Best Futon Mattress (2024): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

We’ve all faced a situation where we had to sleep at someone’s house on their lumpy spare bedroom mattress. Chances are you’ve spent a tumultuous night tossing and turning on a futon at least once. We’ve all been there, and it’s not a good time.

Futons have a reputation for being uncomfortable, clunky, and downright ugly at times. We don’t want you to deal with having an uncomfortable bed in your guest room.

We want you to get the best futon mattress, and by the end of this review, you’ll have a few high-quality futon options to choose from.

Best Futon Mattresses

Brand	Model	Highlights	Price (Queen)
	Artiva USA Home Deluxe	Combines memory foam and innerspring coils to offer bouncy, but cushioning comfort.	$279.23
	DHP 8-Inch Independently Encased Coil	Designed for even weight distribution and pain relief.	$164.69
	Mozaic Gel Memory Foam	Features gel memory foam to keep you cool and comfortable.	$230.40
	Au Natural by Epic Furnishings	Best for those seeking a firm mattress.	$219.99
	Classe by Emoor	Features flippable comfort, extending the lifespan of this bed.	$219.99

1. Artiva USA Home Deluxe

This futon mattress comes in a wide assortment of colors to meet the design needs of your home. It works well as a spare bedroom sofa or every night sleeper. The strong innerspring on this futon offers support and comfort for both sleeping and sitting.

The Artiva mattress has a medium firmness level with a few different layers inside. This coil premium futon mattress contains high-quality materials with foam and innersprings for a delicate balance of firmness and softness. All the beds from Artiva are environmentally friendly, allergen resistant, and fire-resistant.

The mattress itself is eight inches thick with three layers of 1.5-inch polyester fibers. Many people turn to this futon mattress because it is plush, comfortable, and made in the USA. It doesn’t come with a frame, but it fits most standard futon frames.

There is no information on Amazon about warranties or sleep trials on this futon mattress.

2. DHP 8-Inch Independently Encased Coil Futon

This DHP Futon mattress contains layers of foam and polyester with six inches of coil fusion. The futon mattress comes with a tufted microfiber cover, and it fits any standard futon frame. It contains natural materials that don’t include PBDEs, flame retardants, or ozone depleters. The foam used in this mattress is also low in VOC emissions, so you don’t have to worry about reducing your indoor air quality.

The futon mattress contains three different layers. One is a set of independent pocket coils that help distribute weight around the bed and relieve pressure points. The next layer contains spring coils that offer support and balance. The mattress gets topped with high-density foam and polyester that are comfortable, plush, and durable. These materials hold up well to wear and tear, and they last a long time.

DHP offers a one-year warranty that starts from the date of purchase. This warranty only covers defective parts and materials. If you improperly assemble your futon, you void this warranty. If you use the warranty to get a product repaired or replaced, those components only have coverage for the remainder of the original contract. There is no information about sleep trials with this mattress.

3. Mozaic Gel Memory Foam Mattress

Here we have a memory foam futon mattress that is made from high-quality memory foam. The mattress is reversible because the foam is dual-sided. This futon is a full standard size with the mattress being 75 inches long, 54 inches wide, and 8 inches thick.

The Mozaic contains a cotton twill cover with multiple color options. This cover will protect your mattress and keep it comfortable for years to come. This one does not come with a frame, but it should fit most standard frames. Overall, this futon mattress looks great and feels plush as well. The only issue some may encounter is with the memory foam sleeping hot.

There is a slight off-gassing issue with this one, but it wears off after a few weeks. We were unable to find any warranty or sleep trial information on Amazon for this mattress.

4. Au Natural by Epic Furnishings

Right off the bat, Au Natural lets us know that this mattress is intended for those who prefer a firm mattress. It contains 14 inches deep of cotton that’s pressed to make a six to eight-inch-thick mattress. All their beds are hand stuffed with great attention to detail.

Inside the mattress is 100% cotton. They use long fiber cotton, which is said to last longer and provide more durability. The short fiber cotton tends to bunch up, especially when it gets hot. This material will stay even to allow for a more comfortable rest over time.

The main issue that some people may have with this mattress is due to its stiffness. It’s a highly firm mattress that works well in the seating position, but if you prefer to sleep on something softer like memory foam, you’ll end up wanting to purchase a topper for it.

We could not find any information about warranties or sleep trials on Amazon.

5. Classe by Emoor

Lastly, we have a Japanese futon made in Japan that comes in an array of sizes. You also have the choice of purchasing a few different colors for this one. The Emoor mattress contains three different “sandwich” layers as they call it. The polyester layering includes a soft poly-cotton quilt with a firm one underneath. On the bottom is another layer of soft polyester.

