If you're still wondering why I would want this type of bed - I just posted a short ✨2 year update ✨😉 ruclips.net/video/hMMtfEhaG8c/видео.htmlsi=IUlpqrITwDE-lbwU✨
I’m 68 years old and have been sleeping on the floor for 2.5 years now. When I slept on a traditional bed, my back would be very sore in the mornings. Uncertain if I could even sleep on the floor, I ordered an inexpensive futon mattress online. I loved it! The hardest thing to wrap my head around was that I was sleeping on the floor and imagined bugs crawling all over me at night. I quickly got over that fear. LOL! Because the mattress was inexpensive, it didn’t hold up well, so I purchased another mattress online, a better quality one but still not a real Japanese futon. I simply stack it on the first mattress. I still enjoy the firmness of sleeping on the floor but also enjoy a gentle softness from the two mattresses. I can roll them up, which is a must in my case. The thing I think I love most is having the open floor space. I’ve always disliked a room that will filled with a large bed. Now I have my bed rolled up and stored along the wall, with the open space in the room. So far, I’ve no issues with mold. The only way I will ever go back to a standard bed is if my mobility diminishes so much as I age that I can’t get off the floor. Even then, I will probably just get a raised platform for the futon mattresses.
@@cheryldianebennett regularly flip the futon or fold it in half so tat air reaches the bottom. My routine is like this. every second day I flip the top side where my head was onto where my feet where. Looks like a folded piece of bread. Leave it for the day like that. Next day I flip the feet side to the head. After 3 or 4 days I turn it so that my head was now my feet are so that the force is not only on one point over the years. Once every week when I change my sheets I flip the futon like a burger patty so that the other side sees light. Also you can just lean it against a wall or something after sleeping. Or store it rolled somewhere. And open the windows each morning when you flip it.
We sun ours; we got a large solid pole, about 6ft long, and we can easily carry the floppy thing around at home and just line it up w our front fence, throw a sheet over the fence then flip the futon on it. Wifey lays down, rolls herself into it and rolls to stand then carries it around on her own looking like a futon burrito if no one else is here. 😂
Thanks Sam. We've had futons for over 30 years now, so some additional tips from Australia: take the tatami mats and lay them outside in direct sunlight for a whole day twice a year in Spring and Autumn. The ozone cleanses them and bleaches any bacteria build-up. They also smell of hay again! Second tip is to regularly turn over the futon every couple of months. This is to prevent the futon from taking on your body shape! You'll notice this especially if you have a heavier partner, so flip it such that you first turn it over bottom to top and them rotate thru 180 degrees. Your side will then by their side, but upside down. Each futon has easily lasted over 10 years like this, plus we've never had mildew issues, even though Sydney can be quite damp. Our king-size futon is on a very low frame like the one shown in your first video. Good luck with your experiment, although it does look like you've come back almost to where you started, but with a better ""mattress"". PS: forgot to mention that we're both over 70 years old and sleep really well on the futon!
Hi! I also live in Australia! May I ask where you were able to get your futon?? I'm looking into getting one and haven't been sure the best place to get one
Thinking about buying a tatami mat and a Shikibuton. What I noticed: In the west, there are very few offerings. They are expensive and basically a westernized copy of traditional japanese bed items. When I look at japanese amazon, they have all kind of offerings that address many of the shortcomings of traditional items, such as hygiene and maintenance. A foldable modernized tatami matt (less susceptible to moisture etc.) and a machine washable shikibuton seem to be the way to go. The reason why I want to do this is to be more space efficient. Moving to a slightly smaller apartment with one less room, the new room should tripple as my home office, sleeping room and holodeck (for VR). Of course, without any compromises or sacrificing quality of life. It would also be much easier to make the bed and keep everything clean.
My now hubby introduced me to sleeping on a shikibuton. I LOVE IT (except for when my arthritis is acting up, but that’s not the bed’s fault). We are looking to upgrade in a while so thank you for the Japanese Amazon tip!
You should cover the entire matress . Theifted 1 or 2 cotton blanket cover or a sheet on every side is great too- it will keep your matress fresh and clean as you wash it every few months Also place it on something underneath even carton boxes
For those who don't care to drag themselves across the floor. You don't literally have to be on the floor. You can have a hard mattress or a futon on a normal bed frame. I fixed my lower back pain by changing my soft mattress for a hard one and kept my bedroom the same.
Thanks for this comment, I've been trying to find someone who has used a japanese futon on a 'normal' wood slat bed frame but it's really hard to find. I was using a 2" memory foam topper on my bed and really like the feel but want to switch to a shikibuton. Glad to hear it worked for you.
@@morganellabeanI'm transitioning to a shikibuton on a slat frame and there is no difference. I use a piece of plywood over the slats and it creates a solid foundation while also equally distributing pressure over the slats so there is no sag between them
Great video Sam! I've been on the same path of futon, then futon + tatami for the past 5 years, it's awesome. The tatami definitely helped to solve the mildew problem but what you'll find is that mildew can build up on the underside of the tatami (especially on laminate floor). To solve this you either have to regularly flip the tatamis up against the wall (to air out), or place something underneath the tatami. My method is to place a felt rug underlay on the floor and scatter dozens of silica gels packets across it, then place the tatami on top. That way the moisture is absorbed by the underlay + silica, and these can be easily replaced when needed. 😃
I use a latex topper with homemade washable sleeves, sewn from flat cotton sheets, that I change every 2 or 3 days. I also put a quilt over the topper. I made several faux half tatamis from cardboard to place between the floor and the latex pad. I put it away / air it out every day. My makeshift futon system has several advantages over the real thing - 1. All the fabric components, being separate and made of natural fibres, are small enough to hot wash frequently a regular machine. The bed always feels fresh. 2. The cardboard 'tatamis' are easily replaced and won't develop a mould problem from condensation. 3. It's cheap! 4. It's cheap!! 5. It's cheap!!! 6. ...and easy to replace. 😊
This sort of thing makes ongoing routine of floor cleaning more important too. Hard floors: dust removal (hepa vacuum or at least good dry or damp dust mop) then wet mopping. Non-toxic recommended. Carpet is harder; it holds dust and stuff easier. For rugs, there are some machine-washable ones with mixed reviews.
Interesting summary. I think you could save up the space AND leep on the futon wth a raised bed, so you can use the space underneath for storage, a bookshelf, a sofa or even a computer table.
I use an avocado mattress topper that came with a removable cotton canvas cover. A plush beds wool topper on that and a sleep beyond washable wool topper over that that has elastic bands that hold it all together. These lay on top of a poly blend indoor outdoor rug with a gorilla wool rug pad under that. I realize now it’s cost a lot over the years but It started with 2 latex toppers, the rug and the pad that I already had previously, with a feather alt mattress protector. This setup was good but floppy and heavy. With the one latex avocado topper and the two wool toppers I think I finally have my ideal setup for now. To buy all new I realize now my setup would be pretty expensive…which I think it’s worth the money! But what started out as a temporary necessity has become something I’m really happy with. A custom bed that folds away during the day for extra seating. A mattress that’s light, not full of dust mites or chemicals, comfy, washable, and that I can move on my own. But the bedtime routine is really got me hooked. I’m up and ready when the bed is put away and I know it’s sleep mode when the bed it laid out. My cat even loves it. I never used to even make my bed and she meows at me when it’s getting late because she can’t wait for the exciting bedtime routine of unfolding the mattress and darting under the covers!
I also got the tatami mat, on top with IKEA sofa double bed mattress (LYCKSELE MURBO). I no longer got back pain, and side sleep also work. And it can be folded 1/3 to save some space in our small bedroom. The folding is super easy, because it is not heavy at all.
I’m in the uk and we sleep on mattresses on the floor, we lift them up everyday and I hang our bedding on strong hooks on the wall. We have a very wet and cold climate here so we got a dehumidifier which works well and quickly to dry the whole room. They are very cheap and efficient to run and so worth it to prevent mould. I love sleeping in the floor and I love your videos so are so calming.
I took my mattress, put a fitted sheet on it. Turned it on its edge and tacked it to a wall. Then, I pushed my box spring against it. I cut plywood to fit on top of the box spring. I bought a Shiki Futon and placed it on top of box springs. The room feels less cluttered and more open. I love it. I've had my box spring and mattress on the floor for years.
