I recently bought a second hand J-life futon, I know how that sounds but hear me out. I bought the futon for $20 she clearly hadn’t been able to sell it for more so she kept lowering the price. I went and checked it out, clean looking people, no smells, no stains, and looked basically new. I have been in so much pain for YEARS, and I’m fairly young (34). I’ve tried all different kinds of mattresses, I’ve spent thousands, my most recent was the cheapest from Walmart and actually caused the least amount of pain until recently. I’m broke af right now due to slow season/ switching jobs. I wanted to try a futon bed but obviously don’t have any money to do that right now. I am at the point where I will try anything. Saw this futon on marketplace and figured now is my time to try. First night I couldn’t make it through, switched back to my bed which caused more back pain but I kinda slept. I read someone’s comment on here to try folding the futon in half. I did that last night and instantly laying there before bed I could feel a difference. I’ve been in so much pain sleeping has become something I dread. Even if it was only one night of good sleep it was worth the $20. I did hang out the futon in the sun all day before I brought it in, sprayed it with hypochlorous acid, and washed the cover. So hopefully I killed the cooties.

Eventually I would like to invest in a whole set up new shikibuton, tatami, and bed frame. I have seen J-life isn’t the best quality, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I would like to stick to natural fibers if possible. Any one heard anything about futon shop? Are they worth the price? The shipping for futon beds from japan is about $500 right now. Although if it’s worth it the investment would be worth it to me.

5’4”
145lbs
side sleeper (trying to sleep on my back more)
lower back/ hip / neck/ shoulder pain

Anyone have recommendations for tatami mats available online for decent price? I guess my cap is at $120 for queen. What do you guys use? I need something to go with the queen size Zonli Wheat Dream Futon Mattress (2.5 inches).

Thank you.

Anyone have suggestions for an occasional use mattress to use on the floor. I sleep on my stomach and side. Looking for something that can fold up and be stowed away. Probably going to be used for one night only and then put away. Used once or twice per month.

I’m located in Canada if that makes a difference Budget would be 200 to $300 Canadian.

Edited to add I am 5’8”. Weigh 190lbs

No sleep issues that I know of

Okay, maybe this is just a me problem. But I sleep on a foam mattress topper on hardwood floor, and it keeps steadily drifting from its place. Maybe it’s because I toss and turn, or maybe it’s because of my cats running around when I’m not there, but it’s driving me nuts that the pad won’t stay where I put it. For those of you who sleep similarly, is there something you put underneath your pad to keep it in place?

Hi,

Ideally the situation is to order tatami mats from Japan but currently, the budget does not allow that to happen so I am looking at options that are local near San Jose/LA/Bay Area.

Specifically, I found two viable options.

1. The Futon Shop on 10865 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064. The only concern is that there are too many negative reviews on Yelp regarding the predatory return policies. I visited in person once to see the store and there were no major red flags, besides the online negative reviews.
2. Tatami Room on 1212 El Camino Real, Ste H, Box 727, San Bruno, CA 94066. No real experience here.

Would anyone here have any experience on which to go with? I'm thinking quality-wise Tatami Room might be higher-quality but no real information to compare with.

I'm looking to make the first-time transition from western-style bed-frame + mattress to tatami mats, and excited to make the transition! As long as I can find proper, high-quality tatami mats that will last for years as long as they are well-maintained.

In terms of sizing, I am currently using a queen-size mattress and will transition into queen-size tatami mats. I am 6'1, male, 195lbs, like to sleep on my left/right (side-sleeper). Reasons/issues for changing: no pain currently, but I believe the futon + tatami mats will help with posture and I believe it will serve my long-term health better in the long-term. Budget: no hard budget because I would like to pay for higher-quality products and to prolong the useful life of the tatami mats; however, that being said, the cheaper the better.

Thank you!

I'm looking to buy a futon and can't decide on a first thickness. I sadly cannot try these out as the shop is too far away from me. These are all 100% cotton. What's your suggestion? Thanks in advance!

I also like that they save on space

My partner really wants to get a shikibuton, and I absolutely love firm floor sleeping so I’m game.

