Futons > Learning Center > Do I Need an Extra Loft for My Futon Cover?

Do I Need an Extra Loft for My Futon Cover?

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Futon covers and mattresses have 3 dimensions--length, width, and thickness (or depth). Another term for depth is "loft", which means the thickness of a mattress, sheet, futon cover, or mattress protector.

On many of our fabric product pages, we offer you the option of getting a "deeper" futon cover for thicker mattresses. That is, you can add additional inches of "loft" to fit a thicker mattress.

Standard futon covers come in 6" loft for a 7" or 8" thick mattress. Most of the futon mattresses that people buy are 8" thicknesses, so the 6" futon cover fits perfectly.

Your futon cover should fit snugly!

You should not have fabric bunching or doubling over in any areas on the seating surface of your futon sofa. It won't be comfortable. The cover should look neat and "pressed" on your futon mattress, just like a upholstered cover looks on a sofa.

Most futon covers are made in a 6" loft for 7" and 8" thick mattresses. On those mattresses, the 6" loft fits snugly, giving a neat and tidy appearance that does not make it difficult to zip the 3-sided zipper closed.

When Do I Need Additional Loft?

However, if you have a thicker mattress--for example, a 9" or 10" deep mattress--you may need additional loft in the futon cover you buy. The last thing you need is a major struggle to zip the futon cover closed when you want to convert your futon from bed to futon sofa.

Anyone who has purchased standard sized sheets for a 10" or thicker mattress knows how much fun it is to "do battle" by putting a smaller sheet on your mattress. Though you may win in the end, the net result is:

• An overly tight fit frustrates you because it is very difficult to get on.

• It puts stress on the seams of the sheet and zipper of the futon cover, causing them to wear out sooner and shortening the life of your product.

• You will be reluctant to remove it for dry cleaning or laundering because it is such a struggle to get it back on.

Lucky for you, it is surprisingly inexpensive to add additional loft to ensure that you get the right fit for your futon cover.

First Things First

Measure all dimensions of your mattress. You would be surprised how many people order a queen size futon cover for a full-size futon mattress or a full size futon cover for a queen size futon mattress.

Typical Futon Mattress Sizes

Mattress Type	Dimensions
Twin Size	39" x 75"
Twin Extra-Long Size	39" x 80"
Full Size	54" x 75"
Queen Size	60" x 80"

If your mattress measures to within an inch of these dimensions, you're safe! No need to order a "Custom Size."

For more information on Custom Size Futon Covers, CLICK HERE

Extra Loft for Futon Covers

Measure the thickness of your futon mattress carefully.

If your mattress is 6", 7", or 8" thick, the standard size futon cover that we sell will fit fine. You can buy any futon cover on this web site with the assurance that it will fit well. A 6" futon cover will stretch slightly to fit an 8" mattress without stresses on the futon cover zipper and strains on you.The futon cover will fit snugly on an 8" mattress and have some give on a 6" mattress, but will not be overly baggy.

Other Mattress Thicknesses

If your mattress is 4" or 5" thick, you need a smaller loft. In that case, you will need to order a custom size.

Never fear--it costs only about $10-$15 extra to get the right fit and you won't regret it.

Better to have a slight stretch so it looks neat and tidy when fully zipped.

If you have a 9" mattress, please order one additional inch of loft. You need a total loft of 7 ". We assure you that it will fit a 9" mattress nicely. This is not a custom size—our manufacturers stock 7" loft sizes.

If you have a 10" mattress, please order two additional inches of loft. You need a total loft of 8". It still only costs from $10-$15 to correct the loft.

The rule of thumb is: Your futon cover should have 1" or 2" less loft than the loft of the mattress.

Futon mattresses typically do not come in thicknesses over 10" because they become far too cumbersome to manage changing from sofa to sleeper. We do not know of any manufacturer who sells a futon mattress thicker than 10".

How Do I Buy Additional Loft?

Not all of our futon cover manufacturers have the ability to make different loft sizes. Some only sell the standard 6" loft. The manufacturers of the less expensive futon covers do not make different lofts. That is why their covers are cheaper—they are not sewing the covers themselves.

Extra Loft for Sheets

Our beautiful luxury sheets already have this problem licked because they come standard in a 15" loft that will accommodate up to a 17" thick mattress.

Our mattress protectors also have deeper lofts that are standard on some and optional for a few dollars more on others. End of story.

Like futon covers, our futon protectors come fitted much more closely to the mattress loft.

The same rule of thumb applies to futon protectors—buy 2" less loft than the thickness of your mattress.