I'm thinking of doing this too but I'm planning on adding a shelf or some kind of bracketing to the wall to hang/store the mats and mattress on, when they're not in use
@@faithreyna i didn't do it! I got myself a bargain on four walnut laundry baskets and put them against the wall alongside the bed ...so the bed's at the same level as the baskets. not quite what I wanted originally but I've got a ton of storage space now :D
Good video! Been researching the traditional thinner Japanese futons. Have slept on the floor for many years with a combination of sleeping bags, and wool blankets ("nesting" as someone put it). The blankets fold up neatly in the morning, and don't have mildew problems (partly also because of our New Mexico climate). Works well for me. I am considering switching after getting an American made all cotton fill zabuton for meditation. Oh my gosh it is comfy! If a futon is that comfy, it might be worth the extra trouble to care for. Looking forward to more of your content. Cheers!
Real japanese futons are actually very clever. The cotton filling is able to keep you warm in the winter, and cooler during the summer, while the tatami base is porous, allowing moisture to evaporate from the bottom of the futon while you sleep.. i really want such a setup, but its hard to find in my country, and even when i found some, the set is pretty expensive.. That, aswell as me not knowing if i can even sleep like that (because i pretty much always sleep on my side or stomach), makes me unsure if i should buy it
I am also a side sleeper and was worried about it as well! If you're able to test out some firmer sleeping options first it may help your decision, even a cheap folding mat or a couple blankets stacked on the floor to begin with to try an extreme firmness. We slowly built this setup because we also didn't want to rush into spending too much money right away. good luck :)
I love floor sleeping! My bedroom has carpet and padding. I use two full sized gel infused memory foam mattress toppers as my bed. Very comfy! Three are too many...two is the perfect mix of firm and comfy! I don't need to roll up, but could if necessary. Bought these at Walmart. Have used them for years and they're still great. Also, use the same in livingroom as a "sofa" in a corner area with lots of comfy pillows around the edge/wall sides! Love it! All of my "furniture" is on the floors. It makes the entire apartment seem much bigger than it is! Great exercise getting up and down from the floor all the time!
I've been sleeping on my futon for almost 10 years now, I don't expect to go back to a regular bed unless I develop an issue with mobility or strength to get off the floor. I added tatami mats only in the last three years, I've been slowly been covering the entire floor with tatami. The tatami also acts as a sound deadener. I also have a nice zip on cover so it looks good when folded.
Have you considered placing your bed with the head end to the wall opposite your window. That would give you more room near your desk area for exercise & sewing.
I saw your part 1 also, Because I bought a bed for my 8 years old daughter, I had to take away my king size normal bed. I started sleeping in my 6 years old daughters matrass in the floor without a bed. I had to pick it up every morning, and I found it was a nice experience! I improved to a IKEA 1 person sofa Matrass installed into an old rack (only the flat frame + benches, no legs, something like 5 cm tall only), very easy to pick up and lean against the wall every morning.
Thank you so much. My husband has to have a hard bed. I joke that I could throw a quarter at our mattress and make .50. We bought a very nice, firm mattress this past year. When this one wears down we definitely will be buying this type of 'mattress'.
I've been living in Vienna for the past seven years and I was thinking to myself that the view from your window looks so much like Vienna before you actually said you live in Vienna! So cool, I love sleeping on the floor!
you're definitely right about that :) tatami is flooring after all, but it's a bit past my budget and honestly the commitment level to have a full room with it, but i'd love to experience it properly one day
Unless you renovate to make the whole room tatami (there's no need for that), you don't have to do the whole floor, the purpose of tatami itself is to protect the bottom of the futon from moisture that can attracts bacteria (mold, mildew, dust etc) and to make the mattress breathe when we sleep on it (ventilation system for the bed). I have the same setup, and honestly the modern way of using tatami + futon is like yours and mine because everywhere you rent they always come with wooden floor, as long as it works then there is no need for making it complicated 😄
Hey Sam, how are you? I can imagine how it has become such a fascinating change from bed with frame to bed on floor. It is really not so common to household of certain cultures. I guess your accommodation is larger than this room, so you are not pushed to the corner of tackling storage matter in the same time. I am very glad to hear / see more video sharing of your daytime life with the mattress bed. I recently moved to my new condo in Cambodia and keep planning for interior design and furniture there. I keep rethinking the value & purpose of many classical stuffs in home, like bed, table, shelves, etc. Many of them are actually commodities to fulfil our conventional home imagination of us or are, even worse, display for the others. eventually I might have plenty storage benches round my walls, while they can be storage, coffee tables and shelves, or whatever I can apply. With a Thai herbal mat, you can really open and close it alone without much force. I tried sleeping with it in different points of my condo and experiencing where I love its energy the most. It is an endlessly amazing journey.
Für alle, die keine 20 Minuten Zeit haben: Hier sind ihre wichtigsten Erkenntnisse nach einem Jahr auf einem Futon-Bett: 1. Flexibilität: Ein Futon auf dem Boden ist flexibel und spart Platz, ideal für kleine Räume. 2. Feuchtigkeitsmanagement: Regelmäßiges Anheben der Matratze verhindert Feuchtigkeitsansammlungen und Schimmel. 3. Tatami-Matten: Sie bieten zusätzliche Wärme und helfen bei der Luftzirkulation, was Feuchtigkeit reduziert. 4. Festere Matratze: Ein Mix aus Baumwolle und natürlichem Latex sorgt für guten Schlaf, besonders für Seitenschläfer. 5. Pflege: Das Setup erfordert mehr Pflege, aber es lohnt sich für den Komfort. Hoffe, das hilft! 😊
I know your not suppose to wash Japanese futon but I did. I have a twin. Which is way too big to fit in my washer. So what I did was ripped the bottom apart. It has 2 layers, I removed the inside so it was not so bulky. Did 2 loads of laundry. Hungry up to dry. Ta da. Nicely washed mattress that will last years. I can wash it as much as I need. I still fold it up each day but I don't mind the fact that once in a while it gets a nice wash. I think anything larger than a twin would not fit in the washer but the single and twin are still possible to wash. I love sleeping on the flood will never go back to a regular mattress. Helped my back so much
Very informative video. I have noticed that I sleep best when camping in my tent with just a thin backpacker inflatable mat underneath, while my regular bed at home is too saggy and gives me lower back pain. So I think a Japanese futon might be right for me....
Yes!! I noticed the same thing. I was sleeping in my tent for almost 3 months and It felt amazing. Coming back to the city, I noticed that after a few months of sleeping on my bed my lower back pain came back and my sleep just isn't so good. I slept on the floor yesterday and it felt good. I will keep on sleeping on the floor. I used my sleeping bag and a soft blanket. I feel intuitively that that's the right decision for me. ALso, I would love to get rid of my bed as it takes a lot of space. All the best!!
Get a tatami frame, the DusT!! For real tho, I bought the same tatami mats with a king size bed frame and I’m still waiting on the mattress and it’s still a crazy change from the floor!
Hi! Boats and motorhomes use what's called an "underlay" beneath the mattress to provide circulation. (DEN-DRY is one manufacturer.) It's "spun polypropylene", honestly looks exactly like a grid of a 3d printed mess. 😂 It's lightweight and you can roll it up, so it beats the tatamis there, but little plastic bits come off occasionally (mine doesn't really move so I can't elaborate). It's less pretty than a tatami, but also less expensive (I think). Just wanted to let you know!
We bought a low Japan-made bamboo frame that holds 2 tatami off the floor. But we decided we could make the room an actual bedroom. The other trick if moving them around is to tuck a strong cloth blanket or towel under the edges to slide around the floor whether hard or soft floor, and minimise damage. We too use the sunshine when we can to refresh futon (and less so tatami), and it did ok in our sub-tropical climate being raised.
I leave mine always lying on the floor. It has a wool rug underneath instead of Tatami. First thing I do in the morning, is take the bedding off and fully turn the Shikibuton over to air the underside all day, then I turn it back over again before bedtime.
Cool video, very informative! I'm also in the research phase right now as I'm planning to get rid of my bed and get something more compact instead, or more accurately something that I can fold/hide during the day. So far a futon and hammock (yes, indoor!) are my best ideas! It sucks that futons have these problems when used directly on the floor because a tatami can easily cost more than the mattress itself, and I imagine it'd be hell to clean cat hair out of it if it gets in 😅 But I still love the idea of switching to a futon, exactly the kind of compact I'm looking for!
