Thinking of buying a recliner

[funlovinkid]

I've had back problems since I foolishly hurt myself in 2003, but they seem to be flaring up even more now, and I think having a good-quality recliner might help alleviate some of this.  I've looked at some La-Z-Boy recliners, but I'm not sure if there are other reasonable options.  The La-Z-Boys are apparently designed to hold someone up to 120Kg (which is good), and I'm around 105Kg, so I think I should avoid some of the smaller or lower-quality offerings.  I'm currently using a pretty inexpensive reclining loveseat that I picked up 3 years ago at Index, but the lumbar area has already caved in, and I'm using 2 or 3 throw pillows to support my lower back when I'm sitting in it - which tells me that I probably shouldn't be sitting in it!

 

I thought La-Z-Boy would be top quality, but I found some other stuff here (below) which puts some doubt into that assumption.  I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions, or can relate any of their own experience?  Other than the experience with the Index loveseat, and a quick trip to Central to look at some of their La-Z-Boy offerings, I haven't really explored other possibilities.  Maybe there are some good European brands available?  I'm 105Kg, and 185cm.  Thanks for any feedback here.

 

 

[mrfill]

Ekornes Stressless chairs are the best recliners. Pricey but superb quality and design.

[Old Croc]

1 hour ago, mrfill said:

Ekornes Stressless chairs are the best recliners. Pricey but superb quality and design.

Thailand outlet?

[jobsworth]

1 hour ago, mrfill said:

Ekornes Stressless chairs are the best recliners. Pricey but superb quality and design.

Lazada sell chairs at a fraction of the price.

Now if only the manufacturers could put thicker padding

and pay more attention to detail like getting the seat level

and the frame square.

[wpcoe]

Have you tried a hammock?  I ruptured a disk in my lower back over ten years ago and off and on have had back pain.  I lived in Mexico in 2014, and again now since February, and sleep in a hammock and haven't had a bit of back pain.

 

There is an art to getting out of the hammock and you have to be careful in the beginning, but now that I'm used to it, I'm sold on hammocks.

 

That said, I'm a huge fan of La-Z-Boy and Barcolounger recliners, too.

[Aussieroaming]

When is the last time you went to a chiropractor to get a spinal realignment check. You might be able to straighten things out a bit. From my personal experience with back injury sitting made things worse and the softer and more padded the seat and support the more aggravation it caused, especially when starting to move from sitting to standing again. I feel for you because bad backs are a real drag. I found that walking helped to re-strengthen mine over time.

[bobbin]

I have 3 LA-Z-Boy chairs.

 

2 are fabric-covered recliners. They are 13 years old now. When new I sprayed them with Scotch Guard fabric protector. Once. Later found out it should be reapplied regularly foe best effect. Still look and feel good but a little soiled on the seat and head area cushion. I'm pretty sure those fabric shampoo products would clean them up..

 

20,000 Baht each. Best part is I bought on sale. 50% off, so 2 for 1.

 

Third chair is a leather office chair. Sold as 100% leather but on checking later, I discovered it's bonded leather. That's not the same..

 

The arms, area where your back rests, and seat cushion area all started de-laminating after 13 months. The back side of the chair is perfect. I called Head Office to invoke the 5 year warranty and was told upholstery is only covered for a year. Not happy. It's now covered with near matching cloth tape.

 

I'm now thinking to recover in fabric. Harder wearing office type fabric, if such can be sourced.

 

Conclusion.. fabric in Thailand is ok. Leather is not ok.

[tf6122]

2 hours ago, mrfill said:

Ekornes Stressless chairs are the best recliners. Pricey but superb quality and design.

I have problems standing and walking so I spend a lot of time sitting. Recliner may best investment I ever made. I think you have to see and test drive in the showroom as there are so many variations in size, height and angles of seat, arms, footrest, etc. Then the look and size, so many are way to big for average room size. I thought leather type but doesn't breath. Microfiber very comfortable and after 2+years holding up well. SB Design Square,  *wait for frequent sales promos* I paid 5K less than the current price, Recliner Panto

[DrPhibes]

Might I suggest the La-Z-Boy model 666.  Here is a testimonial:

 

"James Henry Smith was a zealous Pittsburgh Steelers fan in life, and even death could not keep him from his favorite spot: in a recliner, in front of a TV showing his beloved team in action.

