My Top 5 accessible electric reclining sofas

We are on the hunt again for a sofa.  (The dreaded hunt begins again!)   Our current sofa (see my other post on how to choose a sofa when you have a disability) is a little low.  We knew it at the time and we are slowly getting to the point of needing something new.  So we are looking for an electric reclining sofa.

I know that reclining sofas have a bit of a bad name due to the typical clam shell design of them.  Some of them can be pretty ugly in design and colour.  I personally love a recliner, they are super comfy regardless of how they look.  Maybe not as Instagrammable as a chic square on trend velvet sofa but they are comfortable, you can’t deny!

So why are electric recliners suitable for those people with a disability?  Firstly – to hide the mechanism the seat is usually higher up off the floor than a normal sofa and this can help with transferring to / from a wheelchair or getting up onto crutches.  Secondly, the reclining mechanism allows someone who sits in a wheelchair all day, or someone who can’t walk to stretch their legs out without help from someone else.  Thirdly it allows the legs to be extended which if you’re in a chair all day is something that doesn’t happen often.

A manual recliner requires strength in the legs to push the footrest back into place, which Mr Wheel Chic Home doesn’t have, so electric it is.

So as we are in the middle of the great sofa hunt I thought I’d share my five favourites so far, from each end of the price spectrum.

Firstly, many of these sofas are incliners, rather than recliners. What this means is that you can have these pretty close to the wall, as rather than extending out the back, they sink into their own frame and move forwards.  This is great for people with small rooms who want a recliner, in most of these cases you’ll only need 10cm of space behind the sofa which is fantastic.

So in no particular order… let’s take a look!

First up is the Marmont Range by Sofology.  This one is very comfortable and supportive, which is helpful as you don’t sink into it.  The seats are pocket sprung like a mattress and the recliner mechanism is smooth and easy to use.  This comes in lots of colours and finishes and shapes.  Sadly when we tried this one the size wouldn’t work for our room but we really liked the feel of it.  This comes in 2 or 3 seaters or in a corner style.  Just a pity it won’t work for us.

Photo Credit: Sofology

Next up is this lovely Orlando sofa from Darlings of Chelsea.  I love the little modern touches to it, the metal legs and the striped design on the ends.  I also rather like this navy colour.  It’s modern and well priced – and you can choose from different colours, sizes and shapes.

Photo Credit: Darlings of Chelsea

How about this beauty?  This is top of my list but it’s very pricey.  I’d best check my lottery tickets!  This is the Santa Rosa sofa from Furniture Village and is pretty much perfect for us in terms of size and shape.  The left seat in this picture reclines (or inclines) and the back of the chaise end also reclines.  There are power headrests and those arms look sturdy enough to take Mr Wheel Chic Home’s weight as he balances on the arm to get to the wheelchair.  I’ll have to keep saving my pennies for this one!

Photo Credit: Furniture Village

This Riposo sofa from DFS is a lovely shape and comes in a 3 seater, 2 seater and a chair.  There’s also a variety of colours to choose from.  It’s a bold statement piece and I love the height of the seat, it’s a decent height and easy to transfer to / from a wheelchair.  Also, just how comfortable does this look?  Love it.

Photo Credit: DFS

The last sofa on my list is this Antonia sofa from Harveys.  It’s a modern twist on a classic style of sofa with sturdy rolled arms and a feeling of elegance.  Again you can choose sizes and colours and I love how the modern and classic are mixed to make this electric recliner.

Photo Credit: Harveys

So there’s my round up – how do you feel about recliners, are they a no-no or a must have in your home?  I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments!