Recliner Sofas

The recline works the same way on every model. Press a button and the seat moves from upright through to full extension, with no lever to pull. On a 3 seater, two seats are powered. On a 4 seater, the two end seats are powered and the middle two stay fixed, which suits a household where half the room wants to lie back and the other half wants to sit up and talk. 

Headrest controls vary by model. Some sofas have a powered headrest that moves separately from the backrest, so your head stays supported at whatever angle you choose instead of being pushed forward. Others have manual headrests with three positions that you adjust by hand. Because the sofa is electric, position it within reach of a power point, keep the space behind it clear so nothing catches as the seats move, and never sit on an extended footrest. 

Whether you call it a recliner sofa, lounge or couch, the choice between a 3 seater and a 4 seater mostly comes down to wall length and how many people usually sit together. The Emily 3 seater recliner is 238cm wide with 63cm-deep seats, deep enough to sit back into rather than perch on the front edge. The Juno has two powered seats that are each 85cm wide, with foam cushioning over a non-woven cotton fill for long evenings in front of the TV. 

The 4 seaters are wider, at 306cm for the Rita and 310cm for the Pippa, so check your wall before you commit. All three 4 seaters put powered recliners at the two ends and two fixed seats in the middle. Seat depth, where listed, runs from 50cm on the Pippa to 63cm on the Emily, and it is worth comparing against the seat depth of the sofa you use now. The Monica is built from three modules with an 83cm seat width per module. If floor depth is tight, compare our 3 seater sofas and 4 to 6 seater sofas too. 

The upholstery is split, and it is better to know that before delivery than after. Genuine leather covers the seats, backs and arms, the parts you sit on and lean against. The outer panels and sides are a matched faux leather, which keeps the finish consistent but is not hide. Underneath, a larch and plywood frame with spring support carries the weight, with snake spring suspension over elastic webbing on some models. That support helps the seats you use most keep their shape. 

Solvent cleaners and wipes strip the finish, and heat, air-conditioning and direct sun dry leather out faster, so the care steps in the FAQs below are worth following. 

A recliner needs more room than a fixed sofa, so measure the reclined footprint as well as the width. Most of our models measure 159cm to 163cm deep when fully reclined and need about 15cm of clearance from the wall. Leave walking space in front of the footrests so the seats can extend without blocking a doorway. 

Taupe brown pairs well with cream, sage, brass, black metal and pale timber, so a rug in a natural fibre, a timber coffee table and a side table within arm’s reach of the end seats complete the setup. If the sofa faces the television, a TV unit opposite keeps clear sightlines from both upright and reclined positions, and our wider living room furniture range covers the rest.