised from the floor – it has small legs and it can be unfolded to make a bed. When it’s folded, it serves as a seating area in a living room or in a studio. Western futons are like simple versions of sofas.
But this isn’t all – there are actually a few more types of futons, such as loungers, bunk beds, and outdoor futons.
Finally, when you get just a futon mattress (without a futon frame) in the west, it’s probably going to be much more elaborate than traditional Japanese futon mattresses. This is because a western futon mattress can go as far as being a hybrid with coils and barely foldable in order to meet the comfort needs of the market.
What Is a Sofa Bed?
A sofa bed is fully upholstered and it looks like a regular sofa but with a secret – remove the seating cushions, lift the metal frame up, extend it, and you get a bed.
The cushions are extremely comfortable and soft and you’ll be grateful for them if you spend a lot of time in a sitting position. A sofa bed has a thinner mattress than regular beds and it’s also much thinner than a futon mattress – it’s around 3-5 inches thick.
The size of a sofa bed is usually Twin or Queen, so it can take several family members (ideally two or three, but possibly more if they are all kids).
The main downsides of sofa beds include them being a bit of a hassle to set up (compared to futon beds) which could be a problem when you need to do it daily; and the second one is being heavy to move. Not just that they are heavy, but their design is such that will require you to move the surrounding furniture – this usually means a coffee table and maybe an armchair and a loveseat. It’s really not a biggie when you only have to do it once in a blue moon, but regularly – come on! Especially for people who live in smaller spaces. Where are you going to put all the furniture you have to move?
Sofa bed pros
- Looks like a traditional sofa – hides the “twofer” look
- Very comfortable for sitting and (somewhat less) for sleeping
- More durable than a futon
- (Some designs) extra storage space
Sofa bed cons
- Heavy and difficult to move
- Opening it takes several steps
- Expensive
How to Choose Between a Futon and a Sofa Bed
There are a few criteria that can help you determine which one you need and they all depend on what you personally need and what your lifestyle is like. To make the right choice between a futon or a sofa bed, think about:
- Size of your room
- Your body weight
- Comfort
- Ease of use
- Cost
- Cleaning and maintenance requirements.
Size of your room
How big is the room itself? Can you put everything you need in it and still be comfortable with the amount of space left? Houses and multi-room apartments typically have a living room that’s large enough for a sofa/sofa bed.
Studios, small apartments, and multipurpose rooms often require some resourcefulness and creativity. Easily movable items, flexible furniture pieces, dual-purpose shelves and tables, and of course – futons.
Your body weight
Futons have a weight capacity of about 600 lbs. and sofa beds about 500 lbs. People up to 200 lbs would go with either one.
However, if you weigh over 230 lbs., it’s unlikely you’ll find a sofa bed comfortable since it has a thin mattress. A futon might be a better choice for sleeping because it has several inches more of mattress height. However, a sofa bed is going to be much better for heavy people if they’re planning to sit on it for a long time. The seating cushions are much, much more comfortable. There are both heavy-duty futons and sofa beds.
Comfort
Futons are generally seen as less comfortable for sleeping. Although there are ways to make a futon more comfortable, if you want a bit more overall comfort, go for a sofa bed.
Futons require you to get extra cushions to keep your back in a better position when sitting, while sofa beds have upholstered armrests, nice seat cushions, and back cushions/upholstery just at the right angle for comfy sitting.
Ease of use
The click-clack futons are the easiest to use – just open them and fold them in a matter of seconds. If you do have some cushions, they are very easy to move and put away.
Sofa beds are also quite easy, but they require more steps – cushion removal, storage, and then expanding the mattress. Finally, you’ll also need to move any furniture out of the way, which is an additional nuisance and definitely a minus in the ease of use department.
Cost
Futons are a winner here as well – they cost around $200-$300 while sofa beds are about $500-$600.
Granted, you can find a much cheaper option for each, but how much quality would you expect of such furniture? Add a couple of hundred dollars to the prices above, and you’ll get very decent pieces of furniture in your search results.
Cleaning and maintenance requirements
Most futons out there are made with easily removable, machine-washable covers. This makes them super easy to clean. You can also vacuum and spot-clean a futon.
As for sofa beds, the mattress itself might have a zipper and a removable cover, but since the whole sofa is upholstered, there’s a lot more to maintain. Leather sofa beds require leather care. Fabric-covered sofas might have removable covers that are often dry-cleaning only, aside from vacuuming. You might be able to spot-clean it, but make sure to read the labels.
FAQs
Daybeds are way more comfortable because they typically have a much thicker mattress. They also last longer than a futon, which means that since a futon wears down faster, it stops being as comfortable as it was at the beginning.
You can. By definition, a couch is pretty much like a sofa, but without arms. Since futons also don’t have arms and can be used for sitting, you could argue that a regular couch and a futon have lots in common. However, you should consider the style because couches and futons are different in that respect.
Conclusion
Overall, sofa beds are for typical homes and larger apartments with living rooms where the family and guests use furniture mainly for sitting. Sofa beds hide an expandable mattress that can host two to three adults or several kids. However, they take up more space and are slower to set up for sleeping than a futon.
On the other hand, a futon bed is a symbol of college life and multipurpose rooms with multipurpose furniture. It saves space and is affordable. Sofa beds typically last longer than futons, which are fairly quick to lump up and become uncomfortable, even though their thicker mattress gives them an advantage over the sofa bed at the start.
To make the right choice for you, think about what you personally need, what kind of style you’re going for, what you can afford, and how comfortable you want it to be, among other factors.
Next step: Read our Airweave futon review. Airweave is one of the most high-quality futons available. We tested it out and came up with a list of benefits and drawbacks so you can decide for yourself if it’s right for you.
With over 5 years experience writing about sleep and mattresses, she's considered one of the go-to experts on the topic.
She likes cycling, nature, art, and languages. She pays special attention to providing you with accurate and useful information when it comes to your sleep quality.
After solving her personal sleep and tiredness problems, she is on to help others by sharing this invaluable information.
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