Chaise or ottoman

May 10, 2019 8:02 PM

I am purchasing a new couch, and can't figure out whether I should purchase a chaise longue or whether a sofa with a detached ottoman is better. What are the pros and cons of these options? Do you have one and wish you had the other? Why?

Relatedly, how large should the ottoman be, relative to the couch, if one chooses an ottoman?

posted by sockermom to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

The sofa and detached ottoman is a more flexible solution, especially if you do a lot of entertaining and need additional seating. However, if the room is mainly being used for just you, I say go with whatever is more comfortable for YOU. I once got rid of a giant overstuffed sofa, loveseat, and reclining chair just because I was bored with the colors and replaced it with more modern furniture and that turned out to be a disaster. Nothing I'd replaced those items with since has ever been as comfortable after a long day at work or when relaxing on the weekend.

If you choose the ottoman and you plan to use it like an ottoman, rather than, say, for holding a tray of drinks, I'd get one just big enough for one person to use to put their feet up. If the sofa is L-shaped, however, I think bigger ottomans work better because two people can use it.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 9:08 PM on May 10, 2019

I love the concept of the chaise lounge, and have owned a couple in my life, but IMHO the ottoman is better and ideally an ottoman large enough to support two (close) people. Other than that, I'd want the ottoman to match some geometry of the couch (width of a cushion, depth of the seat, width to a nice fraction of the # of buttons on the seat, etc.) so that it looks tidy when pushed up against the couch.
posted by aramaic at 9:19 PM on May 10, 2019

I bought a chaise because I had a combination of a short wall and a low window sill. Two things I've learned: a low blocky side arm is uncomfortable to lean against and because the seat cushion wraps around it, I can't flip the cushion over. I agree an ottoman is more versatile.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:42 PM on May 10, 2019

If you live alone and don't have many visitors - as has been my case for the last 8 years - a chaise might be better. I've spent months of unemployment sitting on my chaise, legs stretched out in front of me, watching Netflix on my iPad propped up on the back of the couch or on a computer screen across the room.

IMO, the most accurate indicators are how often you entertain and how many people you entertain at a time and what other places you have for guests to sit. A chaise can be uncomfortable for more than a couple of people but if that's not a concern, then choose something that makes you comfortable and matches your style of relaxing.

I bought my chaise within days after a break-up and it's been comfortable to me for years as I moved back into singleness, living alone and solitude.

I can fall asleep on it but it's not really long enough or wide enough so that may be another factor to consider.
posted by bendy at 10:50 PM on May 10, 2019

As a current renter but future possible homeowner, I really value ‘modular’ things that can be easily reconfigured when I move into a ‘permanent’ place. In this case, I’d go for an ottoman the same length and style as the affixed part of a chaise lounge extension. But that’s just me. You do you.
posted by u2604ab at 10:53 PM on May 10, 2019

Once you’ve made a sufficiently deep butt-impression you can move to the other end with an ottoman and start over.
posted by Iteki at 12:06 AM on May 11, 2019

As a current renter but future possible homeowner, I really value ‘modular’ things that can be easily reconfigured when I move into a ‘permanent’ place.

Wisdom! From someone whose chaise-extended couch didn't fit into the elevator and had to be abandoned.
posted by Morpeth at 3:45 AM on May 11, 2019

We have a small sectional with a chaise and love it; much better for two adults to stretch out on than our previous couch/small ottoman setup. We do still have a tiny ottoman in addition.

It’s true about not being able to flip the cushions though; that bugs me.
posted by songs about trains at 4:50 AM on May 11, 2019

This was really helpful. I've had a chaise for the last 10 years that I've really loved, but I wanted to know what I was missing. The cushion flipping is something that has constantly annoyed me that I didn't have on my pro and con list, and that one end of the couch looks much more tired than the other is also a con that I missed. Y'all have convinced me to try the ottoman for at least the next decade. Thanks!
posted by sockermom at 6:53 AM on May 11, 2019

Counterargument: I've had ottomans for many years and I am constantly annoyed by other people in my family moving the ottoman (or even nudging it slightly) when I am lounging. I switched to a chaise-type setup because stop moving my feet dammit.
posted by medusa at 7:54 AM on May 11, 2019

La-Z-Boy rocker recliner, fabric, brown, overstuffed. Like a big hug, suitable when you've spent several weeks sleeping upright on doctor's orders.
It's a chair. It's a chaise lounge-thingy (with two arms -- no disappointment!) No one is stealing the ottoman. If it's like mine, you can take the back off and put two sections in the vehicle for transportation.
In a perfect world, there would be a holder for the remote control and my easily-lost glasses, but that's just me complaining.
You provide the quilt and the cat.
posted by TrishaU at 8:41 AM on May 11, 2019

TrishaU, have you seen armrest caddies like this?
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:56 PM on May 11, 2019

Oooh! Thanks, Iris Gambol.
posted by TrishaU at 7:01 PM on May 11, 2019