In a previous post regarding king headboards, I talk about looking for the best match for your bedroom on these internet sites which will assist you in knowing what to look for at your local retailers.

There is also the option of building your own headboard which is a lot easier then you might think. There are a number of materials around the house or readily available from local suppliers which can help you in easily building a headboard which provides you with a comfortable environment in your room to relax at the end of the day.

It is important to go over this process with your bedroom partner to make sure that they will also like the outcome. A headboard is often the center piece of the room and can create the overall feel of the bedroom. Depending on what you are looking for, you will find that the feeling in a room can produce a mood you will wake up with. During my undergraduate degree in psychology, a professor taught about how individual surroundings can effect the actions of people in their day to day life.

There are a number of factors that can produce different feelings from innate objects. The components of this has to do with color, size and shape. I will briefly go over some factors with respect to a headboard.

A grand majestic king size headboard will create a confident association with your bedroom. There is a sense of grounding associated with it, providing a feeling of immovability. The larger the headboard, the more safe a person tends to feel and sleeps can be more sound. If a person feels powerless in their day to day life, a headboard like this can help to empower the individual.

However, this is not always best for all people. Some people may feel overwhelmed by the looming headboard above them. In some people, this might produce a feeling of belittlement and insignificance. A smaller headboard would be better for self consciously smaller individuals who want to feel bigger. Often, teenagers like the feeling of seeming big. This is a good example of where a smaller headboard functions well. Smaller females who struggle with feeling belittled in their careers or at home may also feel oppressed in an oversized headboard.

If a person is feeling disorganized in their life, simple designs are a great way to reduce the cluttered associations with their day. For extremely busy people, a flat uncomplicated design creates a refreshing space.

These things should all be taken into consideration when planning your headboard. Take a look at creating your own headboard as well as some recommended headboards for ideas on what you might want in your life.

The easiest way to determine the best headboard for your space, is to look at what you feel is unbalanced in your life. From there, you want to neutralize those feelings by counteracting them.

Good luck! If you have any questions with respect to this, please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to your particular need. Thanks and happy hunting!

First of all, what the primary use of your futon?

1. Is it a futon sofa bed for your living room, or;
2. Is it a permanent futon bed in a bedroom.

This makes a big difference on what type of futon frame and mattress you will want to select.

Futon Frames

Futon Bed Frames

If it is a permanent bed, you can select almost any kind of regular bed frame you like. There is only the requirement of allowing the futon to breath. This means that the frame will need the ability to have wooden slat’s under the futon to provide support and allow breathing. You should not have the futon on a solid flat surface like a floor for long periods of time. Aside from that, any bed frame can be used.

Of course, there are specifically designed futon frames that can be used, but you should not feel limited to those.

Convertible Futon Frames

This is one of the dominant benefits of futons in that they are quite easily convertible between a sofa and a “hide-a-bed”. In bedrooms these can be used to provide additional space as well and are not limited to living rooms. In fact, spare bedrooms are a great candidate for these types of frames as well to allow for the room to be used as a sitting room when it is not being used by guests.

There are 2 groups of convertible frames:

1. Bi-Folds

Bi-Fold

These are fold in the middle designs and are typically easier to convert between the bed and the sofa configuration. These can look like regular sofa’s and come in a wide variety of designs for converting between the sofa configuration and bed configuration. Wood frames and metal frames are available however, wood frames tend to be a bit pricier. Most frames require you to move it away from the wall prior to folding it down, however, there are models called “wall huggers” which can fold down directly from the sitting position without sliding it out.

There are a few different conversion mechanisms.

1. Ratchet – This is controlled from the front of the futon which lets you push against a spring to fold between sitting, reclining and sleeping easily
2. Kicker – This is essentially a small wedge at the back of the futon from which lets you slide the sofa into a bed position with relative ease. A bit more work then the ratchet design.
3. Sliding Pivot – This is primarily used in the “wall hugger” designs which allow the sofa to sit directly against the wall and does not require moving the frame away from the wall during conversion. If you are planning to convert often, this mechanism would be worth the premium.

2. Tri-Folds

Tri-folds are one of the original designs. These require the frame to be folded twice in two places rather than one like the bi-folds. Many of these frames sit directly on the floor and can be really cheap if you are looking for a inexpensive solution. These designs allow for the beds to be larger since the futon is often folded onto itself. So the width of the couch can be the width of the bed rather then the length. There are similar mechanisms as listed above. However, the designs which sit directly on the floor often require the futon to be completely removed. These are not recommended if you plan to convert between a bed and sofa frequently.

