Cheap and versatile (Futons)

Member Name: chemistangel

Product:	Futons
Date:	12/09/01 (2165 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, Easy to move

Disadvantages: A bit low to the ground?

When I moved into my most recent student house the beds left something to be desired. The mattresses were all encased in plastic, and it wasn’t the type of cover you could remove. I admit this saved the landlord money in the long run as he didn’t have to buy new beds every year. It was bed mite free and very clean (probably hosed down!), but I like most people my age don’t wet the bed, so the precaution wasn’t entirely necessary.

The main problem was that this bed made noises, some dodgier than others. Also bed sheets and undercovers slipped off really easily in the middle of the night so I stuck to the bed, not especially pleasant.

Therefore I decided that on my tiny student loan I should invest in a new bed. The cheapest double bed I was able to buy was a futon. They range from £139 (Argos basic + free delivery) to several hundreds of pounds. Like most people I was slightly wary of the very cheap ones so I spent a little more getting a mid range IKEA bed.
A futon is a low bed, almost on the floor. The base raises it off the floor slightly so your mice can still run underneath without too much disturbance. The base is traditionally slatted wood, it looks fairly feeble but as I have found is remarkable strong. The bases usually are made in two or three sections, that way they can be folded up for storage, but also they can be folded to make a fairly comfy, if low to the ground sofa. A double bed can comfortably hold 2 people (6 (drunk) students – do we class as people?) as a sofa. The folding mechanism is easy to use as the bed is surprisingly light.

On top of the base is the mattress. Generally made of cotton, the mattress comes in layers. The number of layers donates the quality of the bed. Generally you want to go for as many layers as possible. Those with 7 or 8 layers can be well used like a normal bed, anything less and you’re into occasional use guest beds. Most places that s
ell futons now sell removable mattress covers, which are excellent, you can wash them as often as you like. Really they just act as an extra layer of protection for the mattress. I have to admit I’d only heard of a couple of people who had actually bought them in the past and they all complained that they were a bit hard and a lot more hassle than they were worth. Yes it is firm, but it’s a comfy firm, not uncomfortable. It’s probably even quite good for those with back problems.

The mattress part of the futon does need quite a lot of care. Once a week or so you will need to turn your mattress, as on a normal bed. But unlike normal beds because it is all cotton your body shape will get pressed into the bed. It takes two people to give the bed a good shake so this doesn’t happen, otherwise it might get uncomfortable if you move position in the night or if someone else sleeps in your bed.

I’m pleased with my new bed, comfy, cheap, versatile what more could you want?

And lets face it how many double beds can you fold up and fit in the back of most cars?

After buying my double futon I’m glad it was so cheap, the thing I forgot to look at first was how expensive bed linen was………….

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