When my family and I moved from Philadelphia to Tokyo for a year, we needed to furnish our small, light-filled apartment quickly. In our limited space, I didn’t want to clutter it with heavy mattresses and bulky bed frames. Instead, we opted for Japanese futons, which I purchased from Nitori, a popular budget furniture store, for less than $300. Unlike the sofa beds called “futons” in the US, Japanese futons are quilted sleeping pads filled with cotton or fiber and can sit directly on the floor or on a foam, tatami, or wooden mat. Although many people in Japan have Western-style mattresses and box springs, futons remain a popular choice, especially in compact apartments, because they’re easy to move and store.
For my family, sleeping on the futons felt comfortable. The surface was pleasantly pillowy, and the foam platform and firm floor beneath provided the perfect amount of support. It was cool in the summer and cozy in the winter. My back felt great, perhaps due to the futon’s combination of cushion and firmness. Futons aren’t a dominating piece of furniture in the bedroom; they can be put away in a closet with ease, leaving the floor space open for other activities. They also don’t harbor dust bunnies and are easy to clean. People in Japan routinely air their futons and bedding, often by hoisting them out of windows or over balcony railings. Airing them out in the sunshine and fresh air was a chore, but worth it for the pleasure of snuggling down into a sweet-smelling, fresh-feeling bed at the end of the day. In Japan, you can even send your futon to the laundromat for a deep clean, a luxury that mattress users don’t have.
Now back in the States and testing various mattresses as an editor on the Wirecutter sleep team, I find myself missing the comfort of my Japanese futon.
This article was edited by Jason Chen and Christine Cyr Clisset.
