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Today's futon may surprise you

Many people are familiar with the original version of the American futon, which folded twice and had a thin cotton mattress. The inconvenience of opening and closing this type of futon, combined with the lack of comfort provided by the thin mattress, usually relegated this futon to occasional use in a den or spare room.

However, there have been many advances in futon manufactuing since those early days. First of all, the "bi-fold" mattress has become the standard. Originally, futon frames were tri-fold, in that the mattress was folded up twice, into three sections, when converting from sleeping use to sitting use. Most of the new styles of futon only fold once, right in the middle. The tri-fold mattresses fold across the width, whereas the bi-fold mattresses fold down the length, allowing the latter style of futon to much more closely resemble a conventional sofa bed.

Actually, the switch to the bi-fold futon was not only prompted by the convenience of having to only fold the mattress once. Many of the newer futon mattresses are so thick that it is impossible to fold them twice.

The new futon comes in a variety of configurations, In addition to the double bed size, there are twin, queen, king, loveseat, and the chair futon, to name just some. The original mattresses were stuffed with cotton. These days, foam, latex, polyester and wool may also be included, in differing combinations. Futon versions which use traditional mattress innersprings have also become available.

There is also a wide variety of futon covers available, which can allow you to change the look of your room whenever you feel the urge.

Futon furniture is functional and versatile. Take a look at some of the resources listed on this website to find out just how useful it can be.

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