Best Cheap Futons Reviews & Buying Guide 2022

In modern times several manufacturers all over the world have based their designs from the traditional Japanese futons and came up with contemporary uses and designs to keep up with modern lifestyles. Western-style futons resemble low, wooden sofa beds and have dimensions similar to that of a western mattress. They are also too thick to fold, so manufacturers and designers set them up like a sofa bed rather have identical use and function like that of traditional Japanese futon. Despite the differences in function and design, modern futons mainly offer the same comfort and space-saving features that fit a modern lifestyle and western market whose customers aren’t too used on sleeping low on the floor.

Due to the exotic, foreign origins of this design and the increase in demand for space-saving furniture, modern futons don’t usually come cheap. This guide will help you find the best cheap futons that will satisfy not only your sense of style and space-saving comfort but also your budget.

10 Best Rated Cheap Futons With Reviews

1. DHP Emily Futon Couch Bed

DHP is a known and trusted brand that has expertise in providing furniture for small living spaces. With over 25 years in the industry, they specialize in transformable furniture such as sofa beds and futons, using only high-quality products in their products. They offer stylish designs without compromise in comfort. This is evident with how premium the Emily Futon Couch Bed looks and feels.

Features

The Emily Futon Couch Bed has an attractive dark gray linen modern look with a squared tufted design. It has slanted chrome legs that don’t just add aesthetics, but also practical support for the weight pressed down on the mattress. Its stylish and robust steel frame provides a weight limit of 600 lbs.

On top of its ability to transform into a sofa to a bed, it also features multifunctionality and versatility with its split back feature, with each back able to hold an angle to be used from sitting to lounging. This allows two users to adjust their comfort as they see fit without bothering the other.

The Emily Futon Couch Bed’s cushions are generously thick and remain firm from regular use. It sports a modern yet minimalistic aesthetic that makes it perfect for home and office. It also has a low profile design that makes it easier for kids to come up and enjoy the futon and for those who prefer sleeping as close to the floor as possible.

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2. Best Choice Products Microfiber Convertible Futon

Best Choice Products is a brand that caters to several products such as toys, kitchen products, and musical instruments, but they are best known for their home and furniture products. They even provide extra features to level up your comfort experience. Such is the case with their Microfiber Convertible Futon.

Features

The Microfiber Convertible Futon from Best Choice Products is covered in a luxurious and comfy tufted faux leather cover. It has a pair of removable armrest also included in this sleek faux leather providing cushion for your arms while sitting or lounging while in sofa mode, and it can also be used to rest your head on while in bed mode. As a bonus feature, Best Choice Products even added a middle portion of the backrest that can convert as 2 cup holders.

With this, you can enjoy the leisure of watching movies in sofa mode without having to worry about where to place your drinks. When it comes to entertainment, this futon is best when it’s on sofa mode. Nonetheless, it feels comfortable on bed mode too.

Its reclining backrest can be used upright when witting, reclining when used for lounging, and then flat for lying down or sleeping. The beautiful, sturdy faux leather upholstery is resistant to scratches and wear and tear. Its durable foam padding helps maintain an even and comfortable shape. Its frame and chrome metal legs are also durable, providing a weight capacity of 500 lbs.

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3. Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon

With designs aimed for the comfort of the modern family, Novogratz utilizes style and functionality to create a wide selection of home furnishings. With over 25 years of experience, this brand offers styles that fit both modern and minimalist aesthetics. Their Brittany Sofa Futon is an example of contemporary functionality paired with a minimalist design that’s not overbearing nor too subtle to notice.

Features

The elegant green Brittany Sofa Futon can seem imposing, but it quite fits most modern home aesthetics. It has a stylish ribbed tufted cushioned backrest complemented by its oak-colored wooden legs. The polyester and foam filling provides both seating and sleeping comfort. Its comfortable curved armrests provide great cushioning when using it as a sofa or as a lounger.

