Futons: The Modern Furniture Solution
Futons are an incredibly ingenious piece of furniture. They can be used as both a bed and a couch. If you are not familiar with what futons are and how versatile they can be, click on the following sections to learn more.
- What Is a Futon?
- Benefits of Getting a Futon
- How Much Do Futons Cost?
- Different Futon Styles
- Why Buy a Locally-Made Futon?
If you are looking for the best selection of Canadian-made futons, check out our online store.
Futons
1. What Is a Futon?
Futons are sewn together using tufting
Futons originated in Japan. They were a traditional style of bedding that consisted of a mattress and a duvet that could be folded in half and stored away in a large closet when you weren't sleeping on it. Traditional Japanese futons were laid out on the floor on top of rush mats.
In the 1980's, futons started to become popular in the West. Western-style futons are made in a similar fashion to their Japanese predecessors. They are made of cotton batting that is covered with cotton ticking. They are they sewn together using through-thickness stitches, called tufting, to hold the material in place. Unlike Japanese futons, Western futons are placed on slatted frames made of wood or metal to lift them off the floor.
Futons are similar but different from sofa beds. Unlike a sofa bed that has its mattress hidden underneath the frame when you are using it as a couch, the futon mattress sits on top of its frame.
2. Benefits of Getting a Futon
Futons are multi-purpose pieces of furniture
Futons can be a great addition to your home or apartment. They come in a wide variety of styles and sizes to suit almost any decor. Here are some of the wonderful benefits of purchasing a futon.
Versatile:
Futons are multi-purpose pieces of furniture that can give you options when it comes to additional sleeping and sitting solutions. You can put a futon in a variety of rooms in your home such as:
- Home Office
- Basement
- Garage
- Attic or Loft
- Family Room
- Den
They are a great way to optimize your space in your multifunctional areas. When you have extra overnight guests, they can turn into your room into the perfect extra bedroom.
More Comfortable than a Sofa Bed:
Futons usually have a much thicker mattress than sofa beds do. This is because the sofa bed mattress has to be thin enough to fold up completely inside of its frame. For this reason, a futon is usually much more comfortable to sleep on.
Great for Small Spaces:
A futon is a great option if your space is tight. They work well in:
- Bachelor and Studio Apartments
- College Dorms
- Small Bedrooms
- Campers
Because you can use them as both a couch and a bed, then you only need one piece of furniture in your small space instead of two. This will give you much more floor space. In addition, if you choose an armless model, then you can fit your futon into even a tighter spot.
Easy to Operate:
Most modern futons, like the one above, are easy to operate
Most modern and well-made futons are very easy to operate and convert from a seating position to a sleeping position and vice versa. For many models, you simply need to press the back of the futon down or lift the front of the futon up to turn it into a bed. To bring it back into a sofa position, simply lift the back up or push the front down.
Come in a Variety of Sizes:
Futons come in a full range of sizes including:
- Single
- Double
- Queen
- King
If you have a unique space that you want to put your futon in, then some companies like the Futon Shop can even make a custom size for you.
3. How Much Do Futons Cost?
Futons are usually less expensive to buy than a bed
A small futon will usually cost somewhere between $600 to $800 for the frame and mattress, where a larger one made of hardwood could cost up to $1,500 or more. The price you end up paying for a futon depends on a several factors including:
- The quality of the materials used to make the futon
- The quality of the craftsmanship
- The size of futon you want
- The style you choose
- The manufacturer
Futons are a great investment because they are generally less expensive than buying a traditional bed and you are getting two pieces of furniture for the price of one.
4. Different Futon Styles
Here are just a few of the great futons you can choose from at The Futon Shop. Click here to see our complete gallery.
Our Saigon Birch futon is uniquely modern with its lovely sloping arms and slender design.
It's made from durable birch hardwood and crafted here in Canada.
You can order it as a double, queen or loveseat. It even comes in a chair size that you can purchase on its own or combined with a loveseat to make a matching set.
The Mission Studio futon features a beautifully finished pine frame with your choice of multiple wood finishes, including this classic grey look.
It can be used as a double bed, lounger, or cozy loveseat. Its mission-styled arms give it a totally finished and classic look.
It's the perfect futon for smaller spaces and quiet corners.
The natural beauty of solid oak really comes to life in this gorgeous hardwood oak futon package.
Designed with traditional mission-style arms, this piece is sure to look stunning in any room.
You can even order it with a matching side chair.
If you like a more natural look, check out our unfinished pine options.
This L-frame design features no arms for a very contemporary and minimalistic look.
It comes in both a double or queen-sized version.
5. Why Buy a Locally-Made Futon?
There are many advantages of buying a locally-made futon.
It helps the local economy:
Buying locally-made futons helps the local economies where the products are being manufactured. Not only will you be helping to provide more local jobs, but employees of locally owned businesses also tend to spend money where they live and work.
More environmentally friendly:
When you buy local, you are also helping the environment. If you buy locally, then you are helping to decrease your carbon footprint as your purchase will not need to be shipped as far as it would if you bought it from a foreign manufacturer. In addition, Canadian logging has stricter regulations than other countries to ensure that eco-friendly policies are being followed.
Better Quality:
Futons made in Canada are usually of better quality than those made abroad. One reason is that Canadian manufacturers pay their workers more and they tend to be more skilled at their trade. In addition to this, imported furniture is often made from particleboard and veneers that are made to look like wood.
However, these materials are less durable and less attractive than real wood. If you do find imported furniture that is made from real wood, you may run the risk of the wood cracking or warping.
Futons by The Futon Shop
The Futon Shop has the largest and best selection of Canadian-made futons Hamilton, Ontario, and Canada has to offer! We also sell futon covers, bean bag chairs, mattress protectors and so much more.
At the Futon Shop we know how amazing our futons are because we are both the manufacturer and the retailer! Since 1984 we have been manufacturing our own line of high-quality futons in a wide variety of styles and sizes. If you prefer, we can also make a custom size to meet your exact requirements.
All of our futons are crafted right here in Canada at our Burlington location, so you can be sure that you are getting a quality product that will last. We are the largest futon manufacture in Canada, and we have been building our own line of high quality futon mattresses as well. You can come see our incredible lineup at our
Burlington location or you can
shop for all of our products online. We even ship all across Canada.
"We purchased from here instead of getting something shipped from Amazon because we were hoping for better quality & better customer service, not to mention supporting local, and we were not disappointed. Everyone we spoke with was super kind & helpful, our order was ready quickly and they fully loaded it into our vehicle, and when we had a slight issue with our order they were extremely quick to resolve it. The futon looks great and the mattress is really comfy. We did go with the Tahoe Pine frame which is not the best quality wood, but that’s to be expected in our price range - opt for better if you can afford it. Overall, worth the extra drive to Burlington (or the shipping cost if you get delivery).
."
- Kathleen Pacheco
The Futon Shop Burlington Showroom Business Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 10:00am - 4:00pm | Saturday: 10:00am - 3:00pm Sunday - Monday: Closed
5205 Harvester Rd, Burlington, L7L, ON, Canada
