Complete Guide to Finding Your Perfect Recliner | Alamance Television and Home Furnishings

Choosing furniture can be hard, here at Alamance TV & Home Furnishings we try to help as much as possible to find the perfect pieces for you. Have you ever sat in a chair and thought “This is the one!” Or “This is definitely not the one.” Well, after reading this we hope to clear up some confusion of what to really look for in a chair as opposed to just waiting for the perfect one to jump out at you.

Before even thinking about space, size, fabric, or function you will need to determine if you want to shop online or in store. Both options have their fair share of perks and faults. When shopping online you absolutely will not be limited with options, sometimes the amount of options can be overwhelming but you do have the highest chance of finding something that matches your aesthetic needs when you’re online. Our in store options are limited to what we can fit on the floor but we can also order through these companies so if you find something on the Best Home Furnishings website, come on down with a name or a picture and we can almost always get it on order for you in whatever material you pick. Make sure you bring your measurements as well so we can make sure the chair will be the best possible size. When coming down to a final decision if you are going to stay online or come in store some things to remember are you can always do a sit test in store. We always recommend a sit test before buying if it’s possible. You also may be able to get the chair sooner in store because you could take it home that day or have us deliver it, sometimes delivery can even be same day! Some online retailers will offer home delivery as well but it typically comes with an added fee.

A huge factor to consider before you start your search is the size of the room you are wanting to put it in. Is there room for another piece of furniture? What size chair could I fit in here? Will it stick out too much if it is a recliner? These are important questions to ask yourself when you start thinking of adding furniture. Sometimes we can be too ambitious and get the biggest chair at the store then when its home it takes up the whole living room. The best way to prevent that mistake and help us help you is pictures and measurements. Ideally, you should bring a picture of the whole room, where exactly you want the chair, measurements of the space that you want to put it in and possibly most importantly, measurements of your doorways leading to the room. We would hate to find the perfect chair for you and then have it not fit through your doors.

Some important measurements you should be sure to bring with you to any store when shopping for a new chair would be how wide could a chair be to fit in the space you’re wanting? When measuring this leave a few extra inches so you would still be able to get to the handle or the buttons if they are placed on the side of the chair. Another important factor if you are looking for a recliner, how much room do you have for the chair to recline and will it impact the rest of the space when it is reclined? Get a rough measurement by leaving about 3-6” from the wall if you are planning for a wall hugger and about 6-10” from the wall if you are wanting a normal recliner. After getting that distance measure from that distance away from the wall to determine roughly what length chair you would be okay with putting in that space.

We know not everyone will be able to come in and try our chairs themselves for a multitude of reasons and that is okay! We will give you a measurement guide for who you’re shopping for, just grab some of their measurements and we can find a chair that will fit them perfectly. To determine the height of the chair you will need to measure from knee to heel and tailbone to heal. This helps us find the perfect height so there is no circulation cut off from a chair too high and there is no awkwardness from a chair being too short. It will also help us make sure the seat is deep enough but not too deep. The back is the least of the worries because some people want their head to be right at the top of the chair and some people want the top of the chair to be more around the nape of their neck. Neither are right or wrong, it is all about preference. When going to get measurements for the back of the chair, if they are wanting a shorter back, measure shoulder to tailbone. If they are wanting a higher back measure from the top of the head to tailbone. One of the most important measurements to take is width. Get the width of their hips and shoulders to assure there will be no struggle fitting in or getting out of the chair. You will want to leave about an inch of room on each side to make sure there is enough room and to make sure that it will be comfortable. In a perfect world we would always encourage the person who will be using the chair the most to try it before you buy it but we know this isn’t a perfect world so this measurement guide should be a perfect way to get the best option without them sitting in it themselves.

After the size of the chair is determined we can get into more fun things like materials and functions. It’s good to come to the store with an idea of what material you are looking for but it’s also always good to keep your mind open, who knows what you’ll fall in love with once you see it and feel it. Things to consider are traffic levels for this chair, will someone be in it most of the day? Eating in it? Sleeping in it? Do you have kids or wild pets? These are all important things to think about when considering the material you are looking to get. Leather is what most people automatically think of when thinking of material durability but some specific brands like Best Home Furnishings, Ultra Comfort, and Mega Motion have began offering Performance Fabrics which help with stain control and makes clean up a lot easier. With leathers and performance fabrics it will be reflected in the price of the chair, typically raising the price a decent amount. Now, of course, when you need this protection it is okay to pay a little higher price for better quality but if it’s not needed or highly requested then we can find amazing fabrics, vinyl, or microsuedes to fit your needs and desires

After the material is determined we can get into what functions are most important to whoever is using this chair the most. The most common functions are rock & swivel, power or manual, and wall hugger functions. Those are typically available in a range of chairs and can be mix and matched. Some more specific functions such as lifting, heat & massage are often more limited to chairs that were made specifically for that. Lifting, heat & massage can occasionally go together in a chair but a lift chair will never rock or swivel due to safety precautions. There are many more insignificant functions that can also be added such as a built in USB for easy charging in your favorite chair, or the ability to lay almost completely flat when fully reclined but these are typically pleasant surprises as opposed to things people need in a chair.

Of course, the biggest make or break factor usually comes down to price. People typically spend anywhere from $400 to $2500 on the perfect recliner. When you have more functions and higher grade fabric or leather then the price will be going up with each additions. For example, a top grain leather recliner with power, heat, and massage will cost more than the manual rocker recliner in a grade A fabric. If you are trying to be budget friendly you can look at all your functions options and pick what you truly need as opposed to just getting the one with all the fancy buttons. Now buyers do need to recognize that we are in a fast-moving world. Many things nowadays are made to work just well enough or for just long enough. It is worth it to spend the extra few dollars on getting a good reliable chair that will last you years as opposed to getting the cheapest option and hoping it lasts.

Finding a new chair can be daunting, there’s so many options at so many different places for so many different price points but with this guide we hope to take some of the stress off of you and provide you with a little more clarity on what really goes into picking the best possible chair for you or whoever you’re shopping for. Please know that, as sales people, we are here to help YOU. Here at Alamance TV & Home Furnishings your needs and desires are always placed first and we will do anything and everything we can to get you in your dream chair.

Some things to remember and look for

Your arms should sit at a comfortable height and length, there shouldn’t be a pulling feeling in your shoulders but it is okay if your fingers hang over.
You should be able to reach any mechanisms without a struggle.
Your legs and feet should fit on the footrest without too much hang over when reclined.
Your back, head, and neck should feel supported.
Your feet should be flat on the floor when sitting.
Check for lumbar support, not enough is not good but too much can also be bad.