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Thread: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    42

    Default Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    I bought a Southern Motion recliner in 2018. The thing is falling apart already. The wooden frame is under warranty, but I have to pay the labor. I have no desire to spend $500 or more for labor to fix the wooden frame.

    Is there a contemporary recliner out there that will last? I would love to order from Hancock & Moore, but their recliners all look like something my grandparents would have owned. The other issue with H&M recliners is where do you find one for a test sit? I sure don't want to spend $5,000 or more and find out the recliner is completely uncomfortable.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    595

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    Were you under the impression for some reason that Southern Motion recliners were built to last? I had never heard of them, so I went to their website and found nothing at all about how they are built. That is never a good sign. Do you have an example of what you do like? I didn't see anything on that website that struck me as particularly modern, but maybe I missed it. No one can help you find a place to test an H&M one out because you gave no idea of where you are. If you have certain requirements in a recliner or a pictures o what you like or are looking for that would help.
    http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...hlight=ekornes
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=7173
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Produ...ail?SKU=7118-S
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=7179
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=ML2
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=ML3
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=1049
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=1092
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=7132
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Produ...ail?SKU=NC7003
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Produ...ail?SKU=7116-S
    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=7155
    Almost forgot the Your Way series. Pick the arm you like, the base you like, etc. http://www.hancockandmoore.com/YourWay/Motion

    You must have a very eclectic grandmother. My compliments on her taste. I didn't even look at Bradington Young's styles. Time to channel some of that anger into doing some research on what makes a better piece of furniture and what the better brands really have to offer. You can't just walk into a chain furniture store any more and listen to the salesman. Caveat Emptor.
    Last edited by SueCT; 07-05-2021 at 07:08 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    42

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    I am in the Minneapolis, MN area. Before I bought the Southern Motion recliner I seriously considered an H & M recliner. I went to a furniture retailer locally that sells Hancock & Moore, but they don't sell the full lineup of recliners and nothing they had was remotely comfortable or a style I would buy. I emailed about visiting the Keeping Room to look at furniture and the recommendation instead was to visit the Hancock & Moore showroom instead. I couldn't be guaranteed of seeing the recliner I was interested in anyhow.

    I have attached a picture of what I have. What I want is your stereotypical La-Z-Boy type recliner. No nails, no wings, no curves, no Victorian age look, no legs, none of that. 99% of the time I am watching TV if I am in my recliner.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	STHN-6240P-230-17.jpg 
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    595

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    OK, well when you said "modern" I never thought of anything like that. Helps to have a picture, but no, I have not seen anything like that from the "better" manufacturers. Maybe someone else can help. You might want to look at pieces made for home theaters. That kind of chair makes you feel comfortable not because of good design or ergonomics or proper body support but by surrounding you in fiberfill and foam padding that more than likely IS going to compact and break down over time and the inexpensive mechanisms might break down, etc. Maybe Duane can help you but I would look at what the better brands of home theater furniture are. Either that or focus on cheap highly padded furniture that you don't mind replacing every few years.

    http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Products/Detail?SKU=3707

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    42

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    This recliner isn't really all that comfortable. The Berkline I had previously was still comfortable after 19 years, but the wooden frame was falling apart. I hate to keep filling the landfill with a recliner every few years. If I want to do that I could just as well buy a $300 Chinese recliner every other year. I don't expect 19 years out of today's furniture, but 10 years or more would be better than three years.

    If there is a style of recliner that is better because it is more ergonomic I would be willing to go that route. I am planning to look at some of the Fjord recliners when I can get over a local retailer that carries them. I don't need a recliner this year unless my recliner breaks totally. This year is a bad year to buy any furniture just like it is a baad year to buy just about any large goods. I wanted to buy a lawn mower and I couldn't get one until the mowing season is basically over.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Washington State
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    24

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    Check out the H&M Westwood Tilt Back Recliner #2062. According to Duane this may be the most comfortable recliner in the line. I bought one (I ordered it from him back in February.) It has finally been built and is now on it's way to the west coast. The #2062 is a Tilt Back, meaning it must be used with an ottoman. Instead of a spring mechanism, it uses a gas strut to recline the back. It can be stopped at any position. It is a much less complex system. Of course the downside it that you also need to buy the matching ottoman. Also the ottoman takes up more space if that is an issue. Be aware that the Westwood also comes in a normal recliner version (#7150.) Saves you from buying the ottoman. It uses the traditional spring mechanism. H&M uses the very best. There is not much out there about the #7150's comfort vs the #2062. I know Duane prefers the Tilt Back. Lastly the Westwood comes in a regular stationary chair you can use with an ottoman if you don't need to recline. It is a lot larger than the other versions of the chair. It uses more leather, so is more expensive. #6215-1

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    42

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    Sorry, but to me that 2062 is uglier than all get out. No chance of me buying spending $5,000 or whatever for that, especially with not even being able to sit in the chair before I get it. I also have desire to have an ottoman even though space is not really an issue.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    Quote Originally Posted by reader2580 View Post
    Sorry, but to me that 2062 is uglier than all get out. No chance of me buying spending $5,000 or whatever for that, especially with not even being able to sit in the chair before I get it. I also have desire to have an ottoman even though space is not really an issue.
    Have you considered a LaZBoy retailer since that is the style that appeals to you?

    I have a few pretty good recliners from Bradington Young, Hancock & Moore and Whittemore Sherrill and I don’t believe any of those companies manufacture a chair that look like a LaZBoy.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    42

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    It sounds like the answer here is just to plan to replace my "modern" recliner every three to five years. La-Z-Boy is not going to be any better than Southern Motion I don't think. It would hurt the pocketbook, but I would pay $5,000 for a "modern" recliner if it would last 10 to 20 years. I hate throwing stuff in the landfill every few years.

    I will look at the Fjord recliners one of these days. I can probably get another year out of my recliner and hopefully the supply issues are better by then.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    Alexandria VA
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    15,887

    Default Re: Is there a good contemporary recliner out there that will last?

    The photo you posted is pretty much a 1980's design, about 40 years old and not really "Modern". The market has largely moved past that look of the attached pillow bolsters with the "heavy" frame appearance. In the Hancock and Moore line the closest to that would be the # 1724 Journey which has been around for about three decades. It's softer sitting unit.

    I don't understand why you have to pay a labor charge for a frame defect on Southern Motion? That's not normal in the industry. Usually if you return it to the factory, or the selling dealer, then that is all that is required of you to do. At least that is the case for every maker I carry. Frame failures are pretty rare, I think its been 20 years since I have had a client have one.

    "I have to try one out" is a common remark I hear, however there are 1,300 frames from just Hancock and Moore alone, there is no way anyone is going to have them all, not even close. I'm one of the largest stocking dealers on the East Coast and I can only show fifty to sixty, which is a long ways from what they offer. Sometimes you can ask a dealer if they will bring one in the leather you want to buy and agree there is a 50/50 chance you will buy it. I do that for some of my clients if I can use the piece for floor stock should they take a pass.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
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