5 Best Futon Mattress UK 2023 – An Expert Buyer’s Guide

Whether you need a futon mattress to sleep on every night, or you’re looking to get a high-quality guest bed that you can pull out when you need it you’re going to need the right equipment.

Because everyone knows futons are a little uncomfortable, or a lot uncomfortable depending on who you ask. But more often than not this is because no one ever upgrades the mattress on top!

I’ve reviewed the best futon mattresses you can buy here in the UK and linked them through to where you can buy them online, either at Amazon or Mattress Next Day.

Top 5 Best Futon Mattresses UK

• Top Choice – Japanese Futon Mattress
• Memory Foam Choice – My Layabout Solid Memory Foam Futon Mattress
• Best Normal Mattress For Futon – Dreamland Jasmine Mattress
• Easy Storage Futon Mattress- Foldable Tatami Mattress
• Best For Travel – Twist Bed Easy Roll-Up WaterFoam Ergonomic Support Mattress

1. Top Choice – Japanese Futon Mattress

I love this mattress because it’s available in a full range of sizes starting with a single and twin size and going right up to double and king size.

The 10 cm thickness is plenty to give you a comfortable sleep and keep you up off the futon frame whether it’s a traditional Japanese futon or not. It’s also non-slip so it doesn’t slide off the frame through the night keeping you set and sleeping soundly.

The cover is a cotton fabric which is breathable to stop you overheating and the filling is a regular polyester, nothing special there but it does the job.

It arrives vacuum packed so you’ll need to give it a few days to “fluff up” before you sleep on it.

Ideal on a sofa bed, a traditional futon or on the floor, plus a 3-year guarantee to ensure quality, what’s not to like?

2. Memory Foam Choice – My Layabout Solid Memory Foam Futon Mattress

This futon sofa mattress is available is a single, double or triple seat size (click the button above for size specifics) but the real reason this is a fantastic choice is that it’s memory foam!

Memory foam ups the comfort game in terms of a sofa bed, it gives extra support so you don’t feel the frame underneath and softens it up compared to the firmer feel mattresses normally are.

I should point out the picture has a futon frame in it but this is not included, it’s just the futon mattress you buy in the amazon listing.

It’s got velcro straps attached to it so you can roll it up if you need to store it or travel with it.

The main downside is you can’t remove the covers to wash them so I’d get a sheet to put on top to sleep on it. It’s a strange shape so go with a non-fitted sheet that’s big enough then you can fold the extra material underneath.

3. Best Normal Mattress For Futon – Dreamland Jasmine Mattress

This is the mattress you get for long term futon use. It doesn’t fold up but it’s much more comfortable and far cheaper than other mattresses so you get a decent sleep for a few months then can get rid of it.

Not for everyone and treats the futon bed like a normal bed, so no the mattress you want in the living room but if you’re getting someone more permanently into your guest room it’s perfect.

It’s also something more durable if you’re dealing with back pain but you’ve ended up on the futon.

It’s not a thin mattress at 18 cm so gives you plenty of support on a futon bed frame and it’s a spring mattress so offers nice bounce and a great feel to it. Besides, at under £100 it’s cheaper than some high-end futon mattresses!

4. Easy Storage Futon Mattress- Foldable Tatami Mattress

There are a full range of different colours and designs available for this mattress, which is a soft padded section attached to a firmer mat underneath.

This means you can roll it up and store it to the side easily if you’re looking to save space in your room through the day. It folds up on a futon or you can remove it completely and roll it up.

It’s breathable which keeps you cool through the night but also keeps the mattress fresh, and it’s hypoallergenic which is important if you’re going to be using it near to the floor.

Perfect all year round, easy to store and comfortable.

5. Best For Travel – Twist Bed Easy Roll-Up WaterFoam Ergonomic Support Mattress

This is a great portable mattress topper essentially, you can throw it on top of an existing futon mattress to up the comfort or use it on its own.

It rolls up for easy travelling if you’re heading to stay with someone who’s got a futon and you’re not looking forward to a solid rigid bed.

It’s not too expensive either and the cover is soft enough to sleep directly on but I always recommend a bed sheet so you can keep it fresher for longer.

You can throw this straight down as a floor mattress too if you need a quick spare bed, great for a kids room and sleepovers.

Best Futon Mattress Type

There are two main types of futon mattress, a polyester filling and foam filling, you sometimes find innerspring futon mattresses but these are more expensive than they’re worth.

Foam Futon Mattresses – These can either be memory foam or polyurethane foam which is just a fancy way of saying high-density foam. Both can be high-quality foam and either way, these tend to be more supportive and a comfier choice. You’ll impress guests and leave them with an actual good night’s sleep! They’re often a bi-fold or a tri-fold design, neither is better than the other it just depends what you need.

These are sometimes a layer of foam on top of a firmer mat.

Polyester Futon Mattresses – These are your traditional futon mattress, a good one is plush and comfortable but a cheap one leaves you feeling the wooden frames and slats underneath you. A more affordable choice and can be comfortable for a night or two but not what you’d want to sleep on every night.

F.A.Q

Can I sleep on a futon every night?

You can but you’ll be better off if you’re younger, the older you get the more you seem to ache the morning after. A foam mattress is the best mattress for a futon if you’re going to use it every night. But you may just take some time for your body to adjust to it if you’re used to a regular mattress.

How do I make a futon more comfortable?

You can get a mattress topper to put on top that will help increase comfort and change it from a firm mattress to a heavenly mattress. Or if you’ve got a spare duvet you can do futon, duvet, sheet to up the comfort levels and let you sleep a bit deeper.

Apart from that, you’ve just got to tough through it!

How thick should a futon mattress be?

10 cm is about the minimum you want for a futon mattress, this gives you enough space to not feel the slats underneath but the heavier the person using it the thicker you’ll need the mattress to be.

Do you put sheets on a futon?

I like to and think you should even if it’s just as a mattress cover. You often don’t need to if it’s a nice poly-cotton cover or microfiber cover that’s soft to begin with but a sheet helps increase longevity. Plus it can make it look a bit nicer and feel more like an actual bed if it’s made up to look like one.

Are futons better than mattresses?

I don’t think so, there’s an argument they’re better for your back but I think a high-quality bed mattress that isn’t too old is just as good if not better for your back. There’s a Japanese tradition of using futons but that comes from it being tradition rather than a conscious choice of it being a better way to sleep.

Conclusion

Whether you’ve got a floor futon or you’re moving full time on to a futon at a family or friends house I hope this article helped. These are the best futon mattresses you can buy here in the UK and they will surely leave you sleeping comfortably for many nights to come.

Related Reading

Best sofa beds

​Best pillows

Best memory foam mattress toppers

Best duvets