All about futons

Futon is a Japanese, high quality, natural mattress of specific processing and composition.

WARNING: Some futon sellers in the Czech Republic only resell low-quality mattresses from imports. We were taught to hand assemble and sew futons in Japan and now have them manufactured for us by trained suppliers exclusively in the Czech Republic. Read below how to choose a quality futon for a good night's sleep.

Why futon? | Compare the quality | What materials do we use?

Why futon?

For a healthy sleep

Thanks to the natural fibre filling, the futon gives the body a completely different feeling than any other mattress. Futon is a firm mattress that creates a feeling of softness. The fleece, which has up to 5 times the ability to absorb and then quickly release moisture, creates a comfortable and dry environment for the body during sleep, unlike foam, for example.

It's practical

In combination with the frame, a unique sofa bed is created, which is also suitable for everyday sleep. This makes it an ideal solution not only for small spaces. Even the futon itself without the frame fulfils its main purpose - place it on the floor, wooden floor or tatami like in Japan! During the day, you can roll the futon up and tidy it away so it doesn't take up space.

Relatively low price

With a futon you get the perfect sleeping and seating system at a lower price than a sofa or bed of comparable quality. The choice of removable covers makes it possible to match the bed to the interior and is considerably cheaper than reupholstering an old sofa. The lifespan of a futon is considerably longer than that of a mattress of comparable price.

Easy handling and transportation

The futon is flexible and therefore easy to handle. In addition, all of our frame types are disassembled into parts, so transportation by car is not a problem.

Tradition

Futony mají dlouholetou tradici v Japonsku, kde jsou dodnes upřednostňovány před všemi novodobými matracemi. Ale i v celém západním světě tento systém spaní sklízí úspěchy již řadu let.

Durability

The usual lifetime of our futons is from 8 to 16 years depending on the type of futon. However, after 15 years we recommend replacing the futon for hygiene reasons.

Easy maintenance

All the futon requires is ventilation, turning and vacuuming. Once in a while you need to allow air to come in from both sides of the futon (just lean it against a wall or put it in a corner).

Nový futón sa čiastočne odlupuje, čím trochu stvrdne a zmenší sa jeho hrúbka. Je bežné, že nový futón je nižší ako pri kúpe, ale zároveň sa zväčšuje jeho plocha. V prípade väčších futónov to môže byť až o 5 cm - to je úplne v poriadku. Ak máte pocit, že váš futón nemá správnu veľkosť, pokrčte celú plochu futónu a všetky štyri strany. Futón mení svoje rozmery najviac počas prvých týždňov a mesiacov. Futón sa zmenší a jeho plocha sa zväčší. Váš futón je ručne vyrobený výrobok, takže konečné rozmery sa môžu líšiť o niekoľko centimetrov.

Compare the quality before you buy

The quality of the futon depends on the quality of the material, the manufacturing process and the craftsmanship of the manufacturer.

From Futon Centre you get a mattress:

with a sufficient amount of cotton properly processed into solid fleeces
with an excellent wave on both sides of it
in solid fabric packaging
in the case of the core with quality and proven coconut or natural latex
traditionally assembled, i.e. without plastic or metal zippers
based on evenly laid horizontal layers without additional side fillers

The seamstresses we employ have been with us since we started the business in 1994 and have a wealth of experience in making futons.

PLAGIARISM OF OUR PRODUCTS APPEARS ON THE CZECH MARKET AND WE OFTEN ENCOUNTER FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE PRODUCT!

Beware of sophisticatedly camouflaged modern materials, which often contain plastics. A good example is cotton foam, which is nothing more than cotton with polyester. With competing cheaper products, our customers often come across pieces of plastic, wire, artificial fillings and fibers or other material that has nothing to do with the futon.

What do we use to make futons?

Cotton

Cotton is the basis of all futons, so its quality, workmanship and quantity in a futon is essential.

Proper processing takes place in two necessary steps:

the threads are woven one by one into webs
then firmly compressed with several thousand needles in a special machine

Standard minimum thickness and weight of our basic cotton futons:

size	thickness	weight
90 x 200 cm	10 cm	18 kg and more
140 x 200 cm	10 cm	25 kg and more
160 x 200 cm	10 cm	29 kg and more
180 x 200 cm	10 cm	33 kg and more

Ve Futon Centre používáme správně tkané rouno do kterého přidáváme dlouhá bavlněná vlákna a nitě, aby co nejlépe drželo pohromadě. This ensures maximum durability of our futons. Finální váha je ovlivněna zpracováním. Futon je někdy těžší a obsahuje více bavlny, než uvádíme. Takto zpracované rouno pevně drží, netrhá se a velmi málo slehává. Toto zpracování je drahý výrobní postup a konkurenci se nevyplatí ve srovnání s náklady na bavlnu.

We put cotton in the futon on all sides, including the sides, around the inner core.

Wool

In Japan, futons are made only from cotton or wool, which is the second basic material. Although unprocessed wool is 2-3 times more expensive than cotton, believe me, it is worth it. Wool is a significantly higher quality material - the fibers are longer, hold moisture less, don't compress as easily as cotton, and therefore have a much longer life. Some futons and mattresses on market have a winter side with wool and a summer side with only cotton. In fact, wool is more suitable for both seasons. Thus, wool enhances the futon's ability to thermoregulate and ventilate.

