How to Choose a Futon Mattress

What To Consider When Buying A Futon Mattress

It is not that long since the only decisions associated with the purchase of a futon mattress were the thickness of the mattress and the cost. Now the market is much more complicated.

If you want a sprung mattress which resembles most of the standard western mattresses then these are now available for your futon. However, I don’t choose these.

I was horrified to read some of the information concerning the way that our mattresses are treated and the chemicals used in their process. I fully understand that governments were keen to encourage the use of flame retardant furniture as there were alarming statistics which implied that people were falling asleep with lit cigarettes and this was a cause of house fires. But as a non smoker and someone who makes my smoking guests head to the garden for their cigarettes, I am not so worried about this.

As someone who doesn’t fill my lungs with nicotine, I was fairly unhappy to discover that I may in fact be filling them with toxic flame retardants every time I got into bed! This is not scar mongering, there has been plenty of research into the issue and as a result there is are now ways for you to avoid this. There are companies out there, selling through the large outlets such as Amazon, who specifically state on their product description (I quote) “No toxic substances used in the manufacture of this product”.

That is my first rant over – now onto point number 2. Natural fibers and sweating – ‘gross’ you may be thinking – but lets just be a little realistic. We all want to snuggle down into a nice warm bed in winter, and we want to be cool in summer. This is why I am a big believer in natural fibers. I think that the wool filling with a thick natural cotton is by far the best combination for all weathers. Some people believe that the wool natural ability to wick moisture is one of the reasons that the traditional futon mattress works – I am not a chemist and do not know if this is the case. But I do know that synthetic clothes in summer are uncomfortable, so I have no desire to sleep on a synthetic mattress either.

My favourite futon mattress uses natural rubber in the centre of the mattress to keep it firm and make it last a long time. It then has wool padding, which in turn is covered with quilted organic cotton – this is without doubt the most comfortable mattress I have ever possessed or in fact slept on (but I have to admit it is not cheap).

Organic Futon Full 6″

organic futon full – click on the image below for more information.

• Natural rubber core adds strength, durability and resilience
• No toxic substances used in the manufacture of this product
• Cover is made from soft organic cotton damask and quilted with organic cotton batting and a layer of wool beneath the outer cover
• Layer of pure wool acts as a flame-retardant
• Warm in winter, cool in summer

organic futon full

NUTRITIONAL INSTITUTETM Organic Futons have nothing in common with the typical futons made by other manufacturers. That’s because our futons are ultra-comfortable (NOT uncomfortable like most futons) and they’re completely natural and chemical-free . The secret that makes our futons so comfortable lies in the two-inch natural rubber core, which is surrounded by multiple layers of 100 percent organic carded-cotton batting. It has an organic cotton cover that is quilted with wool, which lends flame-retardant and dust-mite-repellent properties, not to mention luxurious comfort. Use it as a sofa, a mattress or both!

Organic Futon Full 6″

Click on the button for more organic futon full information and reviews.

Finally a Comfortable Futon Mattress

The Advancement Of The Futon Mattress

Choosing a futon mattress used to be easy; there were three thicknesses, thin, medium and thick. The thicker the mattress the more expensive it was. However, these mattresses should really have been called ‘very uncomfortable’, ‘not quite so uncomfortable’ and ‘vaguely comfortable’. I don’t think this is an unfair assessment. The majority of the mattresses quickly compacted and made sleeping on pebbles seem like a preferable option.

Luckily futon mattresses have moved on. You can now get just about any type of mattress you want to fit your futon. But how do you know which is best?

There are several things you need to consider before you buy. Firstly it is important to determine the level of usage your futon is going to get and whether it will usually be used as a sofa or bed. If you want something which you are going to be sleeping on every night, then you need something which is primarily a bed, but can be folded out of the way when necessary. However, if you are only going to use the futon occasionally then you are looking for a mattress whose primary function is as cushions for a sofa.

