Small Modern Recliners
Buy the best small modern recliners selected and recommended by interior designers. By Caroline Patterson.
A small modern recliner is the best of both worlds – space-saving and cool enough to fit in with contemporary décor style. If your first impression of recliners for small spaces is that they’re stuffy and old-fashioned, think again. From faux leather to floral prints, recliners have been updated for the 21st century. We’ve picked out some of the best modern slim recliner chairs and reviewed them so you can find your perfect pick.
Small Modern Recliners
Buying Guide
Caroline Patterson
Interior Design Expert
Caroline is a young, New York-based interior designer and home decor writer, obsessed with textiles and designer furniture. Backed with rigorous training from a prestigious design school, as well as a profound understanding of material quality and fabric care, she offers spot-on advice on how to furnish your place with reliable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing pieces.
Recliners are comfortable, but they can take up a lot of space in your floor plan. This is where small, modern recliners can shine. Because they frequently require less wall clearance to work properly and because many of them are built more narrowly than the standard recliner, they are a good choice for small apartments or small houses. Even though they are small, for many people this does not constitute a sacrifice of comfort – something they deliver very well. The exception might be for unusually big or tall people who truly do require a larger chair. A good measure of this is to keep an eye on weight allowances when purchasing your chair.
Zero Clearance Recliners
Zero clearance recliners can be placed against a wall, without requiring a space between the back of the chair and the wall to be able to recline. The reason for this is that the seat platform moves forward as the chair reclines. It will need forward clearance, that that is less likely to be a problem than a chair that must always have space behind it. In most cases, these chairs look very much like a standard recliner. They come in all sorts of upholstery types and patterns, so you should have no problem finding one that has a color, fabric or pattern that you like.
Ergonomic Recliner with Separate Foot Stool
Not all recliners have an attached footrest. For example, the Manjana small, leather recliner has a separate footrest. But instead of being the standard flat-topped ottoman, its food stool is gently sloped to allow the lower leg and foot to rest on it naturally. The soft leather surface and the cold-pressed cushions are designed to give maximum comfort.
Massage Recliner with Heater
You can increase your enjoyment and comfort with a recliner that has its own internal heater and vibrating massage. After a hard day’s work, there is nothing like lying back and letting your chair gently massage and melt away the tensions and sore muscles that often go with working. Sometimes, it isn’t even physical work that makes it hard to relax at the end of the day. You can treat yourself to some comfort in the form of a comfortable chair. You could even add an audiobook so that you can close your eyes and take your mind off the day’s hardships.
Rocking Recliner
No one deserves a little rest more than a new parent. A rocking recliner can give you the support and stability you need to help you cradle your little one in your arms for those 2 am feedings, and the rocking chair can help you get your baby back off to sleep. If the two of you happen to fall asleep, then the gentle support of a good armchair and maybe a pillow or two can help keep you comfortable.
Small modern recliners can help you relax without having to give up floor space to the mechanism that allows the chair to recline.