ok so heres the thing thiis futon DOES NOT STINK it smells of the carrier and the way its shipped Go smell a mattress at IKEA or w/e they allllll smell like that its pest retardent and fire retardent. It goes away. I LOVED this futon it fixed my back, helped my sciatic nerve heal some, gave me endless amounts of great nights sleep.... then all of a sudden - and this is after flipping it once a week as i did laundry and letting the air get to it to keep it fresh - it just .... deflated. The seams became dangerously spartan. The wadding inside clumped. I literally tried everything to save this as yes it was my go to bed - infact it still would be - if you have a bad back or suffer from neck or sciatic injuries from riding or anything like that i cannot recommend this futon enough. Durable... I dunno... i mean i cared for this and its upkeep became part of my cleaning regime so it wasn't a big deal. Its only heavy when it arrives as this one long air compressed burrito but nothing a single person cannot handle on their own once lain out and aired out - airing these things out is important - they do it in Japan - plus it keeps the bugs at bay. I am so bummed i had to recycle this futon as it was one of the best best beds i have ever slept on and when rolled up made a great little conversation couch or meditation bed. IF the maker is reading these reviews - i dont think they do - i want my bed back :/ *sad face* some people may think it wont work other than a guest bed, not true. This is also the only QUEEN sized futon i have found that doesn't cost like some ridiculous amount of money for being a tiny bit wider than a twin.