Smith, 55, of Pittsburgh, died of prostate cancer Thursday. Because his death wasn't unexpected, his family was able to plan for an unusual viewing Tuesday night.

The Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home erected a small stage in a viewing room, and arranged furniture on it much as it was in Smith's home on game day Sundays.

Smith's body was on the recliner, his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. He wore black and gold silk pajamas, slippers and a robe. A pack of cigarettes and a beer were at his side, while a high-definition TV played a continuous loop of Steelers highlights.

"I couldn't stop crying after looking at the Steeler blanket in his lap," said his sister, MaryAnn Nails, 58. "He loved football and nobody did [anything] until the game went off. It was just like he was at home.""

 

A hell of a bargain at twice the price! 

 

Remember our motto: SIC SEMPER POTATVM RECLINVS

 

Act now!

[GeorgeCross]

don't forget the accessories:

 

 

????

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, bobbin said:

I have 3 LA-Z-Boy chairs.

 

2 are fabric-covered recliners. They are 13 years old now. When new I sprayed them with Scotch Guard fabric protector. Once. Later found out it should be reapplied regularly foe best effect. Still look and feel good but a little soiled on the seat and head area cushion. I'm pretty sure those fabric shampoo products would clean them up..

 

20,000 Baht each. Best part is I bought on sale. 50% off, so 2 for 1.

 

Third chair is a leather office chair. Sold as 100% leather but on checking later, I discovered it's bonded leather. That's not the same..

 

The arms, area where your back rests, and seat cushion area all started de-laminating after 13 months. The back side of the chair is perfect. I called Head Office to invoke the 5 year warranty and was told upholstery is only covered for a year. Not happy. It's now covered with near matching cloth tape.

 

I'm now thinking to recover in fabric. Harder wearing office type fabric, if such can be sourced.

 

Conclusion.. fabric in Thailand is ok. Leather is not ok.

Leather is great. But hard to find real leather here. They often use a PVC/leather mix. Low quality. Real leather is expensive. 

 

Are any of your La-z boys electric, or manual? Have always wondered how reliable the electric recliners are, long term?

Edited September 3, 2020 by spidermike007

[dddave]

Definitely buy a good quality model and really check it out while delivery/set-up people are still there.

 

I mistakenly purchased an inexpensive recliner from one of Thailand's big furniture chains.  When it was delivered and set up it looked OK and I didn't really test it out.  It turned out the seat cushioning was uneven enough to cause me to sit lopsided in the chair and actually cause back ache.  Called the seller and got the predictable response: "So sorry, nothing can do."

I opened the cushion seams myself and tried to adjust it but it's still not quite right.

[bobbin]

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Leather is great. But hard to find real leather here. They often use a PVC/leather mix. Low quality. Real leather is expensive. 

 

Are any of your La-z boys electric, or manual? Have always wondered how reliable the electric recliners are, long term?

The office chair is, as noted, 100% leather. Bonded leather though. Short version is pieces of leather ground, mashed and pressed. So can be sold as 100% leather, but not contiguous piece of hide. Of course not electric.

 

the recliners are manual lever action.

 

 

[AgMech Cowboy]

19 hours ago, funlovinkid said:

I thought La-Z-Boy would be top quality, but I found some other stuff here (below) which puts some doubt into that assumption.  I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions, or can relate any of their own experience? 

I have 5 La-z-boys and 1 lazy boy... Oops didn't mean to complain. All bought in 2005.  4 (suede leather) were bought for the lounge with the intention to have identical chairs for friends to come watch football together. 1 (reg leather) was bought for the living room. I've never had to repair any of them. My wife uses the living room chair a lot. I've sort of rotated the lounge chairs for my use. Only one really shows a lot of wear and that's due to me spilling salad dressing, chili sauce, honey, jelly, butter, pop corn and ketchup on it. ???? There has been no need for repairs. Very good quality.