If you like traditional mattress, then don’t panic you can now get these for futons. They are sprung, like the normal mattresses, and offers almost exactly the same support. If however you would like the futon style mattress, but want to find one which lasts longer then you can also do this now. Traditionally futon mattresses were made form natural fibers such as cotton and wool – in my opinion these are still the best. I do, however, have one important point to make.

I am a big believer in organic cotton coverings for mattresses. I believe that this should be a requirement for all mattresses, but until the regulators agree with me, we will all just have to make our decisions on the information which is available to us. There was recently a lot of controversy over the flame retardants used on some of the mattresses on the market; these were, in varying degrees, toxic. So I try to always go for organic cottons; it doesn’t guarantee that nothing has contaminated it since or during manufacturing, but I feel that I am giving myself a fighting chance.

Here is my favourite!

Organic Futon Full 6″

organic futon full – click on the image below for more information.

• Natural rubber core adds strength, durability and resilience
• No toxic substances used in the manufacture of this product
• Cover is made from soft organic cotton damask and quilted with organic cotton batting and a layer of wool beneath the outer cover
• Layer of pure wool acts as a flame-retardant
• Warm in winter, cool in summer

organic futon full

NUTRITIONAL INSTITUTETM Organic Futons have nothing in common with the typical futons made by other manufacturers. That’s because our futons are ultra-comfortable (NOT uncomfortable like most futons) and they’re completely natural and chemical-free . The secret that makes our futons so comfortable lies in the two-inch natural rubber core, which is surrounded by multiple layers of 100 percent organic carded-cotton batting. It has an organic cotton cover that is quilted with wool, which lends flame-retardant and dust-mite-repellent properties, not to mention luxurious comfort. Use it as a sofa, a mattress or both!

Organic Futon Full 6″

Click on the button for more organic futon full information and reviews.

Choosing a Foam Mattress Topper

How To Choose Your Foam Mattress Topper

There are several important things to consider when buying a foam mattress topper.

Size
Whether you are buying a topper to be slept on every night or simple for guests it is essential that you get a mattress topper which is exactly the same size as the mattress it is going on. You may think that a slight overhang will not be a problem – but it is. Overhang means that the topper does not lie flat on the mattress and it will not be comfortable.

Thickness
The thicker the better. There are some toppers which are just couple of inches thick. These are fine to supplement a guest bed or a pull out sleeper sofa which is not used too often. However, for a bed which is in nightly use I would definitely say that 3 inches is the minimum you should consider and closer to 4 inches would be better.

Density
The density of memory foam is measured in pounds. The higher the number the more dense the foam is. Denser foam will last longer. For example a 3 pound mattress topper which is used every night will have a noticeable degeneration after twelve months, however, the 5 pound mattress will not usually show any degeneration after such a short period.

Value for Money
During an end of season sale in a shop you can often find great bargains. However, memory foam mattresses sell all year round and the offers found are not usually mind blowing. These do not take up a huge amount of storage space, they do not regularly improve in quality, so there is simply no reason to put them on sale. The internet works differently. There are so many companies on line selling mattress toppers that in order to get your business these outlets have to offer very good deals. Hence it is worth having a look around online to find the best value. (Remember that many companies sell through Amazon now, so this can be a good way to get a great deal with the infrastructure and returns policy of a reputable company).

In conclusion your best bet is to buy the thickest, highest density memory foam mattress topper that you budget will allow.

Foam Mattress Topper

Why You Should Buy A Foam Mattresses Topper

When I first looked into the foam mattress topper I thought it was rather expensive for what you were getting, but I am now a convert.

A while back I bought a rather expensive sofa bed. It has an internal metal frame which pulls out and has a separate mattress; the support has springs and taut mesh, so was very comfortable. However, over time the mattress have got creases where it is folded up and I can’t ever quite get these out. Since the sofa is comfortable and well designed I was going to get a replacement mattress.

When in the shop the sales assistant suggested that I consider a mattress topper. I was not convinced by this because of the costs – however, she did a pretty good sales job and I was fairly sure that this would be the most comfortable option. So, I headed home and got online. I quickly found a very similar memory foam mattress topper for a faction of the price.

