Thinking about a new sofa purchase? You aren’t the only one. Sofas are the highest-selling living room furnishings, and for a good reason. A quality sofa can be the centerpiece of your living room or even your entire house. If you consider purchasing a new sofa, one of your first thoughts might be whether or not you should buy a stationary sofa or a reclining sofa.
This article will cover the basics of reclining sofas, what makes reclining sofas different from stationary sofas, and the pros and cons of both sofa types. After reading this article, you will better understand the features, benefits, and potential drawbacks that a reclining sofa could have.
1. How Do Reclining Leather Sofas & Stationary Sofas Differ?
Reclining sofas and stationary sofas differ primarily in the features available. Stationary sofas are designed to be used as seating and have no reclining functions, hence the term stationary. Stationary sofas have been around for ages and are an old reliable form of seating.
However, a stationary sofa does not let people recline backward. While a stationary sofa does allow the user to lay across the cushions, a reclining sofa can enable multiple people to recline in comfort.
Reclining sofas are a combination of the classic stationary sofa and the reclining mechanics pioneered by the La-Z-Boy company. Today, modern recliner innovations brought about by furniture companies’ designs have made the reclining sofa a great living room seating option.
Reclining sofas usually feature two reclining mechanical sections on either end of the couch and some sofas feature reclining across the entire unit.
This innovation allows you additional seating while still letting you relax as if you were in a recliner. If you or the family like to kick back and relax after a long day of work, then a reclining sofa is a great option.
If you’re looking to upgrade your living room, then the question of whether to opt for a regular sofa or recliner sofa has probably come up. ln recent years, the recliner has evolved from a frumpy device aimed at the elderly to amodern and stylish furniture choice but is it right for you? Here, we take a deep dive into the benefts and possibledisadvantages of each option to help you make the right decision.
2. Pros and Cons of Recliner Leather Sofas
Simply put, a recliner sofa has an internal mechanism that allows you to adjust the back and footrest into different positions from sitting up straight to full recline. These are great for those with mobility issues but also for truly putting your feet up and relaxing.
Pros of recliner sofas
- Comfort: As mentioned, you can adjust a recliner to find the perfect position. They’re also designed with excellent lumbar support for long periods of sitting and come with padded seats, backrests, and footrests Versatility: Recliner sofas now come in various designs, including single-seaters, loveseats, and sectionals to suit different spaces and configurations.
- Customization: From built-in USB ports, adjustable headrests, and power reclining mechanisms, you can tailor a modern recliner to suit your needs.
- Health Benefits: Health benefits: Recliner sofas have been associated with various health benefits,including improved circulation, reduced back pain, and stress relief.
Cons of recliner sofas
- Space Requirements: Recliner sofas require more space compared to standard sofas due to their additional reclining mechanism. It’s important to measure your living room and ensure that you have enough space for the sofa to fully recline.
- Cost: Recliner sofas tend to be more expensive than standard sofas due to their additional features and mechanisms. However, the investment in comfort and functionality can be well worth it for many individuals.
It’s important to question if sleeping in your recliner does more harm than good to your body, and how sleeping in this position can affect your overall health.
3. Is Sleeping in a Recliner Bad for You?
Negative Effects of Sleeping in a Recliner
In this post, we will go over the effects of sleeping in a recliner and help you understand why you should make the trip to your bed every night. Here are the side effects and solutions that come with sleeping in a recliner to consider.
- Breathing Problems: Just as sleeping in an upright position can increase breathing ability, in some cases, it can create breathing problems, as well.
- A hunched upper back blocks the airflow in your lungs, which is a bigger problem for some than others. This position can also create blood congestion in the lungs, which will reduce the amount of oxygen that your lungs can take in overtime.
- Joint Stiffness: This negative effect is one that we’re all very familiar with. Sleeping in a recliner puts your knees and hips in a bent position throughout the night, which can lead to the sensation that occurs when your limb falls asleep and tightness in your hips, calves, and hamstrings. This can cause short-term discomfort, but it could also affect your posture over time.
- Possible Loss of Balance: Sleeping in a recliner for short periods of time won’t have any permanent or serious effects on your body. However, continually sleeping in a recliner for a long time can result in knee and hip contractures. This can cause your muscles to tighten over your joints and result in limited upright posture and standing. This could also lead to impaired movement and instability when you walk.
- Shallow Sleep: When you sleep in the small space that a recliner has to offer, it becomes difficult for your body to move into the deepest cycle of sleep, such as the REM stage.
This leads to low quality sleep that will directly affect the quality of your day. You can also wake up feeling sore from sleeping in the same cramped position for the whole night which will add an extra level of discomfort to your day.
Benefits of Sleeping in a Recliner
It’s important to cover the positives along with negatives when determining if sleeping in a recliner is bad for you. In this case, the benefits seem to resemble the negative effects. Like most situations in life, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.
- Improved Circulation: Kicking your feet up at the end of the day not only feels nice but also improves your circulation. Activity that causes blood to rush to your legs and feet. Elevating your feet above heart level by doing things like sitting in a recliner allows gravity to reduce >stress and inflammation naturally. Doing so can also help recover from daily fatigue, so kicking back in your recliner actually can make your feel better after a busy day.
- Back Pain Relief: Most people suffer from back pain at some point, whether it results from a serious workout or it’s been happening every night for as long as you can remember. We don’t think about it often, but our backs balance our whole upper and lower bodies, so it only makes sense that they get a bit sore or worn out sometimes.
If you’re one of those people who unfortunately suffer from regular back pain, we recommend that you use a recliner for relaxation only, not sleep.
4. Conclusion
Now that you know a few of the pros and cons of reclining leather sofas, you can figure out whether or not a reclining sofa is right for you. You are one step closer to finding the right couch for you!
Remember that reclining leather sofas are great for comfort and convenience thanks to a wide variety of features, but they are also limited in style and can be a hassle if the mechanics fail. Bear the pros and cons in mind before making a purchase decision.