[spidermike007]

4 hours ago, bobbin said:

The office chair is, as noted, 100% leather. Bonded leather though. Short version is pieces of leather ground, mashed and pressed. So can be sold as 100% leather, but not contiguous piece of hide. Of course not electric.

 

the recliners are manual lever action.

 

 

Yes. I don't believe ground leather has any of the wonderful properties of a high quality leather hide. It looks better with age, lasts decades, breathes and is gorgeous. 

[AlfHuy]

6 hours ago, Aussieroaming said:

When is the last time you went to a chiropractor to get a spinal realignment check. You might be able to straighten things out a bit. From my personal experience with back injury sitting made things worse and the softer and more padded the seat and support the more aggravation it caused, especially when starting to move from sitting to standing again. I feel for you because bad backs are a real drag. I found that walking helped to re-strengthen mine over time.

same problem here.

For this, I walk around 7km a day and feeling much better.

Sometimes a visit to an acupuncturist is very helpful.

[jvs]

On 9/2/2020 at 2:55 PM, funlovinkid said:

I'm 105Kg, and 185cm.

Not trying to blame you or make you feel bad or anything but unless you are a body builder you are overweight.

Losing some weight will reduce the pressure on your back a lot!

Have you considered this?

[lopburi3]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Are any of your La-z boys electric, or manual? Have always wondered how reliable the electric recliners are, long term?

Bought one for father about 30 + years ago and they were just far too slow getting into position for standing.  It was not appreciated when phone ringing. 

 

19 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Yes. I don't believe ground leather has any of the wonderful properties of a high quality leather hide. It looks better with age, lasts decades, breathes and is gorgeous. 

So people say - have not seen anything but scuffed looking leather after a few years myself but admit do not live in an oval office.  Here it seems to go bad much faster than in dryer lands and would not even consider it although the higher quality artificial leathers seem to hold up well and newer versions do seem to breath. 

[AlfHuy]

https://thai.alibaba.com/product-detail/electric-shiatsu-lazy-boy-recliner-massage-chair-60464993644.html

 

 

something similar I saw at Mega Bangna between 200-400,000Baht if I remember well.

Edited September 3, 2020 by AlfHuy

[funlovinkid]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Leather is great. But hard to find real leather here. They often use a PVC/leather mix. Low quality. Real leather is expensive. 

 

Are any of your La-z boys electric, or manual? Have always wondered how reliable the electric recliners are, long term?

I myself am considering an electrically-powered recliner.  I discovered one (La-Z-Boy) at Central which, in addition to the usual back recline and legrest lift functions, also provides powered headrest and lumbar adjustments.  The first chair that I tested there was fully manual, and as soon as I had reclined in it, I started thinking that I would have to use a couple of throw pillows, one under my lumbar, and one behind my head, if I wanted to watch TV while reclining in it.  Thereafter, I tried the powered chair, and it became immediately apparent that I wouldn't need to use a throw pillow for either purpose, because the adjustment range on both the powered headrest and the lumbar were more than sufficient for any purpose.  Pricey, of course, but certainly an appealing option.  The question becomes: am I worth it?  ????  And: how long will it last?

[funlovinkid]

1 hour ago, jvs said:

Not trying to blame you or make you feel bad or anything but unless you are a body builder you are overweight.

Losing some weight will reduce the pressure on your back a lot!

Have you considered this?

Do you *really* want to hear about my health issues?  I thought not!  ????  So let's please keep the dialogue focused on recliners?  If you happen to be in perfect health, at whatever age you happen to be, my hat is off to you.

