The days of the big, clunky recliner hulking in the corner of the living room are long gone. As women began buying more recliners and demanding more stylish options to choose from, manufacturers obliged. Now, there are recliners available in modern, contemporary styles in a wide variety of colours and fabrics. That gorgeous wingback chair by the fireplace in your friend’s living room? It just might be a recliner in disguise!

Picking and Choosing

The look of your recliner is important as it has to match your overall decor, but you also have to consider how each type of chair reclines and what best suits your needs. Yes, the basic function of a recliner is to recline the back or bring up the foot rest, but they offer so much more than that—you can even get one that offers a massage if you like!

Here is a breakdown of some different options.

Two positions: As the name indicates, these recliners only feature two positions, upright or fully reclined. You release the footrest with a button or lever and the chair’s back lowers into a fully reclining position. Keep in mind, you can’t have this type up against a wall as it requires space behind it, so it’s better suited to large spaces.

Wall-Saver: These handy seats are perfect for smaller spaces and apartment living as they require only inches as opposed to feet in order to fully recline.

Rockers: These chairs offer several reclining angles, and the gentle swaying motion gives you the option of relaxing without fully reclining if you don’t want to. It’s also popular with new moms as it is ideal for rocking baby to sleep.

Push back: With their sleek modern design, and the fact that the back and hidden footrest are the only part of the chair that moves, this model takes up less space than rockers or two-position recliners; this makes it ideal for smaller spaces. You just push back into the seat for the chair to recline, no button or lever necessary.

Riser: Although these “lift” chairs are more expensive than other models, this is a good option for people with limited mobility. They have a motorized mechanism that pushes the chair up from its base, making it easier to get up from the seat

Take a Load Off

Pushing back in a comfy recliner not only feels good, it’s good for you! Putting your feet up and relaxing in a reclined position, provides a whole host of health benefits. These include relieving stress, taking pressure off achy joints and bad backs, and improving circulation. Far from feeling guilty for settling in to enjoy the big game, or delving back into that romance novel in your “lazy” chair, you’re actually doing your body a favour.

No matter which type you choose, with its stylish design and unparalleled comfort, your recliner is sure to be the best seat in the house!

Alex, Your Furniture Expert