I noticed that the sheets for futons used by the Japanese cover far more of the underneath which should both protect the futon but also keep the sheets fro coming off. I am sure that they cost more, though.
Depending where you live it may help (it's a fairly dry environment where I live), but for me having air to circulate around the mattress by regularly flipping or folding is what I needed to avoid that.
what i do to sleep well is a simple thicker matress and a nylon carpet under the matress you can buy them at home depot or menards just make sure to cover the whole size of your matress and thas good to prevent moisture and mold under the matress, and i only lift my matress once a month to vacum that carpet and no moisture or mold at all because matress or box spring just sitting onthe woodfloor or on a regular carpetfloor creates moisture so i recomend you to get a thick basic matress and its nor comfortable to sleep on than that one you are using and the carpet i just mentioned and enjoy sleeping, good video
Have you considered the coconut coir rugs as an alternative to the tatamis? They are about $189 for a 54 x 75". I am looking at mattresses now and I want to get one that is all-natural. Ideally, I would like to have natural latex foam, wrapped in wool with a wool ticking, but I am hesitant to spend of $900+ USD on this at this time. I ended up buying a wood-slated futon frame on craigslist and I am looking at an 8" all-cotton mattress. There is another mattress that has a layer of wool, which I would prefer, however, it is nearly $100 more and does not come with a warranty, whereas, the all-cotton mattress comes with a 5-year warranty. I emailed the company, that makes the cotton mattress, to find out if the ticking has a sleeve at the top of the mattress to prevent it from sliding down the front of the futon. In either case, I might buy it and sew on a sleeve if I have to. As far the latex / wool mattress idea goes, you can save 50% by assembling it yourself. There is only one company near me that even sells an all-natural mattress and they had it on the floor, but they were charging 2200-2600, so I decide to hold off on it. I really went there to lie on it and it was indeed incredible to lie on. I will eventually get a latex mattress.
We in India have been using it forever..it's called tulai and is stuffed with cotton.I have a solution to the trapping moisture.. We use a chatai which is like a jute mat underneath..this chatai could be rolled and put away just like the futon..I have been using it since I have had travelled to US, Canada, Germany etc and it is very effective
Going to buy from j-life international tonight in US to get two XL twins to make a king size my hubby and I been sharing a full regular mattress we didn’t realize how little it was till we really wanted to upsize and try Japanese culture ❤ thanks for the info excited to start our journey.
Hello :) if you ever would like to try a new solution with floor sleeping and saving as much space as possible I can definitely recommend a sofa from the brand Karup - model roots 140. It's a cotton futon with a layer of latex foam inside and have also wooden scaffold (good for getting airflow under the futon) but it can be easily changed in the comfy sofa :) I'm using it for a few months now and I'm super happy with it :)
@@SameraAbroad from sofa to bed is super easy, the other way around slightly harder because the futon is pretty heavy so doing it alone is a workout in the morning :) but I'm still super happy with this solution. Also, you can make it as a half-bed configuration, very nice option if you want to crash on it with a book and a blanket :) Here is a link to short video about this futon: ruclips.net/video/kMlTfKwZDZU/видео.html
@@Raoden13Thank you soooooo much! I have a Futon bed from Japan at this time, but am in need of a new one, but I don’t want a traditional bed. This could be perfect! Thank you so much for sharing! 💖💛💖💖🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
@@ur5860 I hope you will be happy with the new bed :) One disclaimer, unfortunately inside of my futon I discovered that the cotton that they use is definitely not a 100% pure organic cotton (white one) as in the original Japanese futons, but still as a bed/couch solution works great for me.
I've sort of been sleeping on the floor by accident for several years now. The bed frame of my old bed broke and I just didn't bother to replace it. I took those frames with the horizontal slats and put them on this tough but thin mat on the floor and just put my mattress on top of them. I'm guessing (hoping) those frames help keep the moisture from affecting the floor. I'll have to check. I was thinking about going the whole futon/tatami mat route but I have too little space in my house to be able to clear a space in my bedroom to put all the stuff during the day
Update: I checked under the frames and the floor was perfectly fine. I then removed the thickest part of my mattress as I had two single person mattresses laying side by side and a memory foam topper on top of them. The foam topper's about the thickness of a futon from what I can tell so I removed the two singles from underneath and have been sleeping even closer to the floor now than before. I noticed I have less stiffness in my neck. It's not completely gone because I spend a lot of my time sitting behind computers, but it's been a while since I've had a tension headache, that's for sure.
Great video… I am just about to sleep on the floor as an experiment to see if it helps quality of sleep and also arm pain each morning from trapping nerves etc. cheers
Hello, I really enjoyed your video. You have such a calming energy. I'm from Poland and I'm thinking about buying futon so I'm making some research - really good to know that I 100% surely should get tatami, too. Actually it makes me happy, because I always had a felling like I slept on it like in the past life? Somehow I know how it smells (never been to Japan, never seen real tatami before) so I'm really looking forward to it.
I use tatamis and a futon as well (actually the same set up as you do) and I really struggle with dust ! Dust on the futon and the tatamis. It gets quite dirty and the tatamis have a very unique smell …. Thinking about getting a tatami frame
Thank you for the informative video! Having spent 7 years in Japan, I’ve grown quite fond of my futon. It was a common practice among my friends and me to air out it on the balcony, flipping them regularly to prevent mold. Similarly, we would give our tatami mats a good airing 1 to 2 times a year. Now that I’ve returned to France, I’m considering purchasing tatami mats and a futon for my flat. However, I’m faced with a challenge: my current flat lacks a balcony and I'm wondering how to manage the tatami space efficiently, given that it won’t be moved daily (due to its weight), to optimize my small living space. The ability to fold and store my futon would indeed be a lifesaver in conserving space. 😊 It would be super helpful if you could share an update on your cleaning routine and space organization after a year of use. Thank you!
I would love to have a balcony too! It would make the airing out process a lot easier, but I think I'm making it work without so far. Since I don't completely pack away my futon I always fold my futon onto a different area of the tatami everyday, so the different sections of the tatamis as well as the mattress can also breathe during the day. We flip over the mattress every week or so as well. I luckily have large window I can open fully during warmer days and hang my futon on it so the sun and fresh air can get it. But in winter I just take care to make sure everything is staying clean and moved regularly. Maybe I'll make a short video on the cleaning, but i'm definitely no expert! :)
Thank you for this video I too sleep on the floor. Except the mattress has dented in the middle! Will get a pillow to fill up that dent! That futon mattress looks comfy 😊
Maybe I misunderstood it, but the previous mattress got some mildew just because it was chilling in the open window in wet weather. I thought that futon would be better in terms of longevity, and was somewhat surprised finding out that you had to replace it, though it wasn't due to some physical damage. Your experience is very valuable as I myself searching for frameless or other alternatives to bulky beds, and a little bit enticed by the idea of something simple at floor level, but guests will be unhappy, yes
hi :) My previous mattress got mildew because it was left in one position directly on the floor for too long and with winter our walls & floors collected more moisture, so it's actually a good thing to air it out on the window like I did before! Mildew can be avoided even in winter with regularly flipping or folding your mattress to let air circulate around it, which I didn't do enough of. If you do find mildew you can clean it as well - I just wasn't confident I cleaned it well enough and I didn't want it to transfer over to brand new tatami. In the end the new futon was a good change for us in comfort
I'm curious, where did you get the tatami from? I'm currently living in Austria, so I think it might be worth checking out, as there's a chance they could ship it to where I currently am, if the company does that sort of thing.
I love sleeping on a futon that's on a low, almost ground level bed frame. It feels great and cosy, but you don't need to do so much work to keep the mattress dry. I also changed all my bedding to natural materials and i sleep so much better. I have a wool duvet and buckwheat pillow. I think my friends and family think I'm crazy, but I'm willing to die on my futon loving hill.
I have a Japanese platform bed which is just a couple of cm off the floor so allows for air circulating, my bedding is also natural materials, my mattress and pillows are wool filled. Still I open the windows, air the room well every day regardless of weather. My floor is painted floorboards, laminate can't breath and will build up moisture under a futon
Hi, I've seen very thick futons on the internet. Did you buy the tatami and futon from a specific online store? I've been looking for one similar to the one in the video. I'm Brazilian.