[spidermike007]

4 minutes ago, funlovinkid said:

I myself am considering an electrically-powered recliner.  I discovered one (La-Z-Boy) at Central which, in addition to the usual back recline and legrest lift functions, also provides powered headrest and lumbar adjustments.  The first chair that I tested there was fully manual, and as soon as I had reclined in it, I started thinking that I would have to use a couple of throw pillows, one under my lumbar, and one behind my head, if I wanted to watch TV while reclining in it.  Thereafter, I tried the powered chair, and it became immediately apparent that I wouldn't need to use a throw pillow for either purpose, because the adjustment range on both the powered headrest and the lumbar were more than sufficient for any purpose.  Pricey, of course, but certainly an appealing option.  The question becomes: am I worth it?  ????  And: how long will it last?

Yes. You are worth it. If you can afford it, why not? And now, with the Thai economy being in tatters, there are alot of sales. Don't pay anywhere near retail for it. I would negotiate a deal. If they don't budge, take your business elsewhere. There are alot of dealers around, who would be happy to have the business. A shop in Central might be less flexible. 

 

But, not sure about that long lasting part. Most mechanical and electronic things break eventually. My dream home is going to be in the boonies. Not easy to get a repairman out there, who knows how to fix a specialized item like this. That is always a consideration. 

[funlovinkid]

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Yes. You are worth it. If you can afford it, why not? And now, with the Thai economy being in tatters, there are alot of sales. Don't pay anywhere near retail for it. I would negotiate a deal. If they don't budge, take your business elsewhere. There are alot of dealers around, who would be happy to have the business. A shop in Central might be less flexible. 

 

But, not sure about that long lasting part. Most mechanical and electronic things break eventually. My dream home is going to be in the boonies. Not easy to get a repairman out there, who knows how to fix a specialized item like this. That is always a consideration. 

Thanks for that.  Yeah, it has occurred to me that the La-Z-Boy powered option might prove to be a huge, expensive headache if something fails.  I can just imagine the headrest getting stuck at a position intended only for TV viewing (with the head tilted forward), and then being unable to use the recliner thereafter for a nap.  With the current Covid situation, I also can't help but wonder if the future of some luxury retailers in Thailand (like La-Z-Boy) might prove to be very short, which wouldn't be good in terms of trying to get a repair on a proprietary product like this.

[seajae]

I have a damaged spine that causes quite a bit of pain and makes it hard to sit comfortably but we recently went into a store where they had an electric recliner and I tried sitting in it. Was amazed at how comfortable it was and with the electric reclining I was able to lift my feet just off the floor a few inches without changing the angle on my spine, the relief I got was really great and we ordered 2 of them(12,000 baht each, big discount during covid). The chair also allowed me to stand up again very easily, something else I usually have a big problem with, will have to get my wife to chase up the docket so I can get the manufacturing name of the chair. Finding comfortable furniture when you have spinal damage can be very hard in Thailand but these chairs were a fantastic find.

[stouricks]

On 9/3/2020 at 10:13 AM, DrPhibes said:

Might I suggest the La-Z-Boy model 666.  Here is a testimonial:

 

"James Henry Smith was a zealous Pittsburgh Steelers fan in life, and even death could not keep him from his favorite spot: in a recliner, in front of a TV showing his beloved team in action.

Smith, 55, of Pittsburgh, died of prostate cancer Thursday. Because his death wasn't unexpected, his family was able to plan for an unusual viewing Tuesday night.

The Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home erected a small stage in a viewing room, and arranged furniture on it much as it was in Smith's home on game day Sundays.

Smith's body was on the recliner, his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. He wore black and gold silk pajamas, slippers and a robe. A pack of cigarettes and a beer were at his side, while a high-definition TV played a continuous loop of Steelers highlights.

"I couldn't stop crying after looking at the Steeler blanket in his lap," said his sister, MaryAnn Nails, 58. "He loved football and nobody did [anything] until the game went off. It was just like he was at home.""

 

A hell of a bargain at twice the price! 

 

Remember our motto: SIC SEMPER POTATVM RECLINVS

 

Act now!

The problem is that the Lazy Boys you get here are made in......CHINA. Not very good quality as a previous poster said about his 'leather' office chair. Exactly the same for me, but after a few emails to LZB in USA they refunded the money......and Office Mate replaced it for a different brand....win win.

