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Original poster

Does anyone have a FUTON?

22 replies

littlemisspiggy · 20/03/2006 14:38

and how do you rate it? We are looking for a space saving solution for guests and futons seem more economical than sofa beds. However need to hear how comfortable/supportive the mattresses are. Grateful for any pointers. Thanks!

OP posts:
Piffle · 20/03/2006 14:47

If you buy a cheap one thats not an official futon one, the you consign your guests to back pain and a shit nights sleep.
Futons take a bit of getting used to, they are ok for kids but with anyone of a normal adult weight, your joints poke through the slats of poor quality mattresses.
I had to live on one for years - never again.
Look at ikea for cheap sofa bed styles :)

Pruni · 20/03/2006 15:11

I second Piffle's post. They seem like a great idea but if you're used to a sprung mattress, a night on a futon is difficult. Also, if you have older guests, I think it's pretty much cruel to expect them to sleep on a futon (I mean, I feel it's cruel to me to have to sleep on one and I'm 33! Imagine if you have arthritis or a dodgy hip...).
Sorry not to be more positive: I do know people who love them and sleep on one every night, but they tend to be younger and are justused to the hardness of it.

motherinferior · 20/03/2006 15:11

I have one. It's very lovely. Slept on it for years and years and years, it's probably disgustingly infested by now.

Original poster
littlemisspiggy · 20/03/2006 15:24

Mmm so far more againsts than fors. Pruni, what do you mean by the hardness of it? I imagined they might be too soft rather than too hard. Motherinferior, what make is yours? I have seen two that I think maybe ok 1. "Whoop" and 2. the Hudson from Futon World (can't do links). The first is about £260 and the second is £695 (apparently has some special mattress). Piffle what price range would you consider "cheap" and not official Futon?

OP posts:
FioFio · 20/03/2006 15:26

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Original poster
littlemisspiggy · 20/03/2006 15:59

Fio Fio does the mattress feel supportive or soft and squidgey?

OP posts:
wordgirl · 20/03/2006 16:03

We have a Quad I think from the Futon Company. It's comfortable as a bed but it drives me mad as a sofa because the mattress slides down whenever someone sits on it. I don't know if this is an across-the-board problem with futons or if it's just mine in particular.

BettySpaghetti · 20/03/2006 16:03

IMO (having had a futon in the past) they make a cr@p bed and a cr@p sofa!

As a sofa we were forever having to drag the mattress back onto the wooden base as it would slide off, it was also too low. As a bed I suppose it was marginally better but not for any length of time. Ours was a good quality one too.

BettySpaghetti · 20/03/2006 16:04

LOL wordgirl -its not just yours -see my post at the same time as yours!

Pruni · 20/03/2006 16:04

By hardness I mean that though it feels fine when you first buy it, it does settle and get squashed and lose all its 'give' - when you get into a futon after a lovely sprung mattress, it is hard and unyielding, and if you wake up in the night it is noticeable.

I have a Futon Company sofabed too - a huge red one that I can't seem to access online to link to. I have slept on it and it's different - it really is quite comfortable. I also had one which had their cheaper mattress and it was pretty awful after a while.

Pruni · 20/03/2006 16:06

\link{http://www.futoncompany.co.uk/en/1/switch.html\here it is} but it's huge and definitely not a space-saving option!

Radley · 20/03/2006 16:11

I had one for 4 years and that was my main bed, it was slatted and had a sponge mattress about 3inch thick, it was very very hard, but I personally found it comfortable.

Mine was quite expensive when I got it 11 years ago, I think it was 400.00

Bink · 20/03/2006 16:12

Snap MI. (Again.)

Dh claims it sorted out his hip joint, too. The only thing I don't like them for is slounging in bed when you have a cold (not that I've done any of that for hmm, how old is my oldest child?) because you get a very numb bum.

However: you do need to be used to them, so frankly they are probably not ideal as a guest bed option (unless you have creaky 80s hippies for visitors).

FioFio · 20/03/2006 16:13

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Mercy · 20/03/2006 16:14

We've had a futon for years and I'm now insisting on a proper bed even though we can't afford one, for the sake of a good night's sleep.

They start off ok but eventually they become hard and compacted, it's a pain trying to remember to roll up the mattress on a regular basis.

Plus they are no good for sex, pregnant women or older people.

Don't like them anymore.moan moan

MrsBadger · 20/03/2006 16:22

If you don't need it to look like a sofa all the time, \link{http://www.johnlewis.com/Furniture/Bedroom+Furniture/Beds+and+Mattresses/Beds/230217326/Product.aspx\this} is the best guest bed in the world, ever. 2'6" single when put away, undoes to two singles, or zips together for a 5' double.

We use it all the time as a sofa/daybed thing in the spare room/office, but it is super to sleep on - better than our bed, in fact (grr).

Not cheap I know, but worth every penny and ultimately versatile.

Original poster
littlemisspiggy · 20/03/2006 16:27

Oh dear this isn't sounding too good.
Let me have one last go at convincing myself.
Use as a sofa- not everyday as in spare room/dressing room/baby room (till joins DS1)
Use as a bed- maybe 2 or three times a year for periods between 1 & 2wk and 1mth (1mth as a one off).
Main user- my mum.
And I really thought it was a good idea. Other option is a foldaway bed in a cabinet but expensive and we might not get it in time.
Normal bed (double) would take up practically the whole room.
Sorry to go on about this.

OP posts:
Mercy · 20/03/2006 16:38

We've got a fold up bed in dd's room (small double) and it's fine for guests, takes up less room than a futon sofabed. Can't remember were we got it though - sorry.

One thing about futons is they're very low off the ground, literally a couple of inches and your mum may find it difficult getting up and down.

Original poster
littlemisspiggy · 20/03/2006 16:39

MrsBadger that looks quite comfy and could be covered with a throw and cushions as a sofa when not a bed. It is a bit on the expensive side though.

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 20/03/2006 16:47

If there's room for it to stay up as a bed, and only one person coming to stay it, why not just get a narrow single bed? Or even a 3' one? Could be used for either ds later on.

Or a daybed type thing that could be used as a bed or a sofa later. \link{http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15558&catalogId=10103&storeId=7&productId=41411&langId=-20&parentCats=155581561716172\One} or \link{http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15558&catalogId=10103&storeId=7&productId=32909&langId=-20&parentCats=155581561716172\two} in Ikea - \link{http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15558&catalogId=10103&storeId=7&productId=42819&langId=-20&parentCats=155581561716172\this} is my favourite though, and claims to be suitable as a double or a single - though I can't quite see how it works.

Original poster
littlemisspiggy · 20/03/2006 16:48

OK. Thanks for all your responses. I will mull this over for a bit and let you know (bet you can't wait) what we decide in the end.

OP posts:
Mercy · 20/03/2006 17:01

Our is similar to this

\link{http://www.harvestmoon.co.uk/jaybefoldaway.htm\one here} but I'm sure it was cheaper

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