To provide stability and durability, the Brittany Sofa Futon has a sturdy wooden frame construction. This makes it feel more robust and reliable, most notably when using it on bed mode. Assembly is quite easy, and it comes smartly shipped as well.

It features a multi-position functionality allowing it to be used as a sofa, a lounger, and a bed. It also has a split-back feature, allowing one side to adjust to any of the three positions independent of the other. This allows one person to adjust to his or her comfort preference while the other person keeps to his or her setting.

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4. Divano Roma Furniture Collection Futon

Known for its modern style and designs, Divano Roma Furniture is committed to providing customers products in unrivaled, premium quality with a budget-friendly price. Never compromising comfort, they offer high-quality and ultra-soft fabrics and upholstery in their products, ensuring a perfect combination of comfort and design for your home.

Features

The Modern Plush Futon is designed with an ultra-plush tufted fabric upholstery all across the surface. This makes it comfortable to sit and sleep on. Furthermore, the cushion is made with hypoallergenic fill, not only maximizing comfort but making it easily likable by those with skin and respiratory sensitivities.

The lively light blue color provides a bright pop color to the room, making it an ideal fit for light-colored and well-lit rooms. This makes it easily stand out, and as a result, it can be used a centerpiece to highlight your room.

It features a split-back feature to accommodate the personal preferences of those using it, with one side being able to stand or lie flat without bothering whatever position the other prefers. Its tufted seating and backrest provide optimal comfort and cushioning so you can enjoy yourself in whatever situation you desire. It also comes with a cushioned armrest to provide support and comfort for your arms while using it as a sofa.

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5. Serta Rane Collection Convertible Sofa

No other brand prioritizes comfort and safety than Serta. This brand has spent over 25 years to innovate the futon industry and has embraced modern trends of e-commerce and retail to deliver product offers and solutions for their clients. Their patented Finger Guard Safety is incorporated in their products for the safety of their customers when converting their furniture from one position to another.

Features

The Rane convertible sofa sports a timeless and super minimalist style that showcases simplicity in exchange for comfort. Despite the minimalistic design, Serta made efforts to the meticulous details when creating the Rane convertible sofa.

The beautiful navy blue tufted design of the seat and the backrest make this futon comfortable to look at. Coupled with a high-density foam webbing within the cushions, the high-quality polyester fabric gives it a comforting texture, further enhancing the experience you can enjoy on the futon.

The Rane has a three-position function. You can adjust to your preference. You can use it as a sofa, a lounger, and a bed easily. Thanks to the Finger Guard mechanism, it is very less likely to encounter any accidents or injuries when converting it from one position to another. The Rane convertible sofa is easy to assemble. It’s so easy you can even do it alone by yourself. It comes with a simple instruction manual and assembly tools provided.

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6. KD Frames Studio Bifold Futon

KD Frames is a manufacturer brand based in Athens, Georgia, specializing in making wooden frames for furniture. One of their products is the Studio Bifold Futon that is designed for the use of western-style futons.

Features

The Studio Bifold Futon frame is crafted from the wood of the Tulip tree. It sports a classic wooden futon frame design with a natural finish and does not contain chemical coating.

What sets this futon frame apart from its competitors are several features. It has a five-position feature, while most futon frames only allow two or three options. Another feature is that it has a slatted frame design. This slatted frame will enable it to pass through and around the mattress, preventing molds and bacteria from growing. This also helps keep the mattress fresh and prolongs its lifespan.

The craftsmanship put into its design is top-notch, as evidenced by the well built and sturdy wooden frame. The frame is capable of supporting the weight of two average-sized persons, and the mattress included, up to a total of 500 lbs. Quality wood frames don’t usually come in cheap, but the Studio Bifold Futon frame costs less than 200 US dollars. With a sturdy wood frame with a minimalist aesthetic and featuring more positional options, it’s a steal at that price.