I was lucky to find local options near me where I could buy both the futon and tatami. I've heard there are quite a few other futon options online that can be shipped though
My brother wanted to gift me a opera thicket for birthday , it became a futon since I had the idea of sleeping on one since I never like soft mattresses , too saggy and I enjoyed sleeping on the floor in front of our old fireplace. So relaxing.
I just bought a "very firm" mattress and put it on top of an upholstered bed base, no need to sleep on the floor😅 No moisture issues and doesn't look like a dorm bedroom. I would miss being able to sit on the edge of the bed.
I found a tatami mat used but in good condition for a cheap price. But the futon is missing. Sleeping without it is not good for the muscles and rest itself. Any advice?
I tried to go floor and towards futon, but I live in Australia and got bitten by two spiders both severe spider bites, doesn't tend to happen when off the floor as much...sad as I've always wanted those mats and futon, might have to move to Japan before I can.
Peppermint (any mint) oil is a spider repellent. I have a 1929 house and any time I wake up with a spider bite, I put some 100% peppermint oil around the bed/cracks around the outside of the home/door frames/window sills. Usually works for a few months. ((I hope it helps-may not prevent it, but back pain is no joke either.))
Australia has bugs. Lol We used some lavender oil or tea tree on the skin in summer months, but tbh had bugs in higher beds anyway or hitching rides in on the laundry…
Hi. This is great information for me. I have a 10 year old, but still functioning Sleep Number bed that has an estimated life of 20 years. Still, I'm most likely going to be moving to a smaller place 4 years or so from now. I was considering a platform bed like what you have in your Switching to a floor Futon video. The platform bed was the best alternative (I thought) because while it takes up the same space as the Sleep Number, the mattress does not require electicity to adjust the sleep number setting. The platform bed I've slept on provides the same comfort as the Sleep Number, but a low-tech solution. I have a feeling once I complete watching these two videos, the Floor Futon will be the best solution: comfortable, low-tech, and foldable during the day so I can too practice yoga. Thanks in advance, and I will ask any follow-up questions if needed.
Someone in the comments also mentioned the Karup - model roots 140 futon frame to more easily and quickly fold the futon, it also keeps the mattress airy underneath. It seems like a nice low-tech option as well for a low lying bed :)
Grüß dich, ich schlafe schon seit mehr als einem Jahr am Boden auf meiner Matratze. Diese muss ich regelmäßig aufstellen um sie durchzulüften. Ich dachte mir, es wäre eine gute Lösung mir ebenfalls eine Tatami Matte und eine Futonmatratze anzuschaffen, aber das ganze sieht mir nach Mehrarbeit an. Ist es notwendig die Matratze täglich runterzurollen? Lg, Lisa
I have a room I put the bed against the wall like that, there's an alcove 2feet deep and I hung curtains up and when the bed is against the wall and closed curtains no one can even tell there's a bed. I put shelves on either side of the alcove like a closet on each side facing the middle. With the bed down the shelves are like side tables but enough room to keep all the pillows, sheets and blankets
a weird thing about sleeping on the floor is that getting up is easier lol. i guess everytime you sleep, you basically practice getting up and laying down smoothly and efficiently.
Watching this a year later, I'm wondering if you're found maybe a wall futon that is hung up as a backrest/headboard-situation a solution to make your half-folded futon into a sofa..?
Yes originally I had looked into those as well, but I decided to go with something made closer to me (to be able to see the mattress before buying & have less worries about shipping). So my results are more 'inspired by' then an actual Japanese futon, but I would certainly be curious to try them though, I have heard good things about them
Hey Sam, wie breit sind eure Tatamis und der Futon? :) Ich möchte zukünftig auch so schlafen und habe beim Recherchieren deine schönen Videos entdeckt. :)
Hallo 😄Unser Futon ist 140x200 und die tatamis sind 80x200 (mit zwei tatami =160x200) Mir gefällt, dass die Tatamis etwas größer sind als der Futon, sodass Sie die Tatamis immer noch sehen können, während der Futon heruntergeklappt ist. Wenn Ihre Matratze größer ist als unsere, habe ich Tatamis auch mit 90 x 200 pro Stück gefunden, oder Sie können mit den separaten Tatami-Platten eine andere Anordnung machen. viel Glück!
@@SameraAbroad oh vielen Dank für die schnelle Antwort. =) Die Idee finde ich super, dass die Tatamis etwas breiter sind als der Futon. Die breitesten Matten, die ich entdeckt habe, waren sogar 100 x 200. =) In Dortmund (NRW, DE) gibt es ein Fachgeschäft. Da werde ich mal hingehen. =) Interessant finde ich auch die Möglichkeit zwei Futons übereinander zu legen, so wie das die Menschen in Japan auch tun. Liebe Grüße, Chris
I move twice a year from and to my home province in Canada to study. A lady was selling her queen size japanese futon for $100 CAD but she ended up giving it for free after I helped her deconstructing her bed base. I had my mattress for 2 years. I say "had" because I am packing up my apartment right now and I lifted my futon (first the first time this whole year..) and it has a lot of mold underneath. I threw away the casing and there's no mold underneath left but I'm still not sure if I should keep it. It's heavy af and I can't find a new casing. I guess I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who had to learn the hard way with his first futon.
I really enjoyed the video, and learned from it. But the background music made it difficult to focus on what you said. I recommend you only have music when you are not talking.
Something more breathable between the mattress and the floor helps, in my case I use tatami but there are other options. And flipping the mattress regularly :)
If you're still wondering why I would want this type of bed - I just posted a short ✨2 year update ✨😉 ruclips.net/video/hMMtfEhaG8c/видео.htmlsi=IUlpqrITwDE-lbwU✨
I’m 68 years old and have been sleeping on the floor for 2.5 years now. When I slept on a traditional bed, my back would be very sore in the mornings. Uncertain if I could even sleep on the floor, I ordered an inexpensive futon mattress online. I loved it! The hardest thing to wrap my head around was that I was sleeping on the floor and imagined bugs crawling all over me at night. I quickly got over that fear. LOL! Because the mattress was inexpensive, it didn’t hold up well, so I purchased another mattress online, a better quality one but still not a real Japanese futon. I simply stack it on the first mattress. I still enjoy the firmness of sleeping on the floor but also enjoy a gentle softness from the two mattresses. I can roll them up, which is a must in my case. The thing I think I love most is having the open floor space. I’ve always disliked a room that will filled with a large bed. Now I have my bed rolled up and stored along the wall, with the open space in the room. So far, I’ve no issues with mold. The only way I will ever go back to a standard bed is if my mobility diminishes so much as I age that I can’t get off the floor. Even then, I will probably just get a raised platform for the futon mattresses.
Thank you for sharing 🌻
What I’ve done. It’s easier at 81 getting up to potty. Lol.
Do you do anything to air it out to prevent mold or just leave it flat?
@@cheryldianebennett regularly flip the futon or fold it in half so tat air reaches the bottom.
My routine is like this.
every second day I flip the top side where my head was onto where my feet where. Looks like a folded piece of bread. Leave it for the day like that. Next day I flip the feet side to the head.
After 3 or 4 days I turn it so that my head was now my feet are so that the force is not only on one point over the years.
Once every week when I change my sheets I flip the futon like a burger patty so that the other side sees light.
Also you can just lean it against a wall or something after sleeping. Or store it rolled somewhere. And open the windows each morning when you flip it.
We sun ours; we got a large solid pole, about 6ft long, and we can easily carry the floppy thing around at home and just line it up w our front fence, throw a sheet over the fence then flip the futon on it.
Wifey lays down, rolls herself into it and rolls to stand then carries it around on her own looking like a futon burrito if no one else is here. 😂
Thanks Sam. We've had futons for over 30 years now, so some additional tips from Australia: take the tatami mats and lay them outside in direct sunlight for a whole day twice a year in Spring and Autumn. The ozone cleanses them and bleaches any bacteria build-up. They also smell of hay again! Second tip is to regularly turn over the futon every couple of months. This is to prevent the futon from taking on your body shape! You'll notice this especially if you have a heavier partner, so flip it such that you first turn it over bottom to top and them rotate thru 180 degrees. Your side will then by their side, but upside down. Each futon has easily lasted over 10 years like this, plus we've never had mildew issues, even though Sydney can be quite damp. Our king-size futon is on a very low frame like the one shown in your first video. Good luck with your experiment, although it does look like you've come back almost to where you started, but with a better ""mattress"". PS: forgot to mention that we're both over 70 years old and sleep really well on the futon!
