Recliner Buying Guide

by Nick, Digital Specialist | April 4, 2020

A comfortable recliner can be the most popular piece of furniture in your home. But with so many choices these days, how do you know if one is right for you? Check out our buying guide for a comprehensive list of things to look for when you're shopping.

A good recliner can be a person’s favorite piece of furniture. You could probably close your eyes and imagine drifting off to sleep in the most comfortable recliner, or sitting with a young child while you read them a book or tell them a story about “back in the day.” We’ve even met clients who forego the traditional sofa-and-loveseat in their living room in favor of a couple super-comfortable recliners!

But with so many choices and options these days, how do you pick which one is best for you? Our Buying Guide can walk you through the process and help you figure out what’s most important to you.

Size: This is the biggest (pun intended) thing to consider when it comes to buying a new recliner. Obviously, you need to consider the length, width, and height of your chair compared to how much space you have in your room. But it doesn’t stop there- recliners take up more space when they’re reclined, so make sure you’ll have enough space for the chair when you put your feet up. Make sure to consider the distance it has to sit from the wall (anywhere from a few inches to a foot or more), as well as the distance that it will stick out under your feet.

Comfort: There might be nothing worse than getting a brand-new recliner home and sitting in it for the first time after a long day of work…and then it doesn’t feel comfortable. Make sure to avoid this letdown by taking the recliners for a test-drive before you buy one. It should be the right size for your body (not too big, not too small…just right!) and have the right amount of firmness or softness for you. These factors can vary wildly from person to person, so make sure you find the one that best suits your needs.

Mechanism: In other words, how does it recline? Back in the day, recliners had that big wooden handle on the side, but there are so many other choices these days. The large majority of recliners are power recliners, meaning they plug into the wall. There’s a common misconception that power recliners are less reliable, but technology has advanced to a point where they are very reliable and have a low rate of service. Also, unlike manual recliners, power recliners are able to stop in a limitless number of positions, giving you the ability to customize your comfort.

Style: Are you trying to match with existing pieces in a room? What sort of color palate are you going for? Recliners come in all kinds of styles- from the puffy, overstuffed look to a streamlined high-leg recliner, and everything in between. Some people treat a recliner as an important accent piece in their design, while others are more concerned with how it feels. Make sure you know what’s important to you before you go shopping.

Bonus options: Here are some other options to consider when buying a recliner:

- Lift: Not everybody needs this feature which will aid you in standing up from the chair, but it can be very useful for someone with mobility issues. Be extra cautious when it comes to size, though- make sure your feet touch the floor when the chair is in a regular sitting position. Otherwise, there might be issues when you stand back up.

- Swivel, rocking, and gliding chairs: these are motion features that allow the recliner to move in other directions. Swivel chairs are great for rooms with multiple focal points, allowing you to face the TV and then rotate to look out the window. Rockers and gliders give you that slow rocking motion which might help put you to sleep. For that reason, they can be great for parents with young children.

- Heat, cooling, and massage: these are lifestyle features which help make you more comfortable. If you’re one of those people that’s cold all the time, a heating feature could be a huge benefit. Conversely, if you’re warm all the time, there are recliners that can cool you down. And can you imagine coming home from a long day of work and being able to unwind in a chair that massages your back?

- Extended footrest: This is a feature to be on the lookout for if you’re especially tall. Recliners with an extended footrest will be a little bit longer at the end of the footrest, allowing for extra support of your long legs.

- USB: Many power recliners are available with USB ports for charging your phone or tablet. Sometimes they’re located near the controls; other times, they’re hidden away.

At the end of the day, choosing a recliner can be a very personal decision, especially if it’s intended mainly for one person. Make sure to consider all your options in order to find the Goldilocks chair- the one that’s just right!