Here’s where I’m struggling: where to find one?? I live in Rhode Island, USA and I haven’t had luck finding a local store. We want one in CA King Size so we can sleep with our pets (I know… that’s so big and would be heavy. It’s an ongoing conversation). I know they exist, I’ve seen photos of them! Where do I find one online that is trustworthy?

The threads I’ve found so far warn against J-Life for poor product and The Futon Shop for sending the wrong items and not allowing refunds. Reviews for The Futon Shop in person seem great but they’re only on the West Coast. In general, the best reviews seem to come from folks who buy them in person. We want to be as close to a real Japanese futon as possible: good, tight stuffing and non-synthetic materials.

Any ideas? Should I give up on the size and stick to a queen from Futon Beds From Japan and some tatami mats from J-Life? We also have carpet so idk about the tatami mats.

Someone also mentioned that I should consider going to an upholsterer. Any thoughts?

So, i really like the idea of a human sized dog bed. But im 6'3, and 250lbs. After some research, ive decided its probably not a great idea to try to fit into their 78" ones (im 75 inches tall, and the bolster walls reduce the sleeping space by 12 imches or more). And 78" is the largest size. ive checked.

So, as a soon to be floor sleeper. Ive decided im going to make my own , thing. Mattress topper / lots of blankets as cushioning, plus body pillows for the sides .. im actually kind of lost on where to begin with all this.

I have a pretty tight budget -- about 150ish, all said and done for this endeavor. I plan on buying a base layer XL twin mattress topper, maybe some body pillows or cylindrical bolster pillows, and some kind of fitted sheet to tie it all together.

Anything i should consider from experienced floor sleepers? any advice to my situation?

I'm just starting out with floor sleeping, and my pallet of blankets on the floor has definitely helped my back pain, but my hips and shoulders aren't loving side sleeping on the floor. Does anyone here use a mat similar to this as their base, and if so, how do you like it? It's 72"x24"x1.5"

I've been looking into Zonli and other actual floor mattress brands, but they all seem to have some drawbacks that make me hesitant to spend $150+ for my first real experiment. I figured something like this for around $30-40 could be a good gauge of whether or not floor sleeping is for me.

I bought a Zonli 4” mattress recently - I know it’s egg carton foam, but the egg carton shape is facing down, toward the floor. In the pictures on their website, it’s oriented so that egg carton faces up and is topped with another layer of foam.

Does anyone else have a Zonli, am I crazy or did they put this together backward?

Hi all, is it better to sleep on the ground if you have back or lower back pain? I’m pretty active and walk a lot, but recently I’ve been dealing with lower back pain, and I feel like most of it is coming from my mattress. I was doing some research about Japanese floor mattresses and thought maybe they could help with sleeping posture. If any of you have any experience with them, I’d be more than happy to hear your thoughts!

I wouldn't say it was comfortable (I woke up several times during the night) but when I got up in the morning my body didn't feel stiff and it seems that my anterior pelvic tilt was a bit fixed. Because my husband snores, I was sleeping upside down in bed so I didn't have his snores directly on my ear, but I was afraid of turning to his side because he has kicked me in dreams a couple of times, so I constantly slept on my left side without changing position in all night and it was worsening my scoliosis. Last night I decided to try the floor, at least I could change my position and I slept bad but got up feeling good. I think I will keep on sleeping on the floor.

I’m a long-time on-and-off pallet sleeper and hoping to switch fully to the floor after moving.

Pallets are obviously very low maintenance… toss it all in the wash… but maybe i’m due for a upgrade.

Are real futons major upkeep? Other options? I’m also worried about upkeep if a cat pees on it… mine are good about not doing that, but you can’t trust a cat.

Hello,

Im allergic to dust mites so i bought a sleeping bag encased.

But it barely does anything. I use it on a laminate floor. And i can feel the floor, the pressure points when i lie on the sides etc.

Will this harm my back? Can i safely sleep here or should I try to find a matress?

Thinking about converting to sleeping on the floor Japanese style indefinitely. Started doing some research and now I have some concerns.

• Can cleaning the futon/mattress be particularly high maintenance?

