My Experience with the J-Life Shiki Futon
The first time I was introduced to the J-Life Shiki Futon was a couple years ago when I visited Japan for the first time and stayed overnight at a ryokan. These Japanese inns are really old—like eighth century A.D. old. To my surprise, the room I was staying in was a traditional tatami room that didn’t have a mattress or bedframe—or so I thought.
I looked around the room until I found a futon spread out on the tatami floor. I put two and two together and woke up the next morning thinking that I just had the best sleep of my life. My mind kept pondering: “I need to bring this Asian floor mattress home!”
On my flight home, I couldn’t stop thinking about that Japanese mattress. My translator later informed me that it’s actually pronounced as shikifuton or shikibuton. While hurrying onto my flight, I was determined to find this shikibuton online and buy it by the time I arrive home.
I did what any impetuous consumer would do, I went on Amazon. I scrolled and scrolled through the numerous choices of shiki futons. I had to get the BEST shikibuton, I told myself. I crawled into the depths of Reddit and read countless reviews of shiki futons until I could find the perfect shiki futon.
Finally, I was on the fence between the EMOOR futon and the J-Life Shiki Futon. After reading reviews on Reddit and perilously searching through the waves of Amazon reviews, I made my decision based on the average consumer rating and chose the J-Life Shiki Futon. If the decision was based on affordability, the EMOOR or FULI futon would’ve taken the cake.
J-Life Shiki Futon Review
This review is based on the J-life Japanese Traditional Shiki Futon queen size mattress that I purchased 3 years ago. The price may have changed over time but the same futon I bought is still the same.
Cost: The J-Life Shiki Futon in queen size comes in at a smacking $300—and these are Amazon prices, ladies and gentlemen. Although I cannot testify for the quality of other cheaper futon brands that you can find like FULI, I will say that the Jlife futon has been well worth its price point. However, speaking in terms of the general consensus, and judging by the positive reviews of other cheaper futon brands like EMOOR and FULI, I will say that it’s a tad bit expensive.
Rating: 3/5
Quality: The quality of this futon can definitely speak for itself. What if I told you that after 3 years of this mattress being beaten up, thrown into a moving van, dragged across multiple states, and being slept on for more than 3 years, and this mattress still came out intact? You would think, “That’s a damn high-quality mattress.” It certainly is. The construction of this futon truly stood the test of time so far. The well-constructed, durable fabric is definitely doing its job here.
Rating: 5/5
Sleeping Experience: Using the Jlife futon as a floor mattress has been the ideal sleeping routine for me ever since visiting Japan a few years ago. I’ve come to realize that I prefer a thinner and firmer mattress than what many Westerners prefer here. The firm padding gives an excellent cushioning for a nice rest and being comfortable enough for hard surfaces.
I haven’t had any trouble sleeping for a while and my previous noticeable back aches that would lead to night sweats had completely diminished. I sometimes sleep on my side and this futon is only one of the few mattresses that allow side-sleeping to be comfortable. It’s definitely an enjoyable difference sleeping on a mattress that was made for the floor, I feel that my body and spine is aligned perfectly on the floor in a comfortable position.
Rating: 5/5
Conclusion of my J-Life Shiki Futon Review
My experience thus far with the jlife futon has been a monumental experience for me in making me realize that Western mattresses aren’t my only options out here while living in LA or when I lived in Chicago. It’s a great starter futon at an affordable price for a superb quality for anyone looking to transition into the world of Japanese mattresses.
The J-life futon has definitely opened the door for me to look into even higher priced, organic, and real genuine futons from Japan. Overall, I am highly satisfied with this futon and would be buying a second one if it ever falls apart.
I highly recommend that you stay overnight at a traditional Japanese hotel or inn when you’re in Japan. They’re reasonable priced and a different experience than typical high end hotels. You’ll experience what it’s like to walk a night in ancient Japan and spend the night in a warm and cozy bed.
For more information on my thoughts on what are the best Japanese futons available right now, go here.
Go check out this EMOOR Futon review for more information on another popular brand of futons.