The zen haiku of sleeping tools, the futon is the most understated, yet perhaps the most advanced mattress in existence. Forget the various memory foam, Tempur-Pedic, latest in slick advertising mattresses. These are big, bulky, and more often than not over-engineered. They go into lengthy scientific explanations that don’t do squat to help you sleep. A futon keeps things simple. It does this by providing a supportive and consistent sleeping surface that’s not too hard and not too soft. No springs come into the equation at all.
Of course, as the futon was traditionally used for use on tatami mats which provided a degree of give while being very supportive, it might be a bit hard if used on a hardwood floor. Luckily, manufacturers have recognized this and now produce futons of varying thicknesses with a variety of internal support materials. This most often consists of layers of foam and cotton and/or polyester batting, forming a sandwich that gets softer the more layers that are added.
This is the same whether we’re talking a king size futon or a single futon mattress. If the futon is the pinnacle of functional minimalism in mattresses, then the single futon is the smallest you can go and still have a mattress. These are perfect for many situations. People who move frequently, such as college students, will be able to roll up their futon and pack it in the car. Contrast this with a bed, boxspring, and bedframe- hardly something you can take with you.
An added benefit for those living in small spaces is that single futons often come as a single futon bed which also doubles as a single futon chair. This single futon chair bed can be used for sitting and reading, for example in a small studio apartment, then pulled out to make a single futon sofa bed. Some of these frames appear to be quite ingenious in design, but make sure that they are solidly built. Sometimes the design’s “coolness” doesn’t quite translate into ease of use. For this reason, exercise a healthy does of caution and scrutinize that cheap single futon on sale- it’s likely to be more expensive in the long run because it probably won’t function very well, and most likely won’t be comfortable to sleep in, either.
Single futon mattresses are cheaper and are still relatively easy to come across. For those who like firm support, this kind of mattress is a real winner both in terms of comfort as well as cost.