Furniture Guides

7 Unique Reasons to Get a Recliner Cover

Slipcovers may bring to mind visions of your grandmother's parlor, done up in florals and plastic slipcovers, but today's modern covers for recliners are much different.

There are so many versatile recliner covers on today's market, you're sure to find one that perfectly matches your expectations, aesthetic, and budget. There are two different types of recliner covers available for consumers - ones that entirely cover the chair and others that partially cover high traffic areas.

Here are seven unique reasons to buy a slipcover for your recliner to make sure you're buying the right one for your needs and space.

1. Hides Wear and Tear

Maybe your recliner is well-loved and fits your body perfectly but is also showing wear and tear from plenty of use. A recliner cover can make your favorite chair feel like new.

Perhaps your recliner is a hand-me-down, and you want it to feel more like your own. Choosing a customizable recliner cover for your new acquisition stamps your own identity on it instead of the original owner.

2. Matches New Drapes or Rug

Many interior designers weave a few colors or themes throughout a house to create a seamless feeling. One way to accomplish this polished look is by matching drapes to rugs and upholstered furniture.

If that feels too matchy-matchy, try centering on one color in all elements of your décor. An easy way to create this pulled-together look is by purchasing a recliner cover in a color prominent in your motif.

If you feel daring, playing with patterns is always fun. If you have floral elsewhere in the room, choose a cover with a smaller floral print and similar color palette to echo that theme.

On the other hand, if you would like to subdue a loud color scheme or dizzying pattern, you can use a recliner cover that is faux leather, giving the chair a sleek, modern aura.

Floral Stretch Jersey Recliner Slipcover
T-Cushion Recliner Slipcover in Taupe
Black Box Cushion Recliner Slipcover
T-Cushion Recliner Slipcover in Brown

3. Updates Each Season

Homeowners enjoy updating their abodes to match the season. With a recliner cover, this becomes easier than ever. Although you can go all in, with a full-on holly motif or jack-o-lantern pattern, you can also bring different colors that match the season more subtly.

A warm mustard yellow will remind all your visitors of fall, and a bright red recliner cover is a great focal point during the holiday season. Throw pillows can accent these seasonal touches with more patterns.

4. Prevents Pet Stains and Odors

If you have pets, you know how hard it is to keep your furry friends off the furniture. Sure, it's a good idea to keep them off because it keeps your furniture cleaner and less worn, but there's nothing like curling up with Fido or Miss Kitty for a movie on a rainy afternoon.

Recliner covers can help you protect your recliner from pet stains, which eventually turn into pet odors. You may not have messy pets, but most animals have a particular fragrance, and dogs track in dirt and debris from their frequent trips to the outdoors.

With a recliner cover, you can protect the chair properly from the bulk of the damage, and a cover is easily removable for a speedy cleanup.

5. Quickly Cleans Up

The ease with which you can wash your recliner cover depends on which type you've opted for - the total cover or the partial.

A recliner cover covering your chair entirely is a little more challenging to put on and take off than the partial cover. Since the partial type of recliner cover doesn't stretch around the back or sides, it is easily removable, and most are washing machine-safe. 

If you're a pet owner or have small children in your home, a recliner cover can protect the chair from the worst wear-and-tear until everyone's housebroken or off on their own. Just throw it in a washing machine, and it will be as good as new again.

Cushion Armchair Slipcover in Blue
Soft Jersey Knit Recliner Slipcover
Stretch Recliner Slipcover in Brown
Recliner Slipcover in Orange

6. You Can Finally Use White

White couches, armchairs, and recliners look superb. The color white exudes purity and simplicity, and the reflective quality of the light hue adds the illusion of space to your living area.

However, white furniture can be a nightmare if you live in your house and want to sit in your recliner. Because recliner covers are so easily cleaned and maintained, you can use them without fear of one small mishap ruining the piece of furniture forever.

And since the covers are so easy to swap out, when Labor Day rolls around and you start thinking fall vibes, you can easily strip the recliner of the white cover, wash and store it, and break out a cover of a darker hue.

7. You're Very Serious About Cleaning

Another reason that many choose recliner covers, other than the longevity it gives your furniture and the versatility it lends you décor, is that you can keep the cover cleaner than you can a regular recliner.

Cleaning a regular recliner is not a fun task. There are so many nooks and crannies, and detritus and dirt can get trapped between the arms and the seat and other crevices. It only magnifies when you have pets or children living with you.

You can wash a recliner cover much more often than you would steam or scrub the recliner itself. For those who enjoy pristine cleanliness in your homes, a recliner cover is an ideal solution.

Some Considerations for Recliner Covers

  • Waterproof vs. Water Repellent - Although many recliner slipcovers claim to be completely waterproof, this is rarely the case. However, many of them are reasonably water-repellent, which gives you enough time to get the cover off the chair and into the washing machine before the stain sets.

  • Footrest Woes - You may be wary of getting a recliner cover because of the perceived difficulty of fitting it on the footrest. But the modern recliner cover can accommodate all types of footrests, even those made of composite parts.

  • Keeping Fabric Taut - Most recliner covers come with tightening tools, like styrofoam rollers, to tuck into the recliner's crevices and hold the fabric tight.

The Final Word

Recliners are the epitome of comfort and coziness. They conform to your exact contours with multiple positions, cradling your body in the most relaxed pose possible.

If you would like to preserve your chair's integrity, change up your décor for the seasons, or finally be able to have a white armchair, a recliner cover can solve all these issues.

Foter Magazine is a premier architecture, decoration, interiors and design website. We inspire and guide you to make your home a more attractive place.

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