Hi! I also live in Australia! May I ask where you were able to get your futon?? I'm looking into getting one and haven't been sure the best place to get one
@@Shadow-xz4ir Natural Bedding C0., Stanmore, NSW
@@wrusty3767 thank you so much!
Thanks for the tips. So I guess you used the tatami mats before and now decided to sleep a bit higher with a low frame? Greetings from Germany
Cheers for sharing!!!!
Thinking about buying a tatami mat and a Shikibuton.
What I noticed: In the west, there are very few offerings. They are expensive and basically a westernized copy of traditional japanese bed items.
When I look at japanese amazon, they have all kind of offerings that address many of the shortcomings of traditional items, such as hygiene and maintenance.
A foldable modernized tatami matt (less susceptible to moisture etc.) and a machine washable shikibuton seem to be the way to go.
The reason why I want to do this is to be more space efficient. Moving to a slightly smaller apartment with one less room, the new room should tripple as my home office, sleeping room and holodeck (for VR). Of course, without any compromises or sacrificing quality of life. It would also be much easier to make the bed and keep everything clean.
Hey! Were you able to find an affordable shikifuton thats available in the USA?
My now hubby introduced me to sleeping on a shikibuton. I LOVE IT (except for when my arthritis is acting up, but that’s not the bed’s fault).
We are looking to upgrade in a while so thank you for the Japanese Amazon tip!
Why not cover the floor with tatami? Then, you have a full tatami-surface when you've put the bed away!
To be honest came to hear about tatami, stayed to listen to you, your voice is very cozy and your style of content creating is very interesting
You should cover the entire matress . Theifted 1 or 2 cotton blanket cover or a sheet on every side is great too- it will keep your matress fresh and clean as you wash it every few months
Also place it on something underneath even carton boxes
For those who don't care to drag themselves across the floor. You don't literally have to be on the floor. You can have a hard mattress or a futon on a normal bed frame. I fixed my lower back pain by changing my soft mattress for a hard one and kept my bedroom the same.
I just like getting up and down from the floor 😆
Thanks for this comment, I've been trying to find someone who has used a japanese futon on a 'normal' wood slat bed frame but it's really hard to find. I was using a 2" memory foam topper on my bed and really like the feel but want to switch to a shikibuton. Glad to hear it worked for you.
@@morganellabeanI'm transitioning to a shikibuton on a slat frame and there is no difference. I use a piece of plywood over the slats and it creates a solid foundation while also equally distributing pressure over the slats so there is no sag between them
@@doloincHaving some slats or holes will help air flow though meaning less risk of mold or mildew plus is I think considered good feng shui
Great video Sam! I've been on the same path of futon, then futon + tatami for the past 5 years, it's awesome. The tatami definitely helped to solve the mildew problem but what you'll find is that mildew can build up on the underside of the tatami (especially on laminate floor). To solve this you either have to regularly flip the tatamis up against the wall (to air out), or place something underneath the tatami. My method is to place a felt rug underlay on the floor and scatter dozens of silica gels packets across it, then place the tatami on top. That way the moisture is absorbed by the underlay + silica, and these can be easily replaced when needed. 😃
thanks for the tips! I'll definitely add tatami flipping into my cleaning routine :)
I use a latex topper with homemade washable sleeves, sewn from flat cotton sheets, that I change every 2 or 3 days. I also put a quilt over the topper. I made several faux half tatamis from cardboard to place between the floor and the latex pad. I put it away / air it out every day.
My makeshift futon system has several advantages over the real thing -
1. All the fabric components, being separate and made of natural fibres, are small enough to hot wash frequently a regular machine. The bed always feels fresh.
2. The cardboard 'tatamis' are easily replaced and won't develop a mould problem from condensation.
3. It's cheap!
4. It's cheap!!
5. It's cheap!!!
6. ...and easy to replace. 😊
I love the cardboard idea. I'm going to have to save up some boxes and try that out. How much cardboard boxes did you use per 'mat', roughly speaking?
So your only mattress is a topper? That is very thin, right? Do you feel the floor?
This sort of thing makes ongoing routine of floor cleaning more important too. Hard floors: dust removal (hepa vacuum or at least good dry or damp dust mop) then wet mopping. Non-toxic recommended. Carpet is harder; it holds dust and stuff easier. For rugs, there are some machine-washable ones with mixed reviews.
Interesting summary. I think you could save up the space AND leep on the futon wth a raised bed, so you can use the space underneath for storage, a bookshelf, a sofa or even a computer table.
I use an avocado mattress topper that came with a removable cotton canvas cover. A plush beds wool topper on that and a sleep beyond washable wool topper over that that has elastic bands that hold it all together. These lay on top of a poly blend indoor outdoor rug with a gorilla wool rug pad under that. I realize now it’s cost a lot over the years but It started with 2 latex toppers, the rug and the pad that I already had previously, with a feather alt mattress protector. This setup was good but floppy and heavy. With the one latex avocado topper and the two wool toppers I think I finally have my ideal setup for now. To buy all new I realize now my setup would be pretty expensive…which I think it’s worth the money! But what started out as a temporary necessity has become something I’m really happy with. A custom bed that folds away during the day for extra seating. A mattress that’s light, not full of dust mites or chemicals, comfy, washable, and that I can move on my own. But the bedtime routine is really got me hooked. I’m up and ready when the bed is put away and I know it’s sleep mode when the bed it laid out. My cat even loves it. I never used to even make my bed and she meows at me when it’s getting late because she can’t wait for the exciting bedtime routine of unfolding the mattress and darting under the covers!
I also got the tatami mat, on top with IKEA sofa double bed mattress (LYCKSELE MURBO). I no longer got back pain, and side sleep also work. And it can be folded 1/3 to save some space in our small bedroom. The folding is super easy, because it is not heavy at all.
I’m in the uk and we sleep on mattresses on the floor, we lift them up everyday and I hang our bedding on strong hooks on the wall. We have a very wet and cold climate here so we got a dehumidifier which works well and quickly to dry the whole room. They are very cheap and efficient to run and so worth it to prevent mould. I love sleeping in the floor and I love your videos so are so calming.
How do you hang it from the hooks? Thanks!
I took my mattress, put a fitted sheet on it. Turned it on its edge and tacked it to a wall. Then, I pushed my box spring against it. I cut plywood to fit on top of the box spring. I bought a Shiki Futon and placed it on top of box springs. The room feels less cluttered and more open. I love it. I've had my box spring and mattress on the floor for years.
As someone from florida, the point about mildew and airation was very important to me, thank you!
I'm thinking of doing this too but I'm planning on adding a shelf or some kind of bracketing to the wall to hang/store the mats and mattress on, when they're not in use
Did u do this?? Curious on results
@@faithreyna i didn't do it! I got myself a bargain on four walnut laundry baskets and put them against the wall alongside the bed ...so the bed's at the same level as the baskets. not quite what I wanted originally but I've got a ton of storage space now :D
Good video! Been researching the traditional thinner Japanese futons. Have slept on the floor for many years with a combination of sleeping bags, and wool blankets ("nesting" as someone put it). The blankets fold up neatly in the morning, and don't have mildew problems (partly also because of our New Mexico climate). Works well for me.
I am considering switching after getting an American made all cotton fill zabuton for meditation. Oh my gosh it is comfy! If a futon is that comfy, it might be worth the extra trouble to care for.
Looking forward to more of your content. Cheers!
Maybe put a rug underrneath the tatami mats so that you can just slide them over using the rug?
