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?

I do let some spiders live in my room, I keep it pretty clean and they’ve never bothered me before. I’ve been sleeping on the floor on a futon for about 3 years. You’d think I would have experienced this by now. Has anyone else dealt with this issue?

The floor space in my room is the same size as the bed so maybe they just walk on the floor and get confused?

We had a King sized bed. Not because WE needed the space, but the dogs do. I have 2 German shepherds.

Now that I’m on the floor, I look up at the dogs on the bed. They were like oh, no! What did you do to get kicked to the floor??? I patted the dog bed next to me, and they were like _no way!_

We were dog sitting for our friends’ Lab. She felt so sorry for me, she slept with me, even though she LOVES being on the bed and isn’t allowed at home. What a sweetie pie Lab, ‘consoling’ me on the floor.

For those of you who have any sort of futon, do you put a cover on it? Does it affect the way you sleep?

I see people with futons, but no sheets or blankets. I have my own favorite blankets, but I feel weird without a sheet on the bottom.

I have an old duvet that I was thinking of cutting down so it would fit. Would that be okay?

I'm sure this has been asked a million times here and yes I will go look at older posts, but I wanted some fresh insight too. I was considering the Zonli 4 inch futon until I realized it has a polyester fill. I've heard J Life International has a tendency to get lumpy and is basically a cheap imitation. Without actually buying from a true Japanese artisan, IS there even a good brand that won't break the bank but also isn't polyester?

I've been using a camping pad for floor sleeping and it clearly works for me; I'm ready for a real futon but could use some advice that I haven't been able to find by searching this sub...

1. The bedroom has a thin carpet. Is a tatami mat still a good idea or would that be too soft between carpet at the futon?

2. What have you used for the equivalent of a bedside table? Is there any kind of little floor sleeping platform to put items on?

3. How much room do the futons take up while they are rolled during the day?

Thank you if you can answer any of these!

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Hello! I'm interested in trying out the floor sleeping life, and have done several rabbit hole deep dives and decided that eventually I would like to invest in a shikibuton from Japan.

It's not in the budget just yet, and I have seen some videos suggesting that a Zonli in a 4" is a really good transition mattress to see if this would work for you.

They have mixed reviews, and from what I can tell, they seem to be made exactly like a 4" mattress topper with egg crate foam as the filler. The main difference being that a) they're a higher price than a mid grade mattress topper and they have a cotton cover. If the filling is foam anyway and you're going to put a cover on it, I don't see why a topper wouldn't give pretty much the same experience. I'm considering just getting an IKEA duvet cover in a size bigger to act as a cover.

Does anyone have experience floor sleeping on a mattress topper and folding it away like a futon when not in use? What would be the advantages of a Zonli versus just getting a mattress topper of a similar height? I can't be the first person to have the idea, and I feel like I must be missing something obvious!

I would welcome any thoughts or advice. I'm trying to stay under $100 for a full 4" and the Zonli is $160 and I've seen similar height toppers for like $80.

Thanks for help and advice!