A good sturdy recliner
October 5, 2014 3:37 AM Subscribe
Apparently I am hard on my recliner chairs. They usually last 5 years or less. Can you help me find one that will last?
The one I'm using now has a broken wooden board in the back. The footstool is also crooked because a plastic part on the reclining mechanism under the chair keeps coming off.
What brands of recliner chairs have you found to be durable, and not made with cheap plastic parts? Or should I just give up and go with a standard chair and separate ottoman? Ideally I'd like to keep the price under $750, but I've heard you should spend your money where you spend your time, and I spend a lot of time in my recliner. My only other criterion is I hate leather/faux leather. I want it to be fabric.
The one I'm using now has a broken wooden board in the back. The footstool is also crooked because a plastic part on the reclining mechanism under the chair keeps coming off.
What brands of recliner chairs have you found to be durable, and not made with cheap plastic parts? Or should I just give up and go with a standard chair and separate ottoman? Ideally I'd like to keep the price under $750, but I've heard you should spend your money where you spend your time, and I spend a lot of time in my recliner. My only other criterion is I hate leather/faux leather. I want it to be fabric.
La-Z-Boy! They have attractive recliners (as well as the ones our grandpas love) that last forever. There is even a lifetime guarantee. My last one lasted 15 years, through 3 kids and several moves.They are also the most comfortable recliners that I have ever used.
posted by myselfasme at 6:05 AM on October 5, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by myselfasme at 6:05 AM on October 5, 2014 [4 favorites]
My La-Z-Boy doesn't see much use, but it's 14 years old and in like-new condition.
posted by Tehhund at 6:11 AM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Tehhund at 6:11 AM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
I am sitting right now in a hand-me-down Barcalounger. It is the best. It's... not super old? Maybe 7-9 years? Anyway, you can get them in fabrics and styles that are not terrifically ugly, and it seems very durable. I use it constantly, and it was in fairly heavy use at my parents' house before they gave it to me. It's slightly grandpa-looking, but not awful, and my god is it comfortable. The fabric is just starting to show a little bit of wear, after many years in a house with two dogs, and now one year in a house with two cats. The reclining mechanism still works perfectly, as does the swivel/glide stuff.
posted by Adridne at 6:50 AM on October 5, 2014
posted by Adridne at 6:50 AM on October 5, 2014
I have had very good luck with La-Z-Boy. My grandparents had one that outlasted them; it met its end only because the family couldn't agree on who would get it, so it sat in an unheated house and molded. (Good job, family.)
Currently my house has two—a love seat and sofa combo with four total "reclining" bits. They're only three years old, but I'm quite happy with them so far.
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:20 AM on October 5, 2014
Currently my house has two—a love seat and sofa combo with four total "reclining" bits. They're only three years old, but I'm quite happy with them so far.
posted by sonic meat machine at 7:20 AM on October 5, 2014
Take this advice with a grain of salt, since I'm speculating a little based on observations of recliner use at my parents house, but:
A lot of the wear on recliners seems to come in the opening and closing. If the mechanics become even a bit off, people tend to put more effort and weight into it, forcing them. If that's the case with you -- if you find yourself sorta launching yourself backwards to recline and then soon having to finagle the mechanism to get the footrest down, you might find an electronic recliner, where you push a button and a motorized mechanism does the work, a better choice. It's a slower process than using a mechanical recline, but it reduces the likelihood that you'll damage the mechanism by forcing it.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:54 AM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
A lot of the wear on recliners seems to come in the opening and closing. If the mechanics become even a bit off, people tend to put more effort and weight into it, forcing them. If that's the case with you -- if you find yourself sorta launching yourself backwards to recline and then soon having to finagle the mechanism to get the footrest down, you might find an electronic recliner, where you push a button and a motorized mechanism does the work, a better choice. It's a slower process than using a mechanical recline, but it reduces the likelihood that you'll damage the mechanism by forcing it.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:54 AM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I don't even know what brands I've tried. Up till now my process has been: go to local furniture store, sit, if it's comfy, buy it.
posted by IndigoRain at 2:46 PM on October 5, 2014
posted by IndigoRain at 2:46 PM on October 5, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thomas j wise at 5:58 AM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]