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Futon: The Perfect Guest Bed or Day Bed

Hi there, I'm Dean Fuller, the creator of FutonBedsFromJapan.com and—once again—welcome to this video.

Futon Are Convenient!

One key feature of authentic Japanese futon is their convenience. Unlike the Western-style so-called "futon," authentic Japanese futon has no polyurethane foam padding inside so they can be folded up into a compact and light-weight bundle that can be easily and quickly stowed away.

Traditionally, in Japan futon were set out every night and stowed away every morning so the room could be used for other purposes during the day. In fact, this is still a common practice in households throughout Japan.

The Fold-Away Couch Bed: A Medieval Instrument of Torture?

Perhaps you've also experienced something like this. On many occasions, I've spent the night as a guest at someone's house sleeping on a fold-a-way couch bed. I could be wrong about this, but I secretly suspect that these torturous "beds"—if you can actually call them beds—were once used to facilitate witches' "confessions" during the Spanish Inquisition.

Real friends don't let friends sleep on fold-away couch-contraptions! Spread out a luxurious, comfortable authentic Japanese futon instead—and your guests will love you for it!

What About Air Beds?

One other popular option for guest beds these days—a BIG improvement over the fold-away couch beds, I think—is the self-inflating air mattress. Although these can be convenient, they certainly have their draw-backs. When first inflated they can be firm, but it is very typical for them to lose air throughout the coarse of the night. For those requiring a firm mattress because of back issues, this can truly be disastrous.

Warning: Motion Sickness Ahead!

Also, if you've ever slept on an airbed with another person, you may have experienced "motion-sickness" as every move your bedmate made sent you trampolining like a kid in a "bouncy house" at a birthday party.

Airbeds Lack Durability!

Finally, one other very important issue with airbeds is durability. Do you have a cat or two? (In our house we have 3!). Based on what they've done to most of our furniture we know that the life expectancy of an airbed would be quite short in our house.

Right now I'm imagining the sick feeling I'd get as I watched my airbed instantly become a useless heap of plastic thanks to one of our cats suddenly feeling the need to sharpen her claws—bad kitty!!! Bottom Line:

Futon: Simple, Convenient, Comfortable and Durable!

Futon are a simple, convenient, comfortable solution for having an ever-ready guest bed available that will last for many, many years. They're quick and easy to set out and just as quick and easy to put away.

Easy Care!

Also, you can check out our "Care and Feeding of Your Futon" video to see just how easy it is to clean and care for your futon as well.

Thanks for Watching!