NOT JUST FOR YOUNG BOHEMIANS, FUTONS BECOME AMERICAN STAPLE.

Byline: David Giffels Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

1968: A hippie stumbles through the morning haze, a rolled-up mattress under one arm, brushing his hair out of his face and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He tosses the mattress into the back of the micro bus, fires up the engine and putters off into the next lost night.

1996: The mattress remains. But now it's part of a billion-dollar industry.

You might say the futon is sleeping its way to the top.

Strictly speaking, a futon is a thin cotton mattress derived from the traditional bedding of the Japanese. In America, it has evolved during the past three decades into a very casual version of the sofa bed.

After gaining entry into this country through the '60s counterculture - its simplicity, portability and natural fibers made it a perfect fit - the futon now is looking to weather the growing pains of a product rocketing toward the mainstream.

``Probably the biggest negative about futons is the word `futon,' '' said Chet Stoler, owner of Minneapolis futon-maker Casual Lifestyles and past president of the Futon Association International, a trade group.

People confuse it with Asian food, wondering if they should serve their futon with wasabi. Or they wander into a furniture store fumbling with pronunciations, asking to try out one of those ``futtons'' or ``fultons.''

``You've got a product that the majority of people don't know what it is,'' said Dean Roland, co-owner of Roland Futon, which has stores in Kent and Akron, Ohio.

The futon has seen its greatest rise in popularity in the past five years. Norka Futon, which started in Akron 10 years ago, has expanded sixfold since 1991. The first Roland Futon store opened 3-1/2 years ago, the second opened in 1994, and the company is considering a third.

Dean Roland has practically made it a mission to educate people about futons, not only what they are, but also how to make sure you buy a good one. The best place to learn about a futon is in a specialty store such as Roland Futon or Norka Futon.

(While some chains, especially on the West Coast, have expanded regionally, there are no national futon chains, although some national furniture retailers carry them.)

The first myth Roland debunks is that futons are the sole possession of college dorm dwellers. Even with his store not far from Kent State University, he said college students make up only 6 percent of his business.

Both Roland and Stoler said that the largest customer base is between ages 25 and 55 - people who remember futons from the '60s and want an alternative to traditional, formal furniture.

``More people are buying them for empty nesters, home offices, spare rooms,'' said Stoler.

Here are some areas Roland says to focus on when you're shopping for a futon:

The mattress. ``What's inside of the futon is the most important material of your purchase,'' Roland said. ``Your mattress is actually more important than your frame.''

Cheap cotton filling will compact over time, Roland said. So, consider not only the thickness of a mattress, but its weight, as well. Heavier mattresses will compress less over time. A good full-size cotton mattress with a foam core will weigh between 48 pounds and 55 pounds.

The composition is important, too. The mattress should contain 70 percent staple fiber - those are the long, durable fibers of cotton. They will be mixed with smaller, fluffier fibers called lentil fibers. There also may be other materials mixed in - one company recycles plastic pop bottles and shreds them into fiber. The weight is the most important factor, though.

Ask the dealer for a cutaway of the mattress so you can see what you're buying. There should be a foam core in the middle. Ask about the density of the core - the good ones range from 1.8 to 2.3. (The number refers to compression of foam in a testing lab. The higher the number, the less the foam will compress.)

For people with back problems, the relative firmness of the futon mattress can help, Roland said. Some chiropractors, in fact, recommend futons for their patients.

The frame. The first thing to look for is a hardwood frame - oak, ash and maple are the most common woods. The mattress should be supported by thick hardwood slats.

Try out the mechanism that pulls the futon from a couch into a bed. It should work easily and efficiently.

Roland said the wood in imported frames tends to be of lower quality than domestic ones, although their mechanisms are sometimes better.

The warranty. You should expect the futon to be protected for a minimum of five years, and the warranty, ideally, should be backed up by the dealer, rather than the manufacturer. You're more likely to get timely service that way.

Because few manufacturers make both mattresses and frames, you are likely to get separate warranties on your mattress and frame.

In his ads and his rhetoric, Roland is pushing the futon as an alternative to the sofa bed. While it was introduced via youth culture, Roland chuckles when he tells stories of older customers who point out that the futon is just the younger cousin of the old davenport.