They’ve designed the mattress this way so you can flip it and have the same level of comfort on their side. The firm layer in the middle helps act as your support, and the soft layers provide the comfort you need to rest.

Overall, the mattress is medium-firm, so if you usually sleep on a memory foam mattress, this one might be too hard for you. We were unable to find any information about warranties or sleep trials on Amazon.

SEE ALSO: The Best Place to Buy a Mattress In-Store Myths

What is a Futon?

Interestingly enough, the word futon comes from the Japanese word “bed.” The original futon was more of a mattress pad than an actual bed for sleep.

Over time the pad has developed into a thicker material that is much plusher and soft for comfort and support reasons.

If you asked most people to describe a futon, they would generally think of something that is kept in the corner of the basement or in the one-room bachelor pad to try and maximize the space in a small area.

Futons have grown to include many of the materials we seek out in a more expensive mattress. These may be memory foam, latex, or hybrid mattresses combining springs and memory foam. If we had to compare the comfort of the best futon mattress with a more expensive mattress, there would be no comparison.

Futon mattresses are usually much cheaper than your popular memory foam or innerspring mattresses, so they exist for affordability and space-saving purposes. To define one type as the best mattress would be wrong.

Why Choose a Futon?

Since you’re reading this article, you’re clearly interested in getting a futon. Let’s think about why that is. Why would someone choose a futon over a traditional mattress?

The most common reason is for space and utility. Many times, you’ll see futons in dorm rooms or studio apartments where space is minimal. If you need, you can use the futon as both your couch and your bed.

Being able to convert your couch into a bed allows for extra room for other things. We also find futons popular in spare bedrooms. Many houses may have an extra bedroom that serves many purposes. It might be an office, guest bed, and kid’s playroom. When the kids have sleepovers, they may all sleep on the futon.

Another reason many people turn to futons is because of the cost. These are much cheaper than a regular bed. While even the lowest quality mattress will run you at least $400, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a futon mattress that costs that much. You can save even more by shopping the best mattress sales:

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The main downside is that you’ll have to buy the entire frame for a futon because you won’t be able to use your standard bed frame and box spring if you want to convert it into a couch.

Before we get too in-depth, we want to clear one last thing. A futon is different from a “pull-out couch.” Many people confuse the two, but there is a significant difference.

A pull-out couch hides the bed underneath the cushions of the sofa. You need to remove the cushions which reveal the bed frame underneath.

Having a futon involves much fewer steps. You often release some form of spring that allows you to lower the back of the futon. Once you drop the back portion, the mattress flattens out into a traditional bed.

What to Look for in a Futon

If you can’t decide on how to choose the best futon mattress, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. Here are some of the most important things to look for in a futon.

Thickness

The two thickness options for futons are usually six or eight inches. The thicker the mattress, the more comfort you’ll have. As the mattress gets thicker, you’ll typically pay a higher price as well. The thickness you choose depends entirely on what you’re looking to do with your futon.

If you plan on treating it more as a couch than a bed, you might not have to worry as much about the thickness. For people who plan on using it as their primary sitting and sleeping location, it might be worth the extra couple bucks to ensure you have somewhere comfortable to rest your head every night.

When you’re buying the futon to simply place it in a spare room so it can get used a few times per year, you might not need to concern yourself with the smaller details.

Materials

Mattress materials are a hot topic in today’s society. Everyone thinks they know the best material for each person and really, it depends on you. Some people sleep great on a firm mattress, while others prefer something softer. The most important thing to keep in mind is that it has to make sense for whoever is sleeping on it.

For futons, you don’t have quite as many options as you’ll get with traditional mattresses. Since most futons are reversible, they can’t have extensive hybrid options combining all different types of layers like you would with a regular mattress.

That said, we still have cotton, foam, and spring futons. Cotton fabric is the most common material used in futons, and it’s also the most affordable. Many futons are made using 100% cotton, and this is usually dense cotton. This cotton is not like the kind you have in your pillow. It’s typically hard and intended for people who prefer a firm mattress.

Memory foam is growing in popularity in futons because more and more people are seeking it. Foam is soft and great for people who need an exceptionally contouring mattress because of lower back pain or neck injuries. The best mattresses for back pain relief are often memory foam.

For this reason, memory foam is not as popular on futons as you would think. It might sound great for sleeping, but it doesn’t work as well when we’re talking about the couch configuration.

Lastly, we have innersprings. Many futons will combine innersprings with cotton, but it’s worth mentioning by themselves. Some will have a springboard style of springs while others have individually wrapped springs. What you get depends entirely on how much you’re willing to pay.