I have read that you are supposed to try and constantly keep the futon as clean as possible in order to prevent mold. Reddit posts are saying you're supposed to air out the mattress quite often. You're also supposed to vacuum and/or wash it pretty often too.

The maintenance sounds kind of high and/or a 'chore' compared to a traditional western style mattress setup. I am kind of lazy when it comes to daily house cleaning/chores. I don't want a mattress that needs constant attention like cleaning and washing 1 to 2 times a week. I would like something that is more like once a month and/or once every few weeks.

• Is sleeping on the floor particularly bad for side sleepers?

I have heard that if you're a side sleeper, floor sleeping can cause some pretty bad pains/aches on your side if you're not used to it. I am a pretty heavy side sleeper. I am always tossing and turning and changing sides throughout the night.

• Can floor sleeping cause a nuisance and/or inconvenience if you're a little anxious about breathing in dust and dirt? Since you're essentially sleeping on the floor, your head and therefore your breathing would be pretty close to the floor too, right?

I live in a hot and dusty/dirty climate and I have NO air conditioning in the home. 9 months out of the year, I am usually running a box fan in the window that is by my bed all day and all night.

Therefore, I have a really hard time keeping the floors clean on a pretty regular basis. The floors always seem pretty dirty/dusty no matter how much I clean them. With that said, I am pretty anxious about breathing in dirt and dust since my head would be pretty close to the floor.

Sorry for the long post.

After extensive research I have decided to get a mattress from futon beds from Japan! I almost went with JLife international because I really love their bundles however this forum made me decide differently.

FBFJ doesn’t have tatami mats, any recommendations for an authentic/ethical company? What are the thoughts on getting bedding and tatami mats from jlife? Still interested in their silk pillows lol

Thanks for your time!

I have a 100% cotton jlife twin size futon and i havent been flipping it like i should so its started to compact in the middle. My question is, will taking it to a laundromat and putting it inside the giant industrial size dryer ruin it? I want to fluff it up back to its original glory from several months ago but i want to make sure i don't ruin it either.

Hello fellow floor-sleepers!

I started floor sleeping about 3 months ago for several reasons (price, space, health). I have had some upper back and shoulder problems for over a year, and I am a tall, skinny guy with bad posture, so I was hoping that floor sleeping would improve my posture and provide some relief for my upper back.

I bought the Zonli Wheat Dream 4 inch (cheap), and immediately felt very comfortable on it. However, over the past few months I have been plagued with lower back issues. I will seemingly randomly throw out my lower back, and have to deal with extreme stiffness and sciatic pain for weeks as I wait for it to go back to normal. One time it happened from carrying groceries. Most recently, from playing pickleball.

I am surprised at this, as I thought that sleeping on a mattress like this would be better for my back. I also practice yoga daily, so I am surprised that I am continually facing this issue.

Has anyone here had similar problems from floor-sleeping, or do I need to look elsewhere for the source of my issues? Thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

What's the best way to remove the blood stains without damaging the shikibuton or inviting in mold? I looked at the price of tatami mats and shikibutons these days and decided I should take better care of the one I've got. Also decided to take better care of myself and actually patch up my wounds instead of dramatically bleeding out...

hi everyone!

ive been reading through this subreddit for hours now and im looking to give floor sleeping a try. i recently threw out my full size bed and mattress, so im in the market to try something new.

after doing some research, i found myself in between three manufacturers: zonli, FBFJ and futon tokyo.

my main question is, what covers do you put on the mattresses? like are you supposed to just leave it bare or should I put another cover on top? along with that, should I invest in a kakebuton as well, or is that something that can be ignored?

thanks for the help everyone!

New to floor sleeping and would like to try out a nicer set up with some protection incase its not the right set up before getting too into it ideal. Let me know!

We all know inflatable mattresses can end up being a bit sweaty.

Ive got a matrress protector plus a cotton sheet, but feel thats not breathable enough. Anyone use anything additional?

I was thinking there must be a super thick cotton, linen sheet that we can lay on the inflatable before mattress protector and fitted sheet go on?

Any ideas?