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| · Shopping Tips | · A Brief History of the Futon |
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Shopping Tips The Frame Why Metal is Inferior As a rule of thumb, the better the wood, the better the frame. No wood, no good. Metal frames are usually made in China, usually cheap, usually uncomfortable. If you sit on it a lot, the metal will bend, the welds will break, and your neighbors will chuckle knowingly when they see your futon out at the curb. That's assuming you keep it long enough to break it. After a couple of weeks, those narrow metal rods (they hold up the mattress) really get annoying under your behind. Wood frames First of all, forget the arms and look at the body. The seat deck, back deck, and stretchers (stretchers are the long boards in the front and back). Is the body of the frame made of metal? If so, this is really a metal frame and you should think twice. If it's wood, what wood? The best woods, in our opinion, are domestic hardwoods like oak, maple, beech, etc. Actually, there are excellent hardwoods in other countries too, but often not excellent manufacturing. If the store can't tell you what the wood is, ask which country it comes from. Imported Wood If the futon frame comes from Malaysia, Indonesia, China, or Mexico, slow down! The workmanship in these areas is all over the map, and you could be all over the floor (instead of sitting on your futon). Look for: solid wood, not little pieces glued together; neatness of joints (neater is stronger); funny odor (go ahead and laugh, but it's not as funny at home); consistency of color (if it's not the same color all over, it's probably not the same quality of wood all over). Does the woodframe you are looking at have lots of metal supports at stress points. This means the wood needs help to do it's job. Pine & Softwoods These woods are inexpensive, and you can get some good values if you buy carefully. In order to be strong enough to hold you and your TV buddies, pine frames are usually made from beefy 2x4's. The wood is cheap and the workmanship is usually crude, but it doesn't need to be. Remember, neater is stronger, and usually no more expensive. If it looks junky and slapped together, keep shopping. In the world of pine and softwoods, Southern Yellow Pine is the best, because it's as strong as some hardwoods. Our pine frames are 100% Southern Yellow Pine. Oak & Hardwoods These woods are more expensive, and so the workmanship is usually better. Most manufacturers won't spend good money on oak and then wreck it with cheap workmanship. Expect to pay more, and also expect better styling, neater workmanship, and better warranties. The Mattress Foam is Good Number One, your futon mattress must contain foam, and lots of it, if you plan to sit on it a lot. Durable futon mattresses always contain foam, usually contain cotton batting, and sometimes contain springs. And Thickness Counts Number Two, the thicker the better. Anything under 6 inches thick just won't cut it for you. Most good futon mattresses are about eight inches thick. That's hefty enough to be comfortable, thin enough to let your futon frame open and close okay and to fit into ready-made futon covers. But the Fiber is the Most Important Futon mattresses always contain some form of fiber batting. Cotton is the most popular, but sometimes you'll see wool or synthetic batting too, which is more expensive. You'll see all of those at Futons & More. When you look at the cross-section of the mattress construction, pay close attention to the batting. Do you see any "clouds" of color, or lots of threads mixed in? Beware! That's "shoddy" filler, which is chopped up clothing and fabric scraps. "Shoddy" makes the futon seem fuller and puffier in the store, but it will flatten out faster when you sit on your futon at home. Our futons are made by Wolf, and the fiber is a terrific blend of high-quality cotton and polyester. The Cover Yes, it's a good idea to buy a removable slipcover for your futon. The cover does two things for you: One, it protects the mattress from getting soiled; Two, it makes your futon look nicer. When your futon looks nice, you'll enjoy it more, just like the other furniture in your home. Before you buy the cover, feel it with your hand. If it's lightweight, like a bed sheet, it won't hold up. It will fade and rip in no time at all. Is the cover washable? Most of the better home furnishings fabrics are not washable, so ask about the cleaning recommendations. But don't get carried away. Unless you have small children or pets, you probably won't need to launder the cover often, if ever. |