looking for reccommendations: indoor recliner that is ergonomic to support arms and back etc

Discussion in 'Home adaptations, mobility and personal care' started by bobbler, Feb 1, 2025.

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  1. bobbler

    bobbler Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I have a lafuma zero gravity recliner which fits me well and supports my arms (really important) and neck as well as back and legs which have always been an issue.

    Any tips on good reliable places that sell really ergonomic options, which are properly 'indoors' alternatives?

    I can't really get to any shops. So worry about how on earth I find something that actually fits my frame, so that it actually supports my body.

    All I can find it mobility stuff rather than ergonomic that also realises people like me need things that are soft and I don't fully know what zero gravity does but that taking the weight off the back of my knee too when it reclines.

    I'd need it for the main living areas ie quite small lounge and due to having to sit to try and have conversations about certain things have been just on sofas and it has left me with locked neck and 'dragging' (an awful pain where I have to have pillows all around supporting every part of my arms and they still feel dragging). I'm trapped in bed bar the tiny bit on the recliner otherwise, and have so much I can't avoid anyway I just feel a bit desperate.

    I just need something a bit more 'permanent/indoors' that supports at least as well as these: Reclining and zero gravity indoor chair: Relaxation Chair | Lafuma Furniture

    I'm desperate to find something better for indoors. Ideally something off the shelf. And I'm thinking as the lafuma zero gravity fits my body (and a lot of the electric recliners look either too wide for my arms or might not have enough lumbar support or mightny support my legs with just the footstool etc) it is probably the best clue. Of course the other issue is enough padding/give.

    I just don't know where to look, and realise I could easily given my limited ability to send things back and forth I could easily spend money getting stuck with something that doesn't work.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2025
  2. Creekside

    Creekside Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I was looking at office/gaming chairs recently, and was disgusted by the plastic frames and bases. Do those last longer than a year before breaking? Maybe they're intended for businesses that can write off the expense of yearly replacement? I was used to steel frames, which are repairable, and even wooden ones are repairable, but plastic isn't.

    I mention this because I wouldn't have been aware of the (low) quality of construction without seeing them in person. Bad reviews help rule out a product, but good reviews might be fake.

    Another gotcha to be aware of: "Some (lots of, complicated) assembly required".

    Not a simple problem.
     
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  3. Kitty

    Kitty Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Two suggestions, though I don't know if either are practical without help.

    First is a secondhand Stressless chair & footrest. I don't like them because they're often made of leather and I like fabric, but I know numerous people who swear by them. Have to admit the one belonging to a family member is pretty comfy, even if it is ugly.

    The other is vintage recliners, as some of the designs well outclass modern ones. I had my granddad's Gimson & Slater Rock 'n' Rest chair reupholstered a few years back; it reclines almost horizontal, it's very easy to change position, and is hands down the most comfortable chair I've ever used. I no longer have the footstool with the adjustable rake, but this is the chair:

    Gimson & Slater Rock 'n' Rest chair.jpg

    I'm not suggesting this specific one—the name seems to have been fashionable, so restored ones are stupid expensive—but there are chairs made by less trendy names that are really good. And they're not too bulky for a small room.

    If you ever just need a footstool, look for rocking ones (where you can adjust the position by just shifting your weight) or gout stools, which can be angled to support your legs and feet. No one seems to design stuff like that any more.
     
  4. Kitty

    Kitty Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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  5. JemPD

    JemPD Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Sorry only able to skim sorry if i missed thie answer.
    but is there a reason (other than aesthetics) that you wouldnt want to bring one of the ones you know do work well for you, indoors?

    Have you thought about the possibility of making the recliner you know works, look more 'indoorsy'? I'm thinking getting it covered in nice fabric or even wrapping a thin duvet around it. You might find an upholsterer who would come out to your house & look into ways of covering the arms & legs with padding & fabric. It's the sort of thing my mother would have been able to do & make it look great.

    just a thought that it may be better to try to convert what you know is good, rather than looking for something to match its function but look different.
     
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  6. NelliePledge

    NelliePledge Moderator Staff Member

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    I was going to say the same thing about second hand stress less as Kitty. I have a friend who was a landscape gardener whose back is wrecked and he has a stress less for lumbar support. I have tried it and it was sooo comfortable.
     
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  7. bobbler

    bobbler Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Thank you everyone. I'm having a look at the Stressless in particular now
     
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  8. MrMagoo

    MrMagoo Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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