The wool we use is not chemically cleaned, only washed. It's a gentle treatment, but it can cause new futons to smell faintly of sheep. This is not a defect, it is not harmful to health, it is temporary, natural for a natural material. On request, we can also make any futon in pure wool, without cotton, for an extra charge.

Coconut with rubber milk

Coconut cores made from dry coconut fibers are harder and get squashed over time, so we use coconut enriched with 50% natural rubber.

Despite its high price, natural rubber has tremendous quality benefits - it gives the coconut flexibility, softness and helps it keep its shape.

In Futon Centre we use quality coconut from proven Slovak suppliers. We avoid importing unknown material from China.

Latex

Latex is a material that can be of varying quality or purely synthetic, so it is good to have a higher proportion of natural rubber. Our latex is manufactured by a Belgian company in the Czech Republic, so we have a better overview of the way the material reaches us and the conditions under which it is produced. Quality latexes should have at least 80% natural rubber components.

Fabrics

Our standard fabric for futons is solid, durable cotton. It weighs at least 320 g/m², which ensures the durability will be at least 10 years (the cheapest futons on the market use farbic around 30% lighter).

We also have a higher grammage for some cover fabrics. Kanafas, strong cotton canvas with a weight of approx. 420g/m². We normally use textile chalk when making futons. Small color spots in the place of seams and stitching are not a defect and will soon disappear by themselves. The futon cover fabric is not removable, it is without metal or plastic zippers and grafts, i.e. stitching, it is firmly connected to the futon without any other underlying textiles or buttons. So the inner filling can't move and nothing is pressing you anywhere on the surface.

We have been manufacturing futons in the Czech Republic since 1994

Our seamstresses have years of experience and can cope with custom shapes and compositions. The futon is suitable for all uses, even unconventional ones, and has almost no limits on how long you can use it. With regular maintenance our futons will last a very long time.

We personally learned to sew and assemble futons in Japan back around 1987, where our founder lived for 10 years and taught the Japanese English and in turn they taught him how to make proper quality futons. We transferred this know-how to the Czech Republic and in 1993 we sewed and sold our first futon. We were quite possibly the first in Central Europe. Because we are direct manufacturers, we are also able to arrange repairs on futons if possible.

None of the fillings of our futons contain synthetic or artificial fibres that would adversely affect its quality.

Investing in a quality product makes sense. A long-lasting product is both eco and logical, putting less strain on the environment?

See for yourself in our shop

Visit our showroom

Futon cleaning and troubleshooting

Do not use machines designed for deep wet cleaning. The futon may be irreparably damaged. In winter, a good prevention against mites is to let the futon freeze. Leave the window open and the room temperature below freezing. Direct sunlight is also a very good method of hygienically cleaning the futon in summer.

Dust and water:

Every futon needs cleaning once in a while. In addition to routine maintenance such as turning the futon or airing it out, we recommend cleaning the futon with a vacuum cleaner on both sides or wiping it down with a surface-clean damp cloth every few months.

If you spill water on the futon, just dry it, you can use a hairdryer to help. The futon must be able to breathe so that the inner cotton can dry well. If the futon is soiled with juice, tea or coffee, clean it superficially with soapy water. Chemical products are not recommended, they get off the futon badly afterwards. After cleaning, dry the futon again with a hairdryer and let it dry and breathe freely.

If the futon suffers more serious damage, the solution is the same. First of all, remove the stains superficially and then leave the futon to dry or expose it to the sun.

Futon covers are machine washable at 40 and 60 degrees.

Cats:

If you have a cat at home who likes to use your futon for resting, it is better to protect the futon with a removable, washable cover or leave a breathable blanket on the futon when you are away. This is because if your cat wets your futon, the futon can only be cleaned superficially with soapy water. It is important to dry the futon afterwards.

Mold:

Mold can arise for two main reasons:

It is increased humidity in the apartment caused by a not very suitable environment and normal use of the apartment such as cooking, drying laundry and showering. This is especially true for poorly ventilated rooms or futons lying on the floor, where there is a higher risk of water precipitation under the futon if there is a large air/floor temperature difference.
The second reason may be sweating or spilling on the futon. Especially if you are sick and sweating, it's a good idea to have a breathable blanket or futon cover underneath you in addition to your sheets. The blanket or cover absorbs sweat, can be washed, and you prevent the possibility of moisture precipitating under the futon. If you are sick for multiple days, the futon needs to be ventilated, rotated and the bedding changed. Ideally daily or in relation to the circumstances. This also applies to poorly ventilated areas and futons lying on the floor.

If you are away from home for more than a week, it is a good idea not to leave blankets spread out on your bed. The futon breathes better.

The specific reason why mould can occur on any mattress is always a very individual combination of several factors. Clean a futon with hot water and an anti-mould product and dry it well. As long as the futon does not smell and the mould does not return, it is relatively safe to use.

Repairs

We do not repair futons damaged by mould and other dirt. Mould cannot be repaired. We only repair futons of our manufacture in new condition that have a manufacturing defect, or if you find soon after purchase that you would prefer a different composition and are interested in a refurbishment for an additional charge, and only if the condition of the futon allows it. We do not provide cleaning of futons. Please understand that we strive to offer a quality product, but we are not a dry cleaner or laundry service, authorized to deal with the often complicated condition and soiling of futons caused by poor storage or maintenance. Refurbishment of older futons is not possible for hygiene reasons.