Recline Time: How to Choose a Recliner That's Right For You

By Lou Carlozo, Brand Publishing Writer

Recliners have come a long way since the days when earlier generations wanting to kick back had to fumble with finicky side levers just to get the footrest working.

“Today’s recliners are comfortable, easy to use and offer a wide range of prices and features,” says Janet Graham, an interior designer with Baer’s Furniture, a family-owned company with 15 stores throughout Florida. "In fact, they're making recliners now that you can't tell are recliners."

Perhaps the most important factor when shopping for a recliner is taking into account the space you'll need. "Because a reclinger goes out a good seven feet, it might hit a coffee table, so you have to make sure you have ample room," says Graham, who works at a Baer's store in Naples.

Wall-hugging recliners will help with space issues as they only require 4 inches between a chair and a back wall. “The chair goes in a downward position, and you don’t need as much space behind it,” she says.

Graham says that recliners are offered in a wide range of prices from under $400 to $2,500 or more.

Toward the less expensive end are those that employ a layer of microfiber, a material that blends rayon, nylon and polyester. “Because it’s synthetic, nothing absorbs into it,” Graham says. Higher-end recliners have a thicker layer, she adds.

“If you’re a petite or smaller-frame person, they fit well,” says Connie Sherrard, a design consultant for the Baer’s showroom in Fort Myers. “And if you’re furnishing a vacation home or a rental, you probably don’t want to put a $3,000 recliner in there.”

Leather can be a feature of midrange recliners. “They have beautiful fabrics and nice color leathers,” Sherrard says. “For clients taking advantage of our design services, we usually pick out a texture around the perimeter of it, and match up the leather that goes on the arm and the footrest.”

High-end recliners aim for extreme comfort, Graham says. “That’s when the body is more relaxed — when it’s curled a little bit.” Graham says. These premium recliners are available in leather or microfiber and in a collection of a dozen colors for each fabric.

Graham says it’s essential to visit a showroom and sample the recliners to find the one that’s right for you. “A tall man needs a higher back, while a shorter woman needs a lower back because they like to get extra cushioning for the head,” she says. “Do you want a thin armrest or a puffy one? It’s similar to trying on clothes. You have to be fitted for it.”

Older buyers will have special considerations. “We have a lot of baby boomers here and many times they don’t have the strength to get the chair going,” Sherrard says. “They might have arthritis, they might have hip or knee replacements, and don’t have the strength to get the recliner part down. So people will come into the store and ask for electrically powered chairs. The beauty of these models is that you can just touch a button, and the chair will move to the desired position.”

Recliners have long occupied a beloved place in pop culture. Daniel F. Caldemeyer’s “rocket recliner” design became the basis for the astronaut seats NASA used on space missions, including the Apollo launches.

Famous recliners also show up on TV. In “My Three Sons,” father Fred MacMurray frequently relaxes with a newspaper in a recliner. Martin Frasier’s beloved yellow-and-brown striped fabric recliner is held together by duct tape in “Frasier.” And in a second-season episode of “Friends,” Joey and Chandler camp in their recliners for two straight days, refusing to get up.

Recliners aren’t just for homebodies, either. In 2013, a drivable yellow recliner was seen zooming along in traffic on a Chinese road, and in the U.S., one daring soul bolted wheels and a jet engine on his recliner and took it for a spin at a racetrack.

Still, the best place for a recliner is right at home. You can always buy one in stock, or wait about eight to 12 weeks for a custom color to be delivered. So, go ahead: Choose a shade for your recliner that’s closest to Dolphins blue or orange if you want. It’ll add to the mood of game time and certainly feel a whole lot more comfortable than those stadium seats.