[funlovinkid]

2 hours ago, seajae said:

I have a damaged spine that causes quite a bit of pain and makes it hard to sit comfortably but we recently went into a store where they had an electric recliner and I tried sitting in it. Was amazed at how comfortable it was and with the electric reclining I was able to lift my feet just off the floor a few inches without changing the angle on my spine, the relief I got was really great and we ordered 2 of them(12,000 baht each, big discount during covid). The chair also allowed me to stand up again very easily, something else I usually have a big problem with, will have to get my wife to chase up the docket so I can get the manufacturing name of the chair. Finding comfortable furniture when you have spinal damage can be very hard in Thailand but these chairs were a fantastic find.

Sorry to hear about your spine.  Sounds a bit like my own situation, in which I have two discs which I ruptured in '03, one of which was repaired through surgery, but both of which occasionally give me trouble from time to time.  Yeah, I would be curious to hear where you found these recliners, and maybe the model number also, if you have it.  I would also be curious to know your body weight, as I think that's a very important consideration when comparing recliners.  A friend of mine is very happy with a recliner he bought 3 years ago at Index - and I checked out his model, but he's only 66Kg, which makes me doubtful if his recliner would hold up under my own body weight of 105Kg.  ????

[funlovinkid]

2 hours ago, stouricks said:

The problem is that the Lazy Boys you get here are made in......CHINA. Not very good quality as a previous poster said about his 'leather' office chair. Exactly the same for me, but after a few emails to LZB in USA they refunded the money......and Office Mate replaced it for a different brand....win win.

La-Z-Boy tells me that their factory is located in Chonburi province, so I don't know if the situation has changed since you bought yours, or if they're not being honest with me.  I also haven't looked into Office Mate at all about having them provide me a recliner.  Can I ask when you bought yours?

[CLW]

On 9/3/2020 at 8:46 AM, wpcoe said:

Have you tried a hammock?  I ruptured a disk in my lower back over ten years ago and off and on have had back pain.  I lived in Mexico in 2014, and again now since February, and sleep in a hammock and haven't had a bit of back pain.

 

There is an art to getting out of the hammock and you have to be careful in the beginning, but now that I'm used to it, I'm sold on hammocks.

 

That said, I'm a huge fan of La-Z-Boy and Barcolounger recliners, too.

What kind of hammock and where did you buy it? Thx

[dlclark97]

There is a large multi floor Lazy Boy store in Bangkok.  Every possible model is on display.  Very little parking (like only 1-2 cars) at this facility so better to park somewhere close and use a taxi.  I too had a recliner from Index and it quickly became an example of 'you get what you pay for'.  I got one of the high end leather materials on my current Lazy Boy.  As it was when I purchased mine you placed your order and waited for it to be made.  This store can also arrange repairs and even recovering in a few years if needed.  Very pleased with mine.  Am also about 100 kilo and after two years there are no signs of wear of the covering or any visible indication of cushion wear.  Just as comfortable as the day they brought it in.  

[funlovinkid]

1 hour ago, dlclark97 said:

There is a large multi floor Lazy Boy store in Bangkok.  Every possible model is on display.  Very little parking (like only 1-2 cars) at this facility so better to park somewhere close and use a taxi.  I too had a recliner from Index and it quickly became an example of 'you get what you pay for'.  I got one of the high end leather materials on my current Lazy Boy.  As it was when I purchased mine you placed your order and waited for it to be made.  This store can also arrange repairs and even recovering in a few years if needed.  Very pleased with mine.  Am also about 100 kilo and after two years there are no signs of wear of the covering or any visible indication of cushion wear.  Just as comfortable as the day they brought it in.  

Thanks, that's very encouraging, especially the part about the leather, and your similar body weight.  Can I ask which model and what material you bought?  I was thinking of doing the same thing, and La-Z-Boy tells me that it's around a 50-day wait for delivery at this point.  It's also good to know about the parking situation, as I was thinking of driving in to their Flagship store in Bangkok (which I'm pretty sure is what you describe) to check out their product line.