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Shikibutons and bed frames; Is there a Tatami alternative?

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i've encountered a totally similar dilemma. i've slept with my shikifuton just on the floor for years, but upgraded to a "bed frame" i made out of pallets this year and, i love it, but had the same issue with feeling the slats through it. i guess my solution was more layers of those hard foam floor mats / multiple thick blankets / egg-crate foam mattress topper thing, and eventually i stopped feeling the slats with enough added material, lol! i just make sure to air out my shikifuton every now and then. but im curious to see what others say about your question ^.^ i have always wondered for years if the tatami is really worth it to add into my setup, or if there's another way! it feels impractical how many layers of shit i added, but also does the job. Answer from foolishfife on reddit.com

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reddit.com › r/minimalism › shikibutons and bed frames; is there a tatami alternative?

r/minimalism on Reddit: Shikibutons and bed frames; Is there a Tatami alternative?

February 10, 2024 -

TLDR: What can I use to support my shikibuton on a bed frame besides a tatami mat?

Hey folks.

Long story short, I'm sleeping on the floor on a shikibuton these days. It lays on my floor with a grid of interlocking foam mats under it to cushion my bony skeleton from the hardwood below. I sleep great.

I am a 40 year old man, and while my sleep is great, I wanted a bed frame so I didn't feel like I was a college kid sleeping on the floor. I got one, and I like it. It's a modern bed frame that has wooden slats to eliminate the need for box springs. If I lay my shikibuton on top of the slats- even with my foam mats in between- I can feel the gaps between the slats and it is uncomfortable.

Decently sized tatami mats appear to be more expensive than I really wish they were (yes I'm 40 but I have a job that doesn't pay super well), and I had hoped to find some sort of cheap alternative for making a solid platform to rest atop my bedframe slats. I've considered plywood, masonite, adding "inbetweener" slats, and most recently rigid pink insulation foam. They all have their benefits and drawbacks in my mind.

The biggest drawback to any of these options is the fact that they aren't breathable, and I don't want my mattress to get moldy. I live in Iowa where 5+ months out of the year the weather isn't particularly clothesline-friendly so I want to make sure I'm not introducing more elements that could make my mattress lose its freshness. I do intend to keep folding up my mattress every morning, flipping it once a week, and hanging it outside weekly weather permitting. The thing is, every website I've looked at that talks about shikibutons/tatami mats still talks about flipping your mattress all the time and hanging it in the sun weekly which makes me wonder... Does the tatami actually breathe? And if it does, does it help anything?

What do I use to provide a firm backing between my bed frame and shikibuton? Is there something from the hardware store that I can cut to an appropriate shape for ~$60, or do I need to bite the bullet and spend $200 on a grass mat?

Top answer

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i've encountered a totally similar dilemma. i've slept with my shikifuton just on the floor for years, but upgraded to a "bed frame" i made out of pallets this year and, i love it, but had the same issue with feeling the slats through it. i guess my solution was more layers of those hard foam floor mats / multiple thick blankets / egg-crate foam mattress topper thing, and eventually i stopped feeling the slats with enough added material, lol! i just make sure to air out my shikifuton every now and then. but im curious to see what others say about your question ^.^ i have always wondered for years if the tatami is really worth it to add into my setup, or if there's another way! it feels impractical how many layers of shit i added, but also does the job.

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I got a thuma bedframe and my futon is on the tatami. I also got a memory foam topper.

Discussions

making my own mattress from shikibuton layers and memory foam - General Mattresses Questions - Mattress Underground

Basic problem: I move pretty often and seriously hate moving a mattress. I also hate that mattresses are super hard to recycle once they run out of life. I came up with a possible solution but would love advice on it. What if I got some shikibuton layers and stacked them, possibly with a memory ... More on forum.mattressunderground.com

forum.mattressunderground.com

0

June 25, 2020

Late night browsing with bedhedd: japanese futons (shikibuton) - Blog - Level1Techs Forums

I saw this video about Japanese Futons (shikibuton) in my feed, seeing it got me on a tangent of researching Japanese Futons I remember watching it long ago when I was interested in getting a Japanese futon. The thing that kept me from pulling the trigger was that my comforters would be in ... More on forum.level1techs.com

forum.level1techs.com

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April 26, 2024

Shikibutton firm mattress but on a bed frame?

They make elevated frames just for shiki butons. You can also get a platform style bed frame ( basically a solid board over slats). But I’m concerned about ones that use MDF board- I’d steer clear of those. or cut a solid plywood board and lay it over any slatted frame you like. I think the minimum thickness should be 3/4 inches if I remember correctly. Or a platform box (commonly incorrectly referred to as “box springs” - just make sure it’s a solid board top and doesn’t have springs like the old school outdated actual box springs). Note: Actual box springs are antiquated and usually no longer made. But people still call new style boxes “box springs” out of confusion. I know that’s confusing- but it’s basically like a tempur pedic style foundational platform box. It’s essentially a bunkie board with a solid platform top. It’s just a plywood board raised to give your mattress support and height- again make sure no springs. Hopefully that makes sense. Lay your board /platform/box over a any frame you want. Then put your shiki on top. More on reddit.com

r/Mattress

4

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August 21, 2022

Shikibutons and bed frames; Is there a Tatami alternative?

i've encountered a totally similar dilemma. i've slept with my shikifuton just on the floor for years, but upgraded to a "bed frame" i made out of pallets this year and, i love it, but had the same issue with feeling the slats through it. i guess my solution was more layers of those hard foam floor mats / multiple thick blankets / egg-crate foam mattress topper thing, and eventually i stopped feeling the slats with enough added material, lol! i just make sure to air out my shikifuton every now and then. but im curious to see what others say about your question ^.^ i have always wondered for years if the tatami is really worth it to add into my setup, or if there's another way! it feels impractical how many layers of shit i added, but also does the job. More on reddit.com

r/minimalism

15

February 10, 2024

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