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7. Best Choice Products Faux Leather Convertible Lounge Sofa Bed

Best Choice Products took a minimalistic approach to this 69-inch Faux Leather Convertible Lounge Sofa Bed but with a luxurious twist. Unlike the Microfiber Convertible Futon equipped with extra features for entertainment, the Faux Leather Convertible Lounge Sofa Bed boasts a simple yet stylish design fit for any contemporary home setting.

Features

The Faux Leather Convertible Lounge Sofa Bed is built with a solid wooden frame for durability and stability. This wood frame also gives a charming accent to the all-black faux leather tufted upholstered mattress. The reliable and sturdy construction is capable of supporting up to 550 lbs in weight.

The plush padding and tufted upholstery provides incredible comfort and can accommodate up to three people. Just how easy it is to assemble, this futon can convert as a sofa, a lounger, and a bed with relative ease. The minimalistic design and compact size make it the ideal versatile solution to small living spaces. The overall modern aesthetic of this futon makes it compatible with any current home setting.

If you want a fully functional futon with a solid, reliable frame, then this is perfect for you. Also, having comfort without sacrificing style to boot, this is easily one of the best deals you can find in the market.

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8. Mainstay Memory Foam Futon

Mainstay is a brand catering to affordable, quality home improvement products for the modern home and family. The Memory Foam Futon from Mainstay features a highly ergonomic design built with a fold-up armrest feature so you can enjoy having an armrest without the hassles involved to remove them when you don’t want to use them.

Features

The tufted faux leather Memory Foam Futon has the ideal size suitable for a small living space. Measuring only 32.5″ x 71.7″ x 33.5″, this all-black piece of furniture is also compatible with most modern home settings. The black faux leather cover is notably warmer than most fabrics, which makes it perfect for cold nights as well. A damp cloth is all you need to clean futon, making it easy to clean and maintain.

The Memory Foam Futon can accommodate seating to up to three adults, and its sturdy metal frame can support up to 600 lbs of weight. It has six thick metal legs to add durability and support.

The most overlooked features of this futon are the fold-up armrests, conveniently hidden underneath the furthest corners of the cushion. These armrests can be accessed by folding up the edge on each side. This eliminates the need for a fixed armrest and the nuisance of having to remove it when you don’t plan to use it when using the futon for sleeping.

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9. Mozaic Futon Mattress

Affordable comfort and versatility are what the Mozaic brand is all about. This brand specializes in quality, handmade products that can last for several years. Blending style, versatility, and comfort, Mozaic is the go-to brand for your budget-friendly options.

Features

What makes this 10-inch Mozaic Futon Mattress incredibly comfortable is the multilayered design of its mattress. Like some homage to its Japanese origin, the dual-sided high-quality memory foam of its futon mattress is wrapped in a plush layer of cotton fiber like sushi. It is then encased in a durable poly-cotton twill tufted cover. Because of this, the mattress is reversible and can be flipped from time to time to maintain its integrity and longevity.

The Mozaic Futon Mattress’s poly-cotton blend material is compliant with the Federal Flammability Standard 16 CFR 1633, meaning it is safe and not flammable.

This mattress is easily compatible with most futon frames of the same size. If you like a particular futon frame, you can pair it with the Mozaic Futon Mattress and enjoy a match made in heaven. Surprisingly, the mattress only weighs 47 lbs despite its full size.

If you prefer it traditional, you can even enjoy using this mattress without a frame and use it for mostly sleeping as long you keep your floor neat and tidy. With or without a frame, you will surely enjoy this mattress.

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10. Kodiak Furniture Futon Lounger

Kodiak Furniture specializes in beautiful and intricate furniture designs that combine classic and modern aesthetics. With masterful craftsmanship, they produce highly stylish wooden frames that look as extravagant as their prices. Fortunately, they also offer budget-friendly options and products to the delight of new and long-time customers.

