A Brief Futon History

A Futon is a Flexible Mattress, which was originally filled with Cotton.

Fantasy Futons and Furniture started the first Futon Website in 1998.  Our Website, Futons.net was one of the first Futon Website shipping futons all over the United States, starting in 1998, and we're still going strong.

Futons gained popularity in the US in the 1970s. Derived from the original Japanese futon, the "shikibuton", which was a thin cotton filled mattress which was placed on a Tatami Mat, on the floor.  Living quarters were very small, and families were large, so these mattresses were rolled up daily, and unrolled and slept on at night. Americans found the futon convenient and affordable, but this more original type of futon mattress was not very comfortable, yet they were still very popular among college students, apartment residents and first-time homeowners because they were very economical, space savers, and multi-purpose, quickly and easily converting from a couch to a bed, and visa versa.  The frames were very crude, yet effective frames which are still made today, similar to  the 3 Way Lounger, frames, and were mostly made of pine and fir.  They were also easy to assemble and disassemble making them easy to move from place to place, perhaps in the back of a VW Van.  Many people now refer to the futon mattress, as a futon, or the futon frame as a futon, or both the futon mattress and futon frame as a futon.

 In the 2000's Futons came a long way.  They are now being used as actual furniture due to the beautiful designs of the frames, as well as the advancements in futon mattresses.  Some of them rival the feel of the finest sofa or bed mattresses available and are made with very high quality combinations of ingredients, including several types of Memory Foam, Latex, Springs, Wool, Soy Foams, Cotton, Organic Cotton, Polyester, Innersprings, Silk, Cashmere, and more.  There are also Natural, Green, and Organic Futons for those with chemical sensitivities or that just want to get away from all of the harmful chemicals that are put into bedding these days.  Futons are no longer just a temporary bed or couch for college students or kids.  Futons have found a perfect niche in the furniture industry.  There are many different qualities of Futons, and the inexpensive ones are pretty much like to old ones used to be.  But there are now very high quality futons and for what they offer they are still economical, and multi-purpose, but now they are also extremely comfortable, long lasting, beautiful, and it's very easy to make them fit into your decor, because of all the types and finishes of woods, and all of the beautiful fabrics used for futon covers.

Be sure to check out the extremely popular space saving Cabinet Murphy Beds, or Creden-zzZ.  They look like a dresser, and open in seconds, into a sturdy, beautiful Queen sized bed, which will give your guests a very restful, "No Bar in your Back", nights sleep.

The U.S. Futon Mattresses are different from the traditional Japanese futons. The Japanese futon was a mat placed on tatami floors and folded and stored in a closet after use. On the other hand, western futons are convertible--used as a sofa to sit on during the day and a mattress to sleep on at night. They are built with a futon metal frame to support the mattress and allow the futon to convert from a bed to a couch.

Futon Covers from contemporary to classy

You can find the mattress cover you're looking for at Fantasy Futons. Choose from numerous colors, patterns and textures. We've got warm, cabana-like choices, baroque-inspired designs and even bold animal-print futon mattress covers.

Moreover, this bedding system has become completely customizable with endless color, style and design options for futon covers to suit the owner's personality or match a rooms existing decor.

If you have pets, children, or maybe a husband who things he can fix anything and then ends up a little dirty on the futon for a nap, we've got just the ticket.  We carry a full line of BedGuard Encasements, Box Spring Encasements and Protect-Its for Beds and for Futons.

These items will protect your futon or mattress investment, or will protect you from Bed Bugs, Dust Mites, Urine or liquid damage, and will help those with allergies.
 

Find your favorite futon frame

Futon Frames. Looking for a wooded look to match your warm country decor? We offer hardwoods like Oak, Ash, Maple, and even Bamboo.  Begin browsing our line of frames now!  Whatever motif you want we'll have a futon frame that will surely catch your eye.

Economically the past year or two have been pretty difficult and many of us are trying to make things last as long as they can.  If you need to repair your futon frame check our futon hardware section.  We have all of the hard to find parts, even the ones that are discontinued, or obsolete.  Futon Frame Hardware can be especially difficult to find, which is why we provide all kinds of parts and items to fix a broken futon frame. From brackets to bolts to glides to rollers.  Don't know what you're looking for? All of our futon hardware listings include detailed photos and specifications, so you can find exactly what you need.

 
Thank you,

The Fantasy Futons Team.

480-529-7292