# Help! My futon mattress won't stay folded!



## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

I hope this is the right place to post this...

We have a great solid wood futon in our family room, and went the extra mile and got a "good" mattress, a nice thick one with a foam core with cotton around it (unlike the old lumpy, paper thin one we had on my futon from college), but I have a problem...

The







mattress will NOT stay folded! It's almost like it's "too" good...or maybe our futon frame isn't strong enough or something? I don't know, but it is driving me insane. I've tried the foam gripper strips across the back and seat area, and it just keeps straightening out and sliding off the bottom...the middle of the futon where it bends doesn't even come close to touching the frame.

We already swapped out the mattress once for one grade lower than our original purchase, and we've moved since then, so another exchange is out of the question. I have wrestled with it and folded it a few times (and I mean literally wrestled, breaking a sweat and everything, and I'm not exactly a weakling - very amusing to my 2-yr old to see me jumping on and hogtieing a futon mattress), and tied it up for a couple days, and it will stay bent for a little while, but it always flattens back out - and forget it if someone sleeps on it - we have to tie it up before we can even put the frame back into "couch" mode - we can't just raise it back up with the mattress on it, it's too strong.

I've had experiences with 2 futons before that worked fine, and my parents have a futon right now and their futon works great, the way it should. Did I just mess up by getting a really thick mattress? I was just trying to make it a little more comfy than the last one we had, but now I'm so aggravated I'd take back that thin lumpy one in a heartbeat compared to this one, and just throw an egg crate or foam topper on a thin one as opposed to this madness.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me, outside of getting rid of this mattress and getting a thinner one? Anyone use the rubber gripper sheets with success? They're supposed to not be as "good" as the foam strips, but my mighty mattress has ripped the foam strips right off the futon - it's almost like it's possesed or something.

It TOTALLY doesn't help that DH wanted to get a thinner, less expensive mattress, so now every time he looks at it drooping halfway off the frame he just shakes his head and looks at me.







:

Oddly, I feel a little better just ranting about the stupid mattress here!

Appreciate any help anyone can give me...even if it's just 20 people replying for me to lose this stinker and get a thinner mattress.

Thanks~


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## trini (Sep 20, 2005)

Do you sit on it alot? I'm wondering if it would help if it were "broken in" a bit more? We got one of the more expensive mattresses for our futon and we don't have that problem. We didn't go "top of the line," though.

I'm picturing the thing and frustrated for you! And I totally understand the situation with your dh and the "look!"

I know you can't exchange it again, but have you talked to the dealer? Maybe the manufacturer if possible? Surely you can't be the only one with this problem!

What about sewing some ties to the underside of the mattress and tying it to the futon frame? Or is that how you tied it before?

This suggestion may be way out there, but if you are considering ditching it and buying another one it may be worth a shot: Could you open it up and remove some of the stuffing? Maybe just remove it in the middle where it needs to bend? It might make it less comfortable for sleeping but may be okay.


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *trini*
What about sewing some ties to the underside of the mattress and tying it to the futon frame? Or is that how you tied it before?

See, I KNEW someone here would think of something brilliant!!! I'm totally trying this. I bet you this will work. WHen I talked about tieing it, I just folded it in half and used the straps that came with it originally to hold it closed for a couple days, then just reopened it. I think your suggestion just might work!

I had thought of making a slit in the middle of the mattress and removing some stuffing so it would bend more easily, and just hoping it wouldn't affect "sleepability" cause it's in the middle and most people who use is for sleep are couples anyway...so fi the ties don't work, I may try that as a last resort.

I really think the ties will work though, cause it will keep that pesky middle bendy part where it should be!

I will say we use it daily, so I consider it being sat on a lot....but it's not for hours a day every day, so perhaps that is part of the problem, that nobody heavy enough 'bends' it _enough_ daily by sitting on it. It does happen to be DS's favorite acrobatic equipment, but he's only 30 pounds, so I don't think that's quite as much weight as would be necessary.

I'm really thinking if I do 4 or 5 ties, that will do the trick. Thank you SO much!!!

Anyone else with suggestions, keep 'em coming, cause knowing this mattress it's not going "down" without a fight!







I almost feel like I should name it or someething, it seems to have a very distinct personality

Oh, and thanks for the validation, it honestly does help...


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