Recliner Chairs & Lift Recliners

Recliner chairs for everyday comfort and easier standing — manual recliners, electric reclining armchairs, power lift and riser recliners, and massage recliners. Across the 146 chairs in this range the backrest reaches between 130 and 165 degrees, and the chair gets a median 63 cm deeper from upright to fully reclined, so the floor space it needs matters as much as its width.

Shop recliners by type

• Manual recliners — a side lever or body pressure sets the backrest. 84 of the 146 chairs here are manual, so check you are happy pushing the chair back before choosing one.
• Electric recliners — button- or remote-operated back and footrest with no lift function, 16 designs, several with USB charging.
• Power lift and riser recliners — 46 chairs that tilt the whole seat forward to help you stand, with lift angles published at 45 and 70 degrees. Only two are dual-motor.
• Massage recliners — 24 chairs with vibration massage, most of them with a heated lumbar zone. The full massage chair range holds 28 chairs, and not one of them uses a roller or 3D track, which is worth knowing before you order rather than after it arrives.
• Recliner and footstool sets — 46 chairs where the leg support is a separate matching ottoman rather than a built-in footrest, so the chair itself looks more compact on paper.
• Upholstery — faux leather, velvet, chenille, corduroy, microfibre, teddy fleece and breathable linen-look fabric.

How much space a recliner actually needs

The measurement that decides whether a recliner suits your room is not its width — it is how much deeper it becomes when you use it. Of the 146 chairs here, 131 publish both an upright and a fully reclined depth, and the difference between the two runs from 19 cm to 79 cm, with a median of 63 cm. Fully reclined, the range spans 102 cm to 170 cm front to back, median 151 cm.

Only 31 of the 146 listings publish a recommended wall clearance, and the nine values they use run from 20 cm to 80 cm. A missing figure does not mean the chair needs none. Counting the wall gap and any separate footstool, the floor depth a recliner really needs works out at 172 cm to 215 cm, median 194 cm — so plan for about two metres from the wall. Our guide to recliner wall clearance and how much space a recliner actually needs sets out the full calculation, including why a recliner-and-footstool set is not the compact option it looks like.

Seat height, and why recliners sit higher

119 of the 146 chairs publish a seat height, running 38 cm to 52.5 cm with a median of 48 cm. That sits above the 41.5 cm to 47.5 cm band that matches most British adults' lower-leg length, and 63 of the 119 are above it. On a riser recliner that is deliberate — a higher seat is easier to stand up from — but it does mean a shorter user may find their feet hanging, which is why a built-in footrest or a matching footstool is worth having rather than treating it as an extra.

Seat depth runs 46 cm to 60 cm, median 53 cm, and 76 of the 82 chairs that publish one are deeper than the distance a median British adult can sit back into without something behind the lower back. Our armchair buying guide explains the measurement to take and how to read the gap. For how a seat height is put together and why a soft cushion changes it, see our sofa seat height guide; for matching a footstool to it, our footstool height guide shows the stool belongs about 4 cm below the seat.

Recliner chair FAQs

What is the difference between a riser recliner and a standard recliner?

A riser recliner tilts the whole chair forward to bring the user towards standing; a standard recliner only reclines backwards. If standing unaided is difficult, the riser function is the one that matters. 46 of the chairs here have it.

How much clearance does a recliner need behind it?

Where a figure is published it ranges from 20 cm to 80 cm, but only 31 of 146 listings give one. Published industry guidance for a standard mechanism is 30 cm to 46 cm. Compare the reclined depth — 102 cm to 170 cm across this range — with the floor space you have, and remember the backrest also travels upwards as it goes back.

Are dual-motor recliners available?

Only two chairs in this range are dual-motor, adjusting the back and footrest independently. The other electric models move the back and footrest together, which suits most users but is worth knowing before you buy. Whichever you choose, check the chair can reach a socket: only 11 of the 146 listings publish a power cord length, and they run 1.4 m to 2.0 m. Our guide to recliner power cord length and socket reach explains how to work out whether yours will.

How much weight can a recliner take?

All 146 listings publish a maximum load, from 120 kg to 200 kg, with 150 kg and 120 kg the two commonest figures and a median of 135 kg. Recliners are one of the few categories where the figure is not a single boilerplate number — our guide to what a maximum load figure actually means explains how to read one.

Do I need a footstool if the chair already has a footrest?

No, but if the seat height is above 48 cm and you are shorter, leg support makes a noticeable difference. The sets in this collection pair the chair with a matching ottoman, and some of those ottomans include storage.

More seating

• Armchairs & Accent Chairs
• Massage Chairs
• Armchairs & Massage Chairs
• Sofas & Seating

Choosing a riser recliner in particular? Read our riser recliner buying guide first, then check the room against our recliner space guide.