Features

This futon lounger set includes a 5″-6″ mattress, two pillows, and the metal powder-coated black frame. Unlike most items on this list, it features wooden slats to support the bed. This wooden slatted frame allows air circulation underneath to keep the mattress fresh and prevent bacterial and mold growth, thereby granting the mattress an even more lifespan compared to mattresses that do not use this slatted frame system.

The mattress and the two pillows use a 100% polyester suede fabric cover while the former uses an 80% blended cotton and 20% polyurethane foam filling. However, the fabric isn’t waterproof, so only spot cleaning should be done to clean and maintain both the mattress and pillows.

What sets the Kodiak Furniture Futon Lounger apart from the other products on this list is that the backrest does not recline into a so-called bed mode. Instead, the armrests are the ones that can be positioned flat to provide an even sleeping surface. You can also opt to keep one side of the armrests up to give a cushioned headrest when lying down or as a lounger when sitting on top and your legs extended on top. The modern chic design makes it perfect multipurpose furniture, even in awkward-sized living spaces.

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What is a Futon?

A Futon is the traditional Japanese style of bedding utilizing a rectangular, foldable mattress typically paired with a duvet when used. It usually rests on top of Tatami, a type of mat that is used as a flooring material in old and traditional Japanese homes that offer a softer base for the futon.

It can be easily folded and stored in a large closet, allowing the room to function other than as a bedroom during the day. This has found usefulness in homes that have limited floor space. This has been used for centuries, and it still finds use in many Japanese homes in modern times.

Modern, western-style futons are based on Japanese futons but took a different route in terms of functionality and design.

Different Types of Futons

Futons are classified into two main types: the original Japanese futon and the Western-style futon. The following will list the crucial differences between the original and its modern iteration.

A complete Japanese futon consists of a mattress called a Shikibuton, and a duvet called Kakebuton that functions as a western duvet. Futons have maintained their traditional style for centuries, and the craftsmanship involved in their production has improved thanks to the passing of tradition of the craft and the use of high-quality natural materials. There are no foam pads added inside the mattress, which could trap moisture and encourage the growth of toxic molds, making it hypoallergenic.

There are no frames needed as the Japanese futons are made to sleep with on the floor as it was intended. The minimalistic design of the classic Japanese futon has made it into a practical and common household item for centuries.

Western-style futon addresses specific concerns that a Japanese futon cannot fit the lifestyle of the western market. Firstly, being designed to sleep low on the floor. Western futons are designed to include a frame to tackle this concern, and the mattress is also made thicker than Japanese futons. Next is versatility. Instead of storing the futons in the day to make room, why not convert it into something else? This is what western producers and designers had done with their modern take on the original. This is the reason why you see most modern futons in the market looking like a slimmer version of sofa beds.

The cushion and styling of western futons make them more fitting for a western market with the addition of padding and other fabrics aside from cotton, which the classic Japanese futon typically uses. Most of the designs also favor style over minimalism and practicality.

Benefits of Using Inexpensive Futons

With everything getting more and more expensive in today’s modern lifestyle, you could save a lot when you choose to be practical. However, just because you want to be functional doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style over comfort. Being expensive does not always guarantee living up to superior quality. You can have both style and functionality in a product you want with even just a fraction of the price of the most expensive product out there on the market but just as good or even better.

The following are the benefits you get for choosing the best quality cheaper options in the market:

Futons are expensive, but you will save a lot if you get them among more affordable options. You don’t need to invest in expensive, designer brands when you can just spend wisely on budget-friendly futons. Stylish and cheaper options are out there in the market, and they don’t have hefty price tags. Furthermore, it pays to be practical as some affordable brands and manufacturers offer warranty to their products.

Futons are ideal for apartments, dorms, and houses with a small living space. These provide both a sofa to lounge on during the day and a bed to sleep on at night. It can be for personal use or if you have a guest coming over to spend the night, so there is no need to get an additional sofa that will use up more floor space.

