Ditching the Ugly TV Recliner

Is it possible to have a comfortable place to chill without a gigantic puffy chair in the room?

You cannot avoid them no matter how hard you try. It seems like every living room in America is anchored by an oversized recliner complete with a remote control, dark leather or soft fabric upholstery and a tall back that needs 1 1/2 feet of clearance from the wall in order to recline fully.

Look familiar? There is no way to make these recliners look stylish but they are so comfy that people are willing to make the sacrifice.

This monster in the room is allowed to dominate your square footage for one reason (and it’s a big one): comfort. Recliners are beds outside the bedroom, created for aching backs, swollen calves, painful knee surgery, the end of a really bad day and the ability to have a weekend nap without ever leaving your chair.

My mother relied heavily on this type of chair during the final years of her life. The last one I bought her was equipped with a forward motion that gently raised her up almost to a standing position when she needed to get out. We never had a recliner chair in the immediate family before that, but they were plentiful in my extended family.

So I’m not knocking them, really. I just wish they weren’t so dreary to look at. I began to look around for chairs that could work as reasonable alternatives, but the problem is that fully articulated recliners with a dozen positions need substantial mechanics to work. Those mechanics need lots of padding so that your body can’t feel them.

The following options are not apples to apples comparisons. Only you can determine if you can live without an oversized recliner (or whether you can talk your partner out of his or hers).

Lounging is the new reclining

The Eames lounge chair and ottoman, designed first in 1956, is an American classic. It’s still in production with Herman Miller and offers a really stylish, albeit expensive, alternative to the monster recliner chairs. (Photo: Gieves Anderson for Architectural Digest)

Most of the alternatives I suggest are not actually recliners; they do not offer a range of sitting and lying positions. So either way you go, you’re compromising on either comfort or style. If you’re willing to sidestep the monster recliner and don’t have any severe health issues that call for one, then consider scaling down and styling up.

Architectural Digest contributor Elise Portale said this about the Eames chair: “When I threw my legs up on that ottoman and let myself actually sink in, I felt as if I had never properly enjoyed a chair before in my life.” The original design was intended to mimic a broken-in baseball mitt, conforming to your body like, well, a glove.

There are plenty of alternatives to the Eames lounge chair. Like this one from Keeks Design. And check out the long-running conversation on Houzz for even more ideas.

Nursing Chairs

When I researched chairs using the term “nursing chair” I found some really comfortable-looking chairs that often added gliding and swiveling to their accomplishments.

This Babyletto Kiwi nursing chair from West Elm comes in a few neutral color options. The fabric has a nice nubbly texture to it and the chair is sized generously with a comfortable lumbar cushion. (Photo: West Elm)

Nursing (or nursery) chairs descend from the classic rocking chair which is personally one of my favorite things. But an old-fashioned wood rocking chair takes up space and may not have the cushion or the modern look you want.

The new nursing chairs offer gliding and swivel motion, and sometimes they have a few reclining positions as well. This Babyletto is 41”h x 36”d x 29”w — most large recliners are 44”h x 42”d x 50”w. In a sitting area of about 12 ft. wide, this chair consumes more than 1/3 of the space.

I sort of like the brass pedestal and the classic lines of this chair. It has a really discreet control panel and UBS port within the right arm that is easily covered with a throw.

Ottomans, baby

Sometimes adding a nice padded ottoman to your favorite reading or TV chair is all it takes to get the comfort you crave.

(Photo: Houzz)

Look at all the comfortable options in this living room. You have a couch with large ottoman, two oversized easy chairs, a chaise longue in the far corner and a pretty wingback chair with matching demilune footrest. Something for everybody, with no recliner in sight.

Ottomans are easy fixes and inexpensive alternatives to use when your feet begin to scream after a long day. They are also moveable and by adding a tray they can hold your dinner plate. Look for ottomans that are generous-sized and have a firm, level surface.

Recliners with redeeming features

Here’s something I’ve noticed. Recliners with exposed feet—stained wood, maybe tapered or turned—tend to be more stylish than recliners with side panels and skirts that reach the floor. Also, I tend to like tufted or single-cushion backs over bustle backs (the backs that have a protruding padded lumbar cushion, making the chair look overweight).

I can squint my eyes and turn this into a grand club chair, even though it’s a full recliner. The tufted back, restrained arms, tailored side panels and exposed tapered feet help maintain its style and shape. (Photo: Club Furniture)

Built-in pillow cushions at the top of a recliner (see Joey’s and Chandler’s chairs) might be amazing for your aching head, but they are not amazing for anything else.

New shapes and styles for recliners

After ranting for a dozen paragraphs on ugly recliners, I now present one exception. A Spanish company named Fama makes a line of recliners with a playful European aesthetic. They come in both pattern and solid colors and offer a variety of dimensions, body styles and price.

Fama’s bold shapes and unique styling bring the sad recliner into the realm of stylish possibility. They work especially well in a more modern or minimalist interior. (Photo: Fama)

A final note on my mother’s mammoth recliner. I considered it hideous as a chair but then one day, I decided to curl up in it with her. There we were, a 50-something and an 80-something, nestled side by side for a few precious minutes. I was afraid it would collapse under the weight but it held us. I willed time to stop.

It didn’t, but at least I have the memory.