<p>I am wondering what brand of futon anybody who has one would recommend. Walmart has a "mini" futon which is only about 5ft wide, which sounded encouraging because I have a 10x12 room (single) and would prefer not to loft my bed, but I don't know if even that would fit. Any guidance? It only needs to last one school year and I don't think I can spend more than $150.</p>
<p>Some sort of a small sofa would also be fine. I am not particular.</p>
<p>I found one for my daughter in the clearance department at Ikea, but it’s hit or miss there.</p>
<p>Did you go to the one in Canton? I was just there and wasn’t even aware they HAD a clearance section.</p>
<p>You should look around target. They usually have some nice sofabeds for under 150. They’re not very durable, but they should get you through the year.
Here’s a pretty cheap futon/sofabed combo:
[Sofa</a> Bed - Black : Target](<a href=“http://www.target.com/Sofa-Bed-Black/dp/B003958AF0/ref=sc_ri_1?ie=UTF8&node=360124011]Sofa”>http://www.target.com/Sofa-Bed-Black/dp/B003958AF0/ref=sc_ri_1?ie=UTF8&node=360124011)</p>
<p>My daughter had that one from Target and it worked well in her room. Unfortunately, she spilled some glue on it, so it won’t be making the return trip.</p>
<p>We were just at Ikea yesterday and their regular stock has two nice futons in your price range, one for $150 and a larger one (converts from a double sized bed to a sofa) for $160.</p>
<p>Would that be something I find in their showroom or in the self-serve area? I just went there for the first time on Friday and I guess I missed a lot. It’s confusing!</p>
<p>The regular priced ones are in the showroom. The clearance center at the Canton store is on the right, between the warehouse and the cash registers. You never know what you’ll find there.</p>
<p>fredmar-- do you have any idea how big her room was? Did she have her bed lofted? I looked at that one before I even posted here but I didn’t think it would fit.</p>
<p>Does the school allow items as big as futons to be delivered to the dorms? At this point I am thinking it would really be stupid to buy anything before I get to my room and see if it will fit, but if I do that I won’t have the truck I am renting for move-in to transport it, nothing like this will fit in my car. And then I have to hope what I want will still be in stock.</p>
<p>Ema - she was in a double in South Quad last year, with both beds lofted, there was room for the futon. She is in a single this year at Cambridge House, and she is getting a comfy chair instead of the futon. the futon came in a big box that fit in our SUV, I don’t know about the delivery option. Since you are in a small dorm, maybe they will be flexible about deliveries, more so than a large dorm, where everyone sending big packages before school would be chaos.</p>
<p>I would probably have it delivered once I got there, I just don’t know if they’d accept a package that large at all. Last year I decided they wouldn’t, but I am not sure how I came to that conclusion, so when I had to order a new fridge my dad arranged so that he would be there to intercept the delivery. I could conceivably do that again but I think the stress of arranging that last time may have taken a few years off my dad’s life. :P</p>
<p>I just got back from target and ikea and got some good ideas, so I’ll just have to see what will fit when I get to school. I checked the dimensions on the target futon box, and I think it may actually fit into the back of our focus if we push the back seats down. If it won’t fit in my room I guess I will try to go for two butterfly or disc chairs instead. I just hate having guests sit on my bed.</p>
<p>Emaheevul07…so does UM accept accept big packages…? Thanks!</p>
<p>Ema, that target one is 39" wide and 72" long. In a 10 wide room with your 40.5x84 inch bed, you will need to at least half-stack your 36" dresser and bookcase under your bed in order to have room for your desk (36") plus sofa bed, but will have less than 2’ between your bed and the futon.</p>
<p>My son is struggling with the same issue (in a Stockwell single) and we’re thinking about trying a 48" wide foam flip out studio bed (look up sleeper chairs on ebay, then look at the “full/studio” size…$120 plus $75 shipping) because it’s only 30" deep and in his case his room is only 8’ wide. He will still have to half stack to make it work and store his guitars/keyboard etc. under the bed, but he really wants to have somewhere for guest to stay overnight etc.</p>
<p>I am willing to half stack, but I don’t understand how you would get into your drawers or your bookshelves if you did that. Do you understand how that works? I just want to avoid having to climb up and down the ladder, I have reason to believe I would hurt myself doing that.</p>
<p>I don’t even necessarily care if it folds out into a bed, that was just a plus and helped justify the cost. I wonder if I could find a tiny sofa or something that would work better. I just can’t stand having people sit on my bed and want to have someplace to put guests. I tried floor pillows last year but no one would use them, disc chairs are nice but if you get an adult sized one they are $40 each and not that durable, so I’m not sure what the best option is going to be.</p>
<p>If you half-stack and face the bureau perpendicular to the front it will remain sturdy. Son did it last year. This is not technically a “legal” configuration.
So if you have lifespace 2 furniture, you put the steel shelf parallel to the end of the bed, but put the dresser perpendicular to the front end of the bed (instead of parallel). That way you have room to open the drawers.</p>
<p>if you half stack, then where do you put the bookcases?</p>
<p>The bookcase goes on one end of the bed and the dresser goes on the other side. I just don’t understand how that would be practical if you need the drawers and the shelves, so I guess I will have to come up with something clever. Looking into foam furniture now.</p>
<p>According to a diagram I made I THINK this would fit in my 10x12 without lofting… what do you think? If it will fit I want to go out and buy it but I am no good at figuring out this kind of stuff.</p>
<p>[IKEA</a> | Sofa beds | Sofa-beds | SOLSTA | Sofa bed](<a href=“Products - IKEA”>Furniture - Shop Furniture Online & In-store Near You - IKEA)</p>
<p>That looks like the most viable size I’ve seen yet, so you’ll likely be good.</p>
<p>Re: using the dresser – hard to explain in writing, but you can use both the dresser and the bookshelf by half stacking the way I described. Picture the window at the end of a dorm room. Picture the bed along the wall (12’ length). At the window end (if facing, your right) the dresser at 30 inches is holding up your bed but the drawers are facing you. Pull out drawers. Voila, use dresser. Now to your left at end of bed, running parallel to the window, is the bookshelf holding up the end of the bed (eg. it would face you if you walk in the dorm door). Voila, usable shelf. See what I mean?
At any rate, that couch is good because it is only 30" wide and less than 5’ long so I suspect you’re safe.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your help! I am inept at these kinds of things, you should see me trying to measure my trunk to see if the box will fit! The neighbors have gotten a few good laughs at me. </p>
<p>And for the record, I am like 97% sure that is the same sofa bed a friend of mine had freshman year, and I really liked it. I wouldn’t sleep on it every night but I slept on it often as a guest, and the couch was comfy. Just figured I’d say so, in case anyone else is shopping.</p>