I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; Futons have come a long way. Originally used in Japan in small, one room family apartments and homes, futons were meant to be easy to move, store and use. They were basically platform beds that sat low to the ground and were easy to fold and store away for family activities.

Another reason why these futons needed to be stored away was because the typical flooring in Japanese homes was a soft rush straw material called Tatami. These types of floors or mats required air circulation and thus the futons used during the night needed to be stored away.

When introduced in America, futons were clunky and were made into a tri-fold format. It was the American furniture company Big Tree that first raised futons to sofa height and adjusted the seating angle to be more comfortable for the average American. Futons in America also became a more of a sofa option than that of just a bed. You no longer stored the futon in a closet, it was just a couch or sofa during the day for family and guests to enjoy themselves.

Since the introduction of futons to America, many innovations have surfaced. Such as the inclusion of arm rests, which generally offer a unique style and other convenient features such as lift-up tops for storage and magazine trays.

There are now metal futon frames that have become rather popular in the past decade as well because of the simple selections. Wall-huggers from Strata have become extremely popular because of their front loading operation.

There are even click-clacks, also known as casual convertibles and convert-a-couches that look just like couches that operate just like any other futon.

Once again, futons have come a long way. Choosing the right futon for your situation could be a long journey, and being informed and educated is the best way to know how to obtain the right futon frame, futon mattress and futon cover for your home.