Futon Beds
Futon beds have become very popular in western countries over the years. Though many people may not know what exactly a futon really is. From their Japanese origins to what we see today there are some differences, we are going to have a look at them.
Origin Of Futons
Incase you were unaware, Futon beds originated in Japan where they are also referred to as “Futon” and are said to have been first used by samurai's. These Japanese beds would generally consist of two main parts, the “Shikibuton” - the bottom mattress – and a “Kakebuton” – a thick quilted bed cover - similar to goose down comforters. They are made to be slept in at night then folded up during the day and stored away so that the room they occupied can used for other purposes.
Futons are flat mattresses which a laid out on a traditional Japanese floor called “Tatami”. The mattress is generally filled with cotton and wool, but these days you will find some filled with synthetic fibres. The pillows or “makura” are normally filled with either beans, buckwheat chaff or plastic beads.
When not in use the futon is stored in a cupboard out of the way. To keep them fresh and stop them from smelling they need regular airing and sunlight, normally they will be taken outside and will be beaten with a bamboo cane, which is similar to the western carpet beater.
Use Of Futons In The West
In the west though, they are quite different, we have adapted the futon bed to suit our needs. When the word “futon” is mentioned a lot of people will automatically think of a futon sofa bed. Where instead of the futon mattress being folded away and kept in a cupboard during the day, the futon frame folds up into a usable sofa or armchair. If it is to be used as a full time bed, they generally wont be placed on the floor, but will have a fixed wooden bed frame to lift it away from the floor, normally to keep the user away from any drafts and cold air on the floor. In the west we also use much thicker mattresses on our futon bed, these are more like the traditional mattress used in western beds.
The main reason for the popularity of japanese sofa bed in the west is the fact that they are very cheap. They appeal to the masses who want a simple, fashionable and comfortable bed.
Futon beds have come a long way from their origins in Japan. The Japanese futon bed has been embraced by many countries, even if they have been modified along the way. They are a great option if you are short on space, need to save money, or even if you just like the look of them. There are plenty of them out there for you to choose from.
Trundle Beds – The Classy Alternative To Bunk Beds
Trundle beds seem to be really popular with kids who are either too old to have bunk beds or who just don’t like bunks. They offer a classier look than bunk beds too, but you still get the benefit of having two beds as the second bed appears from underneath the main bed. Trundle beds will generally be a better option than air beds and futon beds as they are proper, full time beds that have proper mattresses. A trundle bed can be used to save space where a bed is not needed all the time, either in a kids bedroom or a spare bedroom.
As with most beds trundle beds come a in a range of sizes, but from what I have seen the twin trundle bed is the most popular choice with many people. Beds like this are the perfect solution for when your child is having a sleep over. In every day use these beds don’t take up any more space than a regular bed, but when a second bed is needed it just slides out with ease. In the morning there is no need to make up the second bed either, just remove the covers, either clean them or just store them away and slide the lower bed back into place.
The trundle bed is more than just a one trick pony though, you can use them for storage as well. A lot of people will buy the bed without the bottom mattress or remove the mattress and throw it away and use the base of the trundle bed for storage purposes. Because it can be hidden away under the bed out of sight this is the ideal place to store things like spare bedding, clothes that are out of season and so on. One of the big parts of the appeal of these beds is that they are versatile.
Trundle Beds For Kids
Trundle beds are really popular choices with many families. During the day the bedroom has plenty of free space for kids to play in, do their school work and so on, but when the weekend comes and there is someone over to stay there is another full sized bed for the guest to sleep on. They are not only good for use by guests but if you have two children that share a bedroom these are great alternatives to bunk beds. Trundle beds for kids are available in a whole range of designs from regular wood stains to an array of wonderful colors and some even feature cartoon characters and so on.