When the mattress topper arrived it was in a fairly small roll, so I knew that it could be stored like this. I still store the mattress in the sofa bed, but I roll up the topper and tie it in a roll and keep at the bottom of my wardrobe, so it will never suffer the same problems as the mattress.

I was rather excited when my next guest came to stay and was keen to know how comfortable the new arrangement was. I was not disappointed, in fact the reviews were so good that I went online and bought one for my bed!

The memory foam mattress topper is a great way to revitalise a good quality mattress or to upgrade a mattress which was not originally top of the range. So whatever you are sleeping on (or offering your guests to sleep on) – I can be pretty sure that you would all get a better nights sleep with the addition of a foam mattress topper.

Kids Foam Mattresses

Why Kids Foam Mattresses are a Great Idea

We have all slept on some uncomfortable mattresses in our time and been fairly grumpy the following morning; and many of these may have been foam mattresses – but the foam mattress can be very useful.

Firstly, let me tell you that I love my kids, and I would never want them to have an uncomfortable nights sleep. But I have also bought them both foam mattresses.

Let’s look at the reason that a foam mattress can be uncomfortable. Firstly, the foam can compact and become lumpy. Once the foam compacts it looses its ability to spring back it then starts to crumble – creating a dust! But this does take quite a long time to happen.

The reason I like these for kids is simple. Both my boys moved from cots into toddler beds. They were potty trained when in the toddler beds. I started off with plastic sheets on the mattress, but I wasn’t very happy with this arrangement. I was always worried about the ability of these sheets to breathe, and had a concern that they encouraged skin rashes. So I started buying the Pampers disposable mattress covers, I think they are called ‘Bed Mats’. These mattresses covers are brilliant, but I was always worried that the foam wasn’t completely protected. Then I remember the minimal amount I paid for the mattresses and realised that it simply didn’t matter. At any point I could walk to the furnishing place at the end of my road and have a new one cut! Suddenly potty training and staying dry at night became a lot less stressful.

The second thing about kids and foam mattresses is that they never compact. Firstly, the kids are too light to actually completely squash the foam. But secondly, children don’t go to bed and wake up in a similar position. As most parents will have discovered, kids often wake up with their head at the wrong end, hanging half out the bed or simply lying across it – so no one bit of the foam is continually under pressure.

The foam mattress is a great way to minimise the stress that parents have when kids are at the stage of wetting the bed – so don’t write them off. They are a great transition between a cot mattress and an adult mattress.

Foam Mattresses

The Best Uses For Foam Mattresses

The foam mattress has got some bad press in the past – and quite frankly – it deserved it! But now it a good time to review it as the foam mattress has developed and moved gots its place and now that it is sensibly priced it is becoming even more useful.

As far as I can see there are two basic uses for a foam mattress:

Chair or sofa bed with a foam mattress.
These are usually the cheaper end of the sleeper sofa market. They foam is section into two or three segments and it folds up to create the seat of the sofa when the bed is contracted. If this is used a lot as a sofa the foam will compact and when the bed is opened up the foam will not ‘repuff’ up. So this is fine, but not for either a bed or sofa which has continuous or heavy use.

Kids Foam Mattresses
Kids don’t weigh as much as adults, so it takes a lot longer to squash the foam, so the life of a foam mattress for a kid is hence much longer. These mattresses are quite in expensive which is great if you have a potty training toddler, as however, much to try, there is always the odd night-time accident and with a foam mattress you can replace it when the child has learnt to wake up and go to the loo themselves.

The advantages of the foam mattress are that they are very reasonably priced, and there are companies which will cut them to size, so they are great for non standard size beds.

The disadvantages of a foam mattress are firstly that they compact. Once they compact they cease to be very comfortable to sleep on, this is no only because they get harder, but they also tend to become rather uneven.

The other disadvantage of the foam mattress is that they cannot be washed or wiped clean. Hence you will always need to have removable covers or an extra layer of sheets.

Despite the disadvantages the foam mattress does has its uses – primarily for kids. They are a great for toddler beds and for the first ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl’ bed, and for extra sleeping for their friends.