Futon Memory Foam Mattress - The Best Mattress Choice for a Futon

Times were when buying a futon mattress meant settling for second best, after all, how could a folding, thin mattress be as good as a traditional one that measured at least 8" thick? However, with the introduction of the revolutionary memory foam mattress things have changed and a futon mattress doesn't mean settling for second best.

Because mattresses on futons are meant to be folded, they are always made to be thinner than conventional ones - even when they come with spring units they're still thin. What this means is a reduction in both comfort and support.

However, with the introduction of visco-elastic foam and high-quality foams and quilting, thinner mattresses that can be folded, can also be just as comfortable and supportive as conventional bed mattresses.

But, if you've never heard of a memory foam mattress then here's a quick overview. Unlike traditional foam that just compresses when pressure is applied, visco-elastic (aka. Memory foam) is made from a special type of foam where the micro-cells are open-ended. This means that air can pass through one cell to it neighbor when pressure is applied; the cells in traditional foam are closed so air doesn't flow but just gets compressed when pressure is applied to it.

Not only is memory foam pressure sensitive it's also heat sensitive. This means that it compresses more to warmer parts of the sleeper's body, which is were a mattress should conform more.

What the combination of these two qualities means is that visco elastic foam conforms to the exact shape of the sleeper - something that ordinary foam does not. This in turn means that the correct support is delivered to the parts of the body that require it most, which in turn, leads to less tossing and turning.

While memory foam has been available in bed mattresses for a while, it has also been introduced in to futon mattresses. A couple of the market leaders are the Serta Willow Futon Mattress and the Wolf Legacy Futon Mattress.

The Serta mattress features 3lb density memory foam. The thickness of the mattress is 9", containing 2 x 1.5" convoluted 1.5 lb Serta support foam, and 1 x 1" 1.2 lb Serta support foam. The quilting is a combination of cotton and polyester and there's a choice of either a duct cotton or a micro fiber cover.

The quilting in the Wolf futon mattress is also a blend of cotton and polyester - something it calls Aerolife. The Wolf Legacy is made of differing layers of silk/cashmere, memory and latex finger foam. It comes in chair, full, queen, twin, and loveseat sizes - more than the Serta.

Both of these are among the best mattresses for futons on the market today and are as comfortable and as supportive of many regular bed mattresses.

Follow the links for a futon memory foam mattress and also find out more about why a memory foam mattress is the best bed mattress money can buy.