When we think about recliners, we think of our grandfathers who used to lay back and enjoy their newspapers while drinking a cup of strong, black coffee. Needless to say, recliners have stayed pretty popular in our culture, possibly due to the great health benefits and the feeling of complete relaxation. Whether you work a physical job, a sitting job or something else, relaxing and taking a minute off in this different, new position can be very beneficial.
A recliner is essentially a very, very fancy chair. It has functions that a chair has, but also those that a sofa has, with a few spa experiences included. It can be used for many different things, starting with relaxation methods like reading a book, taking a comfortable nap, watch TV, enjoy some music and more. Mothers love to use it for breastfeeding since they can achieve the optimal angle to reduce their back pain.
When it comes to health, those with poor blood circulation usually use it to raise their legs up and to get some flow when they get them back down. Physical workers and pregnant women also love them because they can ease the pain in their legs.
Now that you understand that recliner is so much more than just a chair, let’s get to know the mechanism a bit and see what’s the science behind a recliner. These things will help you pick a model easier if you’re just buying one, and you’ll have the knowledge that will make your decision safe.
What Are The Important Features of A Recliner?
Personalization. The main function all recliners need to have is the comfort they provide. Proper lumbar support and leg support is crucial, and that’s why the level of personalization we find in these chairs is so important. Obviously, not everyone is the same height or weight, nor does everyone have the same comfort spot for their legs, their back, and their neck. That’s we need a „flexible option“, which is a result of a premium mechanism.
Spa features. Since many people decide to buy recliners for health benefits, having the massage feature, the vibration feature or the heat feature is a pretty good idea. Depending on your health concern, you first need to make sure that what you’re choosing is healthy for you! On the other hand, there are not a lot of these that are compatible with wheelchair use, so make sure that you pay attention to that if you’re buying recliners for a business or a community building.
Size. Don’t forget about this! When deciding where you’re going to put your recliner, make sure that you have enough space in your home. The heavier the recliner is, the heavier the mechanism. Heavier mechanisms are compatible with heavier people, so make your decision with this in mind.
How Do Recliners Actually Work?
Let’s first cover the overall mechanism of changing positions and then we’ll go into details. It’s important to introduce some new terms when we’re talking about this. Each recliner chair, for example, has a frame. It’s a plywood frame or a hardwood frame, which we’re going to mention in detail a bit later. The frame is made in such a way so it glides, which is very important.
The arms are separate, and that’s what helps you stabilize yourself when moving. They are usually settled in with crossbars and they’re secured pretty well. Depending on your recliner, there can be several ways to actually „push yourself back“. Some use a lever, some are manual – you just push yourself while holding the stable armrests.
There are electric recliners as well and these are made for those who have issues with their bones, muscles or movement overall. Some chairs have springs which change when you’re moving – the back part gets shorter as you go down, and it elongates as it is pushing you back up.
Hardwood VS Plywood Frame
Since the frame is the biggest part of the recliner chair, it must be sturdy and stable. It has to be able to hold all of your weight! Because of this, we wholeheartedly suggest you get hardwood frames over plywood frames. They will be able to hold a bigger weight and they have a longer lifetime as well!
Arms Construction
The arms of the chair are on the side, as we already said. They are stable while the whole frame is shifting. You need to make sure that they are comfortable and stable because you’ll possibly have to push yourself away from them in order to use the recliner. If the arms aren’t fixated with crossbars, stay away from the piece!
Springs and Levers
There are a few ways a recliner moves. You can use a lever to trigger the mechanism to pull you down. You can also push yourself on your own with the armrests. Electric models have the option to do this on their own – you just press a button. The science behind all of this are springs that are in the recliner. When you lean back, the back portion gets shorter. As you go back up, the springs get back to their natural form. It’s very important that the springs are of good quality because if they’re not, they may not be able to get their basic form back and your chair won’t have a long lifetime.
How do I Maintain The Perfect Condition of My Recliner?
This is a very good question! Anyone who has worked with any sorts of mechanisms knows that there is a due date stamped on those things. You’re the one who makes the „end day“ come quicker or the one who works to make it last longer than expected.
Proper lubrication is very important for a mechanism that moves in the „same few movement patters“. Make sure to ask your seller which oil is best and how often you need to apply it. Cleaning the chair is obviously another thing that you’ll have to do and it depends on the material you get.
In the end, the most important thing is that you don’t DIY fixes. If you see something is wrong, if the chair isn’t working properly – call someone and get it fixed. Don’t work around the mechanism because it’s easy to break it.
Summary
The mechanism a recliner chair has is not too complicated, but it needs to be taken care of. If you want to use your comfortable seat for a longer period of time, you’ll need to set reminders to lubricate the turning mechanism and clean the surface.
Now that you know a bit more about the important parts of a recliner, you will be more experienced in buying one and knowing which one is better for your type of use.
