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We live at a time when all beds can be called comfortable when compared to mattresses throughout history, so modern people with refined sleeping tastes might find sleeping on a futon unsatisfying. Sometimes it’s completely justified – for example, a college student who has to spend months or years on a futon. Read on for several ideas on how to make a futon more comfortable.
Options for How to Make a Futon More Comfortable
To turn a futon into a comfortable bed, check out these ideas:
- Add a mattress topper
- Place an air mattress on top of your futon
- Layer comforters on top
- Add plywood support underneath the futon
- Use more pillows
- Add grips to secure the futon to the frame
- Flip the futon mattress
Before we start, one thing worth mentioning is that there are several types of futons and that I wrote this with the most common, sofa-like futon type in mind. However, some tips also work for Japanese futon mattresses designed to be placed on floors (or tatami mats).
Add a mattress topper
A mattress topper is a pad that’s a couple of inches thick and that you can place on top of your mattress to make it more comfortable. Firm mattress toppers can give extra firmness to your bed and soft toppers add an extra cozy layer.
Futons are often a bit uneven, especially those that were used as sofas – the place where people sat the most is going to sink in, so a topper of a few inches could make your futon mattress more even and cover up for some of the bumps and sags.
If you need a cheap and quick fix, you should check out Mainstays gel-infused memory foam mattress topper at your local Walmart. Handy people might even make their own.
Place an air mattress on top of your futon
Granted, you can sleep on an air mattress directly on the floor, but it’s not a bad idea to put one on top of your futon when you need a taller bed. You’ll be warmer away from the floor in winter months and if you have overnight guests, you’re certainly showing them more respect if you offer a bed that’s off the floor.
If this arrangement feels unstable for some reason, you might try to remove the futon’s mattress and put the air mattress on top of the futon frame. This will make for extra support and the bed will still be easier to sleep in.
Layer comforters on top
If you don’t have anything better to top the futon mattress with, you might try layering comforters. Take two or three extra comforters and lay them over the futon. They won’t fix a sagging mattress or offer more consistent support, but they will make an extra layer of cushioning.
All comforters are soft, but some are softer than others – for a better feel, place the firmer comforter on the bottom and the softer one on top. For example, the bottom one should be a comforter filled with synthetic materials, and the top one a down comforter.
Add plywood support underneath the futon
Futon mattresses are often supported by wooden bed slats. Sometimes those slats are too wide apart for the futon to be comfortable to lie on. Unless you can place perfectly sized additional slats alongside the existing beams, you’ll need an easier solution. Plywood is a good option in this case.
In fact, a sheet of plywood could make a major difference even to sagging futons. It gives extra support and a good foundation under the mattress. Sometimes plywood is a better choice than a mattress topper.
Use more pillows
Place several pillows on the mattress – large pillows and small pillows. They will make your futon cozier and you might even use them to add support in places where you need it – between the knees, for example.
Also, it always feels better when you have options, and if the bed is for your guests, they will definitely appreciate the effort.
Those who live in small apartments will probably need some creativity to store the extra pillows, but it’s far from impossible. Vacuum-sealed bags and wicker trunks are just a couple of the options.
Add grips to secure the futon to the frame
Some futon mattresses tend to move and slide around. Sleeping well can be very hard on such an annoying bed. Most home goods stores offer adhesive grip strips that you can add to the corners of the mattress and secure it to the frame.
There are also other ways to prevent a mattress from sliding, but the grip strips are probably the best for futon beds.
Flip the futon mattress
This one’s a bit far-fetched but worth a try. We typically recommend rotating and flipping traditional mattresses because that’s how you prolong their life and get to use the side of it that’s still “fresh”, that is, the lesser-used side.
Futons are typically relatively thin and if they start sagging, flipping them won’t do too much help. However, this could still make your futon a tad more comfortable. It might not offer you a good night’s sleep, but it could make it better just enough to tip the scales and actually make sleeping possible.
FAQs
It depends on what kind of futon we’re talking about. Japanese futon mattresses are firmer than typical mattresses you can find today, so if you’re a firm mattress fan, then yes, it can be as comfortable as a regular mattress. But looking at the couch/sofa type of futons, they often can’t be as comfortable. A futon is a great short-term solution, but if you’re sleeping on it for longer periods of time, you might add an extra layer of comfort.
Sleeping on a traditional Japanese futon mattress (the actual term in Japanese is shikibuton or shikifuton) is great for the back. A firm sleeping surface keeps the body properly aligned and improves posture. It’s not for side sleepers, though. They need a softer bed in order to avoid pressure on their hips and shoulders.
If it’s not giving you any discomfort and you’re not waking up in pain, then it’s perfectly fine to sleep on a futon for a long time.
Conclusion
Futon sofa beds are a common bed choice for students but not always a comfortable one – especially used futons. There are several ways you can make a futon mattress more comfortable – using mattress toppers, comforters, plywood boards, adding an air mattress, using more pillows, adding grips, and flipping the mattress can be some of the options that would make your futon bearable or even quite comfy!
Next step: Read our Airweave futon review. Airweave is a Japanese futon that’s designed to be placed directly on the floor. Out of all of the different floor futons we’ve tried, Airweave is definitely the most comfortable.
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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