Real japanese futons are actually very clever. The cotton filling is able to keep you warm in the winter, and cooler during the summer, while the tatami base is porous, allowing moisture to evaporate from the bottom of the futon while you sleep.. i really want such a setup, but its hard to find in my country, and even when i found some, the set is pretty expensive.. That, aswell as me not knowing if i can even sleep like that (because i pretty much always sleep on my side or stomach), makes me unsure if i should buy it
I am also a side sleeper and was worried about it as well! If you're able to test out some firmer sleeping options first it may help your decision, even a cheap folding mat or a couple blankets stacked on the floor to begin with to try an extreme firmness. We slowly built this setup because we also didn't want to rush into spending too much money right away. good luck :)
I love floor sleeping! My bedroom has carpet and padding. I use two full sized gel infused memory foam mattress toppers as my bed. Very comfy! Three are too many...two is the perfect mix of firm and comfy! I don't need to roll up, but could if necessary. Bought these at Walmart. Have used them for years and they're still great. Also, use the same in livingroom as a "sofa" in a corner area with lots of comfy pillows around the edge/wall sides! Love it! All of my "furniture" is on the floors. It makes the entire apartment seem much bigger than it is! Great exercise getting up and down from the floor all the time!
Two mattress toppers is genius!😊
this is such a great idea. I need to try this. Do you put anything under the mattress toppers on the floor?
Lol. What you're doing is not floor sleeping!
I've been sleeping on my futon for almost 10 years now, I don't expect to go back to a regular bed unless I develop an issue with mobility or strength to get off the floor.
I added tatami mats only in the last three years, I've been slowly been covering the entire floor with tatami. The tatami also acts as a sound deadener. I also have a nice zip on cover so it looks good when folded.
hm zip cover sounds like an upgrade I should make too! thanks for the tip :)
Have you considered placing your bed with the head end to the wall opposite your window. That would give you more room near your desk area for exercise & sewing.
I saw your part 1 also, Because I bought a bed for my 8 years old daughter, I had to take away my king size normal bed. I started sleeping in my 6 years old daughters matrass in the floor without a bed. I had to pick it up every morning, and I found it was a nice experience! I improved to a IKEA 1 person sofa Matrass installed into an old rack (only the flat frame + benches, no legs, something like 5 cm tall only), very easy to pick up and lean against the wall every morning.
Thank you so much. My husband has to have a hard bed. I joke that I could throw a quarter at our mattress and make .50. We bought a very nice, firm mattress this past year. When this one wears down we definitely will be buying this type of 'mattress'.
I've been living in Vienna for the past seven years and I was thinking to myself that the view from your window looks so much like Vienna before you actually said you live in Vienna! So cool, I love sleeping on the floor!
Where did you go for futon shopping in Vienna?
I think tatami should cover the whole floor. That way you don't have to move them to make space. I think that's how it's done in Japan as well?
you're definitely right about that :) tatami is flooring after all, but it's a bit past my budget and honestly the commitment level to have a full room with it, but i'd love to experience it properly one day
Unless you renovate to make the whole room tatami (there's no need for that), you don't have to do the whole floor, the purpose of tatami itself is to protect the bottom of the futon from moisture that can attracts bacteria (mold, mildew, dust etc) and to make the mattress breathe when we sleep on it (ventilation system for the bed). I have the same setup, and honestly the modern way of using tatami + futon is like yours and mine because everywhere you rent they always come with wooden floor, as long as it works then there is no need for making it complicated 😄
Hey Sam, how are you? I can imagine how it has become such a fascinating change from bed with frame to bed on floor. It is really not so common to household of certain cultures. I guess your accommodation is larger than this room, so you are not pushed to the corner of tackling storage matter in the same time. I am very glad to hear / see more video sharing of your daytime life with the mattress bed.
I recently moved to my new condo in Cambodia and keep planning for interior design and furniture there. I keep rethinking the value & purpose of many classical stuffs in home, like bed, table, shelves, etc. Many of them are actually commodities to fulfil our conventional home imagination of us or are, even worse, display for the others. eventually I might have plenty storage benches round my walls, while they can be storage, coffee tables and shelves, or whatever I can apply.
With a Thai herbal mat, you can really open and close it alone without much force. I tried sleeping with it in different points of my condo and experiencing where I love its energy the most. It is an endlessly amazing journey.
Can’t imagine an endless amazing journey in a condo in town but to each their own !
Für alle, die keine 20 Minuten Zeit haben: Hier sind ihre wichtigsten Erkenntnisse nach einem Jahr auf einem Futon-Bett:
1. Flexibilität: Ein Futon auf dem Boden ist flexibel und spart Platz, ideal für kleine Räume.
2. Feuchtigkeitsmanagement: Regelmäßiges Anheben der Matratze verhindert Feuchtigkeitsansammlungen und Schimmel.
3. Tatami-Matten: Sie bieten zusätzliche Wärme und helfen bei der Luftzirkulation, was Feuchtigkeit reduziert.
4. Festere Matratze: Ein Mix aus Baumwolle und natürlichem Latex sorgt für guten Schlaf, besonders für Seitenschläfer.
5. Pflege: Das Setup erfordert mehr Pflege, aber es lohnt sich für den Komfort.
Hoffe, das hilft! 😊
I know your not suppose to wash Japanese futon but I did. I have a twin. Which is way too big to fit in my washer. So what I did was ripped the bottom apart. It has 2 layers, I removed the inside so it was not so bulky. Did 2 loads of laundry. Hungry up to dry. Ta da. Nicely washed mattress that will last years. I can wash it as much as I need. I still fold it up each day but I don't mind the fact that once in a while it gets a nice wash. I think anything larger than a twin would not fit in the washer but the single and twin are still possible to wash. I love sleeping on the flood will never go back to a regular mattress. Helped my back so much
Very informative video. I have noticed that I sleep best when camping in my tent with just a thin backpacker inflatable mat underneath, while my regular bed at home is too saggy and gives me lower back pain. So I think a Japanese futon might be right for me....
Yes!! I noticed the same thing. I was sleeping in my tent for almost 3 months and It felt amazing. Coming back to the city, I noticed that after a few months of sleeping on my bed my lower back pain came back and my sleep just isn't so good. I slept on the floor yesterday and it felt good. I will keep on sleeping on the floor. I used my sleeping bag and a soft blanket. I feel intuitively that that's the right decision for me. ALso, I would love to get rid of my bed as it takes a lot of space. All the best!!
Get a tatami frame, the DusT!!
For real tho, I bought the same tatami mats with a king size bed frame and I’m still waiting on the mattress and it’s still a crazy change from the floor!
Hi! Boats and motorhomes use what's called an "underlay" beneath the mattress to provide circulation. (DEN-DRY is one manufacturer.) It's "spun polypropylene", honestly looks exactly like a grid of a 3d printed mess. 😂 It's lightweight and you can roll it up, so it beats the tatamis there, but little plastic bits come off occasionally (mine doesn't really move so I can't elaborate). It's less pretty than a tatami, but also less expensive (I think). Just wanted to let you know!
Wow thank you!! 🙏🏾
We bought a low Japan-made bamboo frame that holds 2 tatami off the floor.
But we decided we could make the room an actual bedroom.
The other trick if moving them around is to tuck a strong cloth blanket or towel under the edges to slide around the floor whether hard or soft floor, and minimise damage.
We too use the sunshine when we can to refresh futon (and less so tatami), and it did ok in our sub-tropical climate being raised.
I leave mine always lying on the floor. It has a wool rug underneath instead of Tatami. First thing I do in the morning, is take the bedding off and fully turn the Shikibuton over to air the underside all day, then I turn it back over again before bedtime.
Cool video, very informative! I'm also in the research phase right now as I'm planning to get rid of my bed and get something more compact instead, or more accurately something that I can fold/hide during the day. So far a futon and hammock (yes, indoor!) are my best ideas! It sucks that futons have these problems when used directly on the floor because a tatami can easily cost more than the mattress itself, and I imagine it'd be hell to clean cat hair out of it if it gets in 😅 But I still love the idea of switching to a futon, exactly the kind of compact I'm looking for!
I noticed that the sheets for futons used by the Japanese cover far more of the underneath which should both protect the futon but also keep the sheets fro coming off. I am sure that they cost more, though.
Do you think having a dehumidifier in the room and running it during the day would prevent mold issues with these futons?