The wrapped coils are better because they provide a more even balance when you lay down on the mattress. The springboard creates a lot of bounce, so it also doesn’t work well if you’re sleeping with a partner.

If your futon mattress has springs, be sure to rotate it if you don’t sleep on it often. You don’t want to leave it in the couch position too long because the springboard can get stuck that way, which will result in a dip in the middle of the mattress.

It’s important also to mention some of the healthier materials. Many mattresses use polyurethane, which isn’t good for your health. You may want to look for anti-bacterial cotton fiber and quality foam. There are many healthier alternatives to some of the chemical-rich materials used in traditional mattresses.

Frame

If you’ve never owned a futon before, you’ll likely have to buy a frame to go along with your mattress. The one thing to think about when choosing a futon bed is the size. Most futons are a standard full-size bed with a tri-fold frame. Some also come in a queen size. Make sure you measure everything and never assume that something will fit without checking first.

When shopping around for a frame, keep the materials in mind and relate them to the type of mattress you’re choosing. Some futon frames are metal frames, while others are wooden frames. If you plan on using it a lot as your primary sleeping area, you would want to choose the most durable frame.

Warranties

The most crucial factor to keep in mind is your comfort. It’s tough shopping online for futons because many of them don’t offer warranties, or they don’t offer a lot of information about them.

When you purchase a $1000+ mattress, you usually get a sleep trial plus an extensive warranty; some are even lifetime. With futons, you’re sometimes left to fend for yourself if something doesn’t go right.

If possible, I would always choose a futon bed that comes with a warranty. Having a warranty or trial period helps you test everything out without having to feel out of luck if it’s not working for you. We spend a lot of time on our mattresses, and if you’re using this as a couch, you’ll spend even more time on it. Make sure you get the right one, so you’re not dealing with an uncomfortable night’s rest.

Common Questions

Check out these frequently asked questions about futons.

Is There a Comfortable Futon Mattress?

Yes, there are plenty of comfortable futon mattresses. The common misconception is that these are only for dorm rooms and bachelor pads, but they’ve come a long way over time. Of course, they won’t compare to your $1,000 mattress, but they work well when you’re in a pinch of you need to save some space.

Can I Sleep on a Futon Every Night?

Of course, you can sleep on one every night! Think about all the people out there who have expensive mattresses and still don’t sleep well. Sleep is subjective to the individual, and some people can sleep anywhere, while others can’t sleep no matter what.

It depends on your sleeping position, as well. If you choose carefully and pick a futon sofa that makes sense for you, you’ll have no problem sleeping on it every night.

How Thick Should a Futon Mattress Be?

Six to eight inches is standard for a futon mattress so that we wouldn’t recommend anything smaller than that. If you choose a six-inch one, keep in mind the fact that you’ll have two fewer inches of padding. The eight-inch futon mattresses might be a bit more expensive and difficult to move around, but they’re worth it.

How Long Should a Futon Mattress Last?

It depends entirely on how much you use it. As we’ve said, some futons get used heavily when they are both beds and living room couches. Others get thrown into the corner of a guest room and left there to collect dust. Generally, most futons will last as long as ten years with moderate use. If you’re using it for your bed and couch, we would expect no longer than five years.

How Do You Make a Futon Mattress More Comfortable?

You can up the comfort level by adding a mattress pad, quality pillows, and comfy sheets. One issue that many people have with sitting on a futon is the depth of the seat. It’s hard to sit upright on a futon couch because you have a lot more depth to accommodate the full-size mattress. If you’re trying to make the couch position more comfortable, we recommend padding the back with plenty of throw pillows.

Is a Futon Better Than a Sofa Sleeper?

There are a few points to touch on here. First, a futon is much more affordable than a sleeper sofa (pull-out couch). They are also much lighter and easier to move around. In terms of comfort, we would say that a sleeper sofa is more comfortable because it has more elements of both a bed and couch.

Sleeper sofas also have a better appearance because you can hide the fact that you have a bed underneath the couch. The bi-fold frames sometimes have a less than desirable appearance, as well.

Conclusion

When you’re shopping for the best futon mattress, you want to keep a few things in mind — the materials, how much space you have, and what you’re looking to spend. Futons are much cheaper than your traditional mattress, but you do sacrifice comfort and appearance.

While we wouldn’t recommend using a futon as your primary bed, if you live in a studio apartment or are tight on cash, these can get the job done over a short period. Sleep is an essential part of our health and not an area you want to skip out on for too long.

Either way, if you’re in the market for a futon, we recommend checking out any of the options presented above. Rest easy!