Futon Mattresses

There are many different kinds of futon mattresses with varying factors. The cheapest mattresses is likely the lowest quality, however the opposite is not necessarily true. A good Cotton/Foam futon mattress can be relatively inexpensive and rival the most expensive models available.

There are essentially 5 types of futon mattresses:

1. 100 % Cotton Futon Mattress – This was the original design. Although extremely flexible it will certainly begin to sag in a short period of time and compresses the cotton making the be much more firm as time goes on. High levels of maintenance is required to keep it in good shape for regular sleeping. These are often a bit cheaper. It is only recommended to use this if it is not to be a frequently used bed. They are also very heavy and hard to move.
2. 

   Cotton/Foam Build-Up

   Cotton/Foam Futon Mattress - This is a better alternative than the 100% cotton mattress since it will resist sagging because of the foam. This is probably the most common futon mattress. It is quite economical but still adds additional life span and continued support with lower maintenance. There are several different combination’s and construction methods depending on foam location, density, type of foam (ex. Latex).

3. Cotton/Wool Futon Mattress – Wool is quite soft and allows for a softer mattress without the compaction over time and sag issue like the 100% cotton mattresses. It also has antimicrobial properties to avoid mold and moisture wicking characteristics which allow you to have a better sleep. This is a bit more expensive but might be worth it if you are sleeping on it regularly.
4. Cotton/Polyester Blend Futon Mattress – Like the 100% cotton, it has a greater tendency of sagging over time. However, it is considerable lighter and will last longer than a pure cotton futon.
5. 

   Inner Spring

   Innerspring Futon Mattress - There has been quite a bit of advancement in inner-coil technology into futons in recent years. Many of the big mattresses producers like Simmons, Sealy, and Serta are all making different versions of these trying to combine the best of both worlds of futons and spring mattresses. As a general rule, you will not be able to use the tri-fold design with any of these mattresses as they do not fold as well. They are quite a bit more expensive, but probably the most comfortable of all the futons.

Futon Covers

There are lots of different materials available for futon covers. Typical ones are cotton, corduroy, stain resistant, faux suede (usually made from polyester). You will want to ensure that whatever you buy is machine washable and has a strong stitch. Ripping of the covers can be quite common during moving of the futons since the cover is often what is used for leverage.

There are thousands of places to buy futon covers on the internet making it easy to match the decor of any room.

Additional Details

No matter what kind of futon you get, there will be some maintenance that you will need to do.

1. If it is a regular mattress that you sleep on nightly, the futon mattress should be flipped monthly to reduce the likelihood of sagging and compaction.
2. Periodically (once every year) hanging it somewhere and beating it like a rug will enliven the comfort and maintain freshness.
3. Try to allow the mattress to get as much open air as possible. This means taking the covers off completely for an afternoon to let any moisture dissipate. Each morning, leaving the covers off your sleeping spot will also help.
4. Use a futon cover to protect the mattress.
5. Protect the bed from moisture. If it does get wet, allow lots of air circulation with a fan to let it dry out.

Futon mattresses have a typical lifespan of about ten years if cared for properly. This is similar to coil mattresses. Most quality manufacturers will offer a warranty, however, it is a fight to claim the warranty just like the coil bed market. However, try to find a mattress with at least a year warranty which will protect you from primary defects. The mattress warranty is almost impossible to claim, but the frame should not have any problems.

Recommended Futon Bed and Mattresses

If you are feeling a bit over-whelmed, check out the following suggestions to help you with your search.

Recommended Sofa Bed assemblies:

The first one is a modern Bi-Fold that has a convenient storage space under the frame. This is perfect for blankets and pillows for making it up in a hurry. This is a perfect Futon sofa bed for a condo or as a space saver. It is for a pretty good price as well, listed for approximately $500.

Storage Sofa Bed

This is a simple futon set with Serta Mattress. It’s cheap (~$400), good quality and should last for a long while.

Serta Bi-Fold Cotton/Foam

Recommended Futon Mattresses:

This is a quality 8″ Loft Cotton/Foam Futon Mattress for ~$175. It has a double foam interior to reduce the time related sag.

Cotton Foam Mattress

This one is a Loft Pocketed 9″ coiled futon. Independent springs allow for the “do not disturb you partner” technology found in modern spring mattresses. This one retails for approximately $300.

9" Loft Coil Futon Mattress

Another exceptional design is this premium inner spring mattress.

Evolution Spring 2

Good luck and Happy Hunting!