Depending where you live it may help (it's a fairly dry environment where I live), but for me having air to circulate around the mattress by regularly flipping or folding is what I needed to avoid that.
what i do to sleep well is a simple thicker matress and a nylon carpet under the matress you can buy them at home depot or menards just make sure to cover the whole size of your matress and thas good to prevent moisture and mold under the matress, and i only lift my matress once a month to vacum that carpet and no moisture or mold at all because matress or box spring just sitting onthe woodfloor or on a regular carpetfloor creates moisture so i recomend you to get a thick basic matress and its nor comfortable to sleep on than that one you are using and the carpet i just mentioned and enjoy sleeping, good video
Have you considered the coconut coir rugs as an alternative to the tatamis? They are about $189 for a 54 x 75". I am looking at mattresses now and I want to get one that is all-natural. Ideally, I would like to have natural latex foam, wrapped in wool with a wool ticking, but I am hesitant to spend of $900+ USD on this at this time. I ended up buying a wood-slated futon frame on craigslist and I am looking at an 8" all-cotton mattress. There is another mattress that has a layer of wool, which I would prefer, however, it is nearly $100 more and does not come with a warranty, whereas, the all-cotton mattress comes with a 5-year warranty. I emailed the company, that makes the cotton mattress, to find out if the ticking has a sleeve at the top of the mattress to prevent it from sliding down the front of the futon. In either case, I might buy it and sew on a sleeve if I have to.
As far the latex / wool mattress idea goes, you can save 50% by assembling it yourself. There is only one company near me that even sells an all-natural mattress and they had it on the floor, but they were charging 2200-2600, so I decide to hold off on it. I really went there to lie on it and it was indeed incredible to lie on. I will eventually get a latex mattress.
We in India have been using it forever..it's called tulai and is stuffed with cotton.I have a solution to the trapping moisture.. We use a chatai which is like a jute mat underneath..this chatai could be rolled and put away just like the futon..I have been using it since I have had travelled to US, Canada, Germany etc and it is very effective
Oh cool. Jute rugs are more affordable than some rugs
Going to buy from j-life international tonight in US to get two XL twins to make a king size my hubby and I been sharing a full regular mattress we didn’t realize how little it was till we really wanted to upsize and try Japanese culture ❤ thanks for the info excited to start our journey.
Hello :) if you ever would like to try a new solution with floor sleeping and saving as much space as possible I can definitely recommend a sofa from the brand Karup - model roots 140. It's a cotton futon with a layer of latex foam inside and have also wooden scaffold (good for getting airflow under the futon) but it can be easily changed in the comfy sofa :) I'm using it for a few months now and I'm super happy with it :)
awesome idea, is it easy to transform the frame from couch to bed?
@@SameraAbroad from sofa to bed is super easy, the other way around slightly harder because the futon is pretty heavy so doing it alone is a workout in the morning :) but I'm still super happy with this solution. Also, you can make it as a half-bed configuration, very nice option if you want to crash on it with a book and a blanket :)
Here is a link to short video about this futon: ruclips.net/video/kMlTfKwZDZU/видео.html
@@Raoden13 very cool design!
@@Raoden13Thank you soooooo much! I have a Futon bed from Japan at this time, but am in need of a new one, but I don’t want a traditional bed. This could be perfect! Thank you so much for sharing!
💖💛💖💖🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
@@ur5860 I hope you will be happy with the new bed :)
One disclaimer, unfortunately inside of my futon I discovered that the cotton that they use is definitely not a 100% pure organic cotton (white one) as in the original Japanese futons, but still as a bed/couch solution works great for me.
I've sort of been sleeping on the floor by accident for several years now. The bed frame of my old bed broke and I just didn't bother to replace it. I took those frames with the horizontal slats and put them on this tough but thin mat on the floor and just put my mattress on top of them. I'm guessing (hoping) those frames help keep the moisture from affecting the floor. I'll have to check. I was thinking about going the whole futon/tatami mat route but I have too little space in my house to be able to clear a space in my bedroom to put all the stuff during the day
Update: I checked under the frames and the floor was perfectly fine. I then removed the thickest part of my mattress as I had two single person mattresses laying side by side and a memory foam topper on top of them. The foam topper's about the thickness of a futon from what I can tell so I removed the two singles from underneath and have been sleeping even closer to the floor now than before. I noticed I have less stiffness in my neck. It's not completely gone because I spend a lot of my time sitting behind computers, but it's been a while since I've had a tension headache, that's for sure.
Great video… I am just about to sleep on the floor as an experiment to see if it helps quality of sleep and also arm pain each morning from trapping nerves etc. cheers
Hello, I really enjoyed your video. You have such a calming energy. I'm from Poland and I'm thinking about buying futon so I'm making some research - really good to know that I 100% surely should get tatami, too. Actually it makes me happy, because I always had a felling like I slept on it like in the past life? Somehow I know how it smells (never been to Japan, never seen real tatami before) so I'm really looking forward to it.
Thank you for the input! It is helpful since I want to buy a fouton for my new lifestyle :)
For Tatami alternatives, would interlock foam mats/tiles work as well?
I use tatamis and a futon as well (actually the same set up as you do) and I really struggle with dust ! Dust on the futon and the tatamis. It gets quite dirty and the tatamis have a very unique smell …. Thinking about getting a tatami frame
How are you doing with dust on tatamis right now. I’m considering to switch to tatamis and mattress setup but I’m worried with dust. 😅
Thank you for the informative video! Having spent 7 years in Japan, I’ve grown quite fond of my futon. It was a common practice among my friends and me to air out it on the balcony, flipping them regularly to prevent mold. Similarly, we would give our tatami mats a good airing 1 to 2 times a year.
Now that I’ve returned to France, I’m considering purchasing tatami mats and a futon for my flat. However, I’m faced with a challenge: my current flat lacks a balcony and I'm wondering how to manage the tatami space efficiently, given that it won’t be moved daily (due to its weight), to optimize my small living space. The ability to fold and store my futon would indeed be a lifesaver in conserving space. 😊
It would be super helpful if you could share an update on your cleaning routine and space organization after a year of use. Thank you!
I would love to have a balcony too! It would make the airing out process a lot easier, but I think I'm making it work without so far. Since I don't completely pack away my futon I always fold my futon onto a different area of the tatami everyday, so the different sections of the tatamis as well as the mattress can also breathe during the day. We flip over the mattress every week or so as well. I luckily have large window I can open fully during warmer days and hang my futon on it so the sun and fresh air can get it. But in winter I just take care to make sure everything is staying clean and moved regularly.
Maybe I'll make a short video on the cleaning, but i'm definitely no expert! :)
Thank you! It was helpful. Now I need to find nice tatamis 😊
Can a tatami be put in a standard bed frame instead of a box spring? And then a futon instead of a mattress inside a bed frame on top of the tatami?
Where did you get the new futon mattress at? It looks comfortable I’m looking to get one
Thank you for this video
I too sleep on the floor.
Except the mattress has dented in the middle!
Will get a pillow to fill up that dent!
That futon mattress looks comfy 😊
Maybe I misunderstood it, but the previous mattress got some mildew just because it was chilling in the open window in wet weather. I thought that futon would be better in terms of longevity, and was somewhat surprised finding out that you had to replace it, though it wasn't due to some physical damage. Your experience is very valuable as I myself searching for frameless or other alternatives to bulky beds, and a little bit enticed by the idea of something simple at floor level, but guests will be unhappy, yes
hi :) My previous mattress got mildew because it was left in one position directly on the floor for too long and with winter our walls & floors collected more moisture, so it's actually a good thing to air it out on the window like I did before! Mildew can be avoided even in winter with regularly flipping or folding your mattress to let air circulate around it, which I didn't do enough of. If you do find mildew you can clean it as well - I just wasn't confident I cleaned it well enough and I didn't want it to transfer over to brand new tatami. In the end the new futon was a good change for us in comfort
I'm curious, where did you get the tatami from? I'm currently living in Austria, so I think it might be worth checking out, as there's a chance they could ship it to where I currently am, if the company does that sort of thing.
www.somnifer.at , they have a shop you can visit in Vienna as well :)
I love sleeping on a futon that's on a low, almost ground level bed frame. It feels great and cosy, but you don't need to do so much work to keep the mattress dry. I also changed all my bedding to natural materials and i sleep so much better. I have a wool duvet and buckwheat pillow. I think my friends and family think I'm crazy, but I'm willing to die on my futon loving hill.