Pop Up Trundle Beds
You are also able to get pop up trundle beds, this style of trundle bed is perfect for smaller spare bedrooms that don’t have enough room space for twin or full sized beds all of the time. A pop up trundle bed will generally be a single bed, but the bed from underneath slides out then can be raised up on legs to bring it to the same height as the regular bed, turning it into a bigger bed for two people. This is a great feature.
Trundle beds are perfect if you need to save space but also need space for people to spend the night at your home. They are great for guest rooms as well as for kids beds, especially pop up trundle beds. If you buy good mattresses to go with your beds then they are going to be just as comfortable as any regular bed. They are also considerably more classy than bunk beds, air beds and so on.
Buying Kids Beds
You may be wondering what the actual difference between kids beds and a regular adults bed is. Well there really isn’t a lot of difference other than the size in most cases and in some cases the design, or theme of the bed. Just like any big purchase you make you will want to do a bit of research before you decide on what you are going to buy. You will want to know about the best materials to go for, the styles and such like.
What Material To Go For
The material that is used to make the bed is perhaps the single most important feature on any bed, or any piece of furniture for that matter. Not only do you want it to look good but it has got to be durable as well. As you will be well aware kids love to jump around their bedroom and their bed normally takes quite a bit of abuse, so their beds have got to be strong. You will also want a material that is able to hide the battle scars associated with being a kids bed. Plastic is a good choice as it does a good job of hiding scratches and so on, plus it wont chip like a painted surface would. Painted finishes are quite popular but they show of lots of marks, not just chips, but scuffs and so on.
Buying A Quality Bed
Everyone wants to buy the best quality product that they can afford to, but how do you determine what is good quality and what isn’t? One way to do this is when you are in a furniture store look over the kids beds and check the finish, look for cracks in the material, bubbles in the paint or varnish and areas that haven’t been smoothed off. This is a good way to see if the bed has been put together well, or if it has been made in a rush.
The material that has been used to make the bed is a good measure of quality too. Beds made using fiber boards are generally really cheap and break easily when abused, especially around about joints. A solid wood kids bed will be considerably better quality, even if it is a softer wood like pine. Pine is also very affordable. If a hard wood was used, such as maple, cherry or something along those lines it would be reasonable to assume that it was a pretty good bed. The down side to these hard woods is that they they cost quite a lot of money, they are worth it though as they will last you for many years.
Cheap kids beds made from Plastic can be alright, normally they are not going to last you too many years. Thankfully they are cheap so you don’t lose a lot of money buying them. Metal beds are cheap as well, but if they are made using soft metals they will not last long, soft metals bend and break easily, if a metal beam does break then it leaves a sharp edge, this isn’t ideal for use as kid bed furniture. Metal also has a tendency to creek and be noisy too, so if the kids are playing upstairs or in the next room it will be even noisier than usual.
Types of Kids Beds
There are so many different styles of bed that you can choose from these days, but no doubt your child will want a fancy race car shaped bed, or a princess themed bed, or whatever the current fashion is. In these instances you need to be firm with them, because you know they will grow out of this phase in no time at all. Some of the most popular styles of beds to go for are as follows -
Bunk Beds – Kids bunk beds are ideal for smaller homes where children have got to share a bedroom, they both have a place to sleep but there is still a lot of floor space left to play on or to have other furniture too.
Cabin Beds – If your kids bedroom is quite small then a cabin bed might be just what you need, these beds offer quite a bit of storage space under them, this cuts down the number of other pieces of furniture that you will need in the room.
Futon Beds – If you are looking to get a second bed for your kids bedroom so that friends have got somewhere to sleep when they come over, rather than sleeping on the floor you could consider a futon bed. It gives guests a place to sleep and it then turns into a sofa for your son or daughter to sit at and read, do school work or play computer games and so on.
If you narrow down what it is you are looking for the job of choosing your kids bed will become a whole lot easier. Once you have narrowed down your search you can ask your kids what kind of bed they prefer and what ever one they choose they pick will be good quality, within your budget and will fulfil the needs that you want it to.