A futon is probably the most well known of the different types of sofa bed, especially when it comes to the cheap and cheerful variety. I’m not sure exactly where they originated, however it wouldn’t surprise me if Ikea had an influence – their wooden frames have a rustic Scandinavian feel akin to an Ikea design. The particular futon we will be reviewing here is actually one from Argos, it’s a single chair bed with a pine frame that currently has a low price of just £99. Did you know that the term ‘Futon’ is derived from the original Japanese terminology that related to a simple mattress that could be folded away during the day?
The cheap and cheerful Argos single wooden futon / sofabed.
In terms of structure this is just a traditional futon-type sofa bed that has a visible pine frame. The wooden feel would fit quite well into a modern room, however it does sit quite low to the floor so wouldn’t really be suitable as a regular seat for adults. Sure as an occasional seat this would be great, or perhaps in a kids bedroom, but not for use as a regular day to day chair. The chocolate colour mattress (which is also available in cream, black and aubergine (believe it or not!)) sits folded up on the chair frame when not in use. The size of the frame when converted into a sofa bed also tells you that this isn’t really suited for large adults. As long are you’re not 6’6″ then you should be fine, as the sleeping area is 76.5cm by 195cm long. Although this is a solidly built futon, it isn’t really designed for particularly lengthy adults.
This sofa bed is easy to turn into a bed from the single chair, all you do is unlatch and pull / fold out. When first assembling the item many people find that it is surprisingly easy to do, and you could do it in under ten minutes as the base arrives in only three separate parts. If you only have space for a single chair but require a double bed then as this is quite a cheap sofa bed you could even buy two of these and put them next to each other. That way you have the option of just using it as a single for one person, but also putting it together with another one to make into a make-shift double bed.
Overall the wooden sofabed / futon is comfy to sleep on, and is a great addition as a spare single bed and chair for the spare room, kids room or conservatory. It is priced at £99 from Argos, and for that price you get a solidly built, comfy to sleep on, easy to construct single futon.