Cheaper options may have style, but they shouldn’t be that gaudy. With that said, some may fit in perfectly regardless of the theme in your room. After all, too much flamboyance could ruin the looks of the room, unlike the simplest of designs can’t ruin it and just go unnoticed. A futon with the ideal style for your bedroom shouldn’t be overbearing and focus more on its function rather than just being a decorative piece of furniture.

What Things to Look For When Buying a Cheap Futon

When shopping for a cheap futon, it is always to take note of their quality. However, you should also take into careful consideration the parts of which make up the futon.

The frame is the foundation and the supporting pillar of the modern futon. The material quality and build must be sturdy and durable to support the weight of one or more persons. It also must be flexible enough to support a smooth transition from a sofa to a bed. Like most furniture, the futon frame is made with materials such as wood or steel, or a combination of both. Take your weight into consideration to determine if the structure is good enough to support you or anyone in your family at your home.

Spare none when it comes to the quality of the mattress because this is the very component that decides your comfort. The ideal futon mattress must be comfortable for whatever use you’re going to spend on the futon. Whether it’s sitting or sleeping, you should always feel comfortable using the mattress. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of getting a cheap futon. You should also take into consideration what type of sleeper you to determine how soft or firm you want your ideal futon mattress to be.

Several futon mattresses are made with materials such as cotton, microfiber, and foam. Some mattresses also have internal coil springs to add durability and firmer comfort.

Unlike the classic Japanese futons, modern western-style futons use several materials for their protection. These materials include polyester, microfiber, linen, and even luxurious faux leather. When it comes to practicality, it is advisable to choose a futon with a removable cover. Not only will this make it easier to wash, but it will also increase its longevity. If you’re going with a cheaper option that doesn’t have a removable cover, then you can choose a cover that makes it easy to clean and maintain.

Of course, some people wouldn’t settle for something looking so bland. Fortunately, there are a lot of budget-friendly futons in the market that offer some style and fashion to spruce up your home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Compression is caused by the weight pressed on the mattress and the heat that is transferred from the body heat of the user to the bed. To control the compression of the cushion, rotating and flipping the futon mattress should be observed more often if the mattress is used regularly. This is to prevent depressions in the mattress caused by the weight settling on the same usual spots. This is more observable in mattresses using polyurethane, memory, or gel foams. These foams contain open cells, which are small holes, whose structural integrity can be potentially broken down due to the accumulated body heat transferred to the foam.

However, this is only applicable for futons whose mattresses aren’t fixed and are removable.

To avoid molds from developing and keep away dust mites, the classic Japanese futon is usually aired in the sun regularly. It can still be seen in modern Japanese homes that these futons are found hanging over balconies exposed to the air and sun. Unlike the Japanese futons, western-style futons aren’t laid out on the floor, but they have a bed frame instead. This is where the slatted frame comes in to prevent the growth of molds. The slatted frame promotes the circulation of air, which helps dissipate heat trapped in the mattress.

Futons were used by the Japanese for centuries as their regular bedding. Since then, it has improved and has become more comfortable compared to its earlier iterations. Modern and western-style futons only made slight improvements and additions that made them more appealing to the western market. With that said, the futons you see in the market today serve the same function as regular bedding. Furthermore, they are almost similar to sofa beds in both function and design. There is no scientific evidence to suggest otherwise, as long as you get enough cushioning that can support your body evenly and comfortably.

Conclusion

The futon is a timeless comfort and sleeping innovation that has provided people with something to sleep comfortably while saving floor space. Modern iterations of the futon have improved its material quality and comfort, even inspiring western-style futons that added features and functionality to make it appealing for the western market. Despite several differences, both the original and contemporary designs can provide both comfort and space-saving functionalities.

To get the best bang for your buck out of the budget-friendly futons out in the market, you need to keep in mind that you’re after first and foremost is space-saving comfort that is ideal to your preference and home. It pays to be practical rather than investing in something being more eye candy for your home.