Sunday, November 24, 2002
Prices range from $300 to more than $2,000, and you get what you pay for.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Although recliners are still seen by many as couch potato nirvana, that is far from the case. And unlike the old black leather, overstuffed boats that didn't match anything else in the living room or family room, recliners now can be accents, rather than accidents, in home design.
"They are wildly popular," said interior designer John Wohl of TVI in Royal Oak, Mich.
The almost infinite variety of styles that have developed over the years have given even serious designers something to work with.
"There are pieces that look discreet. They aren't just the big puffy tires with handles on the side. There are some sleek designs that are similar to 20th-century modern.
"I have one client whose home is furnished with pretty serious period furniture. But there was one room designated as a TV room in which we put a couple of wingback chairs that recline."
Colors, fabrics
Aside from style elements, there are enough colors and fabrics available that "you can do just about anything with them," Wohl said.
The story of recliners is much like the story of the American auto industry. Both have roots in Michigan, and the first production models of each were pretty much bare bones.
But even if you had seen nothing between Henry Ford's Model A and the company's newly introduced Mercury Marauder, you'd still recognize the Marauder as a car.
Not necessarily so with recliners, which got their start in 1928 when cousins Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker of Monroe, Mich., conceived of and built their original wood-slat folding porch chair, a year after starting their furniture business. The chair was promoted as "nature's way of relaxing." It supported the contour of the body both sitting up and leaning back.
La-Z-Boy name
The Kna-Shoe Manufacturing Co.'s first upholstered recliner, at the suggestion of a customer, came in 1929 along with its new name, La-Z-Boy, the result of a contest, and the industry was off and running.
La-Z-Boy, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, still holds the largest share of the national upholstered furniture market, but has dozens of competitors: Lane, Berkline, Barcalounger, Douglas, Sealy, Franklin and Klaussen among them.
In the Detroit area, Art Van and Gardner-White are giants in recliner inventory, but there are other recognizable dealers such as La-Z-Boy itself (which is actually in competition with other dealers who carry its line), Newton Furniture and Gorman's. There are also dozens of smaller retailers in addition to major department stores.
Some furniture stores, like auto dealers, carry exclusive lines. Art Van's leading American-made brands are different from Gardner-White's.
In addition to in-store brand exclusivity, the big guys have the clout to order special features in their recliner lines.
Above all, they can demand quality.
"We expect manufacturers to comply to a high standard," said George Bruni, the recliner buyer for Art Van.
As in cars, recliners come in models from basic to luxurious. And as with cars, basically, you get what you pay for.
Price range
Floor prices for recliners range from about $299 for something basically dependable to $2,000 and higher, with each $100 increment getting the consumer a bit more.
Extra money at the low end buys things such as better cushioning or better fabrics (microfiber pseudo suede is hot). Higher-priced models offer more features but also stronger frames, better recliner mechanisms and stronger springs. Think light-duty pickup truck vs. a real off-road sport-utility vehicle.
Most manufacturers offer a big man's chair. It's a bit wider than a regular model and feels sturdier -- for good reason. Everything underneath is built to withstand wear and tear. The coil springs for the seat are an example. They are bigger and stronger than in a regular chair. Think skinny string and fat string on a guitar.
You can get recliners that go up, down and around from an almost vertical upright lift for people with arthritic hips, for example, to zero-gravity recline, which cradles the lower back and elevates the legs higher than the heart, the position recommended by doctors as the healthiest way to sit.
Rockers do just what you'd expect, back and forth just like great-grandma's old front-porch rocking chair. But for those who don't like the head-bobbing tilting sensation of a rocker, gliders slide back and forth on a flat plane, just like great-grandpa's front-porch glider.
There are high legs, low legs, wall-savers and chaises (models with no gap between the seat and the ottoman, which is what your legs rest on). There are pedestal recliners with separate ottomans. Chairs recline with a hint of body motion, the push of a button or the pull of a lever.
There are also massage recliners that imitate the four principal manipulations of a real Shiatsu massage: kneading, stretching, tapping and rolling.
Stores' stock
Most big stores have something in stock that will satisfy almost any customer at any budget level. Some stores attach swatches in different colors and fabrics to the floor models to show what else is available without taking up the showroom space. If it isn't on the floor, it's likely in the warehouse.
Those wanting to custom-order a recliner would have to be very decisive. Otherwise they could end up agonizing over the hundreds of combinations of fabric and color available for the chosen model.
One last analogy between cars and recliners (or other furniture): October is basically new-model time for furniture manufacturers.
"You can get new merchandise almost year-round now," said Steve Tronstein of Gardner-White, "but you do want to get things in the fall."