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Rocker Recliners & the Wall

Design Time on WMEN
June 2021

TV5 Design Time WNEM

When thinking about a new chair for your space there are many things to questions...color, size, reclining to name a few. You should also think about what functions you want the chair to have. 
Maybe you want it to swivel or sit higher up off the floor for easy standing. One function that many people think about is rocking. 

A rocking recliner is a great choice, but there are a few things to note before making the final purchase. 
 

  • A rocker recliner needs more space behind the chair vs a "wallhugger" or "spacesaver"  recliner. Due to the rocking motion, a rocker recliner already needs space behind it to simply rock. If you rock hard, you know you can push that chair in the motion a good 6-10 inches backwards. Therefore, when the chair reclines, it will continue that motion backwards and take up additional space behind. You may need 12-18 inches behind the recliner to rock and fully recline.  A Wallhugger works on a different mechanism that pulls into the room when the chair is reclined. The motion moves forward vs backward. If your room is tight on space and you could give up the rocking feature, you may be better off with a non-rocker recliner. 
     

  • Just to give it, it's own point- rocker recliners do take up additional room space. If you are working on laying out a small space and want a rocker recliner, consider putting the recliner in a corner. This way the recliner can rock into the corner space, as well as recline into the empty use of the corner. 

  • ​Rocker recliners may feel to pivot or lean once you sit in them, since they rock. Not everyone notices that the chair does this, but if you are sensitive to sitting completely straight you should notice this reaction.  Since the recliner rocks back, once you put weight into the rocker, the rocker will tilt back. If you always like to sit straight up, a wallhugger would again be a better choice. It is simply a part of the balance rocking system. 
     

  • ​​Standing up may be a challenge in a rocker if you are unstable on your feet. When standing up, you may hind that the chair moves too much for you to get to your feet or keep your balance. It may push down in the rocking motion when you are trying to use the arms as pulling yourself up. If you are unstable on your feet, you may want to consider looking at a different type of recliner. 
     

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