When you first think of  a futon mattress, you probably think of a college student or someone else who has a more meager bedroom budget.  Well, I’m here to tell you that this is no longer the case.  There was a time when the lowly futon was considered a sheepish or bare bones bed to sleep on at night.

If you look at the futon mattresses of today and compare them with the ones in the past, you will find little resemblance.  Today, you will get a chance to sleep on a memory foam topper, coiled spring or even latex foam core mattress.  You simply could not find these options in the old futons.  The old ones gave you the choice of cotton, cotton-poly or wool.  These were about all you had to choose from.  Sure, you could change the futon cover and make them look different, but for sleeping, well, you were left with just the basics.  Now, even children can have their own child sized futon mattress that fits in their bed frames as well.

If you want to make the most of your extra space for guests, then you should definitely consider getting a futon bed.  The ease of use and comfort they provide your guests make them a real win-win.  This, combined with the fact that they are relatively inexpensive and you’ve got a win-win-win.

Traditional futon mattresses are much thinner and would take some getting used to by our Western standards.  Here, we use a much thicker mattress and have only a thin cotton or other material cover to protect it and make it look fashionable.  The futon frame is usually made of wood and has armrests and such so it can be used as a sofa or couch when not folded out for sleeping.  In Japan, the futon is used traditionally for sleeping primarily and if there is a frame is quite simple and flat.

A futon is both versatile and functional. It can be a cost-effective couch and bed with most new models starting from $70. They are often used as a space saving guest bed or in university dorms as the main bed and couch.

One of the first places to find a futon mattress for sale is the classifieds in the newspaper. If you live on a campus then the college newsletter would be a good option.

Another way is to look out for moving apartment sales. If you live in an apartment block many people who are moving out will put up notices about the furniture that they no longer want or need that they will be selling.

Online there are traditional websites like Amazon and eBay. There is also Craigslist.

Finally, if all else fails, there is the traditional way of buying futon mattresses – a department store.