The comfort offered by a favorite chair is unparalleled. A good recliner can become your favorite spot in the house, your place to settle when you come home in the evening–it can make your living room a place you really want to live in. Finding the right recliner for you and your needs can feel like a hassle, with so many options on the market! Here’s a rundown of what to look for when exploring your options, so you can make the best choice for your home.
Manual Recliner
Manual recliners are an overarching group of recliners. They are not motorized and do not require power to recline, and can overlap with other types of recliners such as rockers, pushbacks, wall huggers, swivel, and gliders. These are your traditional recliners, which use a lever or your own weight pushing back to recline. You may be looking for a manual recliner if you want something basic and functional, especially if it doesn’t rely on electric or battery power.
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Pros: Classic and functional. Operates independent of battery packs and electrical outlets, so can be placed freely in a room.
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Cons: May require more physical strength or dexterity to operate. Lacking some of the extra features and conveniences found in other types of recliners, such as power or rocking.
Pushback Recliner
Pushback recliners are a type of manual recliner, which has no lever or other external mechanisms in place to guide the reclining motion. Instead, you just sit and push back in the chair to send the back down and the footrest up. They tend to have a smooth motion, and often look more like an armchair or accent chair than a stereotypical recliner chair–a style known as a high-leg recliner.
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Pros: Similar to all manual recliners, they do not require power and do not need to rely on power banks or outlets. Pushbacks also tend to have more variety in styles so they can blend into a room better than a typical recliner, and often have smaller, lighter frames.
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Cons: Like most manual recliners they require physical effort to recline, and more so than certain manual styles. May be lacking in special features, like charging ports or cupholders. Not all pushbacks will have a footrest, and they cannot be wall huggers.
Power Recliner
Power recliners are motorized chairs that make reclining a breeze. With a push of a button, your chair will start to move and let you settle in and kick back. Like manual recliners, they can overlap with other kinds of recliners–mainly motion such as rocking, gliding, and swivel, as well as wall huggers. Power recliners can bring a touch of technology to your living space, and are a popular choice for those who want more modern luxury or simple convenience in their home.
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Pros: Easy to operate and require minimal user input to recline. Often offered with extra features, such as built-in phone charging ports or extra adjustability in headrest, lumbar, and more.
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Cons: Requires power, such as an outlet or a battery pack, and can be affected by power outage or outlet placement. Motorized parts may need servicing more frequently.
Rocker Recliner
Rocker recliners are chairs that rock gently in an arc, and are a comfortable alternative to a traditional wooden rocking chair. Rockers can be power or manual, and often overlap with other styles of recliner.
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Pros: Comfortable, familiar rocking motion, and wide variety of available styles, colors, and features.
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Cons: Lacks the smooth, gentle, lower-impact motion of a gliding recliner. Cannot be a wall hugger.
Gliding Recliner
A gliding recliner is similar to a rocker, but the chair’s motion is smoother and more linear than the arched path of a rocker. These chairs are popular in nurseries and similar places where the gentler motion is preferred.
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Pros: Gentler motion than a rocker recliner. Can often be paired with a swivel base for more freedom of movement.
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Cons: Cannot be a wall hugger. May be more limited in styles than a traditional rocker, and does not have the same feel as a traditional rocking recliner.
Wall Hugging Recliner
A wall hugging recliner is a style of recliner frame that moves the chair forward within the frame, rather than pushing back in place. This style allows you the benefits of reclining on a smaller footprint, with a chair that can be placed up against a wall or other barrier without risk of colliding when the reclining feature is used.
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Pros: Allows for easier placement in rooms with limited space, and avoids damage to walls.
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Cons: Unique frame design means the chair cannot have rocking/gliding features, and cannot be high-leg or pushback.
Lift Recliner
Lift recliners are specialty powered recliners that can be raised into an upright position, which makes them significantly easier to sit in and stand up from. These recliners are comfortable, convenient, and ideal for anyone who typically benefits from assistance in standing or sitting.
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Pros: A convenient and comfortable way to enjoy a recliner, while allowing for greater independence for people who use certain mobility aids or simply wish to reduce strain on their bodies.
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Cons: Requires power for motorized features. Cannot have rocking or swivel motions due to the stability required for the lift function.
Zero-Gravity Recliner
Similar to the neutral-posture chairs developed by NASA for astronauts, zero-gravity recliners are a specialized type of recliner designed to reduce stress on the body. They offer an ergonomic design that reclines into a position which distributes weight evenly, relieving pressure and improving circulation throughout the body. They're a great alternative to a traditional recliner for older adults or anyone who needs low-stress, well-designed support, and some models can double as beds for those who find a traditional mattress too painful.
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Pros: Comfortable, ergonomic design that can be helpful for people who suffer aches and pains from sitting in traditional chairs. Improves circulation and reduces strain and pressure from sitting. Some companies offer models designed to be slept in.
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Cons: May be more expensive due to specialized frame design and engineering needs. Often has a larger footprint to accommodate the zero-gravity position. Almost always requires power to operate.
The most important type of recliner is the one you can relax in. Take your time exploring your options, and try them out in person! Stop by either of our local furniture showrooms of Moore’s Furniture today in Pottstown or Chester Springs, and our helpful salespeople will be glad to help you find or customize the perfect recliner for your home.
