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What
is a Recliner?
A recliner is a piece of living
room furniture, such as a large armchair or sofa that can be adjusted into a
reclining position by lowering the back of the piece and raising the
footrest. A reclining chair may adjust to different levels from a slight
incline, to lying almost flat.
Commonly the
favorite seat in the home because of the ability to adjust to anyone's
comfort, the recliner is now also used in family rooms as well as seating
areas in other spaces such as the master bedroom. Once thought of as not
very attractive, the recliner has become a far more stylish piece of
furniture and it is now included in many design plans.
Once upon
a time,
the recliner was referred to as "the man's chair," yet it has evolved. Many
homes now feature pairs of matching recliners, one for the man and another
for the woman of the house. There are also double recliners that are styled
somewhat similar to a love seat, yet there are two individually reclining
sections attached to each other. Both sides can be adjusted to different
reclining positions at the same time.
You may have even seen
a
miniature recliner as well. These tiny models are designed especially for
children. They are very comfortable and they come in assorted styles and
colors, which can be incorporated into living areas, a child's bedroom, or a
playroom. Children love these chairs because they are just like Mom and
Dad's recliners.
While there are many available styles,
textures, colors, and price ranges from which
to
choose, a recliner can also be custom-made. This is an especially good idea
if the person purchasing the recliner is taller or heavier than average, or
if the buyer wants the recliner to coordinate with other furniture styles or
fabric treatments in the space. A recliner may also come with added features
such as vibration, heat, or a lift to help the seated person rise from the
chair. Some even come with built in cup holders, a space to store the
television remote, or pockets on the sides for magazines and the TV
listings. There is something for everyone.
Recliner History
Americans love
to lean back, put up their feet -- and relax, with the TV remote in hand and
a snack and beverage within reach. The activity -- or inactivity, as it were
-- dates back at least to the 1800s (minus the remote control, of course).
"Even in 19th century Europe, (people) were astonished to see how often
American males would put their boots up on railings, on mantelpieces or
tables," says Edward Tenner, a visiting researcher at Princeton University.
"They just loved to tilt back in their seats."
 (Lay-Z-Boy
Inc. co-founders Edward Knabusch, left, and Edwin Shoemaker with their
original wooden recliner, seen in 1979.
Photo: La-Z-Boy Inc.)
In 1928, Americans got some serious help relaxing when two young cousins
named Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker in Monroe, Mich., came up with the
idea for a new kind of chair. It automatically reclined if you just leaned
back.
"It was simply a wood slat chair that you could kick back and enjoy a summer
breeze," says La-Z-Boy historian Judy Carr.
The cousins tried to sell a few of the porch chairs to a department store
buyer in Toledo, Ohio, but he said he had no use for a "seasonal chair."
 (La-Z-Boy
historian Judy Carr relaxing in a 1950 recliner with matching ottoman at the
La-Z-Boy museum. The company added a built-in footrest to its chairs in
1951, four years after competitor Barcalounger.
Photo: Cindy Carpien,
NPR)
Carr says he told the cousins: "You know, if you boys can come up with a
chair that could recline like that, but maybe had some stuffing and
upholstery and could be used year round, you know it might sell."
They hired an upholsterer and spent months perfecting the design, Carpien
reports. In 1931, Knabusch and Shoemaker received a patent for the first
automatic recliner but realized they needed a better name than "automatic
adjustable chair." They held a contest with their seven employees. The
losing names were Comfort Carrier, the Slack-Back and the Sit-N-Snooze. The
winner: La-Z-Boy. Eventually other companies came up with their own recliner
variations, and in1947 Barcalounger added the built-in footrest.
In the 1950s, big, bulky recliners took their place in front of new
television sets. But by the 1970s, the recliner moved from the den to the
basement. "The problem was taste. Our over-stuffed clunkers, that once
looked comfy, had become embarrassments," Carpien says.
 (Recliners
have featured prominently in television shows, including Friends.
Photo: © 2001 NBC)
But more than a decade later they came back -- this time with sleeker looks
and classier fabrics. Propelled by sales to baby boomers, "motion furniture"
is now a $4 billion industry. Recliners even play starring roles in TV shows
like Friends.
But the future of recliners is more like an episode from The Jetsons.
Experts predict chairs will sense your center of gravity and make you feel
like you're floating on air. How relaxing.
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