H&M Sadler and BY Alta Comparison

I've been putting this off for too long, and I realize it's because I was trying to over-detail so I'm just going to keep it simple for now and let the thread drive what other details come in for this. Questions, comments or requests for side-by-side comparisons just let me know in a reply to the thread.

While I was traveling for business I had an opportunity to visit the Keeping Room, and there was an Alta on the floor. I tried sitting in all the chairs in stock (including a Wisner which I already had one of) and found the Alta was my favorite. While I wanted to go the route of H&M, I thought recliners were difficult to spring for the jump between brands since neither were hand-tied and were based around the reclining mechanism rather than the actual frame of the chair and the Alta was a direct Sadler clone. After speaking with Duane and comparing the samples for BY, I chose the 9017-84 ( Mont Blanc Sycamore ) as I liked the subtle pull-up effect and the feel was rather soft.

A year or so later while looking at remodeling I decided after some rearrangement it was time for a similar/matching piece to the Alta. I agonized over the H&M Sadler and finally decided I wanted another regular use lounging chair with another top tier leather such as Capri. I surprised myself after a lot of back and forth with choosing Quintessence Tigereye, as I thought I preferred the effects of Capri until I actually saw a Quintessence piece in person and realized the color without the effects absolutely shines.

However, here's the highlights of the differences I've seen between the two:

The Sadler's reclining mechanism feels much more unique than other BY models I've tried, where it has a smoother action rather than the snap of the BY. I actually have come to prefer the snap, but that's purely personal preference.

The Sadler model is really where the difference is in the details. The footrest of the ottoman is curved and looks like a extension of the kickplate rather than being a blocky afterthought. I'm sure not having to carve out a different style piece for the Alta keeps costs down for BY, but it really does look better than the Alta. If you ever run your hands down the back of the Sadler, you'll feel the padding curving down the length of the piece. The Alta has some, but the straight back doesn't have the same feel of a solid build.

The price is noticeable on these two pieces. From a comparison standpoint, I could have gotten two Alta's in a GR6 for the price of one Sadler in a GR4 (at least from the Keeping Room, which I think is the lowest you're going to find short of being able to haggle another shop down considerably). With that said, the Sadler is definitely the more refined feel than the Alta. BY's done a great job providing a comfortable piece cloned from the Sadler, but the subtle differences really do make it feel like the price is worth considering.

One thing to consider is while the Alta is a Sadler clone, the Alta is a larger piece both in "visual weight", as well as real-life measurements. The Sadler looks comfortable but doesn't dominate a room/block a view while the Alta's more blocky style does make it seem more imposing.

Cushions: The cushions are both warrantied (BY has their policy, and if H&M changes theirs Duane has said he will still provide replacements). The H&M cushions seems to be more plush, which could very easily be assisted by the feel of the cover.

Footrest: This is probably the most noticeable difference between the two. Bradington has taken their standard bar piece for the footrest extension and use it as normal. The Sadler on the other hand has a contoured footrest which is (very slightly) larger than the Bradington's. The Sadler's footrest actually does catch on my thinly padded carpet when I don't have a couple of sliders underneath the front legs while the Alta doesn't have that problem.

Cover: The cover on the Alta is 9017-84 (Mont Blanc Sycamore). The hand is nice. As a pull-up, it's got some subtle color-bursts going for it, but the "shell" isn't a tough crust like a lot of pull-up's. If I had to guess, this is probably right around a Kipling/Weston level.

The Sadler has Quintessence Tigereye, which is actually silly in how it feels. For a taste of personal preference to gauge against, I have tried an Envy sofa at a local retailer, and I found it to be slippery and not actually that comfortable.

Frame: The frame are very similar, which makes sense since you'd figure it is easiest to knock-off the frame. Buy a Sadler, copy the pieces, recreate for profit. However, some of the most subtle differences between the two really come out in this area.

The Sadler has some very slight curves to it the Alta doesn't duplicate. Anyone who's read some of my requests for advice seems to always be around trying to figure out what will fit into a room. The Alta and Sadler measure very close, but the Sadler is not anywhere near as overwhelming in presence. The soft curves I mentioned earler make the piece far more inviting. The legs on the Sadler are a bit thinner in profile, but you really do need to have the two next to each other to notice a difference.

Support: The Alta is a more upright sit, either while reclined or not. The Sadler's arm rests sit a bit lower when seated. While I sit in the Sadler with a laptop/book, I sometimes find myself wishing they were an extra inch or two higher, though while not actively holding something on my laptop/in front of me the Sadler is much more comfortable.

Reclining Action: The Sadler uses a Leggitt-Platt reclining mechanism (for those curious, mine's got a US-made sticker) while the Alta uses an Ultra-Mek (only made in the US from what Duane has said elsewhere). Out of the two, I actually prefer the Alta's behavior. When extended, the ottoman doesn't move at all until the back is fully in the upright position. The Sadler's mechanism is more fluid/relaxed. Pressing down on the foot extension, even when reclined, will start the piece to return to the upright position. Also, the BY recliners such as the Alta/Wisner don't seem to have the indents Duane has mentioned. By this, I mean on a BY I can tilt the reclining mechanism to any position and it doesn't try to slide in one direction or the other while the Sadler has the "TV" and "Full Recline", which as I recline there is some definite resistance if trying to go with a position partially between the two main positions and then some assistance/force to move towards the next.

Visual Styling: The Sadler is just more refined.

BY Alta:
Attachment 7552

H&M Sadler:
Attachment 7553