I have a Japanese platform bed which is just a couple of cm off the floor so allows for air circulating, my bedding is also natural materials, my mattress and pillows are wool filled. Still I open the windows, air the room well every day regardless of weather. My floor is painted floorboards, laminate can't breath and will build up moisture under a futon
You have a crazy good energy! 🥰
Hi, I've seen very thick futons on the internet. Did you buy the tatami and futon from a specific online store? I've been looking for one similar to the one in the video. I'm Brazilian.
I was lucky to find local options near me where I could buy both the futon and tatami. I've heard there are quite a few other futon options online that can be shipped though
My brother wanted to gift me a opera thicket for birthday , it became a futon since I had the idea of sleeping on one since I never like soft mattresses , too saggy and I enjoyed sleeping on the floor in front of our old fireplace. So relaxing.
I just bought a "very firm" mattress and put it on top of an upholstered bed base, no need to sleep on the floor😅 No moisture issues and doesn't look like a dorm bedroom.
I would miss being able to sit on the edge of the bed.
I found a tatami mat used but in good condition for a cheap price. But the futon is missing. Sleeping without it is not good for the muscles and rest itself. Any advice?
Place some sheets underneath👍🏼
Very pleasant and helpful video. Thank you.
I tried to go floor and towards futon, but I live in Australia and got bitten by two spiders both severe spider bites, doesn't tend to happen when off the floor as much...sad as I've always wanted those mats and futon, might have to move to Japan before I can.
Peppermint (any mint) oil is a spider repellent. I have a 1929 house and any time I wake up with a spider bite, I put some 100% peppermint oil around the bed/cracks around the outside of the home/door frames/window sills.
Usually works for a few months.
((I hope it helps-may not prevent it, but back pain is no joke either.))
Australia has bugs.
Lol
We used some lavender oil or tea tree on the skin in summer months, but tbh had bugs in higher beds anyway or hitching rides in on the laundry…
Hi. This is great information for me. I have a 10 year old, but still functioning Sleep Number bed that has an estimated life of 20 years. Still, I'm most likely going to be moving to a smaller place 4 years or so from now. I was considering a platform bed like what you have in your Switching to a floor Futon video. The platform bed was the best alternative (I thought) because while it takes up the same space as the Sleep Number, the mattress does not require electicity to adjust the sleep number setting. The platform bed I've slept on provides the same comfort as the Sleep Number, but a low-tech solution.
I have a feeling once I complete watching these two videos, the Floor Futon will be the best solution: comfortable, low-tech, and foldable during the day so I can too practice yoga. Thanks in advance, and I will ask any follow-up questions if needed.
Someone in the comments also mentioned the Karup - model roots 140 futon frame to more easily and quickly fold the futon, it also keeps the mattress airy underneath. It seems like a nice low-tech option as well for a low lying bed :)
such a relaxing, informative video. thanks !
Grüß dich,
ich schlafe schon seit mehr als einem Jahr am Boden auf meiner Matratze. Diese muss ich regelmäßig aufstellen um sie durchzulüften.
Ich dachte mir, es wäre eine gute Lösung mir ebenfalls eine Tatami Matte und eine Futonmatratze anzuschaffen, aber das ganze sieht mir nach Mehrarbeit an.
Ist es notwendig die Matratze täglich runterzurollen?
Lg, Lisa
I am allergic to grass/hay, would tatami matts not work for me?
Good question, me too
I love your video. Thanks for the information and the review! Can I do this route if I sleep on my stomach?
hmm, sleeping on your stomach with a hard mattress may not be so comfortable. Maybe you need to test it out before fully committing :)
I’d like to know where you got your futon from-I’m not sure which ones are good to buy.
I have a room I put the bed against the wall like that, there's an alcove 2feet deep and I hung curtains up and when the bed is against the wall and closed curtains no one can even tell there's a bed. I put shelves on either side of the alcove like a closet on each side facing the middle. With the bed down the shelves are like side tables but enough room to keep all the pillows, sheets and blankets
Could you please tell me where you got that bedside table? It's exactly what I've been looking for!
Ikea ;)
@@SameraAbroad I knew it!
Hey! Thanks for the video. I’m thinking about getting a futon with tatamis under it. Where did you buy it? I’m also located in Vienna….thanks! 😊
Futon is from Nejfuton & the tatamis from Somnifer - both have a shop in Vienna :)
Seems like you like the idea of having a futon more than actually having the futon.
a weird thing about sleeping on the floor is that getting up is easier lol. i guess everytime you sleep, you basically practice getting up and laying down smoothly and efficiently.
Could you provide links for the tatami and futon?
I'm located in Vienna, Austria so I got these from shops I can find here. Tatami is from Somnifer & futon from Nejfuton
Great video, great attitude!
Thank you for sharing! Very helpful!
You’re so inspired me , thank youu :)
I have a question for everybody. I live in a small apartment and want to gain some space with a futon, but I have tile floors. Any advice?
I'm going to add this mattess to my box spring.
The older one gets the harder it is to get up from the floor. Nothing 2:24 to hold on to so a fall is unavoidable.
Is folding it in couch formation still considered "airing it out"?
It feels minimal space-wise, but quite the effort time-wise.
Watching this a year later, I'm wondering if you're found maybe a wall futon that is hung up as a backrest/headboard-situation a solution to make your half-folded futon into a sofa..?
Where did you find the Tommy?
Dear Sam, I also live in vienna and I‘m thinking about buying a futon. Do you have any store recommendations for me? Thanks! :)
Did you get an answer?
Why not futonbedsfromjapan or futontokyo? They are cotton shikubutons made in Japan.
Yes originally I had looked into those as well, but I decided to go with something made closer to me (to be able to see the mattress before buying & have less worries about shipping). So my results are more 'inspired by' then an actual Japanese futon, but I would certainly be curious to try them though, I have heard good things about them
I will keep my mattress, looks like a lot of trouble to which raised mattress is the simple solution
Where did you get your new futon from
the sound fx at 9:39 definitely caught me off guard lmao
The fake punch sound made me laugh so much harder than I would've guessed lol/smh Thanks for that and for posting 😊
I slept on the floor on and off with cushioning since i was a kid .. wonder why my hips still hurt
Hey Sam, wie breit sind eure Tatamis und der Futon? :) Ich möchte zukünftig auch so schlafen und habe beim Recherchieren deine schönen Videos entdeckt. :)
Hallo 😄Unser Futon ist 140x200 und die tatamis sind 80x200 (mit zwei tatami =160x200)
Mir gefällt, dass die Tatamis etwas größer sind als der Futon, sodass Sie die Tatamis immer noch sehen können, während der Futon heruntergeklappt ist. Wenn Ihre Matratze größer ist als unsere, habe ich Tatamis auch mit 90 x 200 pro Stück gefunden, oder Sie können mit den separaten Tatami-Platten eine andere Anordnung machen. viel Glück!
@@SameraAbroad oh vielen Dank für die schnelle Antwort. =) Die Idee finde ich super, dass die Tatamis etwas breiter sind als der Futon. Die breitesten Matten, die ich entdeckt habe, waren sogar 100 x 200. =) In Dortmund (NRW, DE) gibt es ein Fachgeschäft. Da werde ich mal hingehen. =) Interessant finde ich auch die Möglichkeit zwei Futons übereinander zu legen, so wie das die Menschen in Japan auch tun. Liebe Grüße, Chris
I move twice a year from and to my home province in Canada to study. A lady was selling her queen size japanese futon for $100 CAD but she ended up giving it for free after I helped her deconstructing her bed base. I had my mattress for 2 years. I say "had" because I am packing up my apartment right now and I lifted my futon (first the first time this whole year..) and it has a lot of mold underneath. I threw away the casing and there's no mold underneath left but I'm still not sure if I should keep it. It's heavy af and I can't find a new casing. I guess I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who had to learn the hard way with his first futon.
tbh with a little bit of research you should’ve exactly known all the issues you experienced…
I really enjoyed the video, and learned from it.
But the background music made it difficult to focus on what you said. I recommend you only have music when you are not talking.
thanks for the feedback:)
For moisture and mildew just get a dehumidifier.
The only con I hear is the moisture and mildew, how can I completely avoid that?
Something more breathable between the mattress and the floor helps, in my case I use tatami but there are other options. And flipping the mattress regularly :)
you could have installed a dehumidifier for that room, no?
That would have been much simpler.
Why not fill the floor with tatami, and use a floor setup to work